NEWS 19-09-2021. NEWS FOR 24th-SEP (FRIDAY) 1. Australia has signed a pact with US and UK named ‘AUKUS, to go in for eight nuclear powered attack submarines, to deter China in Indo-Pacific region. France is upset with the deal as Australia was in advance stage of negotiation with them on this. (Only for Knowledge) :- Indian Navy with a new aircraft carrier, six new Kalvari class diesel attack submarines and Vishakhapatnam class of destroyers, is also going to be a very potent force in the Indo-Pacific by 2025. 2. Assam govt has extended the ‘Disturbed Area’ status of the State under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. The AFSPA was imposed in Assam in Nov’ 1990 and is extended every 6 months since then. It empowers security forces to conduct operations without any prior warrant. 3. Retail inflation growth across the country has eased to 5.30% in the month of Aug as compared to 5.59% in the previous month. This is the 2nd successive month that it has come within the RBI’s upper margin of 6%. 4. Recently govt has launched ‘Medicines from the Sky project to send medicines to Primary Health Care Centres using drones. This project is an initiative of the Telangana govt in association with World Economic Forum, NITI Aayog, and HealthNet Global. 5. In a big boost to the 'Self Reliant India' campaign, Indian Navy has signed a Rs 13 crore contract to procure country's first indigenously developed Robotic Lifebuoys. Robot lifebuoys are fitted with sensors & electronic equipment that allows them to locate a stranded person in water. 6. India's first nuclear-missile tracking ship, named INS Dhruv, has recently been commissioned. The 10,00 tonnes satellite and ballistic missile tracking ship has been built by the Hindustan Shipyard Limited in collaboration with the DRDO & National Technical Research Organisation. India now joins France, US, UK, Russia, and China, who possess and operate such ships. < < Back