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.
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.
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 Services ” under 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.