Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2021

Notes:
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and Fiserv Inc. Has partnered to launch a plug-and-play RuPay credit card stack named ‘nFiNi’. ‘nFiNi’ is a RuPay based Application Programming Interface platform to boost credit card based products in the country. The nFiNi platform will power RuPay cards (including National Common Mobility Card) by offering access to needed services through the NPCI network combined with FirstVisionTM cloud-based open API integrations from Fiserv.

Notes:
The world’s largest plant designed to suck carbon dioxide out of the air and turning it into rock started running in Iceland. The plant, named Orca, after the Icelandic word “orka” meaning “energy”, consists of four units, each made up of two metal boxes, similar in appearance to the containers used for maritime transport. World’s Largest Plant Capturing Carbon Dioxide From Air Starts In Iceland A facility for capturing carbon dioxide from air. (Reuters File) 3 Reykjavik: The world’s largest plant designed to suck carbon dioxide out of the air and turning it into rock started running on Wednesday, the companies behind the plant said. The plant, named Orca, after the Icelandic word “orka” meaning “energy”, consists of four units, each made up of two metal boxes, similar in appearance to the containers used for maritime transport. Constructed by Switzerland’s Climeworks and Iceland’s Carbfix, when operating at capacity the plant will draw 4,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the air every year.

 

Notes:
Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh, who retired as the Deputy Chief of Army, was appointed the Governor of Uttarakhand, a post which fell vacant after Baby Rani Maurya resigned from the post.

Notes:
The government has constituted an eight-member panel for framing a new law for drugs, cosmetics and medical devices. The panel is being headed by Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) Dr V G Somani. The Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, regulates the import, manufacture, distribution and sale of drugs, cosmetics and medical devices. This Act is amended from time to time. The last amendment in the Act was made in 2008.

Notes:
Co-WIN has developed a new Application programming interface called ‘Know Your Customer’s or Client’s Vaccination Status (KYC-VS). This will enable entities to check an individual’s status of vaccination through CoWIN. To use this API, an individual needs to enter his/her mobile number and name. Thereafter, they will get an OTP which they have to enter. In return, Co-WIN will send a response to the verifying entity on the individual’s status of vaccination. CoWIN (Covid Vaccine Intelligence Work) is an Indian government web portal for COVID-19 vaccination registration, owned and operated by India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Notes:
Tamil Nadu government has decided to commemorate the death anniversary of Subramania Bharathi, a firebrand poet & freedom fighter, as Mahakavi Day on September 11. Death anniversary of Subramania Bharati is on September 11. Year 2021 will mark the 100th death anniversary of the poet. His works ignited patriotism and left indelible mark on Tamil literature. To mark the centenary, weekly events will be held at the Bharathiyar Memorial House in the state for next one year. Government will also be conducting a state-level poetry competition for school and college students and “Bharati young poet Award’’ will be presented along with a purse of Rs one lakh. Women Livelihood Mission will also be renamed after Bharatiyar. This scheme is to be implemented by the rural development department.

Notes:
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has resigned. Mr. Rupani met the Governor Acharya Devrat and submitted his resignation. Mr. Rupani had taken over as the Chief Minister in August 2016 after the sudden resignation of the then C. M. Anandiben Patel, who is now the Governor of Uttar Pradesh.

Notes:
The South Korean military has conducted its first successful underwater test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLMB). This test was conducted by Dosan Ahn Chang-ho submarine that was inducted in service in August 2021. This submarine has launched a Hyunmoo-2B ballistic missile which has a 500km range. Dosan Ahn Chang-ho is the country’s first 3000 ton class submarine which is equipped with six launch tubes. This launch makes South Korea the 8th country capable of SLMB joining United States, India, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom.

Notes:
Fourteen districts of Chhattisgarh have signed MoUs with the Hyderabad-based Indian Institute of Millets Research to boost production of millets in their respective areas. These millets will be procured through Van Dhan societies of the Chhattisgarh Minor Forest Produce Co-operative Federation, and after processing, will be used in mid-day meal schemes, public distribution system and nutrition programmes. The 14 districts are Kanker, Kondagaon, Bastar, Dantewada, Bijapur, Sukma, Narayanpur, Rajnandgaon, Kawardha, Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi, Balrampur, Koriya, Surajpur and Jashpur.

Notes:
Punjab National Bank has appointed Rekha Jain as a shareholder director after Asha Bhandarker stepped down as shareholder director after completing her tenure of three years. Rekha Jain has over 37 years of diverse experience and special knowledge in information technology, payment and settlement systems, business management and risk management. Previously, she has served as an independent director on the board of Telecommunication Consultants of India Ltd. (TCIL) from 2015 to 2019. Jain has also chaired the audit committee of the TCIL board.