GK Snapshots on 1 October 2021 

PM launches second phases of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban, AMRUT

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the second phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation.

Former Kerala Chief Secretary and writer C P Nair passes away

Former bureaucrat and writer-columnist, Chellappan Parameswaran Nair, popularly known as C P Nair, died at his residence here following a cardiac arrest on Friday, family sources said.

Venezuela introduces new currency with 6 fewer zeros

Caracas (Venezuela), A new currency with six fewer zeros debuts Friday in Venezuela, whose currency has been made nearly worthless by years of the world''s worst inflation.

India's power consumption up 1.83 pc at 114.49 bn units in September

New Delhi: India''s power consumption grew 1.83 per cent in September to 114.49 billion units (BU), showing subdued recovery according to power ministry data.

Shortages, shipping, shutdowns hit Asian factory output

Shortages of power, computer chips and other parts, soaring shipping costs and shutdowns of factories to battle the pandemic are taking a toll on Asian economies.

B C Patnaik takes charge as MD of LIC

Insurance behemoth LIC on Friday said B C Patnaik has taken charge as the managing director (MD) of the company.

Addition of gold reserves from 2018 will help India's sovereign rating: IIM-A study

RBI''s addition of gold reserves from 2018 will help the sovereign rating of India, a research by Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad released on Friday said.

Anna Sawai boards cast of FX series 'Shogun'

"Fast and Furious 9" star Anna Sawai has joined Hiroyuki Sanada and Cosmo Jarvis in upcoming FX limited series, titled "Shogun".

Scarlett Johansson and Disney settle 'Black Widow' lawsuit

Los Angeles: Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson and studio Disney have settled her lawsuit over the release of the actor''s superhero movie "Black Widow".

Rege-Jean Page to lead Netflix heist film from Noah Hawley and The Russo Brothers

"Bridgerton" breakout Rege-Jean Page is set to headline a Netflix heist thriller film from "Fargo" creator Noah Hawley.

Magnificent Mandhana falls after maiden Test ton, India 231/3 against Australia

Gold Coast: Flamboyant opener Smriti Mandhana shattered a few records en route to slamming a magnificent maiden Test century as India progressed to 231/3 in the second day''s opening session of the day/night match against Australia.

Chance for DC to bounce back against struggling Mumbai Indians

Delhi Capitals will look to bounce back after a blip in the last match, while a struggling Mumbai Indians unit will hope to hold on to their new-found momentum in the first of Saturday''s IPL double headers here.

India beat Kazakhstan, to meet Georgia in semifinals

Sitges (Spain), D Harika and Mary Ann Gomes played key roles as India beat Kazakhstan 1.5-0.5 in the quarterfinals of the FIDE World Women''s Team Chess Championship here.

Playoffs means opportunity to manage workloads, but won't be too experimental: Fleming

Reaching the IPL playoffs early is an opportunity for Chennai Super Kings to better manage their veteran players'' workload but head coach Stephen Fleming has made it clear that the team management "won''t be too experimental." Chennai Super Kings produced a convincing performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad to maintain their remarkable consistency this season and sail into the Indian Premier League play-offs here on Thursday with a six-wick win.

Shooting: Ganemat Sekhon wins women's skeet silver at Junior World

Rising Indian woman skeet shooter Ganemat Sekhon won a silver medal at the ISSF Junior World Championship here.

ECI launches inaugural edition of “The ECI Annual National Essay Contest on Election & Democracy”

The Election Commission of India (ECI) today launched the inaugural edition of “The Election Commission of India Annual National Essay Contest on Election & Democracy,” conducted jointly by India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) & Jindal Global Law School (JGLS), O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana.

The Competition opens on 2nd October, 2021 and the last date for the submission of entries is 21st November, 2021. The two topics for the contest are - Topic 1: ‘Legal Framework for Social Media Regulations During Elections’ and Topic 2: ‘The ECI’s Role in Protecting and Preserving Electoral Democracy’. The main objective of this essay competition is to encourage law students to engage in contemporary research and explore new dimensions of the law governing elections in India.

The Essay Competition will be online in nature and shall be conducted in both English and Hindi. The essay competition is for students pursuing a law programme administered by an Indian Law University / Institute / College recognized by Bar Council of India. The essay entries will be evaluated by JGLS faculty members with expertise in election laws, in consultation with the IIIDEM on five criteria’s including Originality of the content, Formatting & Presentation, Quality of Research, Argumentation and Use of Authorities and citations. The prizes, which are available for different categories, are attractive with the first prize pegged at Rs. 1 lakh.

