Click here to download September Month 2018 Study Material in PDF Format
INTERNATIONAL
$57.1 Billion loan disbursed to Argentina as the Biggest Loan in IMF’s History The International Monetary Fund staff and Argentina authorities have reached an agreement on a 36-month Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) totaling to US$57.1 billion through 2021 approved.
Nelson Mandela statue to be unveiled at UN headquarters A statue of Nelson Mandela was unveiled at the UN headquarters to honour the South African President’s 100th birth anniversary. A high-level meeting, the Mandala Peace Summit, was scheduled at the UN for world leaders to renew their commitment to global peace, conflict prevention, peacebuilding, promotion and protection of human rights and long-term development initiatives.
Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won presidential election in Maldives Opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won the Maldives’ presidential election, a surprise defeat for President Abdulla Yameen. Results released by the Elections Commission showed Solih had secured 58.3% of the popular vote.
Germany launches world’s first hydrogen-powered train European railway manufacturer Alstom has launched world’s first hydrogen fuel cell train.French company said that the CoradiaiLint used fuel cells that turn hydrogen and oxygen into electricity. In terms of speed, the new train can travel up to 140 kilometers per hour.
Nawaz Sharif & daughter released from Pakistan prison Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been released from prison, two months after he began a 10-year jail sentence for corruption. The release came hours after a court suspended the sentences of Sharif and his daughter Maryam, who were jailed shortly before July’s general election.
Moutaz Mousa Abdallah becomes Sudan’s new PM Moutaz Mousa Abdallah has become the Sudan’s new Prime Minister. A 21-member cabinet was sworn in at the presidential palace in Khartoum. He is also holding the finance portfolio in a bid to revive the country’s ailing economy.
India ranks 130 in UN’s human development index India climbed one spot to 130 among 189 countries in the latest human development index released by the United Nations Development Programme. Within South Asia, India’s human development index (HDI) value is above the average of 0.638 for the region, with Bangladesh and Pakistan, countries with similar population size, being ranked 136 and 150 respectively.
INDO-MONGOLIA joint exercise Nomadic Elephant-2018 Indo-Mongolia joint exercise Nomadic Elephant-2018, commenced at Mongolian Armed Forces (MAF) Five Hills Training Area, Ullanbaatar, Mongolia with a brief but impressive opening ceremony. Exercise Nomadic Elephant is an annual, bilateral exercise since 2006 which is designed to strengthen the partnership between Indian Army and Mongolian Armed Forces.
Arif Alvi elected Pakistan’s new President Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Arif-ur-Rehman Alvi was elected as the 13th President of Pakistan, the result data from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) confirmed. The elections were held simultaneously at the Parliament House and the four provincial assemblies, with 27 of the total votes cast being annulled.
INDIA & WORLD
India ranks 158th among 195 countries in health care investment India ranks 158th in the world for its investments in education and healthcare, a survey of 195 countries has revealed. It ranks below countries like Sudan, Azerbaijan, China and Bosnia Herzegovina. According to the survey, Finland tops the list of 195 countries in the two key sectors.
India ranks 3rd in family-owned businesses India rank 3rd globally in terms of number of family-owned companies according to ‘Credit Suisse Family 1000 in 2018’ report. The rating agency analysed over 1,000 family-owned, publicly-listed companies, and compared their 10-year performance. India has a total of 111 companies with $839 bn total market capitalisation. India closely follows China (159 companies) and the US (121 companies).
Iraq pipped Saudi Arabia as top oil supplier to India in August 2018 According to Reuters, Iraq has replaced Saudi Arabia as India’s largest oil suppliers in August 2018. Iran remained the third biggest oil suppliers to India in August 2018. Overall India;s monthly oil imports in August rose 3.1 percent.
87th Izmir International trade show India is the partner Country in the 87th Izmir International Trade show was held in Turkey. In this Turkey’s first, oldest and most comprehensive general trade fair, India was also launch a mega business pavilion ‘source India’, hosting 75 Indian Companies with the aim of tie ups in order to increase India’s exports to Turkey and other neighbouring countries.
India and US hold 2 + 2 dialogue Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and Minister of Defence Nirmala Sitharaman welcomed Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis to India for the inaugural India-U.S. Ministerial 2+2 Dialogue.
India along with 23 other Nations participates in Tsunami Mock Drill India along with 23 other nations participated in a major Indian ocean-wide tsunami mock drill which will involve evacuation of thousands of people from coastal areas in over half a dozen coastal states. The exercise, known as ‘IOWave18’, is being organised by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO.
NATIONAL
Finland topped in ‘Human Capital’ score, India ranked 158th India ranks 158th in the world for its investments in education and health care, according to the first-ever scientific study ranking countries for their levels of human capital. The nation is placed behind Sudan (ranked 157th) and ahead of Namibia (ranked 159th) in the list.
Aadhaar linking must for PAN & filing income tax returns The Supreme Court said that linking Aadhaar with bank accounts and mobile phone numbers is not mandatory, but a must for Permanent Account Number (PAN). It pronounced a landmark verdict on Aadhaar Card and said that Aadhaar identification is unparalleled and it empowers the marginalised sections of the society.
Hyderabad Metro becomes India’s 2nd largest metro rail network After Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Governor ESL Narasimhan flagged off the 16-km stretch of Hyderabad Metro between Ameerpet and L B Nagar, Hyderabad Metro became the second biggest rail network in India with a total of 46 km service, next only to Delhi.
271 mn Indians moved out of poverty: UN Over 270 million people in India moved out of poverty in the decade since 2005-06. It is according to the 2018 global Multidimensional Poverty Index released by United Nations. The Report stated that India’s poverty rate came down to 27.5% from 54.7% during the period.
India Signs Financing Loan Agreement with World Bank for UKWDP A Loan Agreement for IBRD Credit of US$74 million equivalent for the Uttrakhand Workforce Development Project (UKWDP) was signed between India and the World Bank. The Project objective is to improve the quality and relevance of training at priority Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and to increase the number of labor-market-relevant workers through short-term training in Uttrakhand.
Hyderabad gets India’s first dog park Hyderabad is set to get country’s first exclusive dog park. The park, which is spread over in 1.3 acres, has been developed by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation at cost of Rs. 1.1 crore. The park also has dog training and exercise equipments.
Unemployment to stay at 3.5% in India The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has predicted that India’s unemployment rate in 2018 will stay at 3.5 per while China’s would edge up from 4.7 per cent to 4.8 per cent. However, a worrying 77 per cent of employment in India would remain “vulnerable” against just 33 per cent in China.
Govt approves 100% electrification of Railways by 2021-22 The Union cabinet approved a proposal for the complete electrification of Indian Railways by 2021-22, reducing dependence on imported fossil fuel and saving revenue for the national carrier. The move will cost the government Rs12,134 crore. The announcement was made by the Railways Minister, Mr Piyush Goyal.
India ranks 19th in ‘Theft Ranking’ India stands 19th in the ‘Theft Ranking’ for countries with weapons-usable nuclear materials, according to the Nuclear Security Index. The index was released by the US-based Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), which is co-chaired by Sam Nunn and Ernest Moni.
TCS crosses Rs 8 lakh crore in valuation Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) became the second Indian company to attain a market valuation of over Rs 8 lakh crore mark following surge in its share price. Earlier on August 23, 2018, Reliance Industries became the first Indian company to cross the Rs 8 lakh crore market capitalisation mark.
Mumbai airport renamed as Chhatrapati Shivaji ‘Maharaj’ International Airport Nearly two years after a resolution was passed in the Maharashtra Assembly, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport has finally been rechristened as Chhatrapati Shivaji ‘Maharaj’ International Airport.
IWAI makes India’s 1st standardised modern ship design Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) made public 13 standardised state-of-the-art ship designs suitable for large barge haulage on river Ganga (National Waterway-1). This marks attaining a critical milestone in the growth of the country’s Inland Water Transport (IWT) sector.
STATES
UP scored 1st place in Implementation of PMAY Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that the state has scored the first position in implementation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) by providing houses to 11 lakh poor families.
AP, Odisha & MP are 3 Best Performing States in Ease of Living Index Andhra Pradesh has topped the charts among States in terms of ‘Ease of Living Index’ rankings launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). It was followed by Odisha and Madhya Pradesh. The three States were awarded best performing States at the National Dissemination Workshop on Ease of Living Index, 2018.
Maharashtra Government to set up new Cyber University Maharashtra Government is setting up new Cyber University dedicated to mitigating cyber threats. It will train 3,000 professionals to fight online space cyber-attacks, internet crimes and conduct cyber forensics.
