Current Affairs for BANK, IBPS Exams - 17 September 2021

::National::

Cabinet approves Eklavya Model Residential School

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister ShriNarendraModi has given its in-principle approval for setting up of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) in every block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons.To begin with, the CCEA has approved a financial cost of Rs. 2242.03 crore during 2018-19 and 2019-20 for rolling out the revamped scheme.
The CCEA has further approved the following:
There will be an Autonomous Society under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs similar to NavodayaVidyalayaSamiti to run the EMRSs.
Upgradation of already sanctioned EMRSs on need basis with unit cost subject to a maximum of Rs. 5 crore per school.
Setting up sports facilities in 163 tribal dominated districts at a unit cost of Rs. 5 crore each to be constructed by the year 2022. Financial provisions for 15 sports facilities during 2018-19 and 2019-20 has been agreed to.
Enhancing the grants for maintenance which are admissible every five years from Rs 10 lakh to Rs.20 Lakh.
102 of such blocks are already having EMRSs. Thus, 462 new EMRSs will be established in these blocks across the country.
The new scheme envisages increase in construction cost of EMRS from current Rs.12 crore to Rs. 20 crore to improve the construction quality and ensure better facilities for the students.
Recurring cost to be enhanced to Rs. 1,09,000/- per student per year from the existing Rs. 61500/- per student per year from 2019-20 onwards.
Additional 20% would be provided towards construction cost in North East, hilly areas, difficult areas and areas affected by Left Wing Extremism.

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::International::

Australia to acquire nuclear powered submarines with the help of UK and US

President Joe Biden on unveiled a new effort to help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines, a major step toward countering China as he works to build international backing for his approach to Beijing.
The announcement came as part of a new trilateral partnership among the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom that the three countries' leaders jointly revealed Wednesday afternoon.
"The United States, Australia and the United Kingdom have long been faithful and capable partners and we're even closer today," the President said. " we're taking another historic step to deepen and formalize cooperation among all three of our nations, because we all recognize the imperative of ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific over the long term."
The partnership kicks off what is expected to be a flurry of diplomatic engagements for Biden this autumn, from next week's United Nations meetings to a White House summit of Asian leaders to October's Group of 20 talks in Italy.
Underpinning his efforts is a desire to rally the West and US partners in Asia in the battle between "autocracy versus democracy," one of the defining objectives of his presidency. Biden has made countering China a central aspect of his foreign policy as tensions grow over the South China Sea and Taiwan, and has said he wants American allies on board.

::Economy::

BRICS meeting on tax matters held

The Heads of Tax Authorities of the BRICS countries, namely the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Russian Federation, the Republic of India, the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa held a virtual meeting here today under the Chairship of India.ShriTarun Bajaj, Secretary, Revenue, Government of India, in his capacity as Head of Tax Authorities in India, presided over this meeting.
The BRICS Tax Authorities engaged in discussion on the challenges faced by BRICS tax administrations in the digital era, coupled with outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, sharing experience and devising strategies to overcome those challenges.
The broad theme of the meeting was redefining business processes of tax administration amidst challenges posed by COVID-19 and in the digital era. During the meetings, the tax authorities also exchanged opinions and views based on existing commitment to the principles of mutual respect, consolidation and continuity as stated in the XIII BRICS Summit, New Delhi Declaration issued on 9th September, 2021.
The meeting was preceded by meetings of the Tax Experts of BRICS countries on 13th & 14th September, 2021. In this meeting, the tax experts discussed potential areas of cooperation, exchanged views and the experiences.
The discussion took place around relevant topics which include digitisation of tax administration, leveraging technology for tackling tax evasion, changing role of tax administration from enforcement to service, preparedness and strategies to deal with challenges of COVID-19 and evolution of tax administration to enhance voluntary compliance by taxpayers.

RMI India launches 'Shoonya' campaign

NITI Aayog, with RMI and RMI India’s support, today launched Shoonya—an initiative to promote zero-pollution delivery vehicles by working with consumers and industry. The campaign aims to accelerate adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in the urban deliveries segment and create consumer awareness about the benefits of zero-pollution delivery.
Industry stakeholders such as e-commerce companies, fleet aggregators, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and logistics companies have been scaling up their efforts towards final-mile delivery electrification. Initially, close to 30 companies including Mahindra Electric, Tata Motors, Zomato, Sun Mobility, Lightning Logistics, Big Basket, Bluedart, Hero Electric, and Swiggy among others attended the kick-off meeting chaired by Amitabh Kant, the CEO of NITI Aayog, to show their support for the campaign. Subsequently, additional industry players will be invited to join the initiative.
As part of the campaign, a corporate branding and certification programme is being launched to recognise and promote industry’s efforts towards transitioning to EVs for final-mile deliveries. An online tracking platform will share the campaign’s impact through data such as vehicle kilometers electrified, carbon savings, criteria pollutant savings and other benefits from clean delivery vehicles.
Highlighting the primary objective of the campaign, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said, “We will promote awareness about health, environmental and economic benefits of electric vehicles through the Shoonya campaign. I would urge e-commerce companies, auto manufacturers, and logistics fleet operators to acknowledge the opportunity to eliminate pollution from the urban freight sector. I am confident that our dynamic private sector will rise to the challenge of making Shoonya a great success.”
Commenting on the urgent need for adopting clean technologies, RMI Managing Director Clay Stranger said, “Transitioning to clean transportation is critical as India continues to move forward towards a sustainable and resilient future. Competitive economics and available technology support the full electrification of India’s urban deliver fleets on an accelerated timeline, which will create tailwinds for other market segments to follow.”

::Science and tech::

Future risk of ALS linked to blood lipoprotein levels

The findings of a large epidemiology study published recently suggests that some blood lipid biomarkers linked to cardiovascular disease risk are also associated with a lower risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
The study was published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
ALS is the commonest form of motor neuron disease - a progressive nervous system disease that destroys nerve cells responsible for voluntary movement such as walking and talking.
Single gene factors drive only a minority of cases of ALS, and in the remainder, the causes of the condition are not well understood. Lower weight, higher levels of strenuous physical activity levels, and relatively good cardiovascular health have been shown by some studies to be risk factors for ALS, but the relationships are complex and the evidence inconsistent.
Researchers are keen to identify biomarkers linked to ALS, which could ultimately lead to much earlier diagnosis, potentially before symptoms appear, and the hope of preventative treatments.

::Sports::

Paralympic silver medallist and IAS officer SuhasYathiraj says academic and sporting excellence achievable

SuhasYathiraj lives by the philosophy of 'sports help you conquer your own self'. And he lived by his own words by clinching a silver medal in Badminton at the Tokyo Paralympics. Significantly, his achievement also helped break a common stereotype in India that does not equate sporting excellence with academics.
Yathiraj is an officer in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), having achieved success in one of the toughest examinations in the country at the very first attempt. In fact, candidates often sacrifice years in pursuit of excellence in the Civil Service examinations and attempt it multiple times.
Yathiraj graduated in computer engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Surathkal, Karnataka in 2004. The bright Yathiraj went on to clear the Civil Services examination in 2006 and then began his career as an IAS officer in 2007.