1) World Coconut Day: 02 September
•World Coconut Day is observed on September 02 every year since 2009. It is observed for promoting this tropical fruit and bringing awareness regarding its health benefits. The theme of World Coconut Day 2021 is ‘Building a Safe Inclusive Resilient and Sustainable Coconut Community Amid COVID-19 Pandemic & Beyond’. The WCD also commemorates the formation of the Asian Pacific Coconut Community (APCC), which aims to promote, coordinate and harmonize all activities of the coconut industry.
2) India Hosts 8th Meeting of Agricultural Experts of BIMSTEC Countries
•India hosted the 8th Meeting of Agriculture Experts of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Countries through video conferencing. The meeting was chaired by Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research & Education & Director General of ICAR. BIMSTEC comprise of seven Member States including five from South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka), and two from Southeast Asia, including Myanmar and Thailand.
•During this meet, Chairman highlighted the UN Food System Summit 2021 and transformational aspects that are happening across agriculture and food systems globally. The BIMSTEC Member States also appreciated the greater engagement of India in offering six slots of scholarships for Master and PhD programmes in agriculture and other initiatives for capacity development & training.
3) India’s economic growth soars to 20.1% in first quarter on low base
•India’s economy grew by 20.1% during the April-June quarter of this financial year, as against a 24.4% contraction seen during the same period last year. The massive growth seen in the first quarter has made India the fastest-growing major economy across the globe. In the previous quarter, India’s economy had grown by 1.6%. For the full financial year 2020-21, India’s GDP contracted by 7.3%.
4) Assam cabinet decides to remove Rajiv Gandhi’s name from Orang national park
•The Assam cabinet has decided to remove the name of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi from the Orang National Park. Since the name Orang is associated with the sentiments of the Adivasi and tea-tribe community, the cabinet has decided to rename the Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park as Orang National Park.
•Located on the North Bank of Brahmaputra, Orang National Park spread over 78.80 sq km is the oldest forest reserve in the state. It was named a wildlife sanctuary in 1985 and declared a national park in 1999.
5) Ayush Minister Sarbananada Sonowal launches ‘Y-Break’ app
•The Union AYUSH Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal has launched ‘Y Break’ Yoga protocol mobile application in New Delhi. The app has been developed by Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY). The app was launched as a part of the week-long activities and campaigns organised by the Ministry of Ayush to commemorate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav from August 30 to September 5, 2021.
6) IIT Ropar develop’s world’s first ‘Plant based’ smart air-purifier
•Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), Ropar and Kanpur and Faculty of Management Studies of Delhi University have jointly launched a living-plant based air purifier named “Ubreathe Life”. This air purifier will boost the air purification process in indoor spaces, such as hospitals, schools, offices and Homes. It is the world’s first, state-of-the-art ‘Smart Bio-Filter’ that can make breathing fresh.
7) Morgan Stanley retains India GDP growth estimate at 10.5% for FY22
•America based Investment Bank, Morgan Stanley has maintained the GDP growth forecast of India at 10.5 per cent for the financial year 2021-22 (FY2022). GDP growth is expected to move into positive territory on a two-year CAGR basis from QE September. GDP grew 20.1 per cent year-on-year in the quarter ending June. On a two-year CAGR basis, real GDP contracted 4.7 per cent in QE June versus plus 2.3 per cent in QE March.
8) GST collections in August at over Rs 1.12 lakh crore
•GST revenue remained above Rs 1 trillion marks for the second straight month in August at over Rs 1.12 trillion, 30 per cent higher than the collection in the year-ago period. The mop-up in August is, however, lower than Rs 1.16 trillion collected in July 2021. Which Central GST is Rs 20,522 crore, State GST is Rs 26,605 crore, Integrated GST is Rs 56,247 crore (including Rs 26,884 crore collected on import of goods) and Cess is Rs 8,646 crore (including Rs 646 crore collected on import of goods).
•The revenues for the month of August 2021 are 30 per cent higher than the GST revenues in the same month last year. In August 2020, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection was Rs 86,449 crore. Compared to the August 2019 revenues of Rs 98,202 crore, this is a growth of 14 per cent. During August this year, the revenues from domestic transactions (including import of services) were 27 per cent higher than the revenues from these sources during the same month last year.
9) IRS officer JB Mohapatra appointed as CBDT chairman
•IRS officer JB Mohapatra was appointed as the chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes. His appointment was approved today by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC). He has already served as the acting chairman of the CBDT.
•A 1985-batch IRS officer, Mohapatra was given the additional charge as CBDT chairman after the tenure of incumbent PC Mody ended this year in May. Earlier, Mohapatra had served as the principal chief commissioner of Income Tax for the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana region.
10) Sri Lanka declares food emergency as forex crisis
•Sri Lanka has declared a state of emergency as the food crisis worsened after private banks ran out of foreign exchange to finance imports. With the country suffering a hard-hitting economic crisis, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said he ordered emergency regulations to counter the hoarding of sugar, rice and other essential foods. The Sri Lankan rupee has fallen by 7.5% against the US dollar this year.
•Rajapaksa has named a top army officer as “Commissioner General of Essential Services to coordinate the supply of paddy, rice, sugar and other consumer goods”. The move followed sharp price rises for sugar, rice, onions and potatoes, while long queues have formed outside stores because of shortages of milk powder, kerosene oil and cooking gas.
•The government has increased penalties for food hoarding, but the shortages come as the country of 21 million battles a fierce coronavirus wave that is claiming more than 200 lives a day. The economy shrank by a record 3.6 per cent in 2020 because of the pandemic and in March last year, the government banned imports of vehicles and other items, including edible oils and turmeric, an essential spice in local cooking, in a bid to save foreign exchange.
11) Indian Army contingent to participate in Exercise ZAPAD 2021
•Indian Army will participate in Exercise ZAPAD 2021, a Multi Nation exercise being held at Nizhniy in Russia from 3-16 September. ZAPAD 2021 is one of the theatre level exercises of the Russian Armed Forces and will focus primarily on operations against terrorists. Over a dozen countries from the Eurasian and South Asian Regions will participate in this signature event.