Uttarakhand ranked best among states in PMGSY Uttarakhand has been ranked the best among states in the country for the construction of maximum number of roads under the PMGSY during 2017-2018. The state constructed a maximum of 1,839 kilometre roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana against a target of 1,500 km set for the year 2017-18.
TN Government bans manufacture and sale of e-cigarettes Tamil Nadu Government has issued order banning manufacture, sale and possession of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) or e-Cigarettes with immediate effect in the state. The ban covers distribution, trade, display, marketing, advertisement, use, import and possession of e-cigarettes as well. The Tamil Nadu government has already banned chewable tobacco products.
Puducherry bags top position in National Clean School Award Union Territory of Puducherry has bagged top position in National Clean School Award after seven schools from Puducherry were awarded for cleanliness. As many as 52 schools from across the country were bestowed with National Clean School Award in recognition of their efforts in carrying forward Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
CONFERENCES
Commerce Ministers of India & Bangladesh Bilateral meeting A bilateral meeting was held in Dhaka between Commerce Minister of Bangladesh, Tofail Ahmed, MP and Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation Minister of India, Suresh Prabhu. Both Ministers noted the significant progress made in the bilateral relationship under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
21st Central Zonal Council meeting held in Lucknow The 21st Central Zonal Council meeting was held in Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh. It was chaired by Union Home Minister r Rajnath Singh. It was attended by Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand while representative ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh.
7th UNWTO Global Summit on Urban Tourism The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is organizing the 7th UNWTO Global Summit on Urban Tourism: A 2030 Vision for Urban Tourism, in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The Summit provides a unique platform to discuss the key issues shaping the future of urban tourism in the context of the 2030 Urban Agenda.
India – Morocco Tourism Bilateral meeting held in New Delhi A bilateral meeting on Tourism Cooperation between India and Morocco led by the Minister of Tourism, Air Transport, Handicraft and Social Economy, Kingdom of Morocco, Mr. Mohamed Sajid and the Minister of State for Tourism (IC), Government of India, Shri. K. J. Alphons, held in New Delhi.
23rd Meeting of India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj led the Indian delegation at the 23rd meeting of India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission (IRIGC-TEC) to discuss the expansion of Russia-India relationship across all sectors. The meeting was chaired by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov.
Regional Conference on Good Governance held in Bhopal Regional Conference on Good Governance with Focus on Aspirational Districts was held in Bhopal, capital of Madhya Pradesh. It was organized by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DAR&PG), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions in association with Madhya Pradesh Govt.
WOSA-2018: 4th World Summit on Accreditation The World Summit on Accreditation (WOSA-2018) was held New Delhi. It was inaugurated by Union Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD) Prakash Javadekar. WOSA-2018 was organized by National Board of Accreditation (NBA) with main focus (theme) on ‘Challenges and Opportunities in Outcome Based Accreditation’.
G-20 Labour & Employment Ministers’ meeting Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labour & Employment Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar, led a delegation to Mendoza, Argentina for the G-20 Labour& Employment Ministers’ Meeting.
G20 Education Ministers’ and Joint Ministerial Meeting The Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Dr. Satya Pal Singh lead a high level delegation to the G-20 Education Ministers’ Meeting as well as Joint Ministerial Meeting held at Mendoza, Argentina. It was the first ever meeting of Education Ministers in the history of G-20.
31st meeting of Central Hindi Committee concluded 31st meeting of the Central Hindi Committee was held in New Delhi under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. In his address, the Prime Minister congratulated all the members of the committee for creative and practical suggestions.
International Women Entrepreneurs Summit The International Women Entrepreneurs Summit 2018 is being held in Kathmandu, Nepal. Vice President of Nepal Nanda Bahadur Pun inaugurated the summit. He expressed concern over increasing violence against women and highlighted the need for public efforts to eliminate it.
International Aviation Summit International Aviation Summit was held in New Delhi. The seminar has been jointly organised by the Airports Authority of India, Ministry of Civil Aviation and International Air Transport Association (IATA). There was an overwhelming response to the summit which was attended by more than 700 delegates and leaders from global aviation fraternity.
6th East Asia summit & 15th India-ASEAN Economic Ministers meeting 6th East Asia Summit – Economic Ministers meeting EAS-EMM) & 15th India-ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting (AEM) was held in Singapore. Commerce & Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu participated in both the events representing India.
7th Meeting of National Medicinal Plants Board The Seventh meeting of National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) of Ministry of AYUSH was held under the chairpersonship of Minister of State for AYUSH, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik at New Delhi. The Board meeting considered various Agenda Items placed before it for consideration.
ICAR Organizes 2-Day Conference In order to meet the challenge of providing sustainable livelihoods for a rapidly growing population and to motivate and attract youth in agriculture, Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR), inaugurated a two-day conference at NASC, New Delhi on Motivating and Attracting Youth in Agriculture (MAYA).
4th BIMSTEC Summit 2018 The 4th BIMSTEC Summit began in Kathmandu, Nepal. The two-day Summit will be held with the main focus on countering terrorism, enhancing regional connectivity and boosting trade. The theme of the summit is ‘Towards a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable Bay of Bengal region’.
AWARDS & HONOURS
Pankaj Kapoor gets ‘Icons of Indian Cinema’ award Actor-director Pankaj Kapur is honoured with ‘Icons of Indian Cinema’ Award at the closing ceremony of the ninth edition of Jagran Film Festival in Mumbai. He is a three-time National Award winner. Pankaj Kapoor’s most acclaimed films were Raakh (1989), Ek Doctor Ki Maut (1991) Vishal Bhardwaj’s adaptation of Macbeth, Maqbool (2003), all three films for which he received National Film Awards.
Maharashtra names Raam-Laxman for Lata Mangeshkar award The Maharashtra government‘s prestigious ‘Lata Mangeshkar Award’ for 2018 will be conferred on Vijay Patil, of the music director duo Raam-Laxman.The annual award is declared on the birthday of the legendary singer, Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar.
PV Sindhu only sportsperson in Forbes India’s Maiden List of 22 Badminton player and Olympian PV Sindhu is the only sportsperson featuring in the Forbes India’s maiden ‘tycoons of tomorrow’ list of 22 young achievers in the fields of business, acting and sports.
Indian Origin teen wins Social Progress ‘Oscar’ Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards also known as Oscar for Social Progress was given to three individuals. Campaign Award: Amika George Cnangemaker Award: Nadia Murad Progress Award: Dysmus Kisilu
Modi was awarded Champions of the Earth award Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been awarded the United Nation’s highest environmental honour ‘Champions of the Earth’ for his leadership of the band pledge to eliminate single-use plastic by 2022.
Croatia’s Luka Modric wins FIFA’s best player of the year award Luka Modrić, who led Croatia to their first-ever FIFA World Cup final, won this year’s The Best FIFA Men’s Player award, finishing ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and Mo Salah. On the other hand, Brazilian captain Marta won the award for FIFA Best Women’s Player of the Year.
Lucknow Metro first from India to get this International award The Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) has become the first ever metro rail corporation from India to bag the International ‘Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents’ (RoSPA) Award. LMRC has been given the Silver Award for its Phase 1A (North-South Corridor) in the Project/Infrastructure category for the year 2018.
Village Rockstars: Assamese movie is India’s official entry for Oscars 2019 Assamese movie ‘Village Rockstars’ was selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars 2019 (91st Academy Awards) under Foreign Language Film category. It was selected by 12-member jury of Film Federation of India (FII), led by Kannada producer-director SV Rajendra Singh Babu from 29 other films.
Anushka Sharma receives Smita Patil Memorial award Actor Anushka Sharma received the Smita Patil Memorial Award at Priyadarshni Academy 34th Anniversary Global Awards, in Mumbai. She was presented the award by Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari and Union Minister of Railways and Coal Piyush Goyal.
Delhi airport gets top honour at ASQ Awards 2017 Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has bagged the title of Best Airport to handle over 40 million passengers per annum (MPPA) by the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards 2017. According to the statement, the Delhi airport is now the seventh busiest airports in Asia and among the top 20 busiest airports across the world.
INSV Tarini crew bestowed with Tenzing Norgay award All-women crew of INSV Tarini has bagged the prestigious Tenzing Norgay National Adventure award for beating the odds in water with their enduring skills and sailing across the world for eight long months. The award is the highest national recognition for outstanding achievements in the field of adventure on land, sea and air.
