current affairs 17 September 2021 (In English)

NITI Aayog launched "Shoonya" program to promote zero-pollution delivery vehicles.

Government think tank NITI Aayog in collaboration with US-based Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and RMI India launched a campaign called Shoonya to promote zero-pollution delivery vehicles by working with consumers and industry.
The campaign will promote the adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs) in the urban delivery segment and create consumer awareness about the health, environmental and economic benefits of electric vehicles.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has launched its account on social media platform Telegram to combat fake news.
It was launched as PIB Fact Check, one of the few government entities having Telegram channel,
and aims to verify the information related to the center and disseminate it to its customers.
Earlier, fake channels were being run on Telegram in the name of fact check.

The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), a board of education under the Government of India, has won the prestigious UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize 2021 on the occasion of International Literacy Day 2021.
NIOS has been awarded for enabling education of persons with disabilities through technology-enabled inclusive learning materials with special focus on Indian Sign Language-based content.
The UNESCO International Literacy Prize is given every year since 1967 for excellence and innovation in literacy.

The Indian military contingent, comprising a combined force of 200 personnel, is participating in the Peaceful Mission-2021 exercise,
A joint counter-terrorism exercise among the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Exercise Peaceful Mission- 2021 is being organized by Russia from September 13 to 25, 2021 in the Orenburg region of Southwest Russia.
In 2021, the sixth edition of the biennial multilateral exercise Peaceful Mission is being launched.
The aim of the exercise is to foster closer ties among SCO member states and enhance the capability of military leaders to command multi-national troops.

India is set to host the first ever Global Buddhist Conference at the Nava Nalanda Mahavihara Complex in Nalanda, Bihar on November 19 and 20, 2021.
The academic conference, being organized by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), will become an annual event.
The Global Buddhist Conference focuses on making India a center of Buddhism by promoting Buddhist activities, such as educational, cultural, seminars, people traveling for festivals like Buddha Purnima, Vesak.
As a part of the event, an award for promotion of Buddhist studies which will be presented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on 21 November, carrying $20,000 (about Rs 14.7 lakh), a plaque, and a gold-plated medallion.