Daily Current Affairs 28 September 2023, Important News Headlines (Daily GK Update)

Read the most important current affairs of 28 September 2023. Today Current Affairs covers the headlines on 20th Anniversary Celebration Of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, AFSPA in Manipur, 2023 World Talent Ranking, Asian Games 2023, NASA’s Psyche mission,  World Heart Day 2023

Top 21 Current Affairs and News Headlines of 28 September 2023

National News

1.PM Attends 20th Anniversary Celebration Of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit Event

• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, graced the occasion commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit. This prestigious event took place at Science City in Ahmedabad, a city that has witnessed the remarkable transformation of Vibrant Gujarat over the past two decades.
• The inception of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit occurred two decades ago, precisely on September 28, 2003, under the forward-thinking guidance of the former Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Narendra Modi. As years passed, it evolved into an internationally recognized event, establishing itself as one of India’s foremost business summits.
• Vibrant Gujarat emerged as a means to uplift the state’s spirits and engage with the world. It showcased Gujarat’s decision-making prowess and the nation’s potential in various sectors. The summit also presented opportunities, talent, and India’s cultural richness on a global stage.  The summit grew from a few hundred participants in 2003 to over 40,000 participants from 135 countries in recent editions.

International News

2.Sri Lanka’s IMF Bailout Faces Delay Amidst Ongoing Debt Restructuring

• Sri Lanka is facing delays in receiving the second tranche of its $2.9 billion IMF bailout package due to unresolved issues with its external debt restructuring. This crisis comes as the nation grapples with its worst economic downturn in history, characterized by dwindling foreign exchange reserves and public protests over shortages of vital commodities.
• In March of this year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) granted Sri Lanka a 48-month extended arrangement worth $2.9 billion under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). The aim was to bolster Sri Lanka’s economic policies and promote essential reforms.
• The IMF Executive Board demands that financing assurances reviews be completed to ensure that adequate progress is being made in debt restructuring. This is crucial for gaining confidence that debt targets will be met in a timely manner as part of the program.

3.India and UN Launch Global Capacity Building Initiative

• India and the United Nations have jointly introduced a significant capacity-building initiative known as the “India-UN Capacity Building Initiative.” This initiative is designed to facilitate the sharing of India’s development experiences, best practices, and expertise with partner countries in the Global South.
• Under this initiative, a strategic partnership has been forged between the UN India team and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The partnership aims to leverage India’s Technical and Economic Cooperation platform to disseminate India’s development experiences and best practices to a global audience.
• The “India-UN Capacity Building Initiative” builds upon the extensive cooperation in development and capacity building that India has already established bilaterally with partner countries. Notably, India’s UN Development Partnership Fund has initiated 75 development projects in 61 countries over the past six years, demonstrating its commitment to international development.

State News

4.Manipur Government Extends AFSPA in Hill Districts for 6 Months

• The Manipur government has decided to extend the imposition of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) for an additional six months in the entire state, except for specific areas within the Imphal Valley.
• The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) is a controversial law that grants extensive powers to the armed forces and Central security forces in “disturbed areas.” These powers include the authority to use force, arrest without a warrant, and legal immunity from prosecution without the Union government’s approval.
• The “disturbed area” status under AFSPA will continue to apply in all hill districts of Manipur but has been gradually lifted from the valley districts, mainly inhabited by the Meitei community, due to improvements in the security situation.

5.Uttarakhand Govt Signs MoU With Ropeway Construction Firm Poma Group In London

• In London, The Uttarakhand government made a significant stride in boosting its tourism and infrastructure sector by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Poma Group, a renowned French ropeway construction company. The MoU, valued at a substantial Rs 2,000 crore, was officially inked by Vinay Shankar Pandey, the Secretary of Industries on behalf of the Uttarakhand government.
• Poma Group, a global leader in ropeway construction, has made significant contributions to the development of Uttarakhand’s transportation infrastructure. Notably, the group has previously worked on the Auli ropeway project in Chamoli district, enhancing connectivity and accessibility to one of Uttarakhand’s premier tourist destinations. Currently, Poma Group is providing crucial technical support for ongoing ropeway projects in Dehradun-Mussoorie and Yamunotri.