Dr. Raghupati Singhania conferred with highest civilian honour of Mexico Dr. Raghupati Singhania was awarded the ‘Mexican order of the Aztec Eagle’ by Her Excellency Ms. Melba Pría, Ambassador of Mexico to India on the eve of 128th National Day of Mexico. It is the highest honour given to non-nationals by the Government of Mexico.
Virat Kohli, Mirabai Chanu recommended for 2018 Khel Ratna award India cricket captain Virat Kohli and World champion weightlifter Mirabai Chanu were jointly recommended for this year’s Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award – the country’s highest sporting honour. If approved by Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.
Kerala Tourism wins two Pacific Asia Travel Association gold awards Kerala Tourism has won two prestigious gold awards of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) for its innovative marketing campaigns. These awards were won by Kerala Tourism’s Yalla Kerala print campaign and Live Inspired Posters under PATA’s Travel Advertisement Print and Travel Poster categories respectively.
6 Indian airports get international awards Six airports of the Airports Authority of India have been conferred with seven international awards. The Airports Council International (ACI) presented the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards 2017 at Customer Excellence Global Summit at Halifax, Canada.
‘Shilp Guru’ & National award to Master Craft Persons Union Minister of Textiles Smriti Zubin Irani presented ‘Shilp Guru’ and National Award to Master craft persons at a function held at Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh. Eight ‘Shilp guru’ and 25 National awards were presented for the year 2016.
Secondary Steel Sector awards given for contribution to National Economy Ministry of Steel presented Secondary Steel sector awards for the first time, to 26 mini steel companies at an event in New Delhi. The mini steel companies were honoured for their contribution to the national economy. The awards were presented by Union Minister of Steel, Chaudhary Birender Singh.
Sawai Singh Shekhawat to be honoured with Meera Puruskar Jaipur-based poet and writer Sawai Singh Shekhawat will be honoured with Meera Puruskar by Rajasthan Sahitya Academy for his contribution to Hindi literature. President of the academy Indushekhar Tatpurush informed that Shekhawat was selected for the Meera award, which is the highest award of the academy.
Manoj Jhalani selected for UNIATF award Shri Manoj Jhalani, Additional Secretary & Mission Director (NHM), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has been conferred with the prestigious UN Interagency Task Force (UNIATF) Award for his outstanding contribution towards prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and related Sustainable Development Goals.
India-born student Rajalakshmi Nandakumar to get 2018 ‘Young Scholar’ award Rajalakshmi Nandakumar, an India-born woman scholar in the US, has been chosen for a prestigious award for her work to help detect potentially life-threatening health issues using smartphones. She has been selected for the 2018 Marconi Society Paul Baran Young Scholar award.
Bibek Debroy conferred ‘Honoris Causa’ by UEM in Kolkata Bibek Debroy, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, was conferred ‘Honoris Causa’ by the University of Engineering & Management (UEM) in Kolkata. Bibek Debroy is also the Member of NITI Aayog. Apart from Bibek Debroy two other corporate leaders were also conferred Honoris Causa.
‘Sarala Puraskar’ for poet Satrughna Pandav Noted Odia poet Satrughna Pandav will be honoured with the prestigious ‘Sarala Puraskar’ for his poetry collection ‘Misra Dhrupad’. The ‘Sarala Puraskar’, instituted by eminent Odia industrialist late Dr Bansidhar Panda and late Ila Panda in 1979 and awarded by the Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust(IMPaCT) will be presented to Pandav.
Anne Hathaway receive Human Rights award American actress Anne Hathaway will be honoured with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) National Equality Award. The “Bride Wars” actress will receive the award for her humanitarian work that she has done for the society, especially with women and the LGBTQ community.
Aishwarya to receive Meryl Streep award for excellence Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is all set to add another feather to her already loaded cap. The former Miss World will be bestowed with the inaugural Meryl Streep Award for Excellence at the first Women in Film and Television (WIFT) India Award.
Shabana Azmi, Nandita Das receive Bharatiya Manavata Vikas Puraskar Actors Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das were among 13 others who were awarded the Bharatiya Manavata Vikas Puraskar for their contribution to the society and championing the cause of equity, social justice and human welfare.
Mumbai neurosurgeon named for Dr B.C. Roy award Eminent neurosurgeon Dr B.K. Misra has been named for this year’s prestigious Dr B.C. Roy National Award as an Eminent Medical Person of the Year.
SPORTS & GAMES
Yuvraj Wadhwani lifts Asian Junior Squash title Yuvraj Wadhwani has won the 25th Asian junior individual squash championship title. Yuvraj has become the second Indian to win the Under-13 title after Veer Chotrani, who had won the title in 2014 in Iran. In the Under 15 section, Arnav Sareen settled for the runner-up spot. The Pune boy lost to Muhammad Hamza Khan of Pakistan in the final.
Sharmila won gold in women’s javelin’s throwRailways athlete Sharmila Kumari produced the first upset in the 58th National Open athletics championships by piping national record holder Annu Rani to the gold medal in the women’s javelin throw.
Europe retained Laver cup tennis crown Roger Federar and Alexander Zverev won clutch singles matches as team europe beat team world by 13-8 to retain the Laver cup 2018. In the individual match, Roger Federar defeated American Jon Isner and Zverev defeated.
Indian women beat Sri Lanka by 51 runs to win T20 Indian women defeated Sri Lankan women by 51 runs in the fifth and final T20 International and won the series 4-0 at Katunayake, Sri Lanka.
Sinisuka Ginting & Carolina Marin won China open In Badminton, Indonesia’s Anthony Sinisuka Ginting beat Japan’s Kento Momota to take the Men’s singles China Open title in Changzhou. Spain’s Carolina Marin beat China’s Chen Yufei to take the women’s singles title. The 3rd seed, Momota who took the Japan Open title on home ground last week, was beaten by world number 13th Ginting.
MS Dhoni overtakes Dravid to become India’s 2nd most capped cricketer Mahendra Singh become the second most capped player for India in international cricket as he played his 505th match for India in the Super Four of Asia Cup 2018 against Pakistan. Before Dhoni, Rahul Dravid was the second most capped player for India with 504 caps in international cricket.
India settles for silver in Asian Team Snooker Championship in Doha India settled for the silver medal after losing to Pakistan 2-3 in the final of the Asian Team Snooker Championship. Pankaj Advani and Malkeet Singh represented India while Babar Masih and Mohammad Asif were from the Pakistani side.
India to host the women’s boxing world C’ships The Women’s Boxing World Championships, to be hosted by India after more than a decade, will be held from November 2018, in New Delhi. The teams will have to be in the national capital by November 13, with the competition starting two days later. The marquee tournament was last held in India in 2006 and remains the best for the country in terms of performance. India had topped the medal tally with four gold, three silver and one bronze medal.
Anshu Malik won bronze at the junior World wrestling championship Anshu Malik won bronze at the junior World wrestling championship in Trnava, Slovakia. She beat Russia’s Alina Kazymova by 11-5. Anshu lost her semifinal to Sae Nanjo of Japan. In the 57kg category, Mansi is to fight for a bronze in the cham.
Lewis Hamilton won Singapore Grand Prix 2018 Lewis Hamilton won the Singapore Grand Prix at Marina Bay Street Circuit, in Singapore. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton won the 1st position. He was followed by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the 2nd spot. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel finished in the 3rd place. With this victory, Lewis Hamilton has increased his chances of winning this year’s Formula One World Championship.
Indian Boxers win 3 gold medals Simranjit Kaur (64kg), Monika (48kg) and Bhagyabati Kachari (81kg) claimed gold medals as Indian boxers notched up an impressive seven podium finishes at the Ahmet Comert Tournament in Istanbul, Turkey. Simranjit, a former national medallist, defeated Turkey’s Sema Caliskan to win the Gold. Bhagyabati was declared the most scientific boxer of the tournament.
Kenya’s Kipchoge Smashes Marathon world record in Berlin Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge set a new marathon world record in Berlin (Germany), smashing the previous best as he clocked 2 hours 1 minute 39 second. Kipchoge has dominated marathon racing since making his debut in Hamburg in 2013.
India’s 102-year-old female athlete wins gold medal at World Masters Man Kaur, a 102-year-old Chandigarh-based athlete, won the 200m race in the 100-104 age group category at the World Masters Athletics Championships in Spain. Last year, Man Kaur won 100m gold at the World Masters Games at Auckland, New Zealand. World Masters game is considered as an Olympics for senior citizens.
Udhayveer Singh wins gold in ISSF World Championship Sixteen-year-old Udhayveer Singh has won an individual Gold Medal in Junior Men’s 25 metre pistol event in the World Shooting Championships in South Korea. He also spearheaded India to the team Gold. Singh shot a score of 587 in the individual competition to grab the Gold ahead American Henry Leverett and Korean Lee Jaekyoon.
