DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS 16-09-2021

NATIONAL

Big Relief For Telecom Sector

• The Union Cabinet approved reform proposal for the telecom sector,involving nine structural and procedural measures.
• It also approved production linked incentive(PLI) for automobile, auto component and drone manufacturers to boost production.
• Among the streps approved to telecom sector, is to provide immediate relief to debt laden companies to provide moratorium on payment of dues arising due to Adjusted Gross Revenue(AGR).

Various Relief for Telecom sector

1. Non telecom revenue out of definition of AGR
2. Four year break from paying statutory dues
3. 100% FDI through automatic route
4. Scrapping of spectrum usage charge for airways acquired in future auctions
5. Shifting between prepaid, postpaid to not require fresh KYC.

Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR): Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) is the usage and licensing fee that telecom operators are charged by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). It is divided into spectrum usage charges and licensing fees, pegged between 3-5 percent and 8 percent respectively.

Campaing ‘SHOONYA’ launched

• Think tank of India Niti Aayog in colloboration with Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) India, launched a campaign named ‘SHOONYA’ , to promote Zero pollution with consumers and industries.
• Main aim of the campaign is to promote usage of e-Vehicles in urban areas and create awarness about health, environment and economic benefits of e-Vehicles.
• An online tracking platform will share data such as vehicle kilometres electrified, carbon savings, criteria pollutant savings and other benefits from clean delivery vehicles.

‘iRaste’ launched

• Union Minister for Road Transport, Mr. Nitin Gadkari launched ‘iRASTE’, an Artificial Intelligence-powered project.
• The project is developed  by the Centre, Intel, INAI, IIIT-Hyderabad, CSIR-CRRI (Central Road Research Institute), Mahindra & Mahindra and Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC).
• iRASTE stands for Intelligent Solutions for Road Safety through Technology and Engineering.
• It helps reduce road accidents, understand the factors responsible for these events and come up with solutions to mitigate them.
• It has been launched as a pilot project in Nagpur, Maharashtra. Aimed to reduce road accidents by 50 per cent.

India’s economy to hit a four year high

• The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has assumed that India’s economic growth rate hit a four year High of 7.2 per cent for 2021.
• Previous year growth of Indian economy was at contraction of 7 per cent, hit because of the pandemic.
• At this rate, India would be fastest growing economy after China.

Indian army participates in exercise”Peacefull Mission-2021”

• The Indian military contingent comprising of an all arms combined force of 200 personnel is participating in the Exercise PEACEFUL MISSION -2021, a Joint Counter Terrorism Exercise between Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states.
• This mission is hosted by Russia in the Orenburg Region of South-West Russia from September 13 to 25, 2021.
• The aim of the exercise is to Foster close relations between SCO member states and to enhance the abilities of the military leaders to command multi-national military contingents.
• The exercise will enable sharing of best practices between the Armed Forces of SCO nations. The exercise will also provide an opportunity to the Armed Forces of SCO Nations to train in Counter-Terrorism Operations.