Defence News

6.IAF Receives First Dornier Do-228 Aircraft From HAL

• The Indian Air Force (IAF) has recently celebrated the arrival of the first of six state-of-the-art Dornier Do-228 aircraft, exclusively manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). This upgraded version of the aircraft is set to bolster the IAF’s operational capabilities with its advanced features, marking a significant milestone in the modernization efforts of the Indian defense forces.
• The foundation for this crucial development was laid in March when the Ministry of Defence inked a deal with HAL for the procurement of six Dornier-228 aircraft, allocating a budget of Rs 667 crore. This deal represents a significant step forward in the ongoing efforts to modernize and upgrade the Indian Air Force’s fleet.
• These upgraded Dornier-228 aircraft come equipped with a range of advanced features that set them apart. The inclusion of new engines, composite propellers, advanced avionics, and a modern glass cockpit significantly enhances their performance and usability.

Important Days News

7.World Heart Day 2023

• Every year on September 29th, people around the world come together to observe World Heart Day. This global initiative aims to raise awareness about heart disease and promote preventive measures to combat cardiovascular diseases.
• Heart disease is the leading cause of mortality worldwide, and this day serves as a crucial reminder of the importance of heart health. In 2023, the theme “Use Heart, Know Heart” emphasizes the use of emojis to convey the significance of the day and the importance of heart knowledge.
• The concept of a global World Heart Day was introduced by Antoni Baie de Luna, former President of the World Heart Federation. With collaboration from the World Health Organization, World Heart Day was officially established in 1999. The first official celebration took place on September 24, 2000. For over a decade, World Heart Day was observed on the last Sunday of September.

8.Ganesha Visarjan 2023

• Ganesh Chaturthi, a ten-day festival celebrated with immense devotion and fervor, culminates in the grant event of Ganesh Visarjan. This year, Ganesh Visarjan falls on Anant Chaturdashi, 28^th September 2023. Devotees bid farewell to Lord Ganesha, hoping for his swift return in the following year.
• Ganesh Visarjan, also known as Vinayaka Nimajjanam in Telugu-speaking regions, holds immense spiritual significance. It is believed that on this day, Lord Ganesha returns to his heavenly abode after ten days of festivities and worship. Thousands of Ganesha idols are immersed in rivers, lakes, seas and even home tubs or buckets to mark the occasion.

9.International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste 2023

• On September 29th, the world comes together to observe the International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste Reduction. It is an opportunity to raise awareness of the issue of food loss and waste, and to promote actions to reduce it.
• Food loss and waste is a major global problem. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), about one-third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted each year. This amounts to about 1.3 billion tonnes of food, worth approximately US$1 trillion.
• The theme for the International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste in 2023 is “Reducing food loss and waste: Taking Action to Transform Food Systems.” This theme highlights the shared responsibility of governments, businesses, and individuals in addressing food loss and waste.

Ranks and Reports News

10.India Slips Four Spots To 56th Position In 2023 World Talent Ranking

• The 2023 World Talent Ranking, released by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) on September 27th, has brought both good news and areas of concern for India. While the nation has shown improvements in infrastructure, it has slipped four spots to the 56th position (Out of 64 economies) compared to its 52nd position in the 2022 ranking.
• The IMD World Talent Ranking considers various factors, including the quality of life, statutory minimum wage, and primary and secondary education. India performs reasonably well in terms of future readiness, ranking 29th globally. However, the report points out a critical issue: India’s educational system ranks second to last (63rd) in quality.
• In the IMD World Talent Ranking for 2023, Switzerland secured the top position, followed by Luxembourg in second place, and Iceland, Belgium, and the Netherlands rounding out the top five.

