IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF SEPTEMBER 2nd, 2017

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF SEPTEMBER 2nd, 2017

1. PM Modi Leaves For Two Nation Visit

i. PM Narendra Modi will leave for a two nation tour to China and Myanmar. In the first leg of his three-day tour to China, Mr Modi will reach Xiamen to attend the 9th BRICS Summit there.

ii. Then, the Prime Minister will leave for Myanmar. This will be Prime Minister Modi’s first bilateral State visit to that country. Mr. Modi will hold discussions with State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on matters of mutual interest and also call on President U Htin Kyaw.

2. Ahmedabad Formally Accorded Status of India’s First World Heritage City by UNESCO

i. Gujarat’s commercial capital Ahmedabad was formally accorded the status of India’s first World Heritage City by UNESCO. UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova handed over the certificate declaring Ahmedabad as a ‘World Heritage City’ to Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in Gandhinagar.

ii. In July, the UN agency had inscribed Ahmedabad as India’s first World Heritage City at a meeting held in Poland.

3. Annual Conference ‘Rajaswa Gyan Sangam’ in New Delhi

i. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the two-day annual conference, Rajaswa Gyan Sangam, 2017 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The conference, jointly organized by the Central Board of Direct Taxes and the Central Board of Excise and Customs.

ii. The main objective of the conference is to enable a two-way communication between the policy-makers and senior officers in the field offices with a view to increase revenue collection and facilitate effective implementation of law and policies in key result areas.

4. Anita Karwal Replaces RK Chaturvedi as CBSE Chairperson

i. IAS officer Anita Karwal was appointed as the new Chairperson of Central Board of Secondary Education, CBSE. The 1988-batch officer from Gujarat cadre is currently serving as additional secretary in HRD Ministry.

ii. She would be replacing Rajesh Kumar Chaturvedi, who has been appointed as Director General of the National Skill Development Agency.

5. SAAB Ties up With Adani Group to Build Gripen E fighter jets in India

i. Swedish defence major SAAB announced its tie-up with Adani Group to manufacture the Gripen E fighter jets in India under the Defence Ministry’s $10 billion single-engine fighter jet procurement programme.

ii. The announcement comes within months of US’ Lockheed Martin announcing its joint venture with Tata Advanced Systems for producing the latest version of F-16 in India.

6. World's Highest Sandcastle Built in German City

i. The world's highest sandcastle is now standing 16.68 meters tall in the German city of Duisburg. A German travel operator organized the construction of the mammoth sandcastle, bringing in 3,500 tons of sand over the past three and a half weeks to the site at a former steelworks in the inland city. 

ii. It takes the title from a 14.84-metre sandcastle built early this year in India by sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik.

7. Indian-origin Joseph Yuvaraj Pillay Appointed Interim President of Singapore

i. Indian-origin veteran civil servant JY Pillay took over as Singapore's acting President until a new head of the state is elected later September.

ii. The temporary appointment of Pillay, Chairman of the Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA), follows the completion of President Tony Tan Keng Yam's six-year term.

8. Kenneth I. Juster Named U.S Ambassador to India

i. Kenneth I. Juster, deputy director of the National Economic Council at the White House, has been nominated as the next U.S ambassador to India.

ii. The appointment will take effect once the U.S Senate confirms him. The post has been vacant since January 20, 2017.