Current Affairs: September 2022 | Current Affairs & General Knowledge - CLAT PDF Download

Italy gets its first female PM as Giorgia Meloni claims victory

• Giorgia Meloni looks set to become Italy’s first woman prime minister at the head of its most right-wing government since World War Two after leading a conservative alliance to triumph at the election. Meloni will take over from Prime Minister Mario Draghi, the former head of the European Central Bank, who pushed Rome to the centre of EU policy-making during his 18-month stint in office, forging close ties with Paris and Berlin. 
• The Italian farright leader Meloni party came top in general elections. Leading the next government, she will work for the betterment of all Italians.
• Giorgia Meloni is an Italian politician and journalist who was born on 15 January 1977. 
• Herfather came from Sardinia and her mother belonged to Sicily. In 1992 at the age of 15,
• Meloni joined the Youth Front, the youth wing of the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement (MSI). 
• Next to this in 1996, she earned a diploma from the Amerigo Vespucci Institute. She has also served as a youth minister in Berlusconi’s 2008-2011 government before founding the Brothers of Italy in 2012. Three prominent political leaders Meloni, La Russa, and Crosetto founded a new political movement Brothers of Italy in 2012.

About Italy:

• Capital: Rome
• Currency: Euro
• President: Sergio Mattarella

UNSC reforms: Intergovernmental Negotiation constrained by lack of transparency: G4 nations

• The G4 grouping comprising India, Japan, Germany and Brazil expressed their concern over lack of any “meaningful” forward movement on long-pending reform of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and demanded “urgency” on the issue.  
• The foreign ministers of the G4 countries held a virtual meeting coinciding with the 75th session of the UN General Assembly during which they held extensive discussion on the need for urgent reform of the UNSC. 
• A joint press statement said the ministers highlighted the urgency of reforming the UN and updating its main decision-making bodies, in order to better reflect contemporary realities.  “G4 Ministers expressed disappointment at attempts to derail this process and committed to addressing the issue in a meaningful way and with increased urgency at this 75th anniversary of the UN,” the statement released by the external affairs ministry said. 
• The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Arajo, Japan’s Motegi Toshimitsu and Minister of State at German Foreign Office Niels Annen.

About UN Security Council (UNSC):

• Headquarters: New York, United States
• Founded: 24 October 1945

FM Sitharaman Urges World Bank To Raise Lending To India

• The World Bank approved a USD 1 billion loan to support India’s efforts for providing social assistance to the poor and vulnerable households, severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 
• The “Accelerating India’s COVID-19 Social Protection Response Program” will support the government’s efforts towards a more consolidated delivery platform accessible to both rural and urban populations across state boundaries. 
•  The total commitment from the World Bank towards emergency COVID-19 response in India to USD 2 billion. A USD 1 billion support was announced last month towards immediate support to India’s health sector. 
• The multilateral lending agency is also in discussions with the government to provide assistance to the country’s micro, small and medium enterprises, said World Bank Country Director in India Junaid Ahmad in a webinar with media. 
• The response to the COVID-19 pandemic around the world has required governments to introduce social distancing and lockdowns in unprecedented ways, he said.  
• Of the USD 1 billion commitment, USD 550 million will be financed by a credit from the International Development Association (IDA) the World Bank’s concessionary lending arm and USD 200 million will be a loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), with a final maturity of 18.5 years including a grace period of five years.

About World Bank:

• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
• President: David Malpass
• Founded: July 1944, Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, United States 
• Motto: Working for a World Free of Poverty 
• Founders: John Maynard Keynes, Harry Dexter White

About International Development Association (IDA):

• Founded: 24 September 1960
• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., U.S.
• Membership: 174 countries
• Chief Executive Officer: Kristalina Georgieva

About International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD):

• Founded: 1944
• Leader: Kristalina Georgieva
• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., U.S.
• Purpose: Development assistance, poverty reduction
• Membership: 189 countries

Norway's central bank to build national digital currency on Ethereum

• Norges Bank, Norway’s central bank, made a significant advancement in its efforts to develop a digital currency by publishing the open source code for the nation’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) sandbox based on Ethereum technology. This development was made possible by the ongoing mainstream adoption of cryptographic technology.
• CBDCs are a type of electronic fiat money backed by the central bank. Although they are not required to be, CBDCs can be built on blockchain networks. However, the CBDC in Norway is built on Ethereum.
• The Bank’s official CBDC partner, Nahmii, stated in a blog post that it has also enabled features including minting, burning, and transferring ERC-20 tokens.
• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reports that 97 nations, or more than half of the world’s central banks, are experimenting with developing CBDCs.