While emphasizing the importance of the essay competition, Chief Election Commissioner, Shri Sushil Chandra, shared a message highlighting that the contest is an effort to inspire young and bright minds from Law Schools to undertake research on the laws and policy governing elections in India. He further added that the Essay Contest would provide a platform for the students to showcase their depth of knowledge, analytical ability and persuasive style of writing.

Election Commissioner Shri Rajiv Kumar in his message emphasised that the Essay contest is an initiative to sensitize, develop, harness and sharpen talent of Law students and provide annual competitive opportunity to express their understanding of the Constitution, Law, and the electoral process. Highlighting the challenges in the field of Electoral Law, he informed that the Electoral Laws deal not only with the right of the voters, political parties and candidates, but also deal with their responsibilities. He encouraged the young students to participate with enthusiasm in the said competition.

Election Commissioner Shri Anup Chandra Pandey while highlighting the two topics of the essay contest in his message said that these require the participants to go through various Constitutional and legal aspects of democratic process in general, and electoral provisions in particular. He further expressed his full confidence that the young participants of the competition will come out with brilliant write ups on the subjects.

Commission on Air Quality Management mandates the introduction of a robust online mechanism for monitoring dust mitigation measures in National Capital Region

In a move to curb and abate the air pollution levels arising from the Construction and Demolition (C&D) activities in the National Capital Region (NCR), the Commission for Air Quality and Management (CAQM) will periodically review compliance of dust mitigation measures at Construction & Demolition sites in the National Capital Region.

Directions have been issued by CAQM to the State Governments of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and GNCTD to develop an online mechanism through a web portal for monitoring compliance of dust mitigation measures by the project proponents.

The introduction of a robust online mechanism for monitoring dust mitigation measures is a compelling necessity to ensure strict implementation of the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules. As per the directions of CAQM, all the projects (on plot area equal to or greater than 500 square meters) of construction and demolition under the territorial jurisdiction of Urban Local Bodies in the NCR have to mandatorily register at the web portal. Along with this, provision for video fencing equipped with remote connectivity technology will be incorporated in the web portal for effective and round-the-clock monitoring of compliance of dust mitigation measures by the project proponents. Further, the project proponents are required to install reliable and low-cost PM2.5 and PM10 sensors at the C&D project sites.

This technological shift will not only help the project proponents to self-audit and certify compliance of stipulated dust control measures but will also strengthen monitoring of dust control measures at C&D sites. The project proponents are also expected to upload the self-declaration on a fortnightly basis. Further, directions have been issued to Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and other State Pollution Control Boards (SPCB) of National Capital Region to strictly monitor compliance of dust mitigation measures by project proponents.

An exhaustive checklist will form the basis for monitoring compliance of dust mitigation measures in the NCR through this online mechanism. The list of dust control/ mitigation measures, include the use of anti-smog guns, water pills, water cannons, hoses, fire hydrants, sprinklers, etc. It is mandatory for the proponents to install reliable and economical PM2.5 and PM10 sensors at the project sites and link them to a platform with Live Dashboard accessibility for CPCB, government agencies as well as the administrative departments concerned to monitor the activities.

PM Modi launches Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 and AMRUT 2.0

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation 2.0, here today. Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Prahlad Singh Patel, Shri Kaushal Kishore, Bishweswar Tudu, Ministers from states, Mayors and Chairpersons of Urban Local Bodies and Municipal Commissioners were present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said In 2014, the countrymen took a pledge to make India open defecation free - ODF and they fulfilled this pledge with the construction of more than 10 crore toilets. Now the goal of 'Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0' is to make the cities  Garbage-Free, completely free of garbage, he said. The Prime Minister underlined the scope of the country's target in the next phase of Mission AMRUT as  'Improving sewage and septic management, making our cities water safe cities and ensuring that no sewage drains anywhere in our rivers’.

The Prime Minister dedicated the successes of transformation in the urban regeneration and cleanliness to Mahatma Gandhi. He said these missions are the result of inspiration by Mahatma Gandhi and is being realized through his ideals only. He also highlighted the ease for mothers and daughters due to the construction of toilets.

Saluting the spirit of the nation, the Prime Minister remarked that the journey of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and AMRUT Mission so far makes every countryman proud. He encapsulated the feeling when he said “In this, there is a mission, there is respect, there is dignity, there is also the ambition of a country and there is also unmatched love for the motherland”.

Noting that today's event was taking place in the Ambedkar International Centre, the Prime Minister remarked that Babasaheb believed in urban development as a great means of removing inequality. Many people from villages come to cities with an aspiration for a better life. He said, they get employment but their standard of living remains in a difficult situation even compared to their lives in the villages. This is like double jeopardy of staying away from home, and after that to stay in such a difficult situation. He said Babasaheb's emphasis was on changing this situation by removing this inequality. The next phase of Swachh Bharat Mission and Mission Amrit is an important step towards fulfilling the dreams of Babasaheb, said the Prime Minister.

