1) World Suicide Prevention Day: 10 September
•The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) observes World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) on 10 September every year. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness around the globe that suicide can be prevented. The theme for the 2020 World Suicide Prevention Day is ‘Working Together to Prevent Suicide’.
2) Andhra Pradesh CM launches ‘YSR Sampoorna Poshana’ scheme
•Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has launched two nutrition schemes ‘YSR Sampoorna Poshana’ and ‘YSR Sampoorna Poshana Plus’ to provide nutritious food to pregnant women, lactating mothers and children in the state.
3) AIM Launches Aatmanirbhar Bharat ARISE-ANIC Initiative
•Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, has launched the Aatmanirbhar Bharat ARISE-Atal New India Challenges. The programme will spur applied research and innovation in Indian MSMEs and startups. The initiative will help identify and promote innovations necessary for boosting the MSME sector.
•The programme will be driven by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), four ministries including Ministry of Defence; Ministry of Food Processing Industries; Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs along with associated industries to facilitate innovative solutions to sectoral problems. The programme will support deserving applied research–based innovations by providing funding support of up to Rs 50 lakh for speedy development of the proposed technology solution and/or product.
4) India & Japan signs MoU on Reciprocal Provision of Supplies & Services
•India and Japan signed an agreement concerning Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between the Armed Forces of India and The Self-Defense Forces of Japan. This agreement forms the enabling framework for closer cooperation between the Armed Forces of India and Japan in reciprocal provision of supplies and services while engaged in bilateral training activities, United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, Humanitarian International Relief and other mutually agreed activities.
•The agreement will also improve the interoperability between the Armed Force of India and Japan thereby further increasing the bilateral defence engagements under the Special Strategic & Global Partnership between the two countries.
5) Andhra Pradesh CM flags off south India’s first Kisan rail
•The country’s second and South India’s first “Kisan Train” was flagged off from Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh to Adarsh Nagar Railway Station in Delhi. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy & Union Minister for Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar flagged off the train, via a video link from New Delhi and Amaravati. This train, loaded with 14 parcel vans, will cover a distance of 2,150 km in 40 hours.
•On August 7, the first Kisan Rail was flagged off between Devlali in Maharashtra and Danapur in Bihar as a weekly service, which was later made bi-weekly due to increasing demand. Now the second Kisan Rail will benefit farmers of the states coming en route.
6) Paresh Rawal becomes new chairman of National School of Drama
•Former Lok Sabha MP and Bollywood actor, Paresh Rawal have been appointed as the new chief of National School of Drama by President Ram Nath Kovind. In a career span of over three decades, Rawal has been acknowledged with numerous awards, including the prestigious National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1994. He was conferred with the Padma Shri in 2014 for his contribution to the entertainment industry.
•Rawal made his debut with the 1985 film Arjun. He played a supporting role in the film. He, however, gained recognition after the release of the 1986 blockbuster Naam.
7) ISA host World Solar Technology Summit
•On 8th September 2020, The 1st World Solar Technology Summit was held virtually. The summit was inaugurated by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. The main objective of the summit is to pay attention to state-of-the-art technologies and next-generation technologies. Such technologies will play an important role in making solar energy more efficiently, more than 26,000 participants from 149 nations joined the summit virtually.
•The first World Solar Technology Summit (WSTS) is organised by the International Solar Alliance (ISA) along with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), as the convenor of ISA Global Leadership Task Force on Innovation, to focus on new Technologies and Innovations in the field of Solar.
•Nobel Laureate Dr Michael Stanley Whittingham also presented a Keynote address. He is an awardee of Nobel Prize in Chemistry (jointly with John B Goodenough & Akira Yoshino) in 2019 for the revolutionizing discovery of the lithium-ion batteries.
8) India Ratings forecasts contraction of 11.8% in FY21 GDP
•The Indian arm of Fitch Ratings, India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has projected India’s FY21 GDP growth forecast at -11.8% as against its earlier prediction of -5.3%. The rating agency estimates the economic loss in FY21 to be Rs 18.44 lakh crore. The rating agency also expects India’s GDP to rebound and grow at 9.9% year-on-year in FY22 primarily due to the weak base of FY21.
•The Indian economy contracted by a record 23.9% in 1st (April-June) quarter of FY21, which is much higher than Ind-Ra’s forecast of 17.0% due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (lockdown).
9) Bank of Baroda tops EASE 2.0 Index by IBA
•As per the EASE Banking Reforms Index 2.0, Bank of Baroda has been placed at the first spot. State Bank of India and Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) got the 2nd and 3rd place respectively. The Indian Banking Association (IBA) makes EASE (Enhanced Access and Service Excellence) reform index. The aim of this index is to bring fruitful change in the PSBs by brining in healthy competition among these PSBs and by encouraging them to learn from each other.
10) SBI to launch new loan scheme SAFAL for organic cotton growers
•State Bank of India is planning to launch a loan product named “SAFAL” for organic cotton growers. The product Safe and Fast Agriculture Loan (SAFAL) is primarily focussed on organic cotton growers who don’t have any credit history. SBI will use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) for this purpose.
11) Bhuvneshwar Kumar & Smriti Mandhana became the brand ambassadors of Playerzpot
•The fantasy sports gaming platforms, Playerzpot has announced the signing of cricketers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Smriti Mandhana as its brand ambassadors. Playerzpot is a fantasy sports gaming app that allows its users to play fantasy cricket. The partnership will see the cricketers in the brand’s upcoming campaigns and promote Playerzpot through engagement activities. The duo will anchor the brand with their sports charisma and help in creating a higher brand recall amongst the key target audience.
•Bhuvneshwar Kumar is an iconic cricketer and an inspiration for the younger generation. Smriti Mandhana herself is a world-class performer and connects beautifully with sports, cricket, and even female audience.