About Norway:

• Capital: Oslo
• Currency: Norwegian krone
• Official language: Norwegian
• Prime Minister: Jonas Gahr Store 

PM Modi, Russian Prez Putin, China's Xi to attend SCO Samarkand summit: Uzbekistan

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to travel to Samarkand in Uzbekistan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit on September 15 and 16. This will be the first inperson summit after June 2019 when the SCO summit was held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The Prime Minister, sources said, is likely to reach Samarkand on September 14 and return on September 16, according to the current travel schedule
• India’s presence at the summit is important because it will assume the rotational presidency of the SCO at the end of the Samarkand summit. Delhi will hold the presidency of the grouping for a year until September 2023. So, next year, India will host the SCO summit which will be attended, among others, by leaders of China, Russia, Pakistan
• Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi are among the leaders expected at the summit.

About Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO):

• Headquarters: Beijing, China
• Founded: 15 June 2001
• Founders: China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan
• Secretary-General: Zhang Ming

About Uzbekistan:

• Capital: Tashkent
• Currency: Uzbekistani sum
• President: Shavkat Mirziyoyev
• Official language: Uzbek

G7 agrees to implement price cap on Russian oil, seeks inputs from all countries

• Members of the G7 have agreed to impose a price cap on Russian oil in a bid to hit Moscow’s ability to finance the war in Ukraine. The cap on crude oil and petroleum products would also help reduce global energy prices. The cap will be set at a level based on a range of technical inputs. “We will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes,” the G7 said. 
• Russia said it would stop selling oil to countries that imposed price caps. “Companies that impose a price cap will not be among the recipients of Russian oil,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. The G7 (Group of Seven) consists of the UK, US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. The group is an organisation of the world’s seven largest “advanced” economies, which dominate global trade and the international financial system
• The introduction of a price cap on Russian oil means countries that sign up to the policy will only be permitted to purchase Russian oil and petroleum products transported via sea that are sold at or below the price cap. In the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine the price of oil soared and has remained at high levels, meaning Russia has increase its revenues from the fossil fuel despite its export volumes falling.
• China and India – major trading partners for Russia – may not follow G7 policy on Russian oil, analysts say. They have not joined the Western sanctions targeting Russia.

About G7:

• Founded: 1975
• Founded at: Washington, D.C.
• G7 Member countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the
• United States.

About Russia:

• President: Vladimir Putin
• Capital: Moscow
• Currency: Russian ruble
• Prime Minister: Mikhail Mishustin

Jitendra Singh announces ‘One Week One Lab’ campaign to showcase breakthroughs in CSIR Labs

• Union Minister of state for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh on Monday announced ‘One Week One Lab’ theme-based campaign to showcase the technological breakthroughs and innovations in CSIR laboratories/institutes across the country on Monday. 
• Addressing the first CSIR Leadership Meet, the minister said that the legacy of CSIR is built on the cumulative contribution of its national laboratories and institutes. “Each laboratory of CSIR is unique and specializing in as diverse areas as genomics to geology, material technology and food to fuel." 
• Singh added that the laboratories came together during the COVID pandemic last year. They developed several technologies that helped India's fight against COVID. “CSIR breakthroughs in areas like Drone, Heliborne technology, state of the art Sewage cleaning machines, Aroma Mission has opened up huge opportunities for developing meaningful and equal stake partnership among Research, Academia and Industry."

About Council for Industry and Scientific Research (CSIR):

• President: Narendra Modi
• Founded: 26 September 1942
• Founders: Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar, Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar

Chandigarh airport to be named after Bhagat Singh

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Sunday during his monthly ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio programme that the Chandigarh international airport would be named after freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. The announcement came three days before the martyr’s birth anniversary Wednesday, September 28, ending a seven-year standoff between the Punjab and Haryana governments over the naming of the airport.
• Earlier, Haryana had objected that the airport should be named after Chandigarh only as it is the joint capital of both states. Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had agreed with Punjab to name the airport after Bhagat Singh but after the BJP, led by Manohar Lal Khattar, took over the reins in Haryana, in 2015, he put forth his view that it should be named after an RSS ideologue Mangel Sen.
• The Punjab Vidhan Sabha in 2017 passed a resolution that the airport should be named after Bhagat Singh and this led to a debate.

