Govt keeps small savings interest rate unchanged for July-September quarter

  • The government has kept the interest rates on small savings schemes unchanged for the July-September quarter.
  • The SSSs include Public Provident Fund (PPF), National Savings Certificate (NSC) and Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP), Sukanya Samriddhi and Senior Citizens Savings Scheme (SCSS).
  • The move is aimed at matching the hardening interest rates in the banking sector.
  • The interest rate for PPF is 7.6%, KVP 7.3%, SCSS 8.3% and Sukanya Samriddhi 8.1%.
  • Interest rates for small savings schemes are notified on a quarterly basis.

ISRO successfully carries out flight tests for Crew Escape System

  • The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully carried out a flight test for a newly-designed Crew Escape System.
  • The system is aimed at saving lives of astronauts in an emergency.
  • This was the first in a series of tests to ascertain the trustworthiness and efficiency of the Crew Escape System.
  • The emergency system is designed to quickly pull away the crew module, which carries the astronauts, to a safe distance from the launch vehicle in case there is a problem with the mission.

Gujarat CM launches special drive against malnutrition ‘Poshan Abhiyan’

  • Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani launched ‘Poshan Abhiyan,’ a statewide mission to eradicate malnutrition among children.
  • Under the scheme, nutritious food will be provided through Anganwadi centres.
  • 60 lakh beneficiaries will be covered in Gujarat through a network of 53,000 Anganwadi centres.
  • Rupani has also launched ‘Purna,’ a project to eliminate malnutrition among girls aged between 14 and 18 years.
  • Purna stands for Prevention of Under Nutrition and Reduction of Nutritional Anaemia among Adolescent Girls.

NSG to be first central force to opt for e-ticketing instead of railway warrant

  • The National Security Guard (NSG) will be the first central paramilitary force to opt for e-ticketing instead of the railway warrant.
  • An MoU to this effect was signed between the IRCTC and the NSG.
  • NSG personnel will not need to carry railway warrants, making it easier for them to purchase tickets.
  • A similar system is also in the offing for the Central Reserve Police Force.

NBWL adds 4 species to Recovery Programme for Critically Endangered Species

  • The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has added four species to a Recovery Programme for Critically Endangered Species.
  • The four species include the Northern River Terrapin, the Clouded Leopard, the Arabian Sea Humpback Whale and the Red Panda.
  • The Northern River Terrapin is found in the rivers of Eastern India. It is hunted for its meat and shell.
  • The Clouded Leopard is found in the Himalayan foothills. It is the state animal of Meghalaya.
  • The Arabian Sea Humpback Whale is a migratory whale species that is found in all the oceans.
  • The Red Panda is native to the eastern Himalayas and south-western China and less than 10,000 mature individuals exist in the wild.

Uttarakhand HC declares animals to be ‘legal persons’

  • The Uttarakhand High Court has given animals in the state the status of “legal person or entity.”
  • The court said that all animals “have a distinct persona with corresponding rights, duties and liabilities of a living person.”
  • A Division Bench of Justices Rajiv Sharma and Lokpal Singh passed this order, and issued directives to prevent cruelty towards animals.
  • The court has declared all Uttarakhand natives to be the guardians of animals in the state.

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