September 18th -19th, 2024 Daily Current Affairs

International 

Pager explosions
A series of powerful pager explosions across Lebanon claimed the lives of at least nine people and left around 2,800 others injured, including Hezbollah fighters, medics, and Iran's envoy to Beirut.

Bilateral

Energy transition
India and the US have pledged to strengthen bilateral cooperation on energy transition following a meeting between Indian Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and US Energy Resources official Geoffrey Pyatt at GasTech 2024 in Houston.

EU-India Water Forum
India and the European Union (EU) agreed to strengthen cooperation in sustainable water management during the 6th EU-India Water Forum, held alongside the 8th India Water Week in New Delhi.

Science & Technology

Chandrayaan-4 mission
The Union Cabinet has approved the Chandrayaan-4 mission, which focuses on developing technologies for returning to Earth after landing on the moon and collecting lunar samples for analysis. The mission, with a budget of ₹2,104.06 crore, includes spacecraft development, two LVM3 launches, deep space network support, and specialized validation tests. It is set to be completed within 36 months.

Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM)
The Cabinet has also approved the Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM) with a budget of ₹1,236 crore, of which ₹824 crore will be allocated for the spacecraft. Scheduled for launch in March 2028, the mission aims to explore Venus' surface, subsurface, and atmosphere to better understand the planet's evolution. Developed and launched by ISRO, VOM will offer valuable insights into the evolution of both Venus and Earth.

Bio-RIDE scheme
The Union Cabinet has approved the Biotechnology Research Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development (Bio-RIDE) scheme, aimed at boosting biotechnology research, innovation, and entrepreneurship, with an outlay of ₹9,197 crore for the 15th Finance Commission period (2021-22 to 2025-26). The scheme merges two existing programs — Biotechnology Research and Development (R&D) and Industrial and Entrepreneurship Development (I&ED) — while introducing a new component, ‘Bio-manufacturing and Bio-foundry.’

Bharatiya Antariksh Station
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the development of the Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV). This marks a significant step toward the government's vision of establishing and operating the Bharatiya Antariksh Station and developing the capability for an Indian crewed lunar landing by 2040.

Economy

DIVE (Digital Innovation and Value Enhancement)
The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has chosen Infosys to develop its next-generation digital platform under its DIVE (Digital Innovation and Value Enhancement) program.

NPS Vatsalya Scheme
The NPS Vatsalya Scheme, announced in the Union Budget 2024-25, will be launched by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on September 18, 2024, in New Delhi. This initiative enables parents to invest in pension accounts for their children with flexible contributions starting from ₹1,000 annually, promoting long-term wealth building through compounding.

Persons

Atishi Marlena
Atishi Marlena from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will be the new Chief Minister of Delhi. She has previously served as the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee and has been involved in several committees focused on Women and Child Welfare, Minority Welfare, and Education. As the MLA from Kalkaji, she also holds key portfolios like finance, water, and education, underscoring her pivotal role in the Delhi Cabinet.

Sports

International Convention against Doping in Sport
India will host the 2nd Formal Meeting of the COP9 Bureau and the 3rd Formal Meeting of the Fund Approval Committee under UNESCO's International Convention against Doping in Sport on September 17-18, 2024, in New Delhi.

Asian Champions Trophy
India’s Men’s Hockey Team secured their 5th Asian Champions Trophy title in 2024, defeating China 1-0 in the final with a decisive goal from Jugraj Singh