NATIONAL:
1. Nataraja Statue
Why in news – The world’s tallest Nataraja Statue was installed at Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the G20 summit.
Key Points –
• It is an ashtadhatu (eight-metal alloy) masterpiece, weighing 18 tonnes and 27 feet tall.
• Sculptors (Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu) - Srikanda Sthapathy, Radhakrishna Sthapathy and Swaminatha Sthapathy.
• The crafting process adopted was the traditional ‘lost-wax’ casting method, indigenous to the Chola era.
• Nataraja is a depiction of Lord Shiva in his cosmic dance.
2. Gujarat Declaration
Why in news – ‘Gujarat Declaration’ underlining outcome of the 1st WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit 2023 released.
Key Points –
• Released by - World Health Organization (WHO).
• It reaffirms global commitment and harness the potential of traditional medicine to achieve health and well-being for all.
• The 1st global summit on Traditional Medicine was organized by WHO and co-hosted by the Ministry of Ayush, from August 17-18, 2023, at Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre is located at Jamnagar, Gujarat.
2. 1st Solar City
Why in news – Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated Sanchi Nagar as the 1st solar city of India.
Key Points –
• Sanchi is a World Heritage town in Raisen district.
• An agreement was signed between Madhya Pradesh and IIT Kanpur to make Sanchi a net zero city.
ECONOMY:
1. UPI ATM
Why in news – Hitachi Payment Services in collaboration with NPCI launched India’s first UPI ATM.
Key Points –
• ATM name - Hitachi Money Spot UPI ATM.
• Features - cardless cash withdrawals and obtaining cash from multiple accounts using the UPI app.
• It is built on the Android operating system.
• It has been unveiled as a White Label ATM (WLA).
Value Addition –
• ATMs set up, owned and operated by non-banks are called WLAs.
• Tata Communications Payment Solutions (TCPSL) is the 1st company authorized by the RBI to open White Label ATMs in India.
SUMMITS & CONFERENCES:
1. 20th ASEAN-India Summit 2023
Why in news – PM Modi attended the 20th ASEAN-India and 18th East Asia Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Key Points –
• Theme - ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of growth.
• Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a 10-member bloc comprising Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam.
SCIENCE – TECH:
1. Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM)
Why in news – Japan’s Moon-lander mission, called SLIM, took off on September 7, 2023.
Key Points –
• Dubbed the "moon sniper", it aims to land within 100 meters of its target site on the lunar surface.
• The $100-million mission is expected to reach the moon by February.
• If successful, SLIM would be the smallest and lightest spacecraft (about 200 kg) to land on the Moon.
IMPORTANT DAYS:
1. 4th International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies 2023
Why in news – It is observed on September 7.
Key Points –
• Theme - Together for Clean Air.
• According to WHO, almost everyone (99 % of the global population) breathes polluted air.
2. Literacy Week
Why in news – Literacy week was organised from September 1 – 8, 2023 to celebrate International Literacy Day.
Key Points –
• By - Ministry of Education.
• It was organised under ULLAS- Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram on Education for All.
About ULLAS (2022-27) –
• ULLAS - Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society.
• Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
• Slogan/tagline - Jan Jan Sakshar.
• It is aligned with National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
SECURITY:
1. Exercise Trishul
Why in news – Indian Air Force conducted (September 4 to 14) its annual mega training exercise Trishul.
Key Points –
• Western Air Command (WAC) activated all its combat assets from Leh in Kashmir to Nal in Rajasthan.
• The drill was held along the frontiers shared with China and Pakistan.
SPORTS:
1. XIX Asian Games 2022
Why in news – Amul will be the Official Sponsor of the Indian Contingent for the XIX Asian Games 2022.
Key Points –
• Venue - Hangzhou, China (September 23 to October 8 2023).
• The India contingent will field 634 athletes at the Asian Games 2022 in Hangzhou across 38 different sports.
BIHAR:
1. Punaura Dham Temple
Why in news – The Bihar government gave its approval to develop the ‘Punaura Dham Janki Mandir’.
Key Points –
• Amount approved - Rs 72.47 crores.
• Under the new development plan, the state government will develop ‘Sita-Vatika’, ‘Luv-Kush Vatika’, construct a ‘parikrama’ path etc.
• It is a Hindu pilgrimage site in Sitamarhi district that is considered the birthplace of Goddess Sita.
Value Addition –
• Cabinet also approved a budget of Rs 120.15 crore for the construction of a 1,000-bed dharmshala (a rest house for pilgrims) at Gayaji Dham in Gaya district.
• The cabinet also gave its nod for the creation of a ring-fenced account of Rs 4,000 crore, as directed by the National Green Tribunal, for effective management of solid and liquid waste.
POINTERS:
• Which bank has introduced UPI interoperability in its Digital Rupee (e rupee), also known as the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) - State Bank of India (SBI).
• Which country opened their first high-level dialogue in three years with China to stabilize relations – Australia.
• Who has unveiled Mahatma Gandhi’s statue at Gandhi Darshan near Rajghat in New Delhi - President Droupadi Murmu.
• Who has become the second Indian wrestler to win a gold medal in the U20 World Wrestling Championships - Priya Malik.
• Who became the 1st player to score 850 official goals in history - Cristiano Ronaldo.
• Which Indian player has broken the national and Asian records in shot-put – Tajinderpal Singh Toor.
• Who has been named as the CMD of Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) – Lalit Kumar Gupta.
• The book ‘Basu Chatterjee: And middle-of-the-road cinema’ authored by whom - Anirudh Bhattacharya.
• Book ‘R.A.W. Hitman: The Real Story of Agent Lima’ written by whom has been released - S. Hussain Zaidi.
• The new book ‘Monsoon: A Poem of Love and Longing’ written by whom - Abhay Kumar.
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