Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 29th September 2022

Dadasaheb Phalke Award:

Legendary actress Asha Parekh will be honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2020.

• Asha Parekh is a renowned film actress, director and producer and an accomplished Indian classical dancer.
• She is also a winner of Padma Shri, which was awarded to her in 1992.
• She has also served as the head of Central Board for Film Certification from 1998-2001.
• The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India’s highest award in the field of cinema.
• It is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
• The recipient is honoured for their “outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema”.
• The award comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, a shawl, and a cash prize of ₹1,000,000.
• The award was introduced by the Government of India to commemorate Dadasaheb Phalke’s contribution to Indian cinema, who is popularly known as and often regarded as “the father of Indian cinema”.

Clean India 2.0:

The Department of Youth Affairs of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (Government of India) will launch a month-long nationwide Clean India 2.0 from 1st -31st October, 2022 after the successful campaign of last year.

• The programme is being organised in all the villages across the country through the network of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), affiliated Youth Clubs & National Service Scheme Affiliated Institutions.
• This month-long nationwide programme will be launched to collect waste material mainly single-use plastic and create awareness among people.
• One crore kilogram of waste material including plastic and e-waste will be collected and disposed off with the support and voluntary participation of citizens.
• Hotspots for waste collection will be Tourist Places, Educational Institutes, Bus Stand/Railway Stations and the vicinity, National Highways, Historical and heritage buildings, religious places & surroundings, Hospitals and Water Resource etc.

India Cooling Action Plan:

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has said that India is the first country with a cooling action plan based on energy efficiency and thermal comfort.

• He stated this while addressing the Ministerial Roundtable for Green Economy at the World Green Economy Summit at the World Trade Center in Dubai.
• The India Cooling Action seeks to:
• reduce cooling demand across sectors by 20% to 25% by 2037-38,
• reduce refrigerant demand by 25% to 30% by 2037-38,
• Reduce cooling energy requirements by 25% to 40% by 2037-38,
• recognize “cooling and related areas” as a thrust area of research under national S&T Programme,
• training and certification of 100,000 servicing sector technicians by 2022-23, synergizing with Skill India Mission.
• Benefits would accrue to the society:
  • Thermal comfort for all – provision for cooling for EWS and LIG housing,
  • Sustainable cooling – low GHG emissions related to cooling,
  • Doubling Farmers Income – better cold chain infrastructure – better value of produce to farmers, less wastage of produce,
  • Robust R&D on alternative cooling technologies – to provide push to innovation in cooling sector.

R Venkataramani : New Attorney General Of India

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

• The Ministry of Law and Justice in a notification said, the President has appointed Mr Venkataramani as the new Attorney General for a period of three years.
• His appointment comes just days after senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi declined the government’s offer to become the next AG.
• Mr Rohtagi had earlier served the post for three years and stepped down in June 2017.
• Mr Venugopal succeeded him and was appointed for a three-year term.
• Since 2020, Mr. Venugopal had been given two one-year extensions at his requests.
• However, in June, Mr. Venugopal requested the Law Ministry not to extend his tenure beyond three months because of his advanced age.

Popular Front Of India (PFI):

The Central Government has declared Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates and affiliates as an unlawful association with immediate effect for a period of five years.

• Union Home Ministry said the PFI and its associates and affiliates including Rehab India Foundation, Campus Front of India, All India Imams Council, National Confederation of Human Rights Organization, National Women’s Front, and Rehab Foundation, Kerala have been involved in the violent terrorist activities with an intent to create a reign of terror in the country.
• If there is no immediate curb of unlawful activities of the PFI and related fronts, they will use this opportunity to continue its subversive activities thereby disturbing public order and undermining the constitutional setup of the country.
• Recently, the National Investigation Agency, Enforcement Directorate, and State Police carried out a joint operation at premises linked to PFI in several states. Several PFI leaders and functionaries were arrested in the raids.

