These current affairs are written in a easy to remember format and are useful for competitive exams like - UPSC Civil Services, UPPSC, BPSC, MPPPSC, State PSCs and other competitive examinations.
WHO warns of new Mu variant of COVID-19
WHO has said that it is closely monitoring a new coronavirus "variant of interest" named Mu, warning that the new variant shows signs of possible resistance to vaccines.
Mu - also known by its scientific name as B.1.621 - was first identified in Colombia in January 2021, and since then, there have been "sporadic reports" of cases.
The cases of the Mu variant have also been reported in the U.K., Europe, the U.S. and Hong Kong.
Read More: Virus Variants, Mutation & Genomic Sequencing
Environment
"Extended Troika" meeting in Kabul
Russia plan to convene a new meeting of the Extended Troika, which includes Russia, the United States, China and Pakistan, in Kabul.
The "extended Troika" meeting was earlier held in Qatar on August 11, 2021.
Talks under the format had earlier taken place on March 18 and April 30, 2021.
International Relations
World Coconut Day: September 2
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare celebrated World Coconut Day to commemorate the foundation day of the International Coconut Community (ICC).
International Coconut Community (ICC) is an intergovernmental organization of coconut producing countries under the aegis of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP).
The theme for the 23rd World Coconut Day celebrations this year is Building a safe, inclusive resilient and sustainable coconut community amid Covid-19 pandemic and beyond.
Coconut Development Board celebrates Coconut Day every year to create increased awareness on the importance of coconut and focus national and international attention on coconut sector.
Economy
India Pavilion in Expo 2020 Dubai
The India Pavilion in the six-month Expo 2020 Dubai running from Oct, 2021 up to Mar, 2022 is set to showcase a resurgent India's march to becoming a USD 5 Trillion economy in the post-covid world.
The Pavilion represents the theme of India on the move and is a unique amalgam of the rich heritage and technological advances of the nation.
The Pavilion's entire four-storey structure is divided into two parts.
The zones are identified based on 11 primary themes - Climate and Biodiversity, Space, Urban and Rural Development, Tolerance and Inclusivity, Golden Jubilee, Knowledge and Learning, Travel and Connectivity, Global Goals, Health and Wellness, Food Agriculture and Livelihoods and Water.
The specially designed logo of India's participation has been created to give a new holistic global brand experience to India's participation at Expo 2020 Dubai.
The logo design showcases the chakra (wheel), which reflects strength, courage and progressive movement.
The colours have been taken from the Indian flag, where Saffron symbolises strength and courage; White indicates peace and truth; and Green represents fertility, growth, and auspiciousness.
International Relations
DefExpo-2022 (Gandhinagar)
The 12th edition of DefExpo, which is India's flagship event showcasing the land, naval, air as well as homeland security systems, will be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat between March 10-13, 2022.
Previous edition of DefExpo, which was held at Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow in February 2020, was a tremendous success due to the seamless jointmanship between Government of India and the State Government.
The DefExpo-2022 will be a hybrid business event, with the exhibition planned at the Helipad Exhibition Centre and seminars at Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Centre.
A live demonstration of weapons & defence platforms is also being planned at the Sabarmati River Front in Ahmedabad.
The aim of DefExpo-2022 is to build upon the vision to achieve "Aatmanirbharta" in defence and reach USD five billion defence exports target by 2024.
In February 2021, India was the first country to conduct a hybrid aerospace exhibition, Aero India-2021 at Bengaluru, in compliance with strict COVID-19 protocols.
The event, under the aegis of Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence, had witnessed tremendous global response.
Defence
5-Star "Eat Right Station" certification by FSSAI
Indian Railways' Chandigarh Railway Station has been awarded a 5-star 'Eat Right Station' certification for providing high-quality, nutritious food to passengers.
This certification is granted by FSSAI to railway stations adhering to standard food storage and hygiene practices.
Chandigarh Railway Station becomes the fifth station in India to get this recognition.
The other railway stations with this certification include Anand Vihar Terminal Railway Station; (Delhi), Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus; (Mumbai), Mumbai Central Railway Station; (Mumbai) and Vadodara Railway Station, Gujarat.
Shortly, Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation Ltd. (IRSDC) will be undertaking Facility Management of 90 more stations in a phased manner.
Social Issues
Deepor Beel Lake - Assam
Designated a Ramsar Site in 2002 and an Important Bird Area for sustaining a range of aquatic life forms besides 219 species of birds, the beel has shrunk 35% since the 1990s due to the expansion of the city.
Dipor Bil is located to the south-west of Guwahati city, in Kamrup Metropolitan district of Assam.
It is a permanent freshwater lake, in a former channel of the Brahmaputra River, to the south of the main river.
The site is an important destination for many migratory species of birds.
Environment
Endangered "Irrawaddy dolphin"
A six-foot-long Irrawaddy dolphin, an endangered species, was found dead in Odisha's Chilika Lake.
Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) are found in coastal areas in South and Southeast Asia, and in three rivers: the Irrawaddy (Myanmar), the Mahakam (Indonesian Borneo) and the Mekong (China).
They are "Endangered" as per the IUCN Red List and fall under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
The total population of these aquatic mammals in the world is estimated to be less than 7,500.
More than 6,000 Irrawaddy dolphins have been reported from Bangladesh.
Dolphin distribution in Chilika is considered to be the highest single lagoon population.
Environment
Ladakh State animal and bird
Ladakh adopted two endangered species, snow leopard and black-necked crane, as State animal and State bird, two years after it was carved out as a separate Union Territory (UT) from the erstwhile State of J&K.
Black-necked crane
Black-necked crane, only found in Ladakh region, was the State bird of J&K before August 5, 2019.IUCN: Near Threatened
Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972: Schedule I
CITES: Appendix I
Snow Leopard
Snow leopard, whose numbers are dwindling wordwide is in the list of 21 critically endangered species for the recovery programme of the Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change.IUCN: Vulnerable
Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972: Schedule I
CITES: Appendix I
Polity