Sardar Singh announces retirement from international hockey Former India Hockey captain Sardar Singh has announced his retirement from international hockey after an illustrious career spanning 12 years. The 32-year-old made over 350 international appearances for India and captained the national team for eight long years from 2008 to 2016.
Murray, Mattek won US mixed doubles title Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jamie Murray won the US Open mixed doubles title. For Murray, it was a second successive mixed title in New York has teamed up with Martina Hingis in 2017. Murray has now won four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles.
Arpinder first Indian to bag medal in IAAF Continental Cup Triple jumper Arpinder Singh created history by becoming the first Indian to win a medal in the IAAF Continental Cup as he clinched a bronze. He was representing the Asia-Pacific team in the meet, held once every four years. No Indian has ever won a medal in the Continental Cup which was known as the IAAF World Cup before 2010.
India Blue win Duleep Trophy India Blue thrashed defending champion India Red by an innings and 187 runs in the final to win the Duleep Trophy. The Duleep Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket competition played in India. It is named after Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji.
Naomi Osaka beats Serena Williams to win U.S open Naomi Osaka became the first Japanese woman to win a Grand Slam title after she registered an emphatic win over Serena Williams in the finals of the U.S Open. Osaka got off to an aggressive start in the first set, breaking the six-time U.S Open champion twice.
Novak Djokovic wins men’s title in US open Tennis In the US Open Tennis, Novak Djokovic of Serbia won the Men’s singles final. He defeated Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina in straight sets. It was Djokovic’s 14th Grand Slam title and the third US Open title. With this win, he has equalled Pete Sampras’s mark of 14 Grand Slams.
Saurabh Chaudhary clinches gold in ISSF World C’ship Sixteen-year-old shooter Saurabh Chaudhary, who recently bagged gold at Asian Games 2018, broke his own junior world record to win the 10m Air Pistol Junior Men event at the ISSF World Championship
Divyansh and Shreya won bronze in shooting Divyansh Singh Panwar and Shreya Agarwal won bronze medal in the 10m air rifle mixed team junior event at ISSF World Championships. The Italian pair of Sofia Benetti and Marco Suppini won gold, while Iran’s Sadeghian Armina and Mohammed Amir Nekounam claimed the silver in the event. The championship is the first qualifying event for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
RP Singh announces retirement from International Cricket Indian Pacer RP Singh announced his retirement from International Cricket, exactly 13 years after making his international debut. The 32-year-old, who was a part of India’s 2007 World T20-winning team, played 82 international matches and picked up over 100 wickets between 2005 and 2011.
England batsman Alastair Cook announces retirement England’s opener Alastair Cook has announced his retirement from all formats of the cricket. He will play his latest test against India. He has scored 12,254 runs and made 32 centuries in 160 Tests all England records.
Lewis Hamilton wins Italian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton won the Italian Grand Prix held at Autodromo Nazionale Monza track, in Italy. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton finished in the first place and won the Italian Grand Prix. He was followed Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen in the 2nd place.
Japan’s swimmer Ikee named Asian Games’ MVP Japan’s young swimmer Rikako Ikee was named the 2018 Indonesia Asian Games’ Most Valuable Player (MVP) after winning 6 gold and 2 silver medals. The 18-year-old Japanese won the 50m and 100m freestyle, 50m and 100m butterfly as well as the 4x100m freestyle and medley relays. The teenager is the first female winner of the award, which has been presented at every Games since the 1998 edition in Bangkok.
Anjum Moudgil won silver medal in shooting India’s Anjum Moudgil won silver medal in the women’s 10m air rifle event at the ongoing ISSF Shooting World Championships in Changwon, South Korea. Apurvi Chandela finished fourth in the women’s 10m Air Rifle event of the ISSF World Championship. Anjum and Apurvi became the first Indian shooters to win a quota for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Asian Games 2018 concludes – complete list of medals India’s final tally at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia read 69 medals – 15 gold, 24 silver and 30 bronze to surpass the medal count from 2010 Games in Guangzhou, China and match the gold medal tally from the first-ever Asian Games in 1951. The games saw India create new national records. Rani Rampal was the flag bearer at the closing ceremony.
Pranab, Shibnath wins India’s 1st ever bridge gold India’s 60-year-old Pranab Bardhan and 56-year-old Shibnath Sarkar won the men’s pair bridge event to bag the country’s first-ever gold in bridge at the Asian Games. The card game has been featured as a sport at the Asian Games for the first time, in the 2018 edition.
Subramaniam Badrinath retires from all formats of cricket Former India and Tamil Nadu batsman Subramaniam Badrinath announced his retirement from all forms of cricket at the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) headquarters, in Chennai. Subramaniam Badrinath is 38 years old. He had represented India in all 3 formats of cricket.
Asian Games 2018: India finish with 69 medals India finishes 8th with a final tally of 69 medals – 15 gold, 24 silver and 30 bronze, at Asian Games 2018. China topped the tally with 289 medals including 132 gold. Japan finishes second while Republic of Korea secured third place.
Indian women’s hockey team settles for silver India clinched three medals in sailing on Day 13 of the 18th Asian Games with Varsha Gautham and Sweta Shervegar winning silver in the 49er FX women’s event, Harshita Tomar claiming bronze in the Open Laser 4.7 event and Varun Thakkar Ashok and Chengappa Ganapathy Kelapanda settling for bronze the 49er men’s event.
Jinson Johnson wins gold in men’s 1500m event India’s Jinson Johnson claimed the gold medal in the men’s 1500m event in the Asian Games 2018 in Jakarta Indonesia. Manjit Singh, 800m champion, however, finished fourth.
ECONOMY
India`s forex reserves up $1.3 bn The country’s foreign exchange reserves increased by $1.3 billion to $401.790 billion, helped by a rise in foreign currency assets. In the reporting week, foreign currency assets, a major component of the overall reserves, increased by $1.257 billion to $377.412 billion.
India ranks 96th; HK, Singapore retain top spot: Economic Freedom Index According to a study named Economic Freedom in the World by Centre for Civil Society (CCS) along with Canada’s Fraser Institute, India stands at 96th rank out of 162 countries in economic freedom. Among the BRICS nations, Russia and South Africa are ahead of India at 87th and 94th place and China and Brazil are behind it at 108th and 144th positions.
India’s economy forecast remains unchanged at 7.3% for 2018: ADB According to the Asia Development Bank’s (ADB) annual economic publication, the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2018, India’s economy is in an upward trajectory. The GDP forecast remains unchanged at 7.3 per cent for 2018, and 7.6 per cent for 2019.
Indian economy to grow at 8%: Jaitley Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the new insolvency law, indirect tax regime and demonetization will help drive India’s growth rate and sustain it at 8 per cent. He said the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), Goods and Services Tax (GST), demonetization and digital payments had enabled better assessment of financial capacity and risks.
Fitch raises India’s FY19 GDP growth forecast to 7.8% Fitch Ratings upped India’s growth forecast for the current fiscal to 7.8% from 7.4% earlier, but flagged rising oil bill and higher interest rates as key concerns. Fitch, in its Global Economic Outlook, said it expects inflation to rise to the upper end of the central bank’s target band on relatively high demand-pull pressures and rupee depreciation.
India committed to become $5 tn economy by 2025 Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu said that India is committed to be a five trillion dollar economy by 2025 while addressing at the India-Malta Business Forum in Floriana, Malta.
No withholding tax on interest payment of Masala Bonds The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) announced that no withholding tax will apply on interest payments made by an Indian company or a business trust to a non-resident in respect of offshore rupee-denominated bonds.
Govt announces measures to check rising Current Account Deficit The government has announced an array of steps to check the rising Current Account Deficit (CAD), and the fall in rupee. The steps include removal of withholding tax on rupee-denominated bonds known as Masala bonds issued till March 2019, relaxation for Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI), and curbs on non-essential imports.
RBI released India’s Foreign Trade: August 2018 India’s overall exports (Merchandise and Services combined) in April-August 2018-19 (as per the RBI Press Release) are estimated to be USD 221.83 Billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 20.70% over the same period last year. Overall imports in April-August 2018-19 are estimated to be USD 269.54 Billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 21.01% over the same period last year.
Wholesale inflation drops to four-month low of 4.53% in August Inflation based on wholesale prices eased to a four-month low of 4.53% in August on softening of prices of food articles, especially vegetables. The Wholesale Price Index-based inflation stood at 5.09% in July and 3.24% in August last year.
