NATIONAL:
1. Special Session of Parliament
Why in news - The government has announced a ‘Special Session of Parliament’ from Sept 18-22.
Key Points –
• The Constitution does not use the term “special session”.
• However, Article 352 (Proclamation of Emergency) of the Constitution does refer to a “special sitting of the House”.
• It sometimes refers to sessions the government has convened for specific occasions, like commemorating national milestones.
• The presiding officers should chair their proceedings.
• Proceedings of Houses would be limited and procedural devices like question hour would not be available to MPs during the session.
• However, Article 352 (Proclamation of Emergency) of the Constitution does refer to a “special sitting of the House”.
2. Utkela Airport
Why in news - Jyotiraditya M Scindia inaugurated Utkela Airport in Odisha.
Key Points –
• It has been developed as a regional airport under the UDAN scheme of the M/o Civil Aviation.
• Odisha now have 5 airports.
• He also launched a direct flight between Utkela and Bhubaneshwar.
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES:
1. 'Mera Bill Mera Adhikar' Scheme
Why in news - The GST lucky draw 'Mera Bill Mera Adhikar' scheme was launched in Gurugram.
Key Points –
• It was launched on a pilot basis in 6 states and UTs.
• 6 states and UTs - Haryana, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Puducherry and Dadra & Nagar Haveli, and Daman & Diu.
• It will encourage the culture of generating GST bills.
• The monthly draws include 800 lucky draws of GST invoices of prize value of Rs 10,000 each and 10 draws with prizes of Rs 10 lakh each.
• It is based on Kerala’s Lucky Bill app model.
ECONOMY:
1. 10 Billion UPI Transactions
Why in news – Unified payments interface (UPI) crossed 10 billion transactions in a month for the first time in August
Key Points –
• Total transactions - 10.24 billion.
• Transaction value - Rs 15.18 lakh crore.
• NPCI is targeting around 30 billion transactions a month or one billion transactions a day within the next two to three years.
SCIENCE – TECH:
1. Aditya-L1 Mission
Why in news - The launch is scheduled on September 2, 2023 at 11:50 am from Sriharikota.
Key Points –
• Launch vehicle – PSLV-XL (6 solid fuel-based boosters).
• The distance of 1.5 million km to L1 point will be covered in nearly 4 months (125 days).
• Then, it will be inserted in a halo orbit around the L1 point to collect data for the next 5 years.
• The range the spacecraft will travel is just 1% of the 150 million km distance to the Sun.
• It is first space based Indian mission to study the Sun.
Aim of Mission –
• to get a deeper understanding of how its radiation, heat, flow of particles, and magnetic fields affect us.
• to know why the corona is a million degrees Celsius when the surface of the Sun is just 5,500 degrees Celsius.
Why L1 point?
• It lies much beyond the orbit of the Moon and it does not have any other planet crossing by. The view will remain free of an eclipse even when it is experienced on the Earth.
• Studying the sun from space also ensures that there are no distortions. (Earth - atmosphere, magnetic field and dust particles).
Lagrange Points –
• There are 5 Lagrange points between any two celestial bodies.
• These points can act as parking spots in space where the gravitational pull of the celestial objects equals the centripetal force required to keep a satellite in orbit.
• This means satellites placed at Lagrange points do not need to expend a lot of fuel to remain in position.
2. Nabhmitra Device
Why in news – ISRO-Space Applications Centre (Ahmedabad) successfully tested the device at Neendakara, Kerala.
Key Points –
• It is a satellite-based communication system developed for the safety of fishermen.
• It enables two-way messaging services from and to the sea.
• It was developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
SECURITY:
1. Oron Aircraft
Why in news – Israel is set to test its most advanced spy plane yet.
Key Points –
• It is designed to track multiple targets over “great distances” in various weather conditions.
• The Israeli Air Force's 122nd Squadron will operate the "Oron" from the Nevatim airbase.
• It is also known as the MARS2 or "Multi-Mission Airborne Reconnaissance and Surveillance System".
ENVIRONMENT:
1. Kampala Declaration
Why in news – 48 African countries agreed to adopt the Kampala Ministerial Declaration on Migration, Environment and Climate Change (KDMECC).
Key Points –
• Aim - to address the nexus of human mobility and climate change in the continent.
• Co-hosted by - Kenya and Uganda with support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UNFCCC.
• KDMECC was originally signed by 15 African states in Kampala, Uganda in July 2022.
IMPORTANT DAYS:
1. 63rd Tibetan Democracy Day
Why in news – It is celebrated on September 2.
Key Points –
• It marks the inception of the Tibetan democratic system in exile in Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh).
• On September 2, 1960, the first elected representatives of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile took their oaths in Bodh Gaya.
• Kashag (Cabinet) is the apex body of Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).
2. World Sanskrit Day 2023
Why in news – It is observed on Shravana Poornima (full moon, 2023 - August 31).
Key Points –
• It also commemorates the birth anniversary of Pāṇini –great Sanskrit Scholar and grammarian.
• Sanskrit is known as the Dev Vani, meaning the language of Gods.
• It was first celebrated in 1969.
Value Addition –
• The theme of 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi is asudhaiva Kutumbakam.
• It is made up of 3 Sanskrit words, Vasudhaa (earth/world), iva (like) and kutumbakam (large/extended family).
• The verse finds mention in Chapter 6 of Maha Upanishad VI and is further referred to in the Hitopadesha.
BIHAR:
1. ‘Pol khol’ Drive
Why in news – JD(U) launched statewide “Pol Khol Hulla Bol Abhiyan”.
Key Points –
• It was launched against the BJP and Union government’s alleged attempt to halt the ongoing caste-based survey in Bihar.
POINTERS:
• Which city has won the Major Dhyanchand Hockey Tournament 2023 – Srinagar.
• Who will organize Global IndiaAI 2023 in October - Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
• Which company providing fintech services including digital payments has launched its own stock broking platform named Share(dot)Market – Phonepe.
• Where has Axis Communications, a leading company in the network video sector, announced the launch of the first Axis Experience Centre – Bangalore.
• The founder of the world's largest iPhone maker Foxconn, announced his second presidential campaign in Taiwan. What is his name - Terry Gou.
• The 'Let's Move Forward' comic book is a collaborative effort between which two bodies - NCERT and UNESCO.
• Which country will vote on Oct. 14 on whether they want to change the constitution to recognize Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people, a defining moment in the struggle for Indigenous rights in the country – Australia.
• Who became the new president of Finance Industry Development Council (FIDC) - Umesh Revankar.
• Which state has unveiled an ambitious plan to establish a 'Knowledge Hub' and an 'Assam Institute of Urban Affairs' – Assam.
• Which state has inaugurated the state's longest flyover, named Nilachal Flyover – Assam.