World Alzheimer's Day, takes place every Sept. 21, is a global effort to raise awareness and challenge the stigma around Alzheimer's disease and other dementia.

• It serves as a day of global awareness and education, encouraging people to learn more about the challenges faced by individuals living with Alzheimer's, their families, and caregivers.
• Theme of the day - The theme for World Alzheimer's Day 2024 is "Time to act on dementia, Time to act on Alzheimer's." 
• World Alzheimer's Day was first launched in 1994 by Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) to mark the 10th anniversary of the organisation.

What is Alzheimer ?

Alzheimer's disease causes the brain to shrink and brain cells to eventually die. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia — a gradual decline in memory, thinking, behavior and social skills. These changes affect a person's ability to function.

Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh will take over as the next chief of the IAF from Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari, who retires on Sept 30, the govt announced on Saturday (20 September 2024).
The government has gone by the seniority principle in appointing Air Marshal Singh, a fighter pilot who was commissioned in Dec 1984, as the next IAF chief.
Air Marshal Singh held important command and staff appointments before he was appointed the vice-chief in Feb last year.

He is a qualified flying instructor and an experimental pilot, with over 5,000 hours of flying on a variety of aircraft and helicopters.

Senior diplomat Muktesh Kumar Pardeshi, a key member of the team of officials behind India’s successful hosting of the G20 Summit in 2023, has been named the new ambassador to Türkiye.

Pardeshi, a member of the 1991 batch of the Indian Foreign Service, is currently serving as a secretary at the external affairs ministry.

He was till recently responsible for passports, consular matters and overseas Indian affairs.

Ties between India and Turkiye have witnessed several ups and downs in recent years, though there has been considerable growth in areas such as trade and tourism.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi today( 21 September 2024) took oath as the new Chief Minister of Delhi, days after Arvind Kejriwal got bail in the Delhi liquor policy case and announced his resignation. Atishi is the youngest leader to become Delhi's Chief Minister.

She also became the 17th woman to hold the post of Chief Minister in independent India.

The senior AAP leader, however, will have a brief tenure in office as Assembly elections in the National Capital are due in February.

Mukesh Ahlawat, a first-time MLA from Sultanpur Majra, is the face in Atishi's cabinet.

The others are Gopal Rai, Imran Hussain, Kailash Gahlot and Saurabh Bharadwaj. All of them took oath as new ministers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for the US on a three-day visit on Saturday(22 September 2024). During the extent of his visit, Modi will attend the annual Quad summit at Wilmington in Delaware, address the 'Summit of the Future' at the UN General Assembly in New York.

Highlights of the visit

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday gifted a Delhi-Delaware silver train model to US President Joe Biden and a pashmina shawl to first lady Jill Biden while his on his three-day US visit for Quad summit.
• The vintage hand-engraved train model was made of 92.5% silver and crafted by artisans from Maharashtra.
• PM Modi will participate in the fourth Quad Leaders’ Summit in Wilmington that is being hosted by US President Joe Biden.
• Modi will travel to New York to attend an Indian community event at Long Island.
• In the final leg of his visit, the prime minister will address the ‘Summit of the Future’ at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Sri Lanka’s ninth Presidential elections held on Saturday( 21-09-2024), the first after the country plunged into an unprecedented economic crisis in 2002 leading to a regime change, was a peaceful affair with no major incidents being reported.

An estimated 75 per cent of voters exercised their democratic responsibility.

The process of counting postal ballots and votes began Saturday evening across the country immediately after the polling came to a close at 4 pm, with the first set of results of postal votes from Ratnapura district showing Anura Kumara Dissanayake leading the race.

A poem on the National War Memorial and a chapter on India-Pakistan war martyr Abdul Hameed have been included in the NCERT's Class 6 curriculum from this academic session.

• To inculcate the values of patriotism and the participation of youngsters in nation-building,  NCERT has included a poem on the National War Memorial and a chapter on India-Pakistan war martyr Abdul Hameed in the curriculum.
• The additions have been made to the class 6 curriculum of NCERT books from this academic year. 
• The objective of the initiative is jointly undertaken by the defence and the education ministries.

Uttarakhand is set to bring a Bill on the lines of the Bills for the recovery of damages to property brought by Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

Under this legislation, losses to public and government properties incurred during protests and strikes will be recovered from the accused involved in the disturbance.

The Uttarakhand Public and Private Property Damage Recovery Bill is likely to be discussed by the State’s Business Advisory Committee over the next two-three days.

Later, it will be tabled in the Assembly, sources in the State government said. After the Bill is passed, it will be forwarded for the Governor’s consent.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad on September 20 announced the establishment of the ANR Award for Acting and Performing Arts.

