7TH SEPTEMBER
Contents
INDIA: 1ST ASIAN NATION TO LAUNCH PLASTICS PACT
SITHARAMAN CHAIRED 24TH MEETING OF FSDC
COMMITTEE TO REVIEW JOURNALIST WELFARE SCHEME
130TH EDITION OF DURAND CUP KICKS OFF IN KOLKATA
INDIA FINISHED 24TH WITH 19 MEDALS AT PARALYMPICS
INDIA: 1ST ASIAN NATION TO LAUNCH PLASTICS PACT
- India has become the first country in Asia to launch a Plastics Pact, a new platform to promote a circular system for plastics.
- The India Plastic Pact platform was launched by the British High Commissioner to India, Alexander Ellis, at the 16th Sustainability Summit hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
- About the ‘India Plastic Pact’: The new platform ‘India Plastic Pact’ is a joint effort of the World-Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF India) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and envisions to create a world where plastic is valued and does not pollute the environment.
- The Pact targets the businesses to transition towards a circular economy for plastics by 2030.
- The initiative is supported by UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) and WRAP, a global NGO based in the UK, and endorsed by the British High Commission in India.
(SOURCE: THE HINDU, JAGRAN JOSH)
SITHARAMAN CHAIRED 24TH MEETING OF FSDC
- Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman has chaired the 24th meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC).
- Finance Minister is the chairperson of FSDC. It must be noted that the FSDC Sub-Committee is chaired by the Governor, RBI.
- About the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC):
- Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) is the apex level forum set up by the Government of India for strengthening and institutionalizing the mechanism for maintaining financial stability, enhancing inter-regulatory coordination and promoting financial sector development.
- The Council also, inter alia, discussed issues relating to the management of stressed assets, strengthening institutional mechanism for financial stability analysis, financial inclusion, the framework for resolution of financial institutions and issues related to IBC processes, banks’ exposure to various sectors and Government, data sharing mechanisms of government authorities, internationalisation of Indian Rupee and pension sector related issues.
(SOURCE: FINANCIAL EXPRESS)
IMF’S SPECIAL DRAWING RIGHTS
- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has made an allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDR)57 billion to India. (approx USD 17.86 billion).
- With this, the total SDR holding of India has gone upto SDR 13.66 billion (equivalent to around USD 19.41 billion).
- SDR is one of the components of the Foreign Exchange Reserves (FER) of India.
- Hence the Foreign Exchange Reserves (FER) has also increased now. IMF has allocated a total of SDR 456 billion to all its member countries out of which India has got SDR 12.57.
- IMF Headquarters: Washington, D.C. U.S.
- IMF Managing Director and Chairman: Kristalina Georgieva.
- IMF Chief Economist: Gita Gopinath.
(SOURCE: THE ECONOMIC TIMES)
COMMITTEE TO REVIEW JOURNALIST WELFARE SCHEME
- The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has decided to form a committee to review the existing guidelines of the Journalist Welfare Scheme (JWS).
- The 12-member committee, with Ashok Kumar Tandon, Member, Prasar Bharati Board, as its chairperson, will revise the quantum of ex-gratia payment in case of death as well as in other cases under the scheme.
- The terms of reference (ToR) of the committee include examining the need for such a revision of the quantum of ex-gratia payment.
- About the committee: The committee will look into the aspect of differentiation or parity between accredited and non-accredited journalists for availing benefits under the scheme.
- The committee shall give its recommendations within two months and all secretarial assistance for convening its meetings will be provided by the Press Information Bureau (PIB).
- Minister of Information and Broadcasting: Anurag Singh Thakur.
(SOURCE: HINDUSTAN TIMES)
130TH EDITION OF DURAND CUP KICKS OFF IN KOLKATA
- The 130th edition of the Durand Cup kicked off at the Vivekananda Yubabharati Krirangan in Kolkata. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee kicked the ball and inaugurated the tournament.
- 16 teams are playing in this edition of the oldest club football tournament in Asia while two clubs East Bengal and Mohun Bagan are not participating. The final match will be held on 3rd October.
- About Durand Cup: The Durand Cup is a prestigious football tournament. It was first held in 1888, at Dagshai in Himachal Pradesh.
- This tournament has been named after Mortimer Durand. He was the then Foreign Secretary in charge of India.
- (SOURCE: INDIAN EXPRESS)
INDIA FINISHED 24TH WITH 19 MEDALS AT PARALYMPICS
- India finished their campaign at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020 with an all-time high of 19 medals which includes five gold, eight silver, and six bronze.
- This is the best medal tally for India a single edition of the Paralympic Games. India is placed at 24th position in the overall medal tally out of a total of 162 nations.
- Indian Flag Bearers: Javelin thrower Tek Chand was the flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Paralympics.
- Shooter Avani Lekhara was India’s flag-bearer at the closing ceremony.
- India at Paralympics 2020: India sent its biggest ever contingent of 54 para-athletes at Tokyo Paralympics to compete across as many as 9 sporting disciplines at the Games.
- Prior to this, India had won a total of 12 Paralympics medals, since making its first appearance at the Paralympics in 1968, till the 2016 Rio.
- The Indian theme song of Paralympics 2020 “Kar de kamaal tu”. The composer and singer of the song is Sanjeev Singh, a Divyang cricket player from Lucknow.
- List of Indian medallists winners of Tokyo Paralympics 2020:
Gold Medal Winners
- Athletics: Sumit Antil (Men’s Javelin Throw)
- Badminton: Pramod Bhagat (Men’s Singles)
- Badminton: Krishna Nagar (Men’s Singles)
- Shooting: Manish Narwal (Mixed 50m Pistol)
- Shooting: Avani Lekhara (Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing)
Silver Medal Winners
- Athletics: Yogesh Kathuniya (Men’s Discus Throw)
- Athletics: Nishad Kumar (Men’s High Jump)
- Athletics: Mariyappan Thangavelu (Men’s High Jump)
- Athletics: Praveen Kumar (Men’s High Jump)
- Athletics: Devendra Jhajharia (Men’s Javelin Throw)
- Badminton: Suhas Yathiraj (Men’s Singles)
- Shooting: Singhraj Adhana (Mixed 50m Pistol)
- Table Tennis: Bhavina Patel (Women’s Singles)
Bronze Medal Winners
- Archery: Harvinder Singh (Men’s Individual Recurve)
- Athletics: Sharad Kumar (Men’s High Jump)
- Athletics: Sundar Singh Gurjar (Men’s Javelin Throw)
- Badminton: Manoj Sarkar (Men’s Singles)
- Shooting: Singhraj Adhana (Men’s 10m Air Pistol)
- Shooting: Avani Lekhara (Women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions)
- Tokyo Paralympics was the 16th Summer Paralympic Games, held in Tokyo, Japan from August 24, to September 05, 2021.
- Badminton and Taekwondo were inducted for the first time in the Tokyo Paralympics.
- Team China topped the final medal tally at Tokyo Paralympic Games. The country won a total of 207 medals (96 golds, 60 silvers and 51 bronzes). United Kingdom (124) gets the second position followed by the USA(104).
- This is the fifth consecutive time China dominated Paralympic Games in both gold medal tally and overall medal tally.
- The closing ceremony was entitled ‘Harmonious Cacophony’ and involved both able-bodied actors and others with disabilities. The theme was described by organizers as a ‘world inspired by the Paralympics, one where differences shine’.
(SOURCE: TIMES OF INDIA)
