20 September 2022
By GyanOk

Daily Current Affairs Notes for 20 September 2022

Andaman and Nicobar Islands become India’s first Swachh Sujal Pradesh

Union Jal Shakti Minister, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat declared Andaman and Nicobar Islands as India’s first Swachh Sujal Pradesh.

Overview

Union Jal Shakti Minister, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat declared Andaman and Nicobar Islands as India’s first Swachh Sujal Pradesh. With this accomplishment, all villages on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have received the Har Ghar Jal certification and have been verified as ODF plus open defecation free. Safe and secure drinking water supply and its management is a crucial aspect of the Sujal and Swachh.

There are namely three important components of Sujal and Swachh state:

(i) safe and secure drinking water supply and management;
(ii) ODF Plus: ODF Sustainability and Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM) and
(iii) cross-cutting interventions like convergence, IEC, action planning, etc

Highlights:

On A&N Island, there are 62,000 rural households spread across 266 villages in 9 blocks across three districts. The UT has given piped water supply to all 368 schools, 558 Anganwadi centres, and 292 public institution centres.
Andaman and Nicobar Island which is remotely located from the mainland has become a source of inspiration for the rest of the states and Union Territories of India.
On World Water Day, 22 March 2021, Andaman and Nicobar Islands were declared to have achieved 100% coverage of rural households with tap water connection. It became the third State/UT in the country to achieve 100% coverage of rural households with tap water supply after Goa and Telangana.

WhatsApp and IDFC FIRST Bank enabled FASTag recharge

WhatsApp and IDFC FIRST Bank FASTag: IDFC FIRST Bank for the customers, launch its integration with "payments on WhatsApp" would enable quick and secure FASTags recharging.

Overview

WhatsApp and IDFC FIRST Bank FASTag: IDFC FIRST Bank for the customers, launch its integration with “payments on WhatsApp” would enable quick and secure FASTags recharging. Due to this collaboration, users of IDFC FIRST will be able to recharge their FASTags directly from IDFC FIRST’s WhatsApp chatbot and finish the transaction from within the chat thread.

WhatsApp and IDFC FIRST Bank:

The recharge process will be a smooth one that allows payments in two easy stages. Customers must enter the amount and authenticate the transaction using an OTP after choosing the recharge option in the WhatsApp chat. They will then receive a message confirming the transaction.
Millions of FASTag customers that utilise the Bank, this new feature will enable users to pay for their recharge using “payments on having to sign into any other mobile app or net banking platform.
Users may now send and receive money via Unified Payment Interface (UPI) from their friends as simple as sending a WhatsApp message thanks to the “Payments on WhatsApp” feature.
‘Payments on WhatsApp’ is built with a rigorous set of security and privacy principles with user safety at its core, including entering a unique UPI-PIN for each payment.

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh presents INSPIRE awards to 60 startups

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh has presented INSPIRE Awards to 60 startups along with financial support to 53,021 students.

Overview

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh has presented INSPIRE Awards to 60 startups along with financial support to 53,021 students, the Ministry of Science & Technology. The award is instituted by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, and these innovators will be extended complete incubation support for their entrepreneurship journey.

The annual INSPIRE Awards MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge) competition attracted an unprecedented 6.53 lakh ideas and innovations from all states and UTs of the country in 2020-21. The scheme achieved an unprecedented level of inclusivity by representing ideas and innovations of 702 districts (96%), including 123 out of 124 aspirational districts, 51% representation from girls, 84% participation from schools located in rural areas of the country, and 71% of schools run by State/UT Governments.

Highlights:

Out of 6.53 lakh, a total of 53,021 students were identified for financial support of Rs 10,000 each so that they could develop prototypes of the ideas that they submitted for the scheme.
They competed in District-Level Exhibition and Project Competitions (DLEPCs) and State-Level Exhibition and Project Competitions (SLEPCs).
A total of 556 students advanced to the 9th National Level Exhibition and Project Competition (NLEPC).
The scheme aims to help build a critical human resource pool for strengthening, expanding, and increasing the science and technology R&D base.

New Telangana Secretariat complex to be named after B.R. Ambedkar

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao decided to name Telangana’s new secretariat after Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar.

Overview

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao decided to name Telangana’s new secretariat after Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. The move came after the Telangana legislative assembly unanimously passed a resolution urging the central government to name the new Parliament building in New Delhi after the chief architect of the Constitution. Construction of the new integrated Secretariat complex has been progressing at a fast pace with the target of getting it ready by the upcoming festival of Dasara.

The seven-story Secretariat building with a built-up area of seven lakh square feet is being built at a cost of Rs 650 crore. The goals set by Dr Ambedkar for the uplift of the downtrodden in social, political, financial and cultural spheres were followed by the State government in its self-governance model. The State government is implementing Ambedkar’s Constitutional spirit by providing humane governance to SC, ST, BC, minorities, women and also the poor in “forward castes,”.

Manoj Bajpayee publishes book “Muskurate Chand Lamhe aur Kuchh Khamoshiyan”

Muskurate Chand Lamhe aur Kuchh Khamoshiyan: At a ceremony in New Delhi, well-known actor Manoj Bajpayee published a book titled Muskurate Chand Lamhe aur Kuchh Khamoshiyan.

Overview

Muskurate Chand Lamhe aur Kuchh Khamoshiyan: At a ceremony in New Delhi, well-known actor Manoj Bajpayee published a book titled Muskurate Chand Lamhe aur Kuchh Khamoshiyan in the presence of Apurva Chandra, the secretary of information and broadcasting. A variety of poetry are offered in the book. Jiwesh Nandan is the author of it. Mr. Apurva Chandra expressed his opinions at the time and remarked that the book is focused on humour and philosophy.

Manoj Bajpayee publishes book: About Manoj Bajpayee

Manoj Bajpayee, popularly known as Manoj Bajpai, is an Indian actor who primarily performs in Hindi-language films but has also appeared in Telugu and Tamil-language productions. He was born on April 23, 1969. He has won two Asia Pacific Screen Awards, six Filmfare Awards, and three National Film Awards. He is one of the most prominent performers in Hindi cinema, yet he refuses to let his career successes or failures define who he is as an artist. For his services to art, he received the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honour, in 2019.