Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2021

Notes:
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India has signed a $300 million loan as additional financing to scale up improvement of rural connectivity to help boost rural economy in the state of Maharashtra. The additional financing for the ongoing Maharashtra Rural Connectivity Improvement Project will help improve an additional 1,100 rural roads and 230 bridges for a total length of 2,900 kilometres (km) in 34 districts.

Notes:
Minister of State of Jal Shakti Ministry, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, launched the “Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2021” under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Phase -II. It was launched at an event organized by Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) on September 9, 2021. Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2021 will be undertaken by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) across the country.

Notes:
British writer Susanna Clarke won the prestigious Women’s Prize for Fiction for her mind-tweaking fantasy novel ‘Piranesi’.  Clarke, 61, was awarded the 30,000 pounds ($41,000) prize for her novel.

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.

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The fourth Conference of the Protectors of Emigrants was held on September 10, 2021, coinciding with the date of enactment of the Emigration Act, 1983. Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan delivered the keynote address and observed that Protectors of Emigrants have an important role to play in informing youth and workers about new destinations and opportunities.

Notes:
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd, (GRSE), a Miniratna (Category 1) defence PSU and a leading warship-building company, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Naval Group of France, a leader in the European maritime defence industry. The two firms will collaborate in the field of surface ships that will cater to the requirements of India and international naval forces. Under the administrative control of the defence ministry, GRSE primarily attends to the shipbuilding needs of the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard.

Notes:
India’s largest open-air fernery has been inaugurated in Uttarakhand’s Ranikhet. The fernery is home to a large number of fern species, some of which are endemic to the state, some hold medicinal value while some are threatened species that demand care and conservation. This center has been developed for conservation of fern species and also to create awareness about their ecological role and promote further research. The newly inaugurated fernery is one of the biggest ferneries in India. The fernery has the largest collection of fern species, second to only Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute (TBGRI), Thiruvananthapuram. However, it is the country’s first open-air fernery in natural surroundings which is not under any poly-house/ shade house.

Notes:
Haryana has been adjudged first in the country in installation of off-grid solar pumps under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthan Mahaabhiyaan (PMKUSUM) with installation of 14,418 pumps against 15,000 sanctioned pumps for the year 2020-21.

Notes:
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers welfare has signed five MOUs with private companies for taking forward Digital Agriculture. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the MOUs aimed at increasing farmer’s income and protecting their produce. The MoUs were signed for pilot projects with CISCO, Ninjacart, Jio Platforms Limited, ITC Limited and NCDEX e-Markets Limited. Based on these pilot projects farmers will be able to take informed decisions on what crop to grow, what variety of seed to use and what best practises to adopt to maximise the yield.

Notes:
Gujarat-based ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AMNS) signed a pact with National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) to provide critical steel products to MSMEs in the sector. ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AMNS) will utilise its hypermart network for the initiative. MNS India and NSIC teams will develop a network which will deliver critical products to the hard-hit MSME segment. This is a first of its kind MoU signed by NSIC with a private steel company.