Current Affairs in English – September 25 2022

National Events:

Meena Kandasamy:

Indian author & poet Meena Kandasamy has won the Hermann Kesten Prize of the German chapter of the PEN International writers ‘ association. She has been awarded for her work on themes of caste & ethnic oppression.
This prize is given to individuals for their outstanding efforts in support of persecuted writers. It is named in honour of the German novelist Hermann Kesten. First awarded : 1985.

Mega Kissan Mela:

CEC , Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council ( LAHDC ) Kargil Feroz Ahmad Khan inaugurated the 1st ever Mega Kissan Mela in Kargil. It was organised by Sher – e – Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology ( SKUAST ) Kashmir.
In the Mela , experts of the Agriculture dept informed the farmers about the latest techniques and use of high – yielding varieties & organic farming.

YES Bank:

Former RBI Deputy Governor R Gandhi has been appointed as part – time chairman of Yes Bank. RBI has approved his appointment as the Non – Executive ( Part time ) Chairman of the Bank for a period of 3 years effective from September 20 , 2022.
Gandhi is currently a financial sector policy expert and adviser. He was a Deputy Governor of the RBI for three years from 2014 to 2017.

NEP:

The Himachal Pradesh cabinet has approved ‘ Early Childhood Care and Education Tutor Scheme – 2022 ‘ for children in the age group of 3 to 6 years studying in government primary schools under the National Education Policy ( NEP ).
This scheme envisages appropriate care and stimulation of children in an early age to ensure their healthy brain development and growth. Chief Minister : Jai Ram Thakur.

State floral festival:

In Telangana , Bathukamma , the state floral festival began on 25 September. During the nine – day annual festival , women and girls sing and dance around specially arranged flower.
At the end of the festival , the floral arrangements will be immersed in local ponds. Bathukamma means ‘ Goddess of Life ‘. The main celebrations will be held on October 3 which will be celebrated as Saddula Bathukamma.

Antyodaya Diwas : 25 September:

Every year , Antyodaya Diwas is celebrated in India on September 25 to mark the birth anniversary of Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya , who developed the concept of ‘ Integral Humanism ‘.
He was the co – founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh & an RSS thinker. The word ‘ Antyodaya ‘ means uplifting the poorest of the poor & this day aims at reaching the last person in society. This day was first observed in 2014.

Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan:

With a view to reduce the level of air pollution in cities , the Central govt will launch ‘ Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan ‘.
Aim : to reduce air pollution up to 40 per cent by 2025-26. It will rank 131 cities in the country for implementing City Action Plans prepared as part of the National Clean Air Programme 2019 ( NCAP ).
These 131 cities will be categorised into 3 groups based on population.

Shaheed Bhagat Singh:

PM Modi on 25 Sept 2022 announced that the Chandigarh airport will be renamed after Shaheed Bhagat Singh as a tribute to the great freedom fighter.
Punjab & Haryana governments had last month ( Aug 2022 ) agreed to name the airport after freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.
The 485 – crore airport project is a joint venture of Airports Authority of India ( AAI ) , and governments of Punjab and Haryana.

Sanjai Kumar:

Sanjai Kumar has been appointed as the Chairman & Managing Director of the Rail Tel Corporation of India. He is an officer of the Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers.
RailTel , a ” Mini Ratna ( Category – I ) ” Central Public Sector Enterprise is an information & communications technology provider. It was formed in 2000 with the objective of creating a nationwide broadband & telecom network.

BPCL & Petrobas:

State – run oil refiner Bharat Petroleum Corporation ( BPCL ) has signed an MoU with Brazil’s national oil company Petrobras to help it diversify its crude oil sourcing for energy security in India.
BPCL has a stake in the upstream sector in an ultra – deep water hydrocarbon block in Brazil , owned & operated by Petrobras. BPCL is the 2nd – largest fuel retailer in India. Chairman : Arun Kumar Singh.

UCO Bank:

UCO Bank has received the RBI’s approval to open a special vostro account with Gazprombank of Russia for trade settlement in Indian rupees. With this , it has become the first bank to receive RBI’s approval to settle trade in Indian currency.
On 11 July 2022 , RBI issued a circular allowing trade settlements between India and other countries in rupee. HQ : Kolkata. UCO Bank. CEO : Soma S Prasad.

International Events:

World Rivers Day : 25 September:

On the 4th Sunday of September every year , countries all over the world mark World Rivers Day. In 2022 , it was observed on September 25. Aim : to promote awareness about the importance of rivers & the increasing threat posed to rivers by climate change.
It was established in 2005 following a proposal from renowned river advocate , Mark Angelo. 2022 Theme : The importance of Rivers to Biodiversity.

SCO:

The 20th Meeting of Prosecutors General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation ( SCO ) Member States was held in Astana , Kazakhstan on 23 September 2022. Solicitor General of India , Tushar Mehta , attended the meeting from the Indian side.
Earlier on 16 Sept 2022 , PM Modi had attended the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO in Samarkand , Uzbekistan. SCO Member Countries : 8.

Suella Braverman:

Indian – origin British Home Secretary Suella Braverman has been named the winner of the first – ever Queen Elizabeth II Woman of the Year award. She was presented with this award at the Asian Achievers Awards 2022 ceremony in London.
These awards were established in 2000 to honour South Asians for their great achievements in the UK. Braverman was previously Attorney General between 2020-2022.

Sports Events:

Tripartite MoU:

Ahead of the Ice Hockey season in Ladakh , a tripartite MoU has been signed between the Ladakh Sports dept , Leh Hill Council , & Eicher Group Foundation to promote the sport in the region.
This new partnership will strengthen the infrastructure and entire Ice Hockey ecosystem in a sustainable manner. It will also provide better coaching & exposure tours to the players. Ladakh LG : RK Mathur.