1) World Pharmacist Day: 25 September
•World Pharmacist Day is observed globally on 25th September every year. This day is celebrated to create awareness about the role of a pharmacist in improving health. The day was an initiative of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) along with the council of this organization.
•This year’s theme is “Transforming global health“. The organization announces a different theme every year so that associations and individuals in the pharmaceutical industry can organize national campaigns or local projects to showcase their outstanding work in helping improve the health of people around the world.
2) PM Modi launched ‘Fit India Age Appropriate Fitness Protocols’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the ‘Fit India Age Appropriate Fitness Protocols’ at Fit India Dialogue. These fitness protocols have been prepared with the help of fitness enthusiasts for fitness and good health. It has been prepared for three age categories which include:
•5-18 years category
•18-65 years category
•65 plus age category
The Fit India Movement was envisioned and launched by PM Modi on August 29, 2019. The Fit India Dialogue is another effort to involve citizens of the country to draw out a plan to make India a Fit Nation.
3) Rajasthan CM approves ‘Moksha Kalash Yojana-2020’
•The Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot has approved the Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation’s scheme called ‘Moksha Kalash Yojana-2020’. This Moksha Kalash Yojana aims to allow free bus travel to two members of the family of the deceased to immerse ashes of their loved ones in the Ganga in Haridwar.
•The state road transport corporation would be the nodal agency to run the scheme and the expenses would be borne by the Devasthan Department. Passengers will be required to register for availing the facility by providing details including about the dead person. A copy of related documents will have to be kept with those carrying the ashes. RSRTC will provide an interface for online registration, make arrangements for transport to the destination, and other facilities during the journey.
4) 51st edition of IFFI postponed to January 2021
•The 51st Edition of the International Film Festival of India, IFFI will be held from 16th to 24th January, next year in Goa. Earlier it was scheduled to be held from 20th November to 28th November, this year. It has also been jointly decided to hold the festival on new dates as per the International Film Festival guidelines and protocols.
•The festival will be conducted in a Virtual and Physical format. All COVID related protocols will be strictly enforced as per the festivals convened recently in the International Film Festival circuit.
5) Assam Govt launched “Mukhyamantrir Grammya Paribahan Achoni Yojana”
•The Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal has launched the “Mukhyamantrir Grammya Paribahan Achoni Yojana” of the state transport department. Under the scheme, Light Motor Vehicle Service would be launched in all the villages of the state to improve rural connectivity and generate employment in the villages. One vehicle would be provided to one beneficiary per village.
•In the first phase of the scheme, 10,000 villages would be covered with a financial outlay of Rs 100 crore. The state government shall financially assist the eligible entrepreneurs with 25 per cent of the cost of the vehicle or Rs 1 lakh, whichever is less.
6) National webinar on “Curriculum Reforms & NCF and Pedagogy”
•A National webinar on “Curriculum Reforms & National Curriculum Framework (NCF) and Pedagogy” was organized under Shikshak Parv initiative. The webinar was organized to highlight the salient features of the New Education Policy (NEP 2020).
•The targeted beneficiary group for this session were: Pre-school & Lower Primary Teachers, Heads of Schools, Parents, All States/UTs Education Department. Shikshak Parv is being celebrated from 8th September- 25th September, 2020 to felicitate the Teachers and to take New Education Policy 2020 forward.
7) India helds Webinar with Israel on Defence Industry Global Outreach
•A webinar was held between with India and Israel, under the aegis of Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence through SIDM. The Theme of webinar was “Indian Defence Industry Global Outreach for Collaborative Partnership: Webinar and Expo”. During the webinar, a Sub Working Group (SWG) was created on Defence Industrial Cooperation between India and Israel with the main objective of Transfer of Technology, Co-development & Co-production, Artificial Intelligence, Innovation and Joint Export to friendly foreign countries.
•Defence Secretaries and other senior MoD officials from both the countries participated in the webinar and deliberated about enhancing the defence cooperation between both the nations. This webinar is the first in the series of webinars which will be organized with friendly foreign countries in order to boost defence exports and achieve defence export target of $5 billion in the next five years.
8) Mohamed Hussein Roble appointed as new Prime Minister of Somalia
•President of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed has appointed Mohamed Hussein Roble as the new Prime Minister of Somalia. He will replace former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire, who was voted out of office by parliament in July for failing to pave the way for fully democratic elections due before February 2021. All the 215 MP’s who attended the session chaired by President Farmaajo voted in support of the appointment of Hussein Roble as PM.
9) MeitY & NITI Aayog to organize “RAISE 2020” summit
•The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and NITI Aayog will organize a summit on Artificial Intelligence (AI), RAISE 2020- ‘Responsible AI for Social Empowerment 2020′ from October 5-9, 2020. RAISE 2020 will be a global meeting of minds to exchange ideas and chart a course for using AI for social transformation, inclusion and empowerment in areas like Healthcare, Agriculture, Education and Smart Mobility, among other sectors.
•At the RAISE 2020 Summit, delegates and experts in research, policy and innovation on Artificial Intelligence will join from across the globe. The RAISE 2020 Summit will also feature some of the most exciting startups working in Artificial Intelligence-related fields. The Summit will explore in-depth, the role of AI in accelerating social empowerment.
10) UN and United Kingdom to co-host Global Climate Summit 2020
•The United Kingdom and the United Nations are going to co-organise a global climate summit on December 12, 2020, to mark the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will co-host the event.
•The summit will increase the momentum ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26) to be held in Glasgow, Scotland in November 2021. The Summit will invite National governments to present more ambitious and high-quality climate plans.
11) AYUSH Ministry partners Industry Bodies for Medicinal Plants cultivation
•The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of AYUSH has signed an MoU with the major AYUSH and Herbal industry bodies to promote medicinal plant cultivation. Through this, Ministry of AYUSH would provide the sustainable supply of quality raw material to AYUSH, Nutraceutcial and Herbal industry. The industry assured the NMPB that they will provide the buy-back guarantee to the farmers / gatherers on the NMPB supported medicinal plant cultivation and collection programs.
•The industry bodies which signed the MoU include ADMA (Ayurvedic Drug Manufacturer’s Association), Mumbai; AMAM (Association for Manufactures of Ayurvedic Medicines), New Delhi; AMMOI (Ayurvedic Medicines Manufacturers Organization of India), Thrissur; AHNMI (Association for Herbal and Nutraceutical Manufacturers of India), Mumbai; FICCI (Federation of Indian Industries), New Delhi and CII (Confederation of Indian Industry), New Delhi.
12) EESL appoints Rajat Sud as its new Managing Director
•A Joint Venture(JV) of Public Sector Undertakings, under the Ministry of Power, Government of India, Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) has appointed Rajat Sud as its new Managing Director from immediate effect. He takes charge from S Gopal, director (commercial), who was given the additional charge as interim MD. Prior to joining EESL, he worked as an executive vice president at Sterlite Power Transmission Ltd.
13) IDFC First Bank to launch “SafePay” contactless debit card facility
•IDFC First Bank will launch “SafePay” a contactless debit card-based payment facility. This payment facility will allow contactless debit card payments by simply waving one’s smartphone against a Near Field Communication (NFC)-enabled POS terminal.
