National News

Rashtrapati Nilayam to Host Bhartiya Kala Mahotsav in Late September

• Rashtrapati Nilayam, in collaboration with the Ministry of Development of North-East Region and the Ministry of Culture, will host the first edition of Bharatiya Kala Mahotsav.
• The event will take place from September 29 to October 6, 2024.
• This festival aims to showcase the rich cultural heritage of India.
• Various artists from across the country will participate in this grand event.

National News

Swachh Bharat Mission poised to enter its next decade and SHS launched

• The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, launched by the Honorable Prime Minister in 2014, marks its 10th anniversary this year.
• The mission has had a transformative impact on Indian society.
• The 2024 campaign, Swachhata hi Seva, embraces the theme ‘Swabhav Swachhata – Sanskaar Swachhata’.
• Various activities and initiatives will be undertaken to promote cleanliness and hygiene.

International News

Lebanon Pager Explosions: At Least 