About Punjab:

• Capital: Chandigarh
• Governor: Banwarilal Purohit
• Chief Minister: Bhagwant Mann

About Haryana:

• Capital: Chandigarh
• Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya
• Chief Minister: Manohar Lal Khattar

'Make in India' completes 8 years, annual FDI doubles to USD 83 billion

• Make in India, the flagship program of the Government of India that aspires to facilitate investment, foster innovation, enhance skill development, and build best-in-class manufacturing infrastructure, completes 8 years of path-breaking reforms on 25th September 2022. 
• Launched in 2014 under the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, ‘Make in India’ is transforming the country into a leading global manufacturing and investment destination. The initiative is an open invitation to potential investors and partners across the globe to participate in the growth story of ‘New India’. Make In India has substantial accomplishments across 27 sectors. These include strategic sectors of manufacturing and services as well.
• To attract foreign investments, Government of India has put in place a liberal and transparent policy wherein most sectors are open to FDI under the automatic route. FDI inflows in India stood at US $ 45.15 billion in 2014-2015 and have since consecutively reached record FDI inflows for eight years. The year 2021-22 recorded the highest ever FDI at $83.6 billion. This FDI has come from 101 countries, and invested across 31 UTs and States and 57 sectors in the country. On the back of economic reforms and Ease of Doing Business in recent years, India is on track to attract US$ 100 Bn FDI in the current FY. 
• Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme across 14 key manufacturing sectors, was launched in 2020-21 as a big boost to Make in India initiative.

About Make in India:

• Launch year: 2014
• Status: Active
• Launched by (Prime minister): Narendra Modi
• Ministry: Ministry of Finance
• Key people: Ministry of Commerce and Industry (India)

GI tagging of Kashmiri Saffron reaches national and international platforms: Director Agriculture Kashmir

• Farmers in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are now able to sell their products on domestic and international marketplaces thanks to the GI labelling of Kashmiri saffron. This was said by Chowdhury Mohammad Iqbal, director of agriculture in Kashmir, who today visited the India International Saffron from Kashmir Trade Centre in Dussu in the Pampore neighbourhood of the Pulwama district of south Kashmir to see how it was operating there.
• The Director of Agriculture spoke at the event and expressed his satisfaction with IIKSTC’s performance during the previous two years. 
• According to him, more than 3000 kg of fresh saffron flowers from which more than 300 kg of saffron was collected could be processed in the IIKSTC lab, which the Department has been using on a trial basis for the past two years.

About Jammu and Kashmir:

• Capital: Srinagar
• LG: Shri Manoj Sinha

Andaman and Nicobar Islands declared India’s first Swachh Sujal Pradesh 

• Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has declared Andaman and Nicobar Islands as India’s first Swachh Sujal Pradesh. Speaking at a function in Port Blair, he handed over the certificate to Lieutenant Governor Admiral DK Joshi.
• Now, all villages of Andaman and Nicobar Island have been certified as Har Ghar Jal and verified as open defecation free – ODF plus. Mr Shekhawat congratulated all the islanders for this major achievement and highlighted people participation to complete this journey.
• He said, being remotely located from the mainland the achievement of the islands will prove to be a source of inspiration for rest States and Union Territories. This is the best gift for Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday, he added.

About Andaman and Nicobar:

• Districts: 3
• Country: India
• Districts: 3
• Capital and 
• largest city: Port Blair
• L. Governor: Admiral D K Joshi 

Tamil Nadu notifies Nanjarayan tank as bird sanctuary

• The Tamil Nadu government has notified the Nanjarayan tank in Tiruppur district as the 17th bird sanctuary of the State
• In April, Minister for Forests K. Ramachandran said in the Assembly that the tank would be declared a bird sanctuary and ₹7.5 crore would be allotted for its development. 
• On Monday, the Department of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change issued a government order, declaring the tank as the 17th bird sanctuary under the Wild Life (Protection) Act.
• The tank, locally called Sarkar Periyapalayam tank, lies at the junction of Tiruppur North and Uthukuli taluks, covering 125.86 hectares. The government has also released the proposed boundaries of the sanctuary. 
• The tank is considered an abode of migratory bird species. Bar-headed goose, ruddy shelduck, northern shoveler and many other species native to Central Asia are expected to arrive at the tank by October.

