11th September, 2021 Current Affairs

Sakshi Education

NATIONAL

MoS for Health & Family Welfare inaugurated Digital Population Clock
Union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Bharati Pravin Pawar, inaugurated “Digital Population Clock” on September 10, 2021.

Minister also presided over the Seminar on Population, Human Capital and Sustainable Development.
Digital Population Clock was inaugurated at the Institute for Economic Growth inside the University of Delhi.
She also launched a book titled “Infant and Child Mortality in Assam – Demographic and Socio-Economic Interrelations” on the occasion. The book was written by Dr. Dipanjali Haloi and Dr Suresh Sharma.
During the event, a HMIS Brochure or Ready Reckoner was also launched.

Government unveils 100-day plan for Civil Aviation Sector
Union minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia, announced a 100-day plan for India’s civil aviation sector on September 9, 2021.

Minister also unveiled policy measures and development of airports & heliports.
This plan would focus on 16 areas. Out of these, 8 is related to policy and 4 is related to reforms.
As per plan, six heliports will be developed in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand under the regional air connectivity scheme called UDAN.
Minister also announced a new policy for Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) activities.
Under the 100-day target, three main foundations are infrastructure, policy targets and reforms initiative.
Under it, four airports will be made operation or developed optimally.

Science & Technology

DRDO hands over MRSAM System to IAF
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has handed over the first deliverable Firing Unit (FU) of Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) System to Indian Air Force (IAF) on September 9, 2021.
MRSAM is an advanced network centric combat Air Defence System. It was jointly developed by DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in collaboration with Indian industry consisting of private and public sectors as well as MSMEs. It is a surface-to-air-missile, 4.5m in length. Contract for MRSAM programme was signed in February 2009. Under the contract, IAF was to buy 450 MRSAMs and 18 firing units at the value of $2bn.

Economy

Finance Ministry releases Revenue Deficit Grants to States
Finance Ministry released the sixth monthly instalment of revenue deficit grant of Rs 9871 crores to 17 states, on September 9, 2021.

Grants were released on the recommendations of 15th Finance Commission to 17 states for 2021-22.
Grants were released in accordance with the Article 275 of the Indian constitution. Under, article 275, post devolution revenue deficit grant is provided to the states.
Grants are released on the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission in monthly instalments in order to meet the gap in revenue accounts of the states post-devolution.
This sixth monthly instalment was released by the Department of Expenditure.
In the current fiscal year, a total amount of Rs 59,226 crores has been released for eligible states, as of now.

Bilateral

India-Denmark launch ‘Centre of Excellence on Offshore Wind’
Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy, R. K. Singh met Minister for Climate, Energy & Utilities of Denmark, Dan Jorgensen in New Delhi on September 9, 2021.

India and Denmark launched the Green Strategic Partnership in the year 2020 to deliver the sustainable solutions in India. For this, Ministry of Commerce & Industry signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Intellectual Property (IP) Cooperation with Denmark. Green Strategic Partnership focuses on expanding green growth, economic ties and cooperation on global challenges like climate change.

India-Japan Sixth Maritime Affairs Dialogue
India and Japan held their sixth Maritime Affairs Dialogue on September 10, 2021 in a virtual format.
The dialogue involved exchanges on developments in the areas of regional cooperation activities, maritime security environment as well as the opportunities for cooperation between both the countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
Background

First round of India-Japan Maritime dialogue was held in 2013 in New Delhi in 2013.
During first round of dialogue, both the countries signed Acquisition and Cross Serving Agreement. This agreement allows access to military bases of each other.
Through this agreement, India has access Japan base in Djibouti and Japanese Navy have access Indian Naval base in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Defence Minister held bilateral meeting with Australian counterpart in New Delhi
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart Peter Dutton in New Delhi on September 10, 2021.

Peter Dutton is on his first official visit to India along with a high-level delegation for a 2+2 ministerial dialogue.
Both the countries are keen to work jointly in order to realise the full potential of India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is based on the shared vision of a free, open, inclusive and rule-based Indo-Pacific region.
Australia and India have several stakes in peace, development, rules-based order, free flow of trade and economic growth in the region.

Discussion between both sides was focused on: