Daily Current Affairs Notes for 30 September 2022

PM Modi to inaugurate Rs 29,000-cr projects: During his visit to Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate a number of infrastructure and development projects.

Overview

PM Modi to inaugurate Rs 29,000-cr projects: During his two-day visit to Gujarat, which is nearing election day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate a number of infrastructure and development projects totaling more than Rs 29,000 crore. The first CNG (compressed natural gas) terminal in the world is scheduled to be inaugurated, together with phase 1 of the Ahmedabad Metro and phase 1 of the Diamond Research and Mercantile (DREAM) City in Surat, according to a statement released by the Gujarati government.

PM Modi Scheduled Inaugurations on Gujarat Tour

• The PM will open the 36th National Games, which are being staged for the first time in Gujarat, and flag off the Gandhinagar-Mumbai Central Vande Bharat Express train while on the journey.
• Following the unveiling of projects totaling Rs 3,400 crore, including the first phase of DREAM City, Modi will address a crowd in Surat’s Limbayat neighbourhood on September 29.
• After Surat, the PM will travel to Bhavnagar to officially kick off projects totaling about Rs 6,000 crore, which includes laying the cornerstone for the first CNG terminal in the world and a brownfield port.
• In addition, at a grand event in the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad’s Motera neighbourhood, PM Modi will formally declare the 36th National Games open.

Hitachi Astemo installed its India's first ground-mounted solar power plant of 3 megawatts (MW) at its Jalgaon manufacturing plant.

Overview

Hitachi Astemo installed its India’s first ground-mounted solar power plant of 3 megawatts (MW) at its Jalgaon manufacturing plant. The 3 megawatts (MW) solar power plant will be built in an area of 43301 sqm. The ground-mounted solar power plant will consist of 7128 ground-mounted solar panels and 10 inverters. Hitachi Astemo is known for the development, manufacture, sale, and service of automotive and transportation components. This solar power plant will embark on its new journey in the field of sustainable energy in India.

Highlights:

• Hitachi is working to reduce its carbon emissions and become carbon neutral by 2050. With this plant, the company would be able to eliminate close to 4000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year. This will be equal to planting around 1,50,000 trees.
• The installation of the 3-megawatt solar power plant is just the beginning of the company’s plan in which it will commission an additional 1.5-megawatt solar power plant by March 2023.
• At its Jalgaon plant, the company produces brake systems for 3-wheeler and 4-wheelers. They include manufacturing disc brakes and drum brakes. Along with this, the plant is also indulged in foundry operations.
• One of the subsidiaries of the Japanese firm Hitachi, Hitachi Astemo was established in 2021. The company is constantly working to provide efficient modifications in the automobile industry.
• Recently, Hitachi Astemo along with Hitachi had developed thin-type inverter technology for EVs. The technology makes the machine more compact as well as energy efficient.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurates 13th FICCI Global Skills Summit 2022 

Overview

Union Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated and addressed the 13th FICCI Global Skills Summit 2022 on the theme of “Education to Employability – Making It Happen.” in New Delhi. The Summit would look through the NEP lens and focus on how India can become the “Skill Capital of the World,” using the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) as an underlying theme.

Highlights:

• Shri Dharmendra Pradhan shared his thoughts on leveraging skills to reap the demographic dividend and making India’s skills ecosystem more vibrant.
• He said that our country is blessed with a demographic dividend. Education and skills have to play an important role in converting our demographic dividend into a transformative powerhouse.
• Shri Dharmendra Pradhan also added that for our economy to be more productive and robust, we must make our workforce more productive. Simplification of labour laws and initiatives like apprenticeships will go a long way in making our workforce more vibrant.
• Further, he added that from the academic bank of credit to the upcoming digital university, we are taking a number of initiatives and undertaking policy reforms to make our education and skills ecosystem more vibrant.
• Shri Dharmendra Pradhan also called for building a stronger academia-industry-policymaker connection and working with a collective approach to drive further transformation in the education and skills sector.

Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been appointed as the prime minister by a royal decree.

Overview

Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been appointed as the prime minister by a royal decree. The crown prince, who is heir to the throne held by King Salman, already wields wide powers and is seen as the kingdom’s day-to-day leader. The royal decree appointing him as prime minister was carried by the Saudi Press Agency.

• The reshuffle kept another son, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, as energy minister, the king said in the royal decree. The crown prince, known as MbS, is promoted from defence minister and has been the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter and a major U.S. ally in the Middle East.

Highlights:

• The kingdom has increased its self-sufficiency in military industries to 15% from 2% and plans to reach 50% under the newly appointed defence minister, SPA reported.
• The 37-year-old crown prince, widely known by the acronym MBS, has taken the lead on Vision 2030, the kingdom’s wide-ranging plan to transform its economy and end its dependency on oil.
• Crown Prince Mohammed has changed Saudi Arabia radically since rising to power in 2017, leading efforts to diversify the economy from its dependence on oil.
• He is associated with the October 2018 killing of Saudi journalist and critic Jamal Khashoggi, who disappeared after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. U.S. intelligence found that the crown prince likely approved the killing.

Senior advocate R Venkataramani has been appointed as the new Attorney General of India.

Overview

Senior advocate R Venkataramani has been appointed as the new Attorney General of India. The President has appointed Mr Venkataramani as the new Attorney General for a period of three years from the 1st of October. The notification regarding Mr Venkataramani’s appointment as the Attorney General was issued today by the Department of Legal Affairs, Union Ministry of Law and Justice. Mr Venkataramani will replace current Attorney General KK Venugopal whose term ends on September 30, 2022. Mr Venugopal is currently on his third extension.

The career of R Venkataramani:

• Born in Pondicherry on April 13, 1950, Mr Venkataramani was registered as a lawyer with the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu in 1977. In 1979, he moved to the Supreme Court. In 1997, the Supreme Court designated him as Senior Advocate. He had represented the Central government, several state governments, universities and public sector entities before his Supreme Court and High Court stints. Mr Venkataramani had also served as a member of the Law Commission of India in 2010 and 2013.

What is the role of the Attorney General in India?

• The Attorney General for India is the Indian government’s chief legal advisor and is its chief advocate in the courts. They are appointed by the President of India at the instance of the Union Cabinet under Article 76 of the Constitution and hold office during the pleasure of the President.

What is Article 76?

• Article 76 of the constitution mentions that he/she is the highest law officer in India. As a chief legal advisor to the government of India, he advises the union government on all legal matters. He also is the primary lawyer representing the Union Government in the Supreme Court of India.