Very Short Range Air Defence System Missiles:

Defence Research and Development Organization has conducted two successful test flights of Very Short Range Air Defence System missiles.

• The test flight was conducted at the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha.
• The Very Short Range Air Defence System is a Man Portable Air Defence System, designed and developed by DRDO in collaboration with Indian industry partners.
• The missile is designed to neutralize low-altitude aerial threats at short ranges.
• The design of the missile including the launcher has been highly optimized to ensure easy portability.

Quarterly Employment Survey (QES):

The Fourth Round (January-March, 2022) of Quarterly Employment Survey (QES), part of All India Quarterly Establishment based Employment Survey (AQEES), was released by the Labour Bureau, Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Key Findings of QES 2022:

• An estimated total of 3.18 crore workers were engaged in 5.31 lakh establishments during the 4th round, compared to a total of 3.14 crores in the 3rd quarter
• Manufacturing sector: 38.5%
• Education: 21.7%
• Information Technology /Business Process Outsourcing (BPO): 12%
• Health sector: 10.6%
• In terms of number of workers, an estimated 80% of the establishments engaged 10 to 99 workers.
• About 12% of the establishments reported less than 10 workers.
• Only 1.4% of the establishments reported at least 500 workers.
• Female workers participation reported a marginal increase from 31.6% in the 3rd quarter to 31.8% in the 4th quarter report

The AQEES has been taken up by the Labour Bureau to provide frequent (quarterly) updates about the employment and related variables of establishments, in both organised and unorganised segments of nine selected sectors.

World Rabies Day:

World Rabies Day is observed every year on 28th September to raise awareness about the world’s deadliest infectious disease and bring together partners to enhance prevention and control efforts worldwide.

• 2022 marks the 16th World Rabies Day.
• 28th September marks the anniversary of Louis Pasteur’s death, the French chemist and microbiologist, who developed the first rabies vaccine.

Theme 2022:

• The theme of World Rabies Day 2022 is: “One Health, Zero Death”.
• The theme will highlight the connection of the environment with both people and animals.

World Tourism Day:

World Tourism Day is celebrated yearly on 27th September around the world, and this year it will be held in Bali, Indonesia.

• Theme 2022: Rethinking Tourism.
• 27th September has been celebrated as World Tourism Day since 1980. This date was chosen to coincide with an important milestone in world tourism: the anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Statutes in 1970.
• The UNWTO is the United Nations specialised agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.
• The purpose of this day is to increase awareness and motivate people to travel.
• Since it believes that tourism helps people all across the world become even more unified and connected
• The World Tourism Day highlights the unique role of the tourism sector in preserving cultural and natural heritage all around the world.
• It acts as an auxiliary in safeguarding habitat and endangered species.
• It addresses the importance of the tourism sector in providing jobs and opportunities, mostly for women and youth, in rural as well as big cities.

Combined Maritime Forces (CMF):

INS Sunayna arrived in Port Victoria, Seychelles to participate in the annual training exercise Operation Southern Readiness of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).

• This not only reinforces the Indian Navy’s commitment to maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region but also marks the maiden participation of an Indian Navy ship in the CMF exercise.

Combined Maritime Forces (CMF):

• It is a multinational maritime partnership, which exists to uphold the Rules-Based International Order (RBIO) by countering illicit non-state actors on the high seas and promoting security, stability, and prosperity across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters, which encompass some of the world’s most important shipping lanes.
• CMF is Commanded by a U.S. Navy Vice Admiral.
• CMF has 34 member nations: Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, the Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, United Kingdom, United States, and Yemen.
• India is not a member of CMF. At the India-US 2+2 dialogue held in April (2022), India had announced that it would join the CMF as an Associate Partner.
• CMF’s main focus areas are counter-narcotics, counter-smuggling, suppressing piracy, encouraging regional cooperation, engaging with regional and other partners to strengthen relevant capabilities in order to improve overall security and stability.
• When requested, CMF assets at sea will also respond to environmental and humanitarian incidents.