Current account deficit widens to 2.4% of GDP India’s current account deficit (CAD) widened to a four-quarter-high at 2.4% of gross domestic product (GDP) in April-June period on the back of rising crude oil prices, from 1.9% of GDP in the January-March quarter of 2017-18, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Mauritius remains top source of FDI into India in 2017-18 According to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, Mauritius was top source of foreign direct investment (FDI) into India in 2017-18 followed by Singapore. The total FDI in FY 18 stood at $37.36 billion in financial year which was marginal rise over $36.31 billion recorded in the previous fiscal 2016-17.
8.2 percent Growth of GDP in real terms in Q1 of 2018-19 The Central Statistics Office has released the estimates of GDP for the first quarter (Q1) of 2018-19. In line with momentum built in the economy, the growth of GDP in real terms in Q1 of 2018-19 is 8.2 percent, reinforcing the high growth of 7.7 per cent recorded in last quarter of 2017-18.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Successful Flight Test of Astra BVR Air-to-Air Missile Astra, the indigenously developed Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM), was successfully test fired by the Indian Air Force from Su-30 aircraft, from Air Force Station, Kalaikunda. The missile successfully engaged a manoeuvring target with high precision meeting the mission objectives.
MOM completed 4 years of its journey ISRO’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), India’s maiden interplanetary mission, has completed four years orbiting around the red planet. MOM was launched on November 2013, and it placed itself into the Martian orbit on September 2014. The designed mission life of MOM was six months. But it has been sending scientific data for four years.
India successfully test fires Prithvi Defence vehicle India successfully conducted an interceptor missile test off the Odisha coast, achieving a major milestone in developing a two-layer Ballistic Missile Defence system. According to Defence sources, the interceptor was launched from Abdul Kalam Island of the Integrated Test Range (ITR).
Dr VR Lalithambika is heading India’s First Human Space Mission The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has chosen veteran scientist Dr VR Lalithambika to head its Gaganyaan mission to put an Indian in space by 2022. The 56-year-old scientist has 30 years of experience in space missions with ISRO. She was also a key member of the team responsible for launching 104 satellites in one go in February 2017.
India successfully test fires short-range Prahaar missile India has successfully test-fired the indigenously developed surface-to-surface short-range tactical ballistic missile ‘Prahaar’ from the Odisha coast. The test launch was successful, as the missile travelled a range of 200 km before zeroing in on the target, achieving all mission objectives.
DRDO Successfully Flight Tested Tactical Missile ‘Prahar’ Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight tested the indigenously developed surface-to-surface tactical missile ‘Prahar’, from Launch Complex-III, ITR, Balasore, Odisha. Range stations and electro-optical systems tracked the missile throughout its flight.
ISRO launched two U.K. satellites ISRO launched two U.K. satellites from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR Sriharikota. The PSLV-C42 lifted off NovaSAR and S1-4, the two satellites from the United Kingdom. The two satellites were successfully launched in the desired orbit by ISRO. This was the 12th such launch of a core-alone version of the PSLV by ISRO.
NASA launches satellite to track Earth’s melting ice In a bid to understand Earth’s ice sheets, glaciers, sea ice, snow cover and permafrost, NASA successfully launched its Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite-2, or ICESat-2. The satellite with a three-year mission was launched with liftoff aboard a Delta II rocket from Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
IAF carries out first ever mid-air refuelling of Tejas combat jet Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully carried out first ever mid-air refuelling of indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas MK-1 over Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. With this, India joins in elite group of countries which have successfully developed air-to-air refuelling system for military aircraft.
ISRO unveils space suit for 2022 mission The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) displayed a space suit for mission ‘Gaganyaan’ at the 6th edition of Bengaluru Space Expo. The orange-colored prototype space suit is developed at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram.
China launched new marine satellite HY-1C on Long March-2C rocket China successfully launched a new marine satellite called HY-1C aboard a Long March-2C rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in north China’s Shanxi Province. To the object of better monitor its maritime waters and study the impact of climate change.
Japan to test mini space elevator Researchers at Shizuoka University, a Japanese team, has developed a space elevator, a miniature version on satellites. The first trial of the miniature version of the apparatus and monitoring equipment on satellites will be conducted in the month of September.
Chandrayaan-2 to be launched in Jan 2019 Chandrayaan-2, ISRO’s “most complex mission”, is scheduled to be launched in January next year after experts suggested changes to avert failure, its chief K Sivan said. He said the project was reviewed by eminent experts who suggested some changes in entering the orbit and in landing the rover.
APPOINTMENTS
N.Ravi & Vijay Kumar Chopra elected as Chairman & Vice Chairman of Press Trust of India The Publisher of The Hindu Group of Newspapers, N.Ravi had appointed as the chairman of Press Trust of India and simultaneously the Chief Editor of Punjab Kesari Group of Newspapers Vijay Kumar Chopra had been appointed as the Vice Chairman of Press Trust of India.
Rajni Kant Misra appointed DG of BSF The Central Government appointed Rajni Mishra as the director general of Border Security Force (BSF). Rajni Kant Misra is a 1984 batch Indian Police Service Officer of Uttar Pradesh State.
Vikram Misri appointed India’s next ambassador to China Ambassador of India to Myanmar, Vikram Misri has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to China, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. Mr Misri, a 1989 batch IFS officer, is expected to take up the assignment shortly.
Additional charge for NDRF chief Sanjay Kumar National Disaster Response Force chief Sanjay Kumar was given additional charge of the post of Director General of Fire Service, Civil Defence and Home Guards.
Facebook India appoints Ajit Mohan as MD & VP Facebook has appointed Ajit Mohan as Managing Director and Vice-President for its Indian operations. Mr. Mohan will be responsible for aligning teams and driving Facebook’s overall strategy in India.
Anil Khosla to be appointed as new Vice Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Anil Khosla will be appointed as the new Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force. Air Marshal R Nambiar, who is currently serving as the Deputy Air Chief, is all set to be designated as the Commander-in-Chief of Eastern Air command which is headquartered at Shillong.
Google appoints Keith Enright as its Chief Privacy Officer Technology giant Google has appointed its privacy lawyer, Keith Enright, as Chief Privacy Officer as the company proposed policies for potential federal regulation of data. In his new role, Enright will be in charge of crafting Google’s strategy on privacy issues.
Kalraj Mishra appointed chairman of House panel on defence A Former minister in the Narendra Modi government, Kalraj Mishra, replaced former Uttarakhand chief minister Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri as the chairman of the parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence. There are 24 parliamentary standing committees, of these 16 are under the administrative control of the Lok Sabha and eight under the Rajya Sabha.
J Packirisamy is the new CEO & MD of Andhra Bank J Packirisamy has assumed charge as Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Andhra Bank. He has been elevated from deputy managing director, mid corporate group State Bank of India (SBI).
A.K. Chaudhary appointed as new SAIL Chairman The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved Anil Kumar Chaudhary‘s name as the new Chairman and Managing Director of Steel Authority of India Ltd. His tenure as CMD of SAIL is likely to be for a little over 2 years.
Jaya Prada appointed goodwill ambassador for Nepal tourism Indian actress Jaya Prada appointed goodwill ambassador for Nepal tourism. Her appointment is for a term of 4 years. She is also a former Member of Parliament. Her appointment would strengthen the cultural ties between India and Nepal and help promote Nepal’s tourism in India.
Anindo Majumdar appointed as new Secretary of CVC Financial Commissioner of Delhi Anindo Majumdar has been appointed as Secretary, Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), according to an official order. Mr Majumdar, who was the chief secretary of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands before coming to Delhi, was in July, appointed financial commissioner, which is a statutory post.
A Gitesh Sarma appointed Secretary (West) in MEA A Gitesh Sarma was appointed as Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). A Gitesh Sarma’s appointment has been approved by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet. He is an Indian Foreign Service Officer (IFS) of 1986 batch. He replaces Ruchi Ghanashyam. Currently, A Gitesh Sarma is additional secretary in the foreign ministry.
Government appoints four members to local boards of RBI Government appointed four members to the local boards of RBI (Reserve Bank of India). Rakesh Jain & Sachin Chaturvedi have been appointed as member in Southern local board and Eastern local board of RBI. Revathy Iyer and Raghvendra Narayan Dubey have been appointed as member in Northern local board of RBI.
Top Scientist KN Vyas appointed Atomic Energy Commission Chief Renowned scientist Kamlesh Nilkanth Vyas has been appointed the secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy and chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission. Mr Vyas, who is at present Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), has been appointed in place of Shekhar Basu.
