- National:
- The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) launched the ‘Mera Bill Mera Adhikar’ GST reward scheme on September 1st, 2023. The scheme offers cash rewards of up to Rs 1 crore and is being launched in six states and UTs on a pilot basis, including Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, and the UTs of Puducherry, Dadra Nagar Haveli, and Daman & Diu.
- The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has been granted the status of a 'deemed to be university’. This announcement was made by Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, during his address at the 63rd foundation day of NCERT.
- On 31 August, 2023, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Directorate General Resettlement (DGR) under the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Ministry of Defence and M/s Genpact India Private Limited in New Delhi.
- The Indian government has formed an 8-member committee to examine the issue of ‘One Nation, One Election’ and make recommendations for holding simultaneous Centre and state elections in the country.
- The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the merger of Tata SIA Airlines Limited (TSAL/Vistara) into Air India Limited (AIL/Air India) on September 1, 2023. The merger is subject to compliance with voluntary commitments offered by the parties
- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched its first solar observatory mission dedicated to studying the Sun, Aditya-L1, on Saturday, September 2, 2023. The launch took place at 11:50 am IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh
- Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shobha Karandlaje, inaugurated the G20 Technical Workshop on Climate-Resilient Agriculture in Hyderabad on September 4, 2023. The workshop was organized by the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
- The second edition of Naval Commanders’ Conference, 2023 will begin today in New Delhi. The conference is the apex-level biannual event facilitating interaction between the Naval Commanders for deliberation and formulation of important policy decisions.
- Assam government has constituted a three-member panel to draft the proposed law to end polygamy in the State. The members of this committee are Advocate-General Devajit Saikia, Legal Remembrancer Kuntal Sharma Pathak, and Director-General of Police Gyanendra Pratap Singh.
- Economy:
- The State Bank of India (SBI) has announced the introduction of UPI interoperability on its Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) called the Digital Rupee (e). This feature, accessible through the ‘eRupee by SBI’ application, will empower SBI CBDC users to scan any merchant UPI QR code for transactions.
- The commerce ministry has recommended an anti-dumping duty of up to $243 per tonne of import of Chinese glass used in home appliances with a view to guard domestic players from cheap inbound shipments from China.
- World:
- The 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit is scheduled to be held in Jakarta from September 5th to 7th, 2023. The summit will be attended by representatives from 22 countries and 9 international bodies.
- Australia’s government will introduce legislation on Monday to tighten loopholes in workplace law. The move is opposed by employer groups who fear higher costs.
- According to the Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksandr Polishchuk, India will be part of the implementation of the 10-point peace formula proposed by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the details are being discussed.
- Sports:
- India’s Rohan Bopanna and his Australian partner Matthew Ebden advanced to the men’s doubles quarterfinals at the US Open with a hard-fought three-set win over Julian Cash and Henry Patten.
- The Indian men’s hockey team became the champions of the inaugural Men’s Hockey5s Asia Cup after defeating Pakistan 4-4 (2-0 SO) in a crucial final on Saturday. The event also served as Asia’s qualifying tournament for the FIH Men’s Hockey5s World Cup Oman 2024.
- India’s steeplechaser Avinash Sable qualified for the Diamond League Finals after finishing 5th in men’s 3000m steeplechase in Xiamen on Saturday, September 2. He clocked 8:16.27 in overcast conditions at the Egret Stadium.
- Important Days:
- World Coconut Day is celebrated every year on September 2nd to promote the importance of coconuts and raise awareness about their significance in various aspects of life.The theme for this year’s celebrations is “Sustaining Coconut Sector for the Present and Future Generation”.
- Appointments:
- Tharman Shanmugaratnam, a distinguished economist, won Singapore’s presidential race with 70.4 percent of the votes. He has been elected as the ninth president of the country with the incumbent President Halimah Yacob’s six-year term ending on September 13.
- Awards:
- Telangana’s Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) Dr. Shanta Thoutam received the World Innovation Award at the first BRICS Innovation Forum hosted in Moscow from August 27 to 29. The award is given for outstanding contribution to the Sustainable Development Goal-4 that ensures inclusive and equitable quality education and promotes lifelong opportunities for all.
Question:
Q.1 What is the theme for 2023 World Coconut Day celebrations?a. “Sustaining Coconut Sector for the Present and Future Generation”
b. “Promoting the Importance of Coconuts”
c. “Raising Awareness about the Significance of Coconuts”
d. “Celebrating the Multifaceted Significance of Coconuts”