11.India Ageing Report 2023

• India is set to experience a rapid aging of its population in the coming decades, with the elderly projected to comprise over 20% of the total population by the year 2050.
• This significant demographic shift is highlighted in the India Ageing Report 2023, jointly released by the International Institute for Population Sciences and the United Nations Population Fund.
• This report sheds light on various aspects of this aging trend, including the changing ratio of elderly to working-age individuals, gender disparities in life expectancy, and its implications for social and economic policies.
• The report reveals that India’s elderly population has been steadily increasing over the years, with a medium-to-high rate of growth since 1961. While the pace of this increase was relatively slow until 2001, it is expected to accelerate significantly in the coming decades.

12.Times Higher Education (THE) Releases World University Rankings 2024

• The 20th edition of the World’s Best Universities by the Times Higher Education (THE) rankings has been unveiled, showcasing the top higher education institutions globally.
• The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore has made history by securing the top position among Indian universities. This achievement marks the first time since 2017 that IISc has claimed the top spot, underscoring its dedication to research and academic prowess.
• Oxford University in the United Kingdom has clinched the coveted first place for an unprecedented eighth consecutive year, with Stanford University in the United States securing second place.
• The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is third in the rankings. The 2024 edition is the largest to date, featuring 1,904 universities from 108 countries and regions, evaluated across 18 performance indicators reflecting their core missions.

13.India Ranks 40th in Global Innovation Index 2023

• India retains 40th rank out of 132 economies in the Global Innovation Index 2023 rankings published by the World Intellectual Property Organization. India has been on a rising trajectory, over the past several years in the Global Innovation Index (GII), from a rank of 81 in 2015 to 40 in 2023.
• This year, the NITI Aayog, in partnership with the CII and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), is hosting, virtually, the India Launch of the (Global Innovation Index) GII 2023 on 29th September 2023.
• For the 13th year in a row, Switzerland is the most innovative economy in 2023 followed by Sweden, the United States, the United Kingdom and Singapore. Discover how other economies are performing in the Global Innovation Index 2023 rankings.

14.Bengaluru Leads in Green Office Space as India Witnesses a 36% Increase Since 2019

• Bengaluru has emerged as the city with the highest green-certified office space. This achievement is part of a broader trend showcased in the ‘Indian Real Estate: Taking Giant Strides – 2023 Mid-Year Outlook’ report jointly released by real estate consultant CBRE and industry body CII during the CII Realty conference.
• The report highlights a remarkable 36% growth in green-certified office space across six major Indian cities over the past three and a half years. In 2019, the total green-certified office stock stood at 251 million square feet, but it has now surged to an impressive 342 million square feet.
• The report emphasizes the substantial expansion of green-certified office space from 2019 to 2023, reflecting a strong industry response to environmental concerns and evolving global and domestic Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) regulations.

Sports News

15.Asian Games 2023, India Team take gold in 10m air Pistol men’s team event

• Indian shooters have continued to make their mark at the Asian Games, clinching their 6th gold medal in the Men’s 10m Air Pistol Team event.
• Sarabjot Singh, Shiva Narwal, and Arjun Singh Cheema displayed exceptional prowess, securing victory by a single point over the home Chinese team. This remarkable achievement not only added another gold to India’s tally but also secured individual final berths for Sarabjot and Arjun in the 10m Air Pistol category.
• The Indian trio of Sarabjot Singh, Shiva Narwal, and Arjun Singh Cheema showcased their shooting excellence by registering a combined score of 1734. Their remarkable performance allowed India to outclass the Chinese team and seize the gold medal. The narrow one-point victory demonstrated their precision and determination on the shooting range.

16.India’s World Cup squad Announced

• India has announced its 15-member squad for the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, which will be held in India from October 11 to November 12. The squad is a good mix of experience and youth, and it includes some of the best players in the world in all three departments.
• Rohit Sharma will lead the team, and he will be assisted by vice-captain Hardik Pandya. Other experienced players in the squad include Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Shami.
• The younger players in the squad include Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, and Suryakumar Yadav. These players have all been in good form in recent months, and they will be hoping to make a big impact at the World Cup.