Tajinder Mukherjee takes over as CMD of NIC Tajinder Mukherjee has taken over as the Chairman and Managing Director of National Insurance Company Limited (NICL). Prior to joining NIC, she was posted as General Manager and Chief Underwriting Officer of New India Assurance.
Government appoints new MD & CEOs at 10 PSBs The government of India cleared the appointment of Chief Executive Officers and Managing Directors (CEOs and MDs) at 10 Public Sector Banks (PSBs). They are part of the 15 names recommended by the Bank Boards Bureau for elevation. Of those named, five are currently the deputy managing directors of State Bank of India (SBI) while the other five are executive directors (EDs) at different government-owned banks.
Varun & Anushka signed as ambassadors of Skill India Campaign Varun Dhawan and Anushka Sharma have been signed on to promote and endorse the Skill India Mission, chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Varun and Anushka will dedicate time to promote India’s skilled talent and their fine work by engaging with them across different parts of the country.
State Bank of India appoints Prashant Kumar as CFO The State Bank of India (SBI) has announced Prashant Kumar as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). He also worked as Chief General Manager, Kolkata circle and General Manager in Mumbai Circle.
National Insurance gets new CMD Tajinder Mukherjee has been appointed as the new Chairman and Managing Director of National Insurance Company Limited (NIC). Prior to her joining the NIC, she was the General Manager and Chief Underwriting Officer of New India Assurance.
D Shivakumar elected as ASCI Chairman Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) appointed D Shivakumar, as its chairman for a term of 3 years. D Shivakumar, is the former head of PepsiCo India. He is currently the Group Executive President, Corporate Strategy at Aditya Birla Group.
Justice Ranjan Gogoi appointed next chief justice of India President of India Ram Nath Kovind has appointed Justice Ranjan Gogoi as next Chief Justice of India as per Article 124 of the Constitution. He will assume office of Chief Justice after retirement of incumbent Chief Justice, Justice Dipak Misra.
LK Advani renominated as Chairman of Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha Senior BJP leader L K Advani was renominated as Chairman of Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha. He was renominated by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. LK Advani represents Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency from Gujarat.
HDFC Life elevates Vibha Padalkar as MD & CEO HDFC Life named its chief financial officer and executive director Vibha Padalkar as the new managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) for a period of three years, after Amitabh Chaudhry quit the position to head Axis Bank.
Aegon Life Insurance appoints Ahmed Zackaria as Chief Distribution Officer Aegon Life Insurance appoints Ahmed Zackaria as Chief Distribution Officer. In this role, Zackaria will manage all the sales channels for the company.
Justice Om Prakash Mishra sworn in as new CJ of Nepal Justice Om Prakash Mishra has been sworn in as new Chief Justice of Nepal. The President Vidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office and secrecy to Justice Mishra in Kathmandu. Parliamentary Hearing Committee (PHC) unanimously endorsed his name for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Justice Mishra was appointed as a justice of the Supreme Court in 2014.
Hima Das made first ever Sports Ambassador of Assam Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal confirmed that Indian Athlete Hima Das will be named as the first ambassador of the State. The announcement came after Hima Das recently become the first Indian woman to win gold in tarck event at IAAF World U-20 Athletics Chamipionships in France. She won gold in 400 m event.
Amitabh Chaudhry appointed CEO & MD of Axis Bank Axis Bank announced that Amitabh Chaudhry has been appointed as its managing director & CEO. Mr. Chaudhry, the MD & CEO of HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company at present, will take the charge at India’s third largest private sector bank after incumbent Shikha Sharma steps down. Mr. Chaudhry, 54, has been associated with HDFC Life since January 2010.
SIAM Elects Rajan Wadhera As New President The Executive Committee of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the apex body of the Indian automotive industry, elected Rajan Wadhera as its new President. He is also the President – Automotive Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra.
Former RBI Governor Bimal Jalan to head panel to select new CEA The Union Government has appointed former Reserve Bank of India governor Bimal Jalan as the head of the panel that has been tasked with selecting India’s next chief economic advisor (CEA). The panel will screen the applications received and conduct interviews.
Mary Kom signed as brand ambassador by BSNL State-run telecom firm Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) roped in Indian boxer MC Mary Kom as its brand ambassador for two years. BSNL will run television commercials, print advertisements and tariff plan endorsement with Kom.
SBI Mutual Fund appoints Ashwani Bhatia as CEO SBI Mutual Fund said it has appointed Ashwani Bhatia as its managing director and chief executive officer. Bhatia takes over from Anuradha Rao, who now returns to State Bank of India (SBI) as deputy managing director. Before joining SBI Mutual Funds, he was in charge of revamping the entire credit structure and processes of SBI.
India retains WHO Regional Director position India retained the top WHO position in South-East Asia Region with Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh unanimously re-elected as Regional Director for another five-year term beginning February 2019. The elections were held at the ongoing regional committee meeting of WHO South-East Asia.
PNB’s Sunil Mehta has been selected as chairman of IBA The Indian Banks Association (IBA) has elected Punjab National Bank’s managing director and chief executive, Sunil Mehta, as the new chairman for 2018-19. Madhav Nair, country head and chief executive, Mashreqbank PSC, has been elected as the Honorary Secretary of the association for 2018-19.
ICICI Bank reappoints Chanda Kochhar on board of ICICI Securities ICICI Bank has favoured the reappointment of Chanda Kochhar as a director on the board of ICICI Securities during the latter’s annual general meeting. This, for all intents and purposes, finalises Kochhar’s another stint at the ICICI Securities board, as the ICICI Bank holds 80 per cent stake in its broking arm.
Mark Read appointed WPP CEO in Place of Martin Sorrell WPP Plc, the world’s largest communication services group, announced the appointment of Mark Read as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Executive Director (ED) to the company’s board with immediate effect. He takes over the position from Martin Sorrell, who resigned from WPP, 33 years after founding the company, following allegations of personal misconduct and misuse of company assets.
Binoy Kumar assumes charge of secretary in Steel Ministry Binoy Kumar has taken over as Secretary, Ministry of Steel, Government of India. He had been posted as Officer on Special Duty in the Ministry. Prior to this, Binoy Kumar held the post of Special Secretary, Logistics, in the Department of Commerce.
Justice Ranjan Gogoi to take charge as the new Chief Justice of IndiaJustice Ranjan Gogoi is set to take over as the new Chief Justice of India. His name has been recommended for the post by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra to the government.
R Madhavan assumes charge as HAL CMD R Madhavan took over as Chairman and Managing Director of defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) from T Suvarna Raju. Prior to this, he was heading the Accessories Division of HAL at Lucknow as an Executive Director.
Balesh Sharma appointed Vodafone Idea’s 1st CEO Balesh Sharma takes over as Vodafone Idea’s first CEO. He was the Chief Operating Officer of Vodafone India and a member of its executive committee. He has previously served as the CEO of Vodafone Czech Republic and the CEO of Vodafone Malta.
RESIGNS
Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom & Mike Krieger resign Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, the co-founders of the photo-sharing app Instagram announced to resign from their respective positions in the social media company. Mike Krieger is the Chief Technical Officer, while Kevin Systrom is the Chief Executive Officer.
Ramesh Bawa resigns as MD and CEO of IL&FS Financial Services IL&FS Financial Services Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ramesh Bawa resigned from his position. Ramesh Bawa has resigned from the post of MD and CEO of IL&FS Financial Services some allegations on the IL&FS group regarding defaults in loan payment and corporate governance issues.
Afghanistan Ambassador to India quits Afghanistan government Ambassador to India Dr.Shaida Mohammad Abdali to quit on September. He presented his resignation personally to President Ashraf Ghani during his visit to Delhi. Dr.Abdali said that he wants to serve his people and country. His remarks showed that he would join politics in Afghanistan.
Twitter India Director Taranjeet Singh quits Taranjeet Singh, who was elevated as Twitter’s Country Director for India has quit the company. He worked for Twitter India for close to four years. Balaji Krish, Twitter’s Global Head of Revenue Strategy and Operations, will become the interim country head.
DEATHS
Pandit Tulsidas Borkar passes away The legendary harmonium artiste Pandit Tulsidas Borkar passed away in Mumbai after a brief illness. He was 83. Born in Borim, Goa. Borkar was conferred the Padma Shri in 2016 for his contributions to Indian music.
