NATIONAL NEWS

Union Cabinet Approves Changes to Semiconductor PLI Scheme

• The Union Cabinet on 21 September 2022, cleared significant changes to the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for the manufacturing of semiconductors.
• The PLI scheme for the development of the semiconductors and display manufacturing ecosystem in India was announced by the Centre in December 2021 with an outlay of Rs 76,000 crore.
• The Programme aims to provide attractive incentive support to companies that are engaged in Silicon Semiconductor Fabs, Display Fabs, etc.

Oldest Indian to Cross North Channel

• Veteran Assamese swimmer, Elvis Ali Hazarika has become the first from the North East to cross the North Channel.
• Elvis Ali Hazarika also became the oldest Indian swimmer to swim across the North Channel.
• The strait between north-eastern Northern Ireland and south-western Scotland is the North Channel.
• It begins north of the Isle of Man, where the Irish Sea ends and runs north-west into the Atlantic Ocean.

Web Portal to Address Public Grievances

• Manipur Chief Minister Shri N Biren Singh has launched a web portal named CM Da Haisi’ (Let’s Inform the CM) in Imphal, Manipur.

• It is to enable people to redress their grievances, and provide a platform to raise corruption-related issue

• 3 phone numbers, including 2 meant for the anti-corruption cell, have been made available on the portal ‘CM da Haisi’.

• The public can raise their grievances in the web portal by logging on to cmdahaisi.mn.gov.in and the complainants can also check the status of their complaints.
• It will enable fast redressal of public grievances and also provide a platform to raise corruption-related issues.
• This will further enable the government to bring transparency and accountability in governance and delivery of public services.

National Logistics Policy (NLP)

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched National Logistics Policy (NLP) in New Delhi.

• The need for a National Logistics Policy was felt because of the high logistics costs in India as compared to other developed countries.

• Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP) is an important initiative under the National Logistics Policy (NLP).
• ULIP will bring all the digital services related to the transportation sector into a single portal.
• Under the policy, a new digital platform is Ease of Logistics Services (E-Logs).
• The National Logistics Policy will give a boost to the GatiShakti National Master Plan.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Kazakhstan Renames Capital

• The president of Kazakhstan Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed constitutional amendments that extended the presidential term to 7 years from 5 years and officially changed the name of the capital Nur Sultan to Astana.
• The changes are among political and economic reforms that President has called for after violent protests in January 2022, killing more than 200 people.
• The Amendment bar any president from running for a second term in office.
• Astana became the capital of Kazakhstan in 1997 when Nazarbayev, led the country for 3 decades under the Soviet Union.

BANKING

ADB Lowers India’s Growth Forecast to 7%

• The Asian Development Bank lowered its growth forecast for India for 2022-23 to 7% from 7.2% estimated in July.

• It also lowered India's growth estimate for 2023-24 to 7.2% from 7.8%.

• The data was given in the Asian Development Outlook 2022.

Union Bank of India Launches Digitization of Kisan Credit Card

• Union Bank of India (UBI) launched an Industry-first, farmer-focused end-to-end digitization of the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) product as part of the flagship digital transformation project ‘Sambhav’.

• It is to digitize the KCC lending process, making it more efficient and farmer-friendly.

• Digitization of KCC is a fintech initiative of UBI in collaboration with Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) aimed at overcoming the challenges faced by farmers like in-person visits to a bank branch, submission of land ownership and other documents and high turnaround time in getting the KCC.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Prime Minister of Senegal

• Senegalese President Mr. Macky Sall reinstated the post of Prime Minister (PM) appointing a former economy minister Mr Amadou Ba as the PM of Senegal.

• The president appointed a new government that included 38 ministers.

• He served as the Foreign Minister of Senegal from 2019 to 2020.

• He was Minister of Finance and Economy from 2013 to 2019.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

ISRO Successfully Tests Hybrid Motor

• The Indian Space Agency ISRO has successfully tested a hybrid motor.
• The 30 kN hybrid motor tested at ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu supported by Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre on 20 September 2022.
• The motor used Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) as fuel and liquid oxygen (LOX) as the oxidizer, which is different from the traditionally used solid-solid or liquid-liquid combinations by ISRO.
• It is a hybrid motor which is a combination of solid fuel and liquid oxidizer.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Alzheimer’s Day

• World Alzheimer’s Day is celebrated every year on 21 September.
• It is to increase public awareness of the stigma associated with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
• To commemorate tenth anniversary, World Alzheimer’s Day was established at the start of ADI’s annual conference in Edinburgh on 21 September 1994.
• Alzheimer’s is a progressive illness, meaning that over many years the symptoms of dementia gradually get worse.
• Alzheimer’s disease causes modest memory loss in its early stages, but by the disease’s latter stages, people are unable to converse or react to their surroundings.

OBITUTARY

Popular Comedian Raju Srivastava

• Comedian Raju Srivastava passed away in Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). He was at the age of 58.

• He was a part of the Great Indian Laughter Challenge, Comedy Circus, The Kapil Sharma Show, Shaktimaan and others.

• The comedian also featured in Bollywood films like Maine Pyaar Kiya, Tezaab, Baazigar, etc.
• He was recently seen as a special guest on India’s Laughter Champion.