This award has been instituted by the Akkineni family through Akkineni International Foundation to honour the legacy of the legendary actor Sri Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR).

The award will celebrate individuals who have made significant contributions to the performing arts, encouraging a new generation of performers to pursue excellence.

The initiative reflects the Akkineni family’s commitment to promoting cultural heritage and the arts within the academic community.

IIM Calcutta and TalentSprint have been at the forefront of executive education, pioneering innovative industry-aligned programs that have empowered over 3000 learners across 30 batches.

This program marks a significant milestone in their shared commitment to delivering cutting-edge management education.

Designed for current and aspiring leaders, the AI for Leaders program equips participants with the knowledge and skills to harness AI as a powerful strategic tool.

By focusing on AI's potential to drive business enablement, growth, and transformation, the program prepares leaders to navigate the complexities of the AI-driven landscape and to capitalize on emerging opportunities.

Dundee Design Festival is Scotland’s largest design event. Celebrating 10 years of Dundee’s status as the UK’s only UNESCO City of Design and curated by Local Heroes founder Dr Stacey Hunter, the 5th Festival embraces Multiplicity as its theme.

The festival is being held from 23-29 September 2024.

Dundee Design Festival has outlined the sustainability strategy that it hopes will make Scotland's largest design event the world's most sustainable design festival.

Clean energy, electric transport and an entirely tinned beverage offering are all part of the Dundee Design Festival's (DDF) sustainability strategy, while its most ambitious initiative centres on materials and circularity.

The festival has committed to using a maximum of 30 per cent new materials in constructing its entire event site, which will be located at the Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc in September.

This target will include stands for over 100 participating designers, as well as installations by Donna Wilson, Timorous Beasties, Gabriella Marcella and AdesignStorie.

Some of the used materials will come from the V&A Dundee's Tartan exhibition, some from Edinburgh craft and design gallery Bard and some from local suppliers, and everything is intended to have a further life after the event.

The Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M) on September 20 launched a new research centre on Diabetes through the support of funding from IIT Madras Distinguished Alumnus Awardee Subramonian Shankar (1971 BTech – Electrical Engineering).

• This centre has been established to drive advancements in diabetes research and develop innovative technologies to address the most pressing challenges in diabetes care and associated complications.
• This center will support 15 PhD students over the coming years as ‘Shankar Fellows’, enabling them to undertake cutting-edge research.
• The new centre will also foster product development, potential start-ups, and commercialisation efforts aimed at transforming diabetes management and treatment.

The Bengaluru Space Expo 2024 concluded with over 160 exhibitors and 10,000 visitors taking part in the three-day event. The Bengaluru Space Expo was an event that promised to bring together the world's leading innovators in the space technology sector.

• This event was held from 18 September to 20 September 2024 in the city of Bangalore, India .
• The showcased the latest advances in space technology, products and services.
• Attendees had the opportunity to meet with experts from around the world and learn about the latest developments in the field.
• The event will feature presentations from industry leaders, interactive demonstrations, and networking opportunities with industry professionals. Attendees also had the chance to explore the latest products and services related to space exploration and technology.

Magnus Carlsen and Judit Polgar were felicitated with the best male and female player awards, respectively at the FIDE 100 Awards ceremony in Hungary on Thursday ( 22 September 2024).

Carlsen, ranked world number one, is a part of the Norway team in the ongoing Chess Olympiad 2024. 

Carlsen has held the No. 1 position in the FIDE world chess rankings since July 1, 2011, trailing only Kasparov in time spent as the highest-rated player in the world. 

Judit Polgar, on the other hand, announced retirement from competitive chess in 2014.

The Indian government is set to host the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) from February 5th to 9th, 2025. This landmark event is expected to attract major stakeholders, innovators, and industry leaders from across the globe, signaling India’s ambition to become a major hub for the media, entertainment, and technology sectors.

• WAVES will serve as a premier forum fostering dialogue, collaboration, and innovation,” Shri Jaju stated, highlighting how the summit aims to elevate India’s M&E sector to new heights.
• WAVES will also focus on fostering trade collaborations between India and other countries to enhance India’s export potential in M&E.
• The summit promises a close coordination between the M&E industry and technology sectors, which are becoming increasingly interconnected in the digital age.
• Attendees will include industry leaders, innovators, content creators, and technology experts, who will engage in discussions around opportunities and emerging trends in the industry. 

Kerala has once again secured the top position in the State Food Safety Index (SFSI) 2024, a ranking released by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

• This marks the second consecutive year that Kerala has topped the index.
• Tamil Nadu and Jammu & Kashmir trailed in the second and third spots, respectively.
• The SFSI, which evaluates the food safety performance of Indian states and union territories, was unveiled at the Second Edition of the Global Food Regulators Summit (GFRS) 2024.