Noted Marathi writer Kavita Mahajan passes away at 51 Renowned Marathi writer, novelist and translator Kavita Mahajan, died following pneumonia in Pune, Maharashtra. She was 51 years old. She was born in Nanded, Maharashtra. Some of her popular novels are Brr, Bhinna, etc. She had won Sahitya Akademi translation award in 2011 and Shashikalatai Agashe Award for Children’s Literature in 2013.
Jasdev Singh, an eminent commentator, passed away Jasdev Singh, the renowned Hindi commentator passed away due to prolonged illness. He was 87 and is survived by a son and daughter. Jasdev grew up in Jaipur.
Former BCCI president BN Dutt passes away Former BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) president Biswanath Dutt died following an acute lung infection, at his home in Kolkata. Biswanath Dutt was 92 years old. He was the president of BCCI from 1988 to 1990.
Renowned filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi passes away Renowned filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi passed away in Mumbai. She was 64. Lajmi, a director, producer and screenwriter, was known for working on real subjects. She was known for her women-oriented films like Rudaali, Daman Darmiyaan.
Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang has passed away Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang died aged 61 at a military hospital in the capital Hanoi following a period of illness. Quang was appointed the president, a largely ceremonial role, in April 2016, and served alongside Vietnam’s de facto leader Communist Party Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Before that, he served as minister of public security.
Former Odisha Minister Dolagobinda Pradhan passes away Noted freedom fighter and former Odisha Minister Dolagobinda Pradhan passed away in Bhubaneswar. He was 93. A follower of Mahatma Gandhi, he took part in the Quit India Movement in 1942 and got imprisoned by the then British government for 3 years and two months.
India’s first woman IAS officer Anna Malhotra dies India’s first woman IAS officer post-Independence, Anna Rajam Malhotra, died at her residence in suburban Andheri. She was 91. Malhotra joined the civil services in 1951 and opted for the Madras cadre. She married R N Malhotra, who served as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 1985 to 1990.
Former Union Minister Satya Prakash Malviya passes away Former Union petroleum minister Satya Prakash Malaviya passed away in Delhi. He was 84. Mr. Malaviya had served as the petroleum minister in the cabinet headed by former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar.
Freedom fighter Goura Chandra Mohapatra passes away at 104 Freedom fighter Goura Chandra Mohapatra passed away following old age related ailments, at a hospital in Bhadrak district, Odisha. Goura Chandra Mohapatra was 104 years old. He was son of nationalist poet Kanta Kabi Laxmikant Mohapatra.
Artist Mehlli Gobhai passes away The Mumbai-based artist, Mehlli Gobhai has died at the age of 87 in a city hospital this morning. The artist was said to be ailing for a while and had been hospitalised for a month.
Economist Vijay Shankar Vyas passes away Vijay Shankar Vyas, an agricultural economist who had worked with two Prime Ministers as a member of their Economic Advisory Councils (EAC), passed away after a brief illness. He was 87. He is survived by wife and two sons. Prof. Vyas was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2006. He was a member of the EAC during the tenures of former Prime Ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh.
Noted writer Dr Rita Jitendra passed away Writer Dr Rita Jitendra passed away due to cardiac arrest in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir. Dr Rita Jitendra was a leading educationist, renowned artist, writer and social activist. She was former secretary of Jammu & kashmir academy of Art, Culture & Language.
Hollywood actor Burt Reynolds passes away Burt Reynolds, whose good looks and charm made him one of Hollywood’s most popular actors as he starred in films such as ‘Deliverance,’ ‘The Longest Yard’ and ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ in the 1970s and ’80s, has passed away at the age of 82.
Bhagwati Kumar Sharma passes away Noted Gujarati author, journalist and poet Bhagwati Kumar Sharma passed away in Surat. He was 84. Born in 1934 in Surat, Shri Bhagwati Kumar Sharma had received Sahitya Academy award for his Gujarati novel Ashuryalok. Mr Sharma received Gujarati literature awards Ranjitram suvarna chandrak and Kumar paritoshik.
Jain Muni Tarun Sagar passes away Popular Jain monk Tarun Sagar passed away at Radhapuri Jain Temple in east Delhi after a prolonged illness. He was 51. Born on 1967 in Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh as Pawan Kumar Jain, he chose to live the life a monk at a tender age of 13 after getting inspired by the sermons of another popular monk Acharya Pushpdant Sagar.
Harikrishna dies in car crash Telugu film actor, senior leader of the Telugu Desam Party and former MP Nandamuri Harikrishna died in a road accident in the Nalgonda district of Telangana. He would have turned 62. Harikrishna was third among the eight sons of former chief minister, Telugu Desam Party founder and legendary film actor Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao.
VISITORS
Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani visits India Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani was recently in India for visit. During a day-long visit, he reviewed and positively assessed the progress of the multi-faceted bilateral strategic partnership. Both leaders (Narendra Modi and Ashraf Ghani) expressed determination to strengthen connectivity, including through Chabahar port and Air-Freight Corridor.
VP to visit Serbia, Malta & Romania Vice President Venkaiah Naidu will embark on a three-nation tour to Serbia, Malta and Romania to boost ties with the Central European countries.
Defence Minister visited Governor Satya Pal Malik Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik and discussed the security situation in the State. They also discussed the issues of security along the Line of Control (LOC) and in the hinterland.
MISCELLANEOUS
Mukesh Ambani topped Barclays Hurun rich list Billionaire Mukesh Ambani, chairman of India’s second-most valued firm ‘Reliance Industries’, has topped the ‘Barclays Hurun India Rich List 2018’ for the seventh consecutive year, with the total net worth of INR 371,000 crore.
Satyarup Siddhanta, Mousumi Khatua scaled Asia’s highest volcanic peak Mount Damavand Mount Damavand is the highest peak in Iran and also a potentially active volcano. At an elevation of 5609 metres, Mt Damavand is known for its Sulphur discharge near its peak which can cause irreparable damage if exposed for a longer duration. This is the fourth volcanic summit for Siddhanta.
Miss Diva Universe 2018 The 22-year-old Mumbai girl Nehal Chudasama was declared as the winner of Miss Diva Miss universe 2018. She will now be representing India at Miss Universe. Nehal Chudasama is thrilled to be crowned as Yamaha Fascino Miss Diva Universe and says the feeling will take some time to settle as this was her long standing dream.
BOOKS IN NEWS
Dr. Mahesh Sharma released 2 books of National Museum The Minister of State for Culture (Independent Charge) and Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Dr. Mahesh Sharma Released two important publications of the National Museum in New Delhi. To the objective of generate awareness about the activities of National Museum.
Sundeep Misra to write a book on sprinter Dutee Chand, Story So Far The incredible story of Dutee Chand, who rose from abject poverty to become one of India’s biggest sprinting stars, will be brought alive in the form of a book titled as, “Story so far”. The announcement was made by publisher Westland, which was acquired by Amazon in 2017. The book is written by journalist, author and filmmaker Sundeep Misra, who has previously authored a biography of hockey legend Dhanraj Pillay.
Final book of Vineet Bajpai’s Harappa trilogy launched Kashi: Secret of the Black Temple, the final book of Vineet Bajpai’s Harappa trilogy, was launched in New Delhi. The three books in the series combine mythology, history, fantasy, crime and the modern-day thriller element. The first two books are Harappa: Curse of the Blood River and Pralay: The Great Deluge. The three books have been brought out by Bajpai’s publishing platform TreeShade Books.
Radha Mohan Singh releases a profile booklet titled ‘NCDC- Assisting Cooperative. Always!’ Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Radha Mohan Singh released a booklet titled ‘NCDC-Assisting Cooperatives. Always!’ in New Delhi. The booklet highlighted the role and activities assisted by National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC).
Preeti Shenoy pens new book ‘The Rule Breakers’ Preeti Shenoy announced the launch of her new book named ‘The Rule Breakers’. This book covers complex themes of women’s equality, gender, inclusion etc. It is published by Westland Books.
Book on ‘Experiential Learning – Gandhiji’s Nai Talim’ launched A book named ‘Experiential Learning – Gandhiji’s Nai Talim’ (basic education) was released by Union Minister of Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar, on the occasion of National Teachers’ Day. It contains basic principles of Gandhi’s ‘Nai Talim’, along with the work and education curriculum for schools, D.Ed, B.Ed and faculty development programmes for teachers.
Constitutionalizing India: an Ideational Project The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that we should salute the constitution-framers for giving us a constitution that strengthened parliamentary democracy and stood the test of times, even as it evolved through several amendments.
