NATIONAL:
1. India Club London
Why in new - London’s India Club was closed down permanently on September 17 after decades of operations.
Key Points –
• The restaurant served Indian food items.
• It is run by Parsi-origin Yadgar Marker, his wife Freny and daughter Phiroza since 1997 as the director.
• It was started in 1951 by the India League.
• It was established by VK Krishna Menon, Chandran Tharoor (father of Shashi Tharoor), etc.
• Dr Rajendra Prasad, Lord Mountbatten, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Dadabhai Naoroji were some of the club's prominent visitors.
2. Special Session
Why in new – The Special Session of the Parliament will be held from September 18 to 22, 2023.
Key Points –
• Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar hoisted flag at ‘Gaja dwar’ of new Parliament.
• The new Parliament has six entrances, each signifying a different role.
• Red sandstone sculptures of auspicious animals have been installed as ‘guardian statues’ on all six entrances.
3. Yashobhoomi
Why in new – PM Narendra Modi unveiled the Phase 1 of Yashobhoomi on September 17, 2023 (his 73rd birthday).
Key Points –
• It is New Delhi’s 2nd India International Convention and Expo Centre.
• Cost - Rs 5400 crores.
• It has the largest LED media facade in the country.
• It can collectively accommodate up to 11,000 delegates.
ENVIRONMENT:
1. Ban Cruise Boats
Why in news – The National Green Tribunal (NGT) ruled that operating cruise boats in the Upper Lake (Bhoj Wetland) of Madhya Pradesh was illegal.
Key Points –
• Environmentalist Dr Subhash C Pandey filed an application against the operation of the cruise in the Bhopal Upper Lake.
• Van Vihar National Park – Bhopal.
ECONOMY:
1. Project Abhinandan
Why in news – Air India has launched “Project Abhinandan” to elevate the on-ground experience of passengers.
Key Points –
• Aim - to give travellers a personalised and hassle-free experience.
• It has deployed specially trained service assurance officers at 16 major airports across India.
• They will provide assistance at the check-in area, lounges, near boarding gates, during transit or at the arrival hall.
2. SIDBI Refinancing
Why in news – Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), plans to float a Rs 10,000-crore rights issue next fiscal.
Key Points –
• It refinances SME loans.
• It expects to grow assets to Rs 5 lakh crore by March 2024 from about Rs 4 lakh crore in March 2023.
Value Addition –
• Statutory body - established under an Act of the Parliament in 1990.
• Principal Financial Institution engaged in financing of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector.
• Shareholders –
(a) Central government (20.8%).
(b) State Bank of India (15.65%).
(c) Life Insurance Corporation (13.33%).
(d) Rest of the equity is held by other public financial institutions and banks.
• Committee related to MSMEs - S.L. Kapur, Vijayraghavan, Abid Hussain, Nayak, S.P. Gupta, S.S. Kohli, Dr. Arjun Sengupta and U.K. Sinha.
AWARDS & HONOURS:
1. Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Why in news – Rahul Mishra was conferred the insignia of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres at a function in France.
Key Points –
• Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters is a French government distinction in the field of art, culture, and literature.
IMPORTANT DAYS:
1. 29th World Ozone Day
Why in news – It is celebrated on September 16 to commemorate the signing of the Montreal Protocol.
Key Points –
• Theme 2023 - Montreal Protocol: fixing the ozone layer and reducing climate change.
• Montreal Protocol (1987) - An international environmental treaty for phasing out of production and consumption of Ozone Depleting Substances.
• Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol - to phase down of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
Value Addition –
• Vienna Convention (1985) - An international treaty on the protection of the Ozone Layer.
• Under Vienna convention, the Montreal Protocol came into force in 1989.
• Ozone hole (Unit - Dobson) - It is not technically a “hole” where no ozone is present, but is actually a region of exceptionally depleted ozone in the stratosphere over the Antarctic.
APPOINTMENTS:
1. Rajnish Kumar
Why in news – Former SBI chair Rajnish Kumar appointed as Mastercard India Chairman.
Key Points –
• He spearheaded the development of SBI’s digital platform, YONO.
APPS & PORTALS:
1. BriskPe A2A
Why in news – BriskPe and Yes Bank have partnered to introduce BriskPe A2A.
Key Points –
• It enables seamless cross-border payments for MSMEs.
• BriskPe’s customers can collect payments in over 36 foreign currencies, spanning more than 180 countries.
2. 'Sarpanch Samvad' App
Why in news – Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria launched 'Sarpanch Samvad' app.
Key Points –
• Aim – to connect approximately 2.5 lakh sarpanches across India.
• The app has been developed by the Quality Council of India (QCI).
SPORTS:
1. Asia Cup 2023
Why in news – India has been crowned Asia Cup 2023 champions.
Key Points –
• It was India’s 8th Asia Cup title.
• Sri Lanka were bowled out for 50 runs in 15.2 overs. This was their lowest total against India (2nd -lowest overall).
• India chased down the target in merely 6.1 overs by 10 wickets.
• Most runs in Asia Cup 2023 - S Gill (302 runs).
• Man of the Match in the Final - Mohammed Siraj.
• Most wickets in Asia Cup 2023 - M Pathirana (SL) with 11 wickets.
• This is the largest victory (263 balls) for India in ODIs in terms of balls remaining.
STATES/UTs:
1. Unity Mall
Why in news – 3 Unity Malls to be opened in Uttar Pradesh.
Key Points –
• Location - Lucknow, Agra, Varanasi.
• In the Union Budget 2023-24, a provision has been made to establish Unity Mall in all the states of the country.
BIHAR:
1. Manju Sinha Project Girls’ Higher Secondary School
Why in news – CM Nitish Kumar inaugurated a Manju Sinha Project Girls' higher secondary school on September 16, 2023.
Key Points –
• Location - Bakhtiyarpur (Patna district).
• It is named after his late wife Manju Sinha.
POINTERS:
• Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep has been suspended from professional tennis for how many years for doping - 4 years.
• Which state emerged as the winner in the finals of the recently concluded 5th National Wheelchair Rugby Championship 2023 held at Balewadi, Pune – Maharashtra.
• Who has been named the Vice-Chairperson of The National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) - Sindhu Gangadharan.
• Who has become the sixth Indian and 15th overall player to reach 10,000 runs in One Day International (ODI) cricket - Rohit Sharma.
• LIC Chairman Mohanty presented a dividend cheque of how many rupees to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman - Rs 1831.09 crores.
• Geological Survey of India Training Institute (GSITI), Hyderabad has signed a memorandum of understanding with whom for the capacity building in the areas of mineral resources and disaster management under the National Natural Resources Management System programme – ISRO.
• Which become the first country to name a new ambassador to Afghanistan since the Taliban retook power in 2021 - China.
• The International Hockey Federation (FIH) withdrew hosting rights of the Olympic Qualifiers from which country – Pakistan.
• Which state approved the state's first service sector policy by offering a 25 percent capital subsidy to investors in various service sectors – Uttarakhand.
• Who has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Australia - Gopal Bagle.
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