About Tamil Nadu:

• Governor: R. N. Ravi
• Capital: Chennai
• Chief Minister: M. K. Stalin

India's first lithium-ion cell factory inaugurated in Andhra Pradesh

• Chennai-based Munoth Industries Ltd (MIL), promoted by Munoth group, is set to commission what it calls India’s first full-fledged lithium-ion cell manufacturing unit at Electronic Manufacturing Cluster 2 [EMC 2], located at Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. 
• The factory, which will be inaugurated by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, will commence a preproduction run on September 16. The factory will employ about 250 workers. 
• “This is the first time a real manufacturing operation for lithium-ion cells is happening in the country,” said Jaswant Munoth, Vice Chairman of Munoth Industries Ltd (MIL), which was earlier engaged in the sales and distribution of mobile phones. 
• The 15,000 sq mt lithium cell factory has come up on a 30-acre site with a Phase-1 investment of ₹165 crore. It will have an initial capacity of 270 MWh and can produce 20,000 cells of 10Ah capacity every day. The company has technical tie-ups with Chinabased Tianjin Lishen and BPI.

About Andhra Pradesh:

• Capital: Amaravati
• Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan
• Chief Minister: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy
• Founded: 1 November 1956

About Tamil Nadu:

• Governor: R. N. Ravi
• Capital: Chennai
• Chief Minister: M. K. Stalin

Election Commission of India launches BLO e- Patrika

• The Election Commission of India on Wednesday released a new digital publication ‘BLO ePatrika’ at an interactive session held with BLOs spread across the States in India. 
• Over 350 BLOs joined via video-conferencing from the office of Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) in States/UTs and 50 BLOs from the nearby states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi joined the launch event physically at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. 
• According to the statement released by the Election Commission, BLOs participated enthusiastically during the interaction with the Commission sharing their experiences, challenges they come across while performing their duties and success stories. 
• Today’s event was a first-of-its-kind direct interaction by the Commission with the BLOs across the country. Senior officials from the Election Commission and CEOs of all States (via video conferencing) were present during the event.

About Election Commission of India:

• Formed: 25 January 1950
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• First executive: Sukumar Sen
• Preceding executive: Sushil Chandra
• Current executive: Rajiv Kumar

India's first Night sky Sanctuary to be set up in Ladakh

• The Union minister Jitendra Singh announced on Saturday (September 3) that within the next three months, Ladakh will host India's first-ever "Night Sky Sanctuary" as part of Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary in the union territory.
• Singh also claimed that the proposed 'Dark Sky Reserve' will be finished at Hanle in the UT within three months, which will boost Astro tourism in India and make it one of the highest located sites in the world for optical, infrared, and gamma-ray telescopes. 
• The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh, the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), and the UT administration recently signed a tripartite MoU to establish the Dark Space Reserve.. 
• All three parties will work together to prevent the night sky from being illuminated and polluted, which severely threatens scientific observations and the sky's natural conditions
• It should be noted that Hanle is ideally suitable for the project because it is situated in the freezing desert region of Ladakh, far from any human interference, and has dry weather conditions all year round.

About Ladakh:

• Capital: Leh, Kargil
• Lt Governor : Sh R K Mathur
• Union territory: 31 October 2019
• Districts: 2

Oval and Lord's to host next two World Test Championship finals

• The International Cricket Council has announced that the World Test Championship 2023 Final will be hosted by The Oval in June 2023 while the 2025 final will be played at Lord’s. The two venues in London will succeed Southampton, which hosted the inaugural final between New Zealand and India in 2021. New Zealand emerged as the victors in the first edition
• The top two teams from the World Test Championship standings will make it to the finals with Australia and South Africa currently leading. 
• Australia and South Africa will also clash against each other in a three-match series in the current cycle in December-January, which could have a big bearing on the final points table

About International Cricket Council (ICC):

• Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Motto: Cricket for good.
• Founded: 15 June 1909
• Chairman: Greg Barclay
• General Manager: Wasim Khan

Roger Federer announces retirement from tennis 

• Roger Federer will retire next week at the age of 41 after the Laver Cup in London, marking the end of one of the greatest ever sporting careers.
• A 20-time grand slam champion, Federer announced in a social media post on Thursday that next week will be his last as a professional player. Federer’s management firm, Team8, are founders of the Laver Cup, a Ryder Cup-style event
• “The Laver Cup next week in London will be my final ATP event. I will play more tennis in the future, of course, but just not in Grand Slams or on the tour,” he wrote.
• Federer has not competed since Wimbledon last year when he lost 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-0 in the quarter-final to Hubert Hurkacz and it emerged he had reinjured the knee that had kept him out of the tour for more than a year. Federer has contested five events since January 2020 and has undergone three knee surgeries in that period. He cited his late-career injury problems as the reason for his retirement.