PM releases book ‘Moving on, Moving Forward – A Year in Office’ The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, released the book ‘Moving On, Moving Forward – A Year in Office’ to mark one year in office of Vice President Venkaiah Naidu. He also presented the first copy of the book to the Vice President of India. The book was written by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu to mark his one year in office.
Shades of Truth: A Journey Derailed by Kapil Sibal Congress MP Kapil Sibal will be releasing a new book titled ‘Shades of Truth: A Journey Derailed’ arguing that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government “revels in the past” and debunking the claim of “Acche Din” that the BJP made in the run up to 2014 general elections.
RK Singh releases book on ‘Weather Information Portal for Indian Power System’ Shri R K Singh, Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy visited Power System Operation Corporation limited (POSOCO), and released a book on ‘Weather Information Portal for Indian Power System’.
COMMITTEES
High Level Committee Constituted on Corporate Social Responsibility A High Level Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility – 2018 (HLC-2018) has been constituted under the Chairmanship of Shri. Injeti Srinivas, Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) to review the existing framework and guide and formulate the roadmap for a coherent policy on Corporate Social Responsibility ( CSR).
Govt constitutes Lokpal search committee The Centre constituted an eight-member search committee, to be headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, to recommend the chairperson and members of the anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal. The search committee is a major step towards setting up of the Lokpal.
Supreme court constitutes committee to look into jail reforms The Supreme Court constituted a three-member committee headed by its former judge Justice Amitava Roy to look into the aspect of jail reforms across the country and suggest measures to deal with them. A bench headed by Justice M B Lokur said the panel will look into the issues including overcrowding in prisons.
Centre sets up panel of Secretaries to look into E-Commerce issues With concerns being raised on some proposals of the draft e-commerce policy, the government has set up a group of secretaries to look into the issues. The group will be chaired by the secretary in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).
NGT appointed three committees to monitor disposal of garbage National Green Tribunal (NGT) has formed 3 committees: apex monitoring Committee, Regional Monitoring Committees and state level committees to look over implementation of directions given by NGT and other rules. NGT has mandated every state to follow Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
DAYS & DATES
29 September: World Heart Day World Heart Day takes place on 29th September every year and is the World Heart Federation and the world’s biggest platform for raising awareness about cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke. It was launched in 2000 by the World Heart Federation as an annual event.
28 September: World Rabies Day World Rabies Day is celebrated on 28 September. It is celebrated annually to raise awareness about rabies prevention and to highlight progress in defeating this horrifying disease.
27 September: World Tourism Day World Tourism Day is observed every year globally on 27th September. ‘Tourism and the Digital Transformation’ is the theme of this year’s World Tourism Day (WTD). Hungary is the host country for this year’s WTD.
23 September: International day of Sign Languages International Day of Sign Languages is celebrated annually across the world on 23 September every year along with International Week of the Deaf. This day aims to raise awareness of the importance of sign language in the full realization of the human rights of people who are deaf. This year it was first International Day of Sign Languages. Its theme was ‘With Sign Language, Everyone is Included’.
21 September: International day of Peace Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples. The theme for International Day of Peace 2018 is “The Right to Peace – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70”. The theme celebrates the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
18 September: International day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer was observed on 16th September throughout the world. The theme for International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer 2018 was ‘Keep Cool and Carry On: The Montreal Protocol’.
15 September: Engineer’s Day Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya’s birthday is celebrated on 15 September as Engineer’s Day. Fondly referred to as Sir MV, M Visvesvaraya was a world-renowned civil engineer who was a master of irrigation design. He was also referred to as the father of engineers by many.
8 September: International Literacy Day International Literacy Day, celebrated annually on 8 September, is an opportunity for Governments, civil society and stakeholders to highlight improvements in world literacy rates, and reflect on the world’s remaining literacy challenges. This year’s theme is ‘Literacy and skills development.’
Sep 05: International Day of Charity The International Day of Charity was observed globally on September 5, 2018 with an aim to recognise the role of charity in alleviating human suffering within and among nations, as well as to recognise the efforts of charitable organisations and individuals such as Mother Teresa.
BANKING AWARENESS
RBI eases cash reserve rules to ease Liquidity The Reserve Bank of India allowed banks to dip further into statutory cash reserves in a bid to ease a liquidity squeeze afflicting the nation’s money markets. As per the RBI, banks could ‘carve out’ up to 15% of holdings under the statutory liquidity reserves to meet their liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) requirements as compared to 13% now.
SBI reassures NBFCs on liquidity concerns The State Bank of India (SBI) asked non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) not to worry about credit availability as it would continue to support them. ‘There is no concern on liquidity of NBFCs in view of their liquid cash position and availability of committed lines’ SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar said.
YES Bank slapped with Rs 38 crore in GST fines Midsized private sector lender Yes Bank has paid Rs 38 crore in fines to the GST department for alleged violations in domestic remittances. Over Rs. 32 crore has been paid to the GST department, while Rs 6 crore has been paid in service tax which has been replaced by GST.
IPPB Bajaj Allianz tie up for insurance products sale India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) signed a 5-year Corporate Agency Agreement with Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co. Ltd. (BALIC) to offer life insurance products to its consumers. BALIC is the first life insurer to tie up with IPPB since its launch. Initially, simple term and Point of Sale (POS) products of BALIC will be sold through IPPB.
Centre Proposes to merge Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank & Dena Bank The Centre proposed the merger of state-owned Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank in order to create India’s third-largest bank. The decision was made during the ministerial panel meeting that oversees merger proposals of state-owned banks.
RBI to buy G-Secs in open market The Reserve Bank to purchase government securities (G-secs) worth Rs 10,000 crore on September, a move aimed at inducing liquidity in the system. The purchase of the government securities will be done through Open Market Operations (OMO).
RBI slaps Rs 1 cr fine each on UBI, BoI, Maharashtra Bank The Reserve Bank in three separate releases said it has imposed a penalty of Rs 1 crore each on the three banks of Union Bank of India (UBI), Bank of India and Bank of Maharashtra. The penalty has been imposed taking into account delay on the part of the bank to detect and report fraud in an account, it said.
HDFC Bank is India’s most valued brand HDFC Bank retained its top spot in the Brand India Top 50 for the fifth year in a row. The total brand value of HDCF bank grew by 21 percent to $21.7 billion in 2018. Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) comes at the second spot due to the key role played by its pension plan business, while Tata Consultancy Services ranked third on the list.
NABARD Sanctioned Rs 335 crore to WB National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned an amount of Rs 335 crore under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) to West Bengal. The fund, alloted in August, would be used for 158 minor irrigation projects and 23 flood protection projects.
SBI appoints Anshula Kant as Managing Director The State Bank of India (SBI) said that the government has appointed Anshula Kant as the Managing Director of the bank. She is at present the Deputy Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of India’s leading lender SBI. Her name was recommended by the Bank Boards Bureau for the post.
Airtel Payments Bank enables card-less cash withdrawal at ATMs Airtel Payment Bank, India’s first payments bank, has announced that its customers can now make card-less cash withdrawals at over 100,000 ATMs across India. The technology can be used for self-withdrawal or for sending money to an intended recipient for ATM cash withdrawal. IMT is the largest cardless cash ATM network in the world.
RBI bought 8.46 tonne of gold in fiscal 2018 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has bought 8.46 tonne of gold in the financial year 2017-18, the first purchase of gold by the apex bank in almost nine years. RBI purchased 200 tonne of gold in November 2009 from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Banks with over 10 branches to have ombudsman: RBI The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) asked all scheduled commercial banks with more than 10 branches to appoint an internal ombudsman (IO). The apex bank has, however, excluded regional rural banks (RRBs) from appointing IOs.
IPPB replaces ATM/ debit cards with QR cards India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) does away with ATM cards and debit cards for both cash and cashless transactions. IPPB will issue new QR (Quick-Response) cards which work on biometric authentication and not on passwords or PINs. QR card transactions can be done through postmen, post offices or Grameen Dak Sevaks (GDS).
SBI hikes Benchmark lending rate By 0.2% Home, auto and other loans would become costlier as the country’s largest lender, State Bank of India, has increased its benchmark lending rate or MCLR by 0.2%, a development followed by other lenders. Now SBI’s overnight and one-month tenor marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR) stands at 8.1% as against 7.9%.
HDFC Bank to adopt 30 villages in flood-hit Kerala HDFC Bank has announced that it will adopt 30 villages in flood-hit Kerala as part of its long-term relief and rehabilitation efforts. This initiative is aimed at helping people in the worst-hit parts of the State recover, a spokesman said.
India and ADB Sign $375 Million Loan The government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $375 million loan agreement to contribute to double farming incomes in Madhy