NATIONAL NEWS

#FOSS4GOV Innovation Challenge

• The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology announced a #FOSS4GOV Innovation Challenge to accelerate adoption of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) In Government.
• This Challenge calls upon FOSS innovators, technology entrepreneurs and Indian Startups to submit implementable open source product innovations with possible applications for Govtech in Health, Education, Agriculture, Urban Governance etc.
• Free and open-source software (FOSS) is software that can be classified as both free software and open-source software. That is, anyone is freely licensed to use, copy, study, and change the software in any way, and the source code is openly shared so that people are encouraged to voluntarily improve the design of the software.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Leaders' Summit on Climate

• Prime Minister of India addressed the Leaders' Summit on Climate, on the title "Our Collective Sprint to 2030”, held virtually.
• The Summit was hosted by US President Joe Biden.
• U.S. President Joe Biden announced that the U.S. would cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 50%-52% by 2030 relative to 2005 levels.
• The two-day virtual Summit to discuss the climate crisis with the major economies.
• The summit was attended by the members of “Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate Change”.
• The Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate Change was launched on March 28, 2009 with 17 countries.
• The 17 major economies are: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

BANKING NEWS

Payment and Settlement Act

• The Reserve Bank of India recently barred American Express Banking Corporation and Diners Club International from issuing cards in India for the non-compliance with Payment and Settlement Act, 2007.
• The Payment and Settlement Act 2007 was set up by RBI and was given assent by the President of India.
• The act came into force from 12th August 2008.
• The Act empowers RBI to deal with the matters relating to that purpose and other purposes for which RBI is authorized to constitute a central authority known as the Board for Regulation and Supervision of Payment and Settlement Systems (BPSS).
• Also, The Payment and Settlement Systems Regulations, 2008 was made by RBI.
• The act mandates the payment system providers such as Rupay, Visa, Master card, etc., to store the data related to the financial transactions of the customers to be in India only.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Book Day

• World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day, or International Day of the Book, is an annual event organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
• The day is celebrated to promote reading, publishing, and copyright.
• The theme for this year is 'To share a story'.

MISCELLENEOUS FACT

Astronauts with respect to nations

• Astronauts of different nations are called with different names.
  • Taikonaut – China
  • Spationaut – French
  • Vyomanauts – India
  • Cosmonauts – Russia