24th September Current Affairs

• ISRO’s launch pad for Gaganyaan mission
  • ISRO is setting up a third launch pad at Sriharikota to undertake the Gaganyaan manned space flight programme.

  

  
  

  • In addition, ISRO is scouting for a location on the western sea coast near Gujarat to set up another launch pad for Small Satellite Launch Vehicles (SSLV).
  • ISRO will use its GSLV Mk-III launch vehicle, which can carry the heavier payload of the Gaganyaan.
• Hong Kong opens high-speed rail link
  • Hong Kong opened a new high-speed rail link to inland China that will vastly decrease travel times.

  

  • The system aims to transport more than 80,000 passengers daily between the Asian financial center of 7 mn people and the neighbouring manufacturing hub of Guangdong province.
  • The train travels the 26 km through Hong Kong to Shenzhen across the border in China in just 14 minutes.
• Live-in partners can adopt now
  • Individuals in a live-in relationship will once again be able to adopt children from and within India.

  

  • India’s nodal adoption agency decided to withdraw a circular issued earlier this year disallowing them from doing so.
  • The Child Adoption Regulatory Authority (CARA), in a circular issued on May 31, barred applicants in a live-in relationship from adopting a child.
• 271 mn Indians moved out of poverty: UN
  • Over 270 million people in India moved out of poverty in the decade since 2005-06.
  • It is according to the 2018 global Multidimensional Poverty Index released by United Nations.

  

  • The Report stated that India’s poverty rate came down to 27.5% from 54.7% during the period.
  • In South Asia 546 million people (31% of the population) are multidimensionally poor, the report claimed.
• Yes Bank pays ₹38 crore in GST fines
  • Private sector lender Yes Bank has paid ₹38 crore in fines to the GST department for alleged violations in domestic remittances.
  • A bank official said the money has been paid “in protest” and the lender believes that it has not violated any norms.
  • However, the tax department is of the view that the bank underpaid GST.
• Safety audit of airlines, airports
  • Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu directed Directorate General of Civil Aviation to conduct safety audit of scheduled airlines, aerodromes and flying training schools.
  • The report has to be submitted within 30 days. 

  

  • This comes after around 30 passengers on a Jet Airways flight suffered nose, ear bleeds as the crew failed to turn on a switch that maintains cabin pressure.
• Anushka Sharma Receives Smita Patil Award
  • Union Transport Minister felicitated Anushka Sharma during the 34th anniversary of Priyadarshni Academy Global Award, in Mumbai.
  • She received the Smita Patil award for best actor.
  • Global Awards honours the eminent personalities in social, cultural and educational fields that have made significant contribution in their respective fields.
  • Awards were started in the year 1987.
• India to host the Women’s Boxing World C’ship
  • India will host the Women’s Boxing World Championships after more than a decade from November 15-24, 2018, in New Delhi.
  • The marquee tournament was last held in India in 2006 and remains the best for the country in terms of performance.

  

  • The first edition of the women’s world championship was held in the Unites States in Scranton in 2001.
• IRDAI raised Minimum Driver Insurance Cover
  • Insurance regulator IRDAI has raised the minimum insurance cover for owner-driver to Rs. 15 lakh for a premium of Rs. 750 per annum.
  • It is a move to provide some succour to road accident victims.
  • Currently, the Capital Sum Insured (CSI) under this section for motorised two-wheelers and private cars/commercial vehicles is Rs. 1 lakh and Rs. 2 lakh, respectively.
• Eliud Kipchoge sets new marathon world record
  • Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge has set a new world record, winning the Berlin marathon in 2 hours, 1 minute and 39 seconds.
  • The Olympic champion broke the record set by fellow Kenyan Dennis Kimetto in 2014 by 1 minute and 18 seconds.

  

  • Acclaimed as the greatest marathon runner of the modern era, Kipchoge has dominated marathon racing since making his debut in Hamburg in 2013.