21 September 2015 Current Affair Updates | Daily GK Download

1. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which issues Aadhaar cards to Indian citizens, has been shifted to the administrative control of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology from Niti Aayog, keeping in mind the government's ambitious 'Digital India' programme as the Aadhaar numbers are being linked with several services. The Cabinet Secretariat has amended Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961 and put it under Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeITy), Ministry of Communication and Information Technology.

2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ambitious Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) on the occasion of his visit to Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency. Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) is one of the flagship schemes of the Ministry of Power and will be at the core attempt to ensure 24×7 power for all by 2022. Rs. 45,000 crore will be spend on the scheme .

3. P.V. Chandran was elected President of the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) for 2015-16. The annual general meeting of the INS chose him to succeed Kiran B. Vadodaria. Chandran is the Managing Director and a whole-time director of the Mathrubhumi group of publications.

4. Hamid Ansari, who arrived in Laos for a two-day visit, the first by an Indian Vice President to this country, held talks with his counterpart Bounnhang Vorachith. Two MoUs, including one on "quick impact projects" and another on air services agreement, were signed between the two sides after the talks.

5. Chinese and Malaysian armed forces launched their first joint military exercise, aiming to deepen all-round strategic partnership between the two countries. The drill is coded "Peace and Friendship 2015" and it is being conducted in the Malacca Strait and surrounding waters.

6. New Delhi and Mumbai are among the cheapest places in the world to live, according to a report by Swiss Bank UBS. However, Mumbai is a little expensive in comparison to Delhi. In the report 71 locations were compared around the world. According to the report Zurich is the most expensive city in the world, which is followed by Geneva, New York, Oslo and London.

7. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi launched a significant financial inclusion initiative in Varanasi. A total of 101 e-rickshaws, 501 pedal rickshaws, and push-carts are being given as part of this initiative. The beneficiaries will also get bank accounts and RuPay cards under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana. The initiative has been synergized through various financial institutions including SIDBI, IDBI Bank, UCO Bank and the American India Foundation.

8. PTC India Financial Services Ltd (PFS), a leading infrastructure finance company promoted by PTC India Ltd., has sanctioned loans aggregating to about Rs. 10 billion for providing financial assistance to renewable energy projects and energy efficiency projects in India. This loan amount is for to 9 projects.

9. The pioneer of cricket commentary in Marathi who made the game more popular in Maharashtrian households, Bal Pandit passed away. He was 86. Maharashtra government bestowed him with the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Award in 1978.

10. Metro Man E. Sreedharan has been invited to the United Nations' High Level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport (HLAG-ST). Sreedharan, the Principal Advisor to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, has been invited by the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to serve on his HLAG-ST. The service is for a period of three years and Sreedharan has accepted the offer.