About Roger Federer:

• Born: 8 August 1981 (age 41 years), Basel, Switzerland
• Grand slams won (singles): 20
• Tennis grip: One-handed backhand

Cabinet nod for signing of guarantees for FIFA U-17 womens world cup 

• The government on Wednesday approved the signing of guarantees for hosting the Under17 FIFA Women's World Cup in India from October 11 to 30. 
• The approval of the Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, came after the re-constitution of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), which was banned by FIFA briefly last month citing third party influence.
• India is hosting the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Navi Mumbai, Goa and Bhubaneswar from October 11 to October 17 this year
• Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said Rs 60 crore will be spent for hosting the tournament that will see participation of 16 teams, including India. 
• An assistance of Rs 10 crore to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for field of play maintenance, stadium power, energy and cabling, stadia and training site branding will be met from the budgetary allocation for the Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations (NSFs), Thakur said.

About International Governing Body of Association football (FIFA):

• President: Gianni Infantino
• Founded: 21 May 1904, Rue Saint-Honoré, Paris, France
• Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland
• Video games: Panini Sticker Album, FIFA FUTSAL WC 2021 Challenge

Sikkim to host Ranji Trophy matches for the first time

• Sikkim will be hosting Ranji Trophy matches at home for the first time when they welcome three teams to the hill State in the forthcoming Indian domestic season.
• Sikkim Cricket Association has previously hosted First Class matches, at adopted home venues, and to be able to bring the biggest domestic tournament in India home is a historic and hugely significant step forward for cricket in Sikkim.
• SICA president Lobzang G. Tenzing stated, “To host First Class matches is no mean feat for a State association which got full membership just four years back.”
• He thanked Board of Control for Cricket in India for trusting SICA with “such huge responsibility” and assured to be a perfect host. 
• The BCCI’s decision to allow Sikkim to host three of its Ranji Trophy matches at home will certainly play a game changer in the promotion of cricket in the State.
• Sikkim will play against Manipur, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh at SICA ground, at Mining. The venues for the remaining Plate Group matches, against Meghalaya and Bihar, are yet to be announced. 
• Along with Ranji Trophy matches, Sikkim will also play two Cooch Behar Trophy matches and three Col CK Nayudu Trophy matches at Mining

About Sikkim:

• Capital: Gangtok
• Governor: Ganga Prasad
• Chief Minister: Prem Singh Tamang

DRDO, Indian Army successfully conduct 6 flight tests of Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile System

• Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and the Indian Army completed six flight tests of the Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM) system from Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, on the Odisha Coast, as part of evaluation trials
• The QRSAM aims to provide a protective shield to the moving armored columns of the Army from aerial attacks.
• The six flight tests were carried out against high-speed aerial targets mimicking various types of threats to evaluate the capability of the QRSAM as a short-range Surface Air Missile (SAM) system.
• The different threat scenarios include long-range medium-altitude, short-range, highaltitude-maneuvering target, low-radar signature with receding and crossing target, and salvo launch with two missiles fired in quick succession.

About Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO):

• Headquarters: DRDO Bhavan, New Delhi
• Founded: 1958
• Jurisdiction: India
• Aircraft designed: Avatar, DRDO Lakshya, DRDO Nishant
• Subsidiary: Gas Turbine Research Establishment

About Odisha:

• Governor: Ganeshi Lal
• Capital: Bhubaneswar
• Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik

Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's longest-serving monarch, has died at Balmoral aged 96

• Queen Elizabeth II passes away: Queen Elizabeth II, who reigned the UK for 70 years, passed away at Balmoral at the age of 96. After worries about her health grew early, her family gathered at her Scottish estate. Queen Elizabeth II saw significant social change after ascending to the throne in 1952. The King and the Queen Consort will spend today (08.09.2022) and tomorrow (09.09.22) in Balmoral before departing for London.
•  Queen Elizabeth II was in placement under medical supervision, all of her children made their way to Balmoral, which is close to Aberdeen.
•  Queen Elizabeth II, who on Tuesday appointed Prime Minister Liz Truss, said she was the “rock” upon which modern Britain was founded and that she had “given us the stability and strength that we required.” 
• The prime ministers served during her time in office, including Ms. Truss, who was born 101 years after Winston Churchill, in 1874
• Queen Elizabeth II came under fire for not publicly commenting after Diana, Princess of Wales, died in a car accident in Paris in 1997.

