Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 27 August 2021

SSC CGL Current Affairs

Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 27 August 2021

::NATIONAL::

Civil Aviation Ministry notifies Liberalized Drone Rules 2021

Built on a premise of trust, self-certification and non-intrusive monitoring.
Designed to usher in an era of super-normal growth while balancing safety and security considerations.
Several approvals abolished: unique authorisation number, unique prototype identification number,certificate of manufacturing and airworthiness, certificate of conformance, certificate of maintenance, import clearance, acceptance of existing drones, operator permit, authorisation of R&D organisation, student remote pilot licence, remote pilot instructor authorisation, drone port authorisation etc.
Number of forms reduced from 25 to 5.
Types of fee reduced from 72 to 4.
Quantum of fee reduced to nominal levels and delinked with size of drone. For instance, the fee for a remote pilot license fee has been reduced from INR 3000 (for large drone) to INR 100 for all categories of drones; and is valid for 10 years.
Digital sky platform shall be developed as a user-friendly single-window system. There will be minimal human interface and most permissions will be self-generated.
Interactive airspace map with green, yellow and red zones shall be displayed on the digital sky platform within 30 days of publication of these rules.
No permission required for operating drones in green zones. Green zone means the airspace upto a vertical distance of 400 feet or 120 metre that has not been designated as a red zone or yellow zone in the airspace map; and the airspace upto a vertical distance of 200 feet or 60 metre above the area located between a lateral distance of 8 and 12 kilometre from the perimeter of an operational airport.
Yellow zone reduced from 45 km to 12 km from the airport perimeter.
No remote pilot licence required for micro drones (for non-commercial use) and nano drones.
No requirement for security clearance before issuance of any registration or licence.
No requirement of Type Certificate, unique identification numberand remote pilot licence by R&D entities operating drones in own or rented premises, located in a green zone.
No restriction on foreign ownership in Indian drone companies.
Import of drones to be regulated by DGFT.
Requirement of import clearance from DGCA abolished.
Coverage of drones under Drone Rules, 2021 increased from 300 kg to 500 kg. This will cover drone taxis also.
DGCA shall prescribe drone training requirements, oversee drone schools and provide pilot licences online.
Remote pilot licence to be issued by DGCA within 15 days of pilot receiving the remote pilot certificate from the authorised drone school through the digital sky platform.
Testing of drones for issuance of Type Certificate to be carried out by Quality Council of India or authorised testing entities.
Type Certificate required only when a drone is to be operated in India. Importing and manufacturing drones purely for exportsare exempt from type certification and unique identification number.
Nano and model drones (made for research or recreation purposes) are exempt from type certification.
Manufacturers and importers may generate their drones’ unique identification number on the digital sky platform through the self-certification route.
Easier process specified for transfer and deregistration of drones through the digital sky platform.
Drones present in India on or before 30 Nov 2021 will be issued a unique identification number through the digital sky platform provided, they have a DAN, a GST-paid invoice and are part of the list of DGCA-approved drones.
Standard operating procedures (SOP) and training procedure manuals (TPM) will be prescribed by DGCA on the digital sky platform for self-monitoring by users. No approvals required unless there is a significant departure from the prescribed procedures.
Maximum penalty for violations reduced to INR 1 lakh.
Safety and security features like ‘No permission – no takeoff’ (NPNT), real-time tracking beacon, geo-fencing etc. to be notified in future. A six-month lead time will be provided to the industry for compliance.
Drone corridors will be developed for cargo deliveries.
Drone promotion council to be set up by Government with participation from academia, startups and other stakeholders to facilitate a growth-oriented regulatory regime.

::INTERNATIONAL::

Dubai sets up special court to deal with money laundering

Dubai has formed a specialist court that will focus on fighting money laundering and other financial crimes, as the emirate seeks to strengthen the integrity of its financial system and support nationwide efforts to clamp down on money laundering.
The new entity will be set up within the Court of First Instance and Court of Appeal, the Dubai Media Office said in a statement on Sunday. The move comes after the UAE established the Executive Office of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT), under directives from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to oversee the implementation of the country's anti-money laundering strategy.
“This move will enable our stakeholders to raise their efficiency in effectively implementing the National AML/CFT Strategy and National Action Plan and achieving its goals through an empowered and sustainable system,” said Taresh Al Mansouri, Director General of Dubai Courts.
“Reporting money laundering crimes is both an individual and collective responsibility. Society plays a critical role in safeguarding economic and social security and strengthening the efforts of various stakeholders in responding to such crimes.”
The UAE has strict measures to combat money laundering and other financial crimes. In November, the Ministry of Economy set up an anti-money laundering department, while a court was also established in Abu Dhabi to tackle money laundering and tax evasion.

::ECONOMY::

HDFC Bank lists $1-bn Additional Tier-I (AT-1) bonds on IFSC exchanges

HDFC Bank on Thursday became the first Indian lender to list its $1 billion foreign currency additional tier-I (AI-1) bonds, priced at 3.7%, on the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) of the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT).
Global Securities Market, the primary market platform of India INX, has received significant interest since it was established in 2018 and has over $55 billion medium term notes and over $28 billion of bond listings till date.
“We, along with our regulator IFSCA, have an endeavour to provide issuers with a comprehensive and seamless issuance and listing process at par with best global practices and hope to on-board more and more issuers on our platform in the near future,” INDIA INX managing director and chief executive officer V Balasubramaniam said.
India INX, BSE’s international arm, started trading activities on January 16, 2017, and is India’s first international exchange set up at the GIFT IFSC. The average daily turnover in July was at $14.97 billion, with 84 % market share among the exchanges at IFSC.

::SPORTS::

Coach Reid sets new targets for Indian men's hockey team after Tokyo success

Talking about the roadmap ahead, Reid said, "We have set some milestones in terms of competitions that are coming up for us now. We have Asian Games, FIH Pro League, Commonwealth Games, Hockey World Cup in 2023 and then Paris Olympics the following year.
A historic Olympic bronze medal in its pocket, the Indian men's hockey team is eyeing several milestones in the coming years, the preparation for which will begin next month, chief coach Graham Reid.