He said, along with, Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas is critical for the campaign of cleanliness. Further, commenting on the level of public participation with regard to cleanliness, the Prime Minister expressed happiness that the present generation has taken the initiative to strengthen the cleanliness campaign. Toffee wrappers are no longer thrown on the ground but kept in pocket by children. Small children now ask the elders to avoid mess. “We have to remember that cleanliness is not a task just for a day, a fortnight, a year or for just a few people. Cleanliness is a great campaign for everyone, every day, every fortnight, every year, generation after generation. Cleanliness is a lifestyle, cleanliness is a life mantra, '' said the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister recalled his efforts as Chief Minister of Gujarat for enhancing the tourist potential of Gujarat where he turned the quest for cleanliness into Jan Andolan by Nirmal Gujarat Programme.

Enumerating the steps taken to take the campaign of cleanliness to the next level, the Prime Minister noted, today, India is processing about one lakh tonnes of waste every day. He remarked, ‘when the country started the campaign in 2014, less than 20 per cent of the waste generated every day in the country was processed. Today we are processing about 70 per cent of daily waste. Now we have to take it to 100%’. The Prime Minister also talked about enhanced allocations for the Urban Development Ministry. He said in the preceding 7 years before 2014, the Ministry was given about 1.25 lakh crore rupees while in 7 years from 2014 almost 4 lakh crore rupees were allocated for the Ministry.

The use of modern technology is also continuously increasing for the development of cities in the country. The Prime Minister, mentioned recently launched the National Automobile Scrappage Policy, and pointed out that this new scrapping policy strengthens the campaign of Waste to Wealth and a circular economy.

The Prime Minister referred to street vendors and hawkers as  one of the most important partners of any city in the program related to urban development. The Prime Minister reiterated that PM Svanidhi Yojana has come as a new ray of hope for these people.More than 46 street vendors have availed benefits under Svanidhi scheme and 25 lakh people have received 2.5 thousand crore rupees. The Prime Minister said that these vendors are promoting digital transactions and maintaining a very good record of paying back their loans. He expressed happiness that big states  like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have taken the lead in implementing the scheme.

Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari takes over as the chief of the Air Staff

Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari PVSM AVSM VM ADC took over as The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) at a ceremony at Air Headquarters (Vayu Bhawan) today.

An alumnus of NDA, the CAS was commissioned in Dec 82 in the fighter stream of the IAF. He has flown more than 3800 hours on multiple fighter and trainer aircraft.

During his career spanning almost four decades, the CAS has tenanted many significant command and staff appointments. He has commanded a MiG-29 Squadron, two Air Force Stations and Western Air Command. His staff appointments include Deputy Chief of Air Staff, Senior Air Staff Officer at HQ Eastern Air Command, Assistant Chief of Air Staff Operations (Air Defence), Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Personnel Officers), Deputy Commandant of Air Force Academy and Air Assistant to Chief of the Air Staff.

A Cat 'A' Qualified Flying Instructor, he has served as an instructor at Flying Training Establishments and has also been an Air Force Examiner. He was a pioneer member of the Suryakiran Aerobatic Display Team. An alumnus of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, he has served as a Directing Staff there. He has also served as Directing Staff at DSCSC in Zambia. Prior to assuming the present appointment, he was the Vice Chief of the Air Staff.

CAS is a recipient of Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), Vayu Sena Medal (VM) and is honorary ADC to the President of India.

In his address to the IAF, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari said that he was honoured and privileged to have been entrusted with the responsibility of leading the Indian Air Force. Extending greetings to all Air Warriors, Non Combatants (Enrolled), DSC personnel, civilians and their families, CAS expressed absolute faith and confidence in their ability to accomplish all assigned tasks with resolute dedication while maintaining IAF's operational capability at an all-time high.

Outlining the focus areas for Commanders and personnel, CAS said, “Protection of our Nation's sovereignty and integrity is to be ensured at any cost".  He added that enhancement of operational capability through integration of newly inducted platforms, weapons and equipment with existing assets and dovetailing the same in concepts of operations would remain a priority area. He spoke on aspects of acquisition of new technology, promotion of indigenization and innovation, strengthening of cyber security, rapid adaptation of training methods to meet future demands and sustained work to nurture human resources. CAS urged all to "always uphold the ethos and credo of the 'Air Warrior', and strive to be an asset to the IAF in any role tasked for".