Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2022

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Power has proposed for the Market-Based Economic Dispatch (MBED) mechanism.
The MBED mechanism seeks a centralized scheduling for dispatching the entire yearly consumption of electricity. However this system is expected to interfere in the autonomy of states in managing their electricity sector. Distribution companies, owned by the state governments will become dependent on the centralized mechanism.

Notes:
The Ministry of Tourism had identified 15 tourist circuits under its Swadesh Darshan scheme including Ramayana Circuit, Buddhist Circuit, Coastal Circuit and Desert Circuit among others.
Union Tourism and Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy announced a special tourist train to cover the ‘Ambedkar Circuit’. The train will visit key sites associated with Dr BR Ambedkar including Mhow (his birthplace called Dr. Ambedkar Nagar in Indore), London (where he resided and studied), Nagpur (also studied here), Delhi (where he passed away) and finally Mumbai (where he was cremated.)

Notes:
Union Cabinet approves modifications in “Programme for Development of Semiconductors and Display Manufacturing Ecosystem in India”.
Under modified scheme, a uniform fiscal support of 50% of project cost shall be provided across all technology nodes for setting up of semiconductor fabs. This is in addition to incentives of over ₹76,000 crore, or about USD 10 billion, were announced by the government in December 2021.

Notes:
Germany nationalised its largest gas importer Uniper for energy security against the backdrop of Russia’s gas supply freeze and rising gas prices.
Uniper has a 50 per cent share of Russian gas in its portfolio and is responsible for about 40 per cent of gas supply in Germany. Russia earlier decided to completely suspend gas deliveries through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline on September 1.

Notes:
The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) has organised a hybrid summit titled ‘Sustainable Textiles Summit’ in New Delhi.
The summit is supported by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. The aim of the summit is to discuss alternative ways to make the textile industry more sustainable. Experts from France, Sweden and Germany will be participating in the meet.

Notes:
QUAD countries recently signed Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief Guidelines at a meeting in New York.
The Foreign Ministers of Australia, India and Japan and Secretary of State of the United States signed the Guidelines for the ‘Quad Partnership on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) in the Indo-Pacific’. This partnership was announced by Quad Leaders in Tokyo in May 2022.

Notes:
The Indian Navy launched two indigenously designed and built Diving Support Vessels (DSVs) – Nistar and Nipun in Visakhapatnam.
The vessels were built by Hindustan Shipyard Ltd. The vessels have complex diving support systems and a Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV), which will be deployed for deep sea diving and submarine rescue operations.

Notes:
The Rajasthan Assembly recently passed the Rajasthan Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2022.
The bill proposes that the registration of companies would not be cancelled even if they fail to file the return for six months. Input Credit Tax has been reformed in the Bill, which also seek to start the system of issuing credit notes.

Notes:
Edible oil trade associations from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal announced the setting up of Asian Palm Oil Alliance (APOA).
These are the five major palm oil importing countries in South Asia. Atul Chaturvedi, President, Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA) has been named the first chairman of APOA. The aim of the association is to gain bargaining power and make imports sustainable.

Notes:
India has exported the first consignment of plant-based meat products from Kheda district of Gujarat to California in the United States.
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Authority (APEDA) facilitated the export of the first consignment of plant-based meat products under the Vegan Food category. APEDA has planned to promote a variety of vegan food products to Australia, Israel, New Zealand, and others.