current affairs 01 September 2021 (In English)

The Ministry of Shipping has announced a new "Skill Institute on Marine Studies" in Assam.

• The Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal announced the setting up of a Skill Institute on Marine Studies at Guwahati, Assam under the Indian Maritime University, Chennai.
• An MoU was earlier signed between Inland Water Authority of India and Hooghly Cochin Shipyard Limited for setting up a new Ship Repair Facility at Pandu in Guwahati.
• The technical support is to be provided by IIT Madras and is expected to be completed by August 2023.
• The facility known as slipway is to be developed on 3.67 acres of land provided by the Assam government

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the "My Pad My Right" (MPMR) project in Tripura.

• The project is an initiative of NABARD and NAB Foundation to provide better livelihood and menstrual hygiene to women in rural areas through grants-in-aid, wage support and equipment.
• Under the initiative a sanitary pad making machine, raw material for two months, 50 days of wages, packaging material along with the goods and five days training in three phases are provided.
• The project aims to help rural women improve menstrual hygiene.

Union Ministry of AYUSH launched Y-Break App from Vigyan Bhawan.

• It was launched by Union Ayush Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
• On this occasion, several activities and campaigns were launched by the Ministry of AYUSH to celebrate the Amrit Mahotsav of Azadi.
• Apart from Y-Break app, one year campaigns like cultivation of medicinal plants in agricultural land, distribution of medicinal plants in homes and sensitization of school and college going students on AYUSH system were launched.
• These week long activities and campaigns will start from 30th August to 5th September.
• These activities will be launched with an aim to reach out to remote areas in India and address all categories of our population like children, old people, farmers and corporate.

SpaceX launches ants, avocado, robotic arm for space station.

• Elon Musk-owned SpaceX recently sent a shipment of ants, avocados and a robotic arm to the International Space Station aboard a Falcon rocket.
• This was the company's 23rd space delivery for NASA in the past 10 years.
• The Dragon capsule booster successfully landed on SpaceX's latest ocean platform A Shortfall of Gravitas.
• The shipment included more than 4,800 pounds of supplies for the astronauts, including avocados, lemons, and ice cream.
• Ants, shrimp and plants have been sent for the 7 astronauts to do experiments on.

The Assam State Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary has been notified as an eco-sensitive zone.

• Deepor Beel, a Ramsar site near Guwahati in Assam, known for its fish and bird diversity and rich aquatic vegetation that attracts wild elephants,
• Faces conservation threats from garbage dumping, quarrying, and the construction of a railway line, besides a smart city project.
• The main objective behind ESZs is to regulate certain activities, so as to reduce the negative impacts of such activities on the fragile ecosystem surrounding the protected areas.
• Notifications declaring areas as ESZs are issued under the Environment (Protection) Act 1986.