Science and Technology News

17.Google Introduces Earthquake Alerts system for Android Users In India

• Search giant Google has unveiled its Earthquake Alerts System for Android smartphone users in India. Developed in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the National Seismology Center (NSC), this system offers early warnings of seismic activities and is available in multiple Indian languages.
• The Earthquake Alerts System harnesses the power of the tiny accelerometers present in Android smartphones. These accelerometers are typically used to detect the orientation and movement of the device, but Google has repurposed them to detect seismic activity.
• Google has announced that the Earthquake Alerts System will be fully operational in India within the next week. This means that Android users across the country will soon have access to this potentially life-saving technology.

18.NASA’s Psyche mission

• The Psyche mission represents an ambitious venture to explore a distinct metallic asteroid positioned in orbit between Mars and Jupiter. The exceptional feature of this asteroid, named Psyche, is its composition, believed to be the exposed nickel-iron core of an ancient planet – a fundamental building block of our solar system.
• While the metallic cores of rocky planets like Earth are concealed deep beneath layers of rock and crust, Psyche offers a rare opportunity to directly investigate one such core. By studying Psyche, scientists aim to gain insights into the tumultuous history of planetary formation through collisions and accretion.
• The mission is spearheaded by Arizona State University, with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory overseeing mission management, operations, and navigation. The spacecraft’s solar-electric propulsion system will be constructed by Maxar (formerly SSL), complemented by a suite of scientific instruments.

19.NASA’s Perseverance Rover Sets Speed Record On Autopilot

• NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has accomplished an impressive feat by traversing a massive boulder field at a record speed, taking only a third of the time it would have taken its predecessor, Curiosity.
• Perseverance’s ability to navigate through this challenging terrain is largely attributed to its advanced AutoNav system, which equips the rover with self-driving capabilities. Unlike its predecessors, which had more limited auto-navigation capabilities, Perseverance possesses a unique advantage.
• Thanks to AutoNav, it holds the single-day drive distance record of an astounding 1,140.7 feet (347.7 meters), which is slightly less than a quarter mile. Moreover, it claims the record for the longest Martian navigation without human assistance, covering 2,296.2 feet (699.9 meters).

Obituaries News

20.Father of India’s ‘Green Revolution,’ MS Swaminathan Passes Away At 98

• Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan, fondly known as M.S. Swaminathan, a legendary figure in the field of agriculture and a true humanitarian, passed away at the age of 98. Born on August 7, 1925, in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur district, he dedicated his life to improving the lives of India’s low-income farmers and revolutionizing the nation’s agricultural landscape.
• During a critical juncture in India’s history, when the country was on the brink of a mass famine and faced severe food shortages, Swaminathan collaborated with fellow scientist Norman Borlaug and others to develop high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice. This marked the inception of the ‘Green Revolution,’
• In 1987, he was honored with the first-ever World Food Prize for his role in introducing high-yielding wheat and rice varieties to India. His dedication also led him to establish the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation in Chennai. Additionally, he was the recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1971 and the Albert Einstein World Science Award in 1986.

Miscellaneous News

21.‘Jhaadu Daan’ Initiative Earns Place In India Book Of Records

• SP Singh, the principal of the UPSRTC Model Driving Training and Research Institute, has earned a remarkable distinction by securing a place in the prestigious India Book of Records.
• This recognition is a testament to his exceptional contributions, particularly through his innovative ‘Jhaadu Daan’ (broom donation) initiative, which aligns with the nationwide Swachh Bharat Campaign. To date, over 1 lakh brooms have been distributed across 80 different locations.
• SP Singh initiated the ‘Jhaadu Daan’ initiative in 2014, coinciding with the launch of the Swachh Bharat campaign by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The primary objective of this initiative is to provide essential tools for maintaining cleanliness in various surroundings. Singh recognized that access to basic cleaning tools, such as brooms, is crucial for individuals, particularly those in underprivileged communities.

Important Current Affairs of 28 September 2023

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