About United Kingdom:

• Government: Parliamentary system, Unitary state, Constitutional monarchy
• Capital: London
• Prime Minister: Liz Truss
• Currency: Pound sterling

Dr Rajiv Bahl appointed ICMR Director General for 3 years

• Dr Rajiv Bahl has been appointed as the new director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-cum-secretary of the department of health Research for a period of three years. Bahl currently heads the research on maternal, newborn child and adolescent health cum-newborn unit on maternal, Department of Maternal Newborn Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, at the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva
• His predecessor, Dr Balram Bhargava’s extended tenure as director general of ICMR and secretary of the Department of Health Research ended in July. Bhargava was appointed to the post on April 16, 2018, for four years. The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Dr Rajiv Bahl.

About Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR):

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Founder: Government of India
• Founded: 1911

NCC, UNEP sign MoU to tackle plastic pollution

• Rajnath Singh, the defence minister, saw the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). A Memorandum of Understanding was inked to use the Tide Turners Plastic Challenge programme and the Puneet Sagar Abhiyan to combat plastic pollution and achieve the objective of clean water bodies. It aims to coordinate initiatives to involve young people in promoting clean water bodies
• The Puneet Sagar Abhiyan was introduced by the NCC on December 1st, 2017.The campaign’s objectives are to rid seashores of plastic and other trash and raise public awareness of how important cleanliness.
• More than 12 million NCC cadets, alumni, and volunteers have collected over 100 tonnes of plastic debris from approximately 1,900 places since the start of the Puneet Sagar Abhiyan
• Ajay Bhatt, the secretary of defence, Dr. Ajay Kumar, officials from the ministry of defence, and UNEP representatives were present at the event. 
• The Defense Secretary praised NCC’s efforts in making the “Puneet Sagar Abhiyan” a huge success, calling it one of the finest programmes.

About Nations Environment Programme (UNEP):

• Headquarters location: Nairobi, Kenya
• Founded: 5 June 1972, Nairobi, Kenya
• Founder: Maurice Strong
• Head: Inger Andersen
• Parent organization: United Nations

About National Cadet Corps (NCC):

• Director General: Lt. Gen. Gurbirpal Singh
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Founded: 16 April 1948
• Founder: H. N. Kunzru
• Active: July 16, 1948 – present
• Role: Student uniformed group

India to head Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in 2023

• The rotational presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has been handed over to India in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Delhi will hold the presidency of the grouping for a year until September 2023. And next year, India will host the SCO summit. In the declaration, it is stated that the presidency of the SCO for the forthcoming period passes to India. The next meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State will be held in 2023 in India.
• The leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States signed the Samarkand Declaration in the meeting of the Council of Heads of State in the city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan. During the SCO Summit, the Member States noted the various global challenges and threats including the technological and digital divide, continued turbulence in global financial markets, instability in supply chains, increased protectionist measures and uncertainty in the global economy.

About Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO):

• Headquarters: Beijing, China
• Founded: 15 June 2001
• Founders: China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan

First Homoeopathy International Health Summit held in Dubai

• First Homeopathy International Health summit: The first Homeopathy International Health summit hosted by Dubai aimed to teach and promote a homeopathic system of medicine, medications, and practices. Burnett Homeopathy Pvt Limited, a company that deals with homeopathic dilutions, mother tincture, lower trituration tablets, unique medicines including drops, syrups, skincare, hair care, and other homeopathic remedies, organised the summit. 
• Homeopathy is one of the greatest techniques to treat any sickness or ailment because its negative effects are so minimal in comparison to others. 
• The first global homeopathy health summit was also attended by a large number of top doctors from both India and throughout the world.
•  By 2030, it is predicted that the health industry will need to spend between 200 and 400 crore rupees annually due to climate change, as discussed in the first global homeopathy health summit. 

About UAE:

• Capital: Abu Dhabi
• Currency: United Arab Emirates dirham
• President: Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan