Anti-rape bill passed in West Bengal Assembly

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1 Anti-rape bill passed in West Bengal Assembly

On September 3,  the anti-rape bill  was passed   in  the West Bengal  Assembly . The bill  will be sent to  the Governor further. After his signature, it will become a law. Under the new law , the investigation of the rape case  will have to be completed in 36 days.  If the victim goes into coma or dies,  the culprit  will be hanged within 10 days  . The culprits of rape and gang rape  will be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole . ‘ Aparajita Task Force ‘ will be formed  in every district . This task force will be headed by  DSP level officers  . The anti-rape bill   has been named ‘Aparajita’ Women and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Law and Amendment) Bill 2024 .

2 Narendra Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Brunei

On 3 September, Prime Minister  Narendra Modi  arrived  in Brunei  on a two-day visit  . PM Modi  was given  a guard of honour . This is the first visit of an Indian PM  to Brunei. India and Brunei  have completed 40 years of diplomatic relations  . During PM Modi’s visit,  hydrocarbon and natural gas  imports will be discussed. India has invested $270 million in Brunei’s hydrocarbon sector. This can be further increased to meet the needs of natural gas. Efforts to increase mutual cooperation between the two countries on space technology, health will also be discussed. India will emphasize on increasing cooperation with Brunei in areas such as maritime security and regional stability. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi  inaugurated  the new  Chancery Complex of the Indian High Commission in Brunei  . The Chancery Complex reflects the deep spirit of Indianness, in which traditional motifs and lush green plantations have been skillfully integrated. The use of elegant cladding and durable  Kota stones further enhances its aesthetic appeal, which is a harmonious blend of traditional and contemporary elements.

3 Central government launched Agrisure scheme to improve agriculture

 In a significant move to boost the  agriculture sector, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan  on Tuesday  launched the AgriSure scheme  . Launched with the aim of promoting the agriculture and rural start-up ecosystem, the scheme is being considered a pioneering step towards improving the agriculture sector in India. The AgriSure Fund, with a blended capital cost of  ₹750 crore  , will focus on technology-driven, high-risk, high-impact ventures. The blended fund comprises ₹250 crore contributed by the Government of India, ₹250 crore by NABARD, and ₹250 crore raised from banks, insurance companies and private investors. During the event, Shivraj Singh Chouhan highlighted the transformative potential of the AgriSure scheme. He said, “The launch of the AgriSure Fund is a part of our efforts to ensure that every farmer in India gets the technical support they need to thrive.

4 “Virus Yudh Abhyas”: A mock drill on pandemic preparedness was conducted under National One Health Mission

 

Under the aegis of National One Health Mission (NOHM)  ,  a comprehensive national mock drill, “ Virus Yudh Abhyas ” (Virus War Exercise) was conducted  in Ajmer District  ,  Rajasthan  during   27th August to 31st August, 2024 to assess pandemic preparedness. The aim of the exercise was to evaluate the preparedness and response of the National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT)   comprising experts from  human health, animal husbandry and wildlife sectors . A simulated zoonotic disease outbreak scenario was created to simulate a real-world outbreak. The drill involved various stakeholders including National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD), Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Rajasthan State Administration, State Directorate of Health Services (DHS), State Veterinary Department & State Forest Department, AIIMS  Jodhpur  BSL-3 Lab (one of the 19 national BSL-3 network laboratories), District Administration, Chief District Medical Officer, District Veterinary Officer and doctors and staff of Community Health Centre.

 

5 World Bank raises India’s growth forecast for FY25 to 7%

 

The World Bank has raised  India’s  growth forecast for the financial year 2024-2025 from 6.6% to 7%,  according to   the latest data  released on Tuesday . This change by the World Bank reflects India’s growing economic growth amid challenging global conditions. The report titled  ‘India’s Business Opportunities  in the Changing Global Scenario  ‘ points to India as the fastest growing major economy with an impressive growth rate of 8.2% in the financial year 2023-24  . This strong economic growth rate has been supported by large-scale investment in public infrastructure and domestic investment in real estate. At the same time, the manufacturing sector has grown by 9.9% while the service sector has also contributed significantly, which compensated for the poor performance of the agriculture sector. Urban unemployment rates have also gradually improved, especially among women workers, whose unemployment rate fell to 8.5% at the beginning of the financial year 2024-25. However, the report states that urban youth unemployment remains high at 17%. While India’s foreign exchange reserves hit a record high of US$670.1 billion in early August, providing more than 11 months of import cover. Additionally, the report projects India’s debt-to-GDP ratio to decline to 82% by FY27 from 83.9% in FY23-24.

6 India and UNESCO to hold 2024 edition of CSAR on 6 September in Paris

India and UNESCO will co-host  the 2024 edition  of  the Chief Science Advisors Roundtable (CSAR)  in   Paris, France  on 6 September  . The roundtable  will be jointly organized by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India  and  the Natural Sciences Sector of UNESCO  . Delegations from a total of 28 countries will attend the roundtable. The conference will be co-chaired by Professor Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India and Dr. Lydia Brito, Assistant Director-General (ADG – Natural Sciences), UNESCO. The Chief Science Advisors Roundtable (CSAR) was conceived and launched as a Sherpa-track initiative during India’s presidency of the G20, 2023. Delegations from a total of 28 countries, led by their Chief Science Advisers (CSAs) or nominated equivalents, and 6 international organizations will attend the roundtable to discuss the theme ” Promoting open science, bridging knowledge asymmetries, and building science advice capacity globally “. The roundtable will be co-chaired by Professor Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, and Dr. Lydia Brito, Assistant Director-General (ADG – Natural Sciences), UNESCO.

There will be more than 54 per cent indigenous content. These engines will be manufactured at HAL’s Koraput division.

7 Open Network for Digital Trade receives Gold Award for “Application of Emerging Technologies for Providing Citizen-Centric Services” at 27th National Conference on e-Governance

Open Network for Digital Business (ONDC)  has been awarded the prestigious Gold Award  for the category “ Application of Emerging Technologies for Providing Citizen-Centric Servicesunder National Awards for e-Governance (NAEG)   during the 27th National Conference for  e-Governance (  NAEG  ).   The award ceremony was held on September 3, 2024 in Mumbai. The National Awards for e-Governance by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) is considered to be one of the most competitive and prestigious digital governance recognition in the country. The objective of the award is to recognize and promote excellence in implementation of e-governance initiatives and encourage innovation in successful e-governance solutions.

8 ‘Lab Mitra’ initiative launched in Varanasi awarded National e-Governance Gold Award

An initiative called  ‘ Lab Mitra ‘  , launched last year in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency  Varanasi , was awarded the National e-Governance Gold Award at  the National e-Governance Conference 2024  held in Mumbai  . The award was given for district level initiatives in administrative reforms and e-governance.

9 India performed its best ever by winning 20 medals in Paris Paralympics

India’s total medal tally  at  the Paris Paralympics  has reached 20, which  is the best ever  performance in the history of Paralympics. Earlier, India’s best performance was at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics in which Indian players won 19 medals. Yesterday,  Deepti Jeevanji  won  bronze in the women’s 400m T20 race,  Sharad Kumar won silver  and  Mariyappan Thangavelu won bronze in  men’s  high jump – T63  . In men’s  javelin throw F46,  India   won two medals with Ajit Singh’s silver  and  Sundar Gurjar’s bronze .

10 World Test Championship Final: World Test Championship final will be held in 2025, Lord’s will host

 The date and venue of the final match  of the ICC World Test Championship  have been announced. The ICC informed that  the Final 2025  will be played at Lord’s Cricket Ground from 11 to 15 June 2025. Let us tell you that this Ultimate Test is the culmination of two years of tough competition in the ICC World Test Championship, under which 69 Test matches were played in 27 series, although some of these 69 matches are yet to be played. The Test to be held at Lord’s will decide the winner of the third edition of the ICC World Test Championship. New Zealand won the inaugural championship in 2021, and Australia picked up the Test mace in 2023. India currently top the Test standings according to the percentage points that determine qualification, while Australia are in second place. New Zealand are in third place, while England, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and South Africa are together in mid-table. The World Test Championship is the result of hard work and consistency across a two-year cycle for all teams.

11 Paralympics-2024: The pair of Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar won bronze medal in the mixed team compound archery event

 In  the Paralympics 2024, the pair of  Sheetal Devi  and  Rakesh Kumar   won  the bronze medal  in  the mixed team compound archery event  by defeating the pair of  Eleonora Sarti and Matteo Bonacina of Italy . Asian Para Games gold medalist  and  Arjuna Award  -winning archer Sheetal Devi is one of the top players of India. The 17-year-old archer was born in Jammu district. She   suffers from  a congenital disorder called phocomelia . She is the first and only female archer in the world  who  competes without her hands  . Currently, Sheetal Devi is the world’s number one archer in the compound open women’s category. Para archer Sheetal Devi has also received the prestigious Arjuna Award 2023 from President Draupadi Murmu. In 2023, she won the silver medal in the Para Archery World Championship. This medal proved helpful in getting included in the Paris Paralympic Games.

12 Table Tennis: Divyanshi Bhowmik won bronze medal in Under-19 Youth Girls Singles event

 In  table tennis, Divyanshi Bhowmik  won  the bronze medal in the Under-19 Youth Girls Singles event  at   the World Table Tennis Youth Contender Varazdin 2024 Arena Varazdin  in Croatia  . 13-year-old Divyanshi is a Khelo India athlete.