18TH SEPTEMBER
Contents
21ST SCO SUMMIT IN TAJIKISTAN’S DUSHANBE
RAIL KAUSHAL VIKAS YOJANA LAUNCHED
INDIA-NEPAL JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE ‘SURYA KIRAN’
SHEFALI JUNEJA: 1ST WOMAN CHAIRPERSON OF ICAO
KUSHINAGAR AIRPORT AS CUSTOM NOTIFIED AIRPORT
INTERNATIONAL RED PANDA DAY: SEPTEMBER 18TH
WORLD BAMBOO DAY OBSERVED ON 18TH SEPTEMBER
21ST SCO SUMMIT IN TAJIKISTAN’S DUSHANBE
- Prime Minister Modi led the Indian delegation and virtually addressed the plenary session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe.
- This was the first SCO meet which took place in a hybrid format and the fourth summit in which India participated as a full-fledged member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
- The 21st SCO summit also assumed significance as the organization is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2021.
- As India will be represented by EAM S. Jaishankar, the world leaders at the meeting are expected to deliberate on the Afghan crisis, its internal-external implications, and the issues pertaining to regional security.
- The summit will be chaired by the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon. It will also see the leaders of the SCO member states, SCO Secretary-General, observer states, executive director of SCO regional anti-terrorist structure, President of Turkmenistan among others.
- During the meet, Jaishankar is also expected to attend a meeting on Afghanistan with the Head of the States of SCO and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation.
- Foreign Minister of Russia, Foreign Minister of Iran, Prime Minister, as well as Foreign Minister of Pakistan, are some of the leaders who will be attending the meeting.
(SOURCE: JAGRAN JOSH)
RAIL KAUSHAL VIKAS YOJANA LAUNCHED
- Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana, a programme under the aegis of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana.
- Under Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana, entry-level training will be provided to the youth in industry-relevant skills through Railway Training Institutes as part of 75 years of independence ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
- Under Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana, training will be provided to 50,000 candidates over a period of three years.
- The main aim of the Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana will be to impart training skills to the youth in various trades to bring qualitative improvement.
- This will provide a major boost to the Skill India Mission. It will not only improve the employability of the youth of the country but also upgrade the skills of those who are self-employed or are working with contractors.
(SOURCE: HINDUSTAN TIMES)
INDIA-NEPAL JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE ‘SURYA KIRAN’
- The 15th edition of India-Nepal Joint Military Training Exercise “Surya Kiran” will commence from September 20 at Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, the Army informed on Saturday.
- The exercise is aimed at sharing experiences gained during the conduct of various counter-insurgency operations by both countries.
- As part of the exercise, both the Armies would familiarise themselves with each other’s weapons, equipment, tactics, techniques and procedures of operating in a counter-insurgency environment in mountainous terrain.
- Also, there would be a series of Expert Academic Discussions on various subjects such as Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, High Altitude Warfare, Jungle Warfare etc.
(SOURCE: ANI NEWS)
SHEFALI JUNEJA: 1ST WOMAN CHAIRPERSON OF ICAO
- India’s Shefali Juneja has been elected as the first woman Chairperson of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Aviation Security Committee.
- India has taken up the responsibility of the ICAO Aviation Security Committee after a gap of 12 years.
- Shefali Juneja was previously serving as the Joint Secretary in the Civil Aviation Ministry and used to deal with International Agreements between 2012 and 2019.
- She also served as the chief bilateral air services negotiator for India for six years. During her term, she helped transform bilateral air service negotiations by implementing Open Skies as per the National Civil Aviation Policy 2016.
- The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a specialized United Nations agency, which is funded by 193 countries to support their diplomacy and cooperation with regards to air transport. Its headquarters is located in Quebec, Canada.
(SOURCE: MONEY CONTROL)
KUSHINAGAR AIRPORT AS CUSTOM NOTIFIED AIRPORT
- The organization of CBIC (Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs) has declared Kushinagar Airport as a Customs notified airport.
- This would also facilitate global passenger actions which include that of Buddhist pilgrims.
- The Kushinagar airport is a global airport unfolding throughout a location of 600 acres. It was granted the licence to operate global flights by using DGCA remaining February.
- In the month of August, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) prolonged the validity of the airport’s licence to function worldwide flights till February 21, 2023.
(SOURCE: PIB)
INTERNATIONAL RED PANDA DAY: SEPTEMBER 18TH
- International Red Panda Day is observed on the third Saturday of September this year it falls on September 18 with the aim to raise public awareness and support for red panda conservation issues.
- International Red Panda Day is dedicated to the red pandas—a mammal species native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China.
- Red pandas are facing the threat of extinction due to poaching, habitat destruction, and fragmentation, and inbreeding depression.
- History: International Red Panda Day was launched by the Red Panda Network in 2010. The first International Red Panda day was celebrated on 18th September 2010.
- Discovered about 50 years before giant pandas, red pandas are the only species left in the Ailuridae family.
- Red pandas are not pandas: Despite having similar names, red pandas and giant pandas are not closely related. Genetically, they are actually closely related to bears, raccoons, and skunks. They are also called the lesser panda, red cat-bear, and red bear-cat.
(SOURCE: INDIA TODAY)
WORLD BAMBOO DAY OBSERVED ON 18TH SEPTEMBER
- Every year on 18 September the World Bamboo Day is observed across the globe. The day is marked to raise awareness around the world for the conservation and promotion of the bamboo industry as well as of bamboo plantation.
- This special day is marked by the World Bamboo Organisation (WBO), which aims to protect natural resources and the environment at large.
- The organisation also intends to ensure sustainable utilisation of bamboo, as well as promote traditional uses for economic development of local communities.
- The theme for the 12th edition of WBD 2021 is ‘#PlantBamboo: It Is Time To Plant Bamboo’
- History of the day: WBD was officially declared by the World Bamboo Organization on September 18 at the 8th World Bamboo Congress held in Bangkok in 2009.
- The aim of the WBO is to bring the potential of bamboo to more elevated exposure, to promote new cultivation of bamboo for new industries in regions across the world, and also to promote traditional uses locally for community economic development, etc.
(SOURCE: FIRSTPOST)