IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF SEPTEMBER 16th, 2017

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF SEPTEMBER 16th, 2017

1.     The United Nations’ International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer (International Ozone Day) is being observed On 16th September.

a.      The ozone layer, a fragile shield of gas, protects the Earth from the harmful portion of the rays of the sun, thus helping preserve life on the planet.

b.     Theme of the year 2017 : "Caring for all life under the sun"

2.     On 6th September is International Red Panda Day (IRPD) 

a.      Red Panda is a mammal slightly larger than a domestic cat and feeds on the bamboo.

b.     The commemoration of the International Red Panda Day is a way to promote and encourage people save these adorable beings as they are being listed under endangered species.

3.     According to a recent report released by 5 UN agencies, the Global Hunger levels have risen for the first time in more than a decade, now affecting 11% of the world's population.

a.      This increase is largely due to the proliferation of violence and climate-related shocks alongside economic slowdown.

4.     The 12th ASEAN Computer Emergency Response Team Incident Drill (ACID)was recently held in Hanoi, Danang, and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.  

a.      ACID involves ten members of ASEAN as well as five dialogue partners – Australia, China, India, Japan, and South Korea.

b.     Objective of ACID : To test and enhance incident response as well as broader cooperation and coordination among ASEAN CERTS as well as some of their key dialogue partners.

c.      ASEAN - Association of Southeast Asian Nations

5.     The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) and Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) have On 16th September signed a MOU for automatic and regular exchange of tax information.

a.      The purpose of the MoU is to curb the menace of shell companies, money laundering and black money in the country and prevent misuse of corporate structure by shell companies for various illegal purposes,

6.     India and Japan have agreed to ink open sky arrangement to allow airlines from both countries to operate unlimited number of flights.

7.     The government is going to celebrate Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday (on 17th September) as 'Sewa Diwas' (Day of Service). 

a.      Note : Sewa Diwas is a part of the fortnight-long 'Swachhta Hi Sewa' campaign that started on Friday.

8.     The Centre has approved a ₹300-crore plan for improving solid waste management in Delhi, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced On 16th September.

9.     India's first Centre for Animal Law was inaugurated On 16th September at the NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad.

a.      This was inaugurated by Union Minister for Women and Child DevelopmentManeka Gandhi.

10.        The Union Home Ministry is going to grant citizenship to nearly one lakh Chakma andHajong refugees, who came from erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) five decades ago and are living in northeast.

11.        Bollywood Actor Salman Khan was honoured with the Global Diversity Award 2017 at the British Parliament in London for his contribution as an actor, producer and philanthropist.

12.        The Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully conducted developmental trials of indigenously developed Astra Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) over the Bay of Bengal, off the coast of Chandipur in Odisha.

13.        The chief litigant in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case and the sarpanch mahant (chief priest) of Nirmohi Akhada in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya, Mahant Bhaskar Das(89) passed away On 16th September. 

a.      Note : The chief litigant of the Muslim side in the case, Hashim Ansari (95), had died in July 2016.

14.        The oldest person in the world, Violet Mosse-Brown (117), passed away.

a.      She was born in Jamaica on March 10, 1900.

b.     Note : Following Brown's death, 117-year-old Japanese woman Nabi Tajima(born on August 4, 1900) has become the world's oldest person.

15 The Union Government signed $76 million loan deal with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for starting upgradation project related to environment management plan at Alang-Sosiya ship recycling shipyards in Gujarat.

a.      The project will be executed by Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) and is likely to be completed by 2022.

16.        India's foreign exchange reserves crossed $400 billion-mark for the first time last week.

a.      As on September 8, the foreign exchange reserves with RBI were at $400.73 billion, up by $2.6 billion from a week ago.

17.        The government On 16th September announced that it has lifted a 10 year old ban on export of tur, urad and moong dal to help farmers get "remunerative prices".

18.        Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore On 16th September announced that 152 athletes selected under the government's Target Olympic Podium (TOP) scheme for 2020 Olympics preparation will get a monthly stipend of ₹50,000. 

19.        Indian shuttler PV Sindhu reached the Korea Open Superseries final, wherein she will face her World Championships final opponent, Japan's Nozomi Okuhara. 

a.      Sindhu beats He Bingjiao of China to enter the final.

20.        Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan has become the youngest cricketer to take 100 wickets in T20s, at the age of 18 years and 360 days. 

a.      He overtook English left-arm spinner Danny Briggs, who reached 100 T20 wickets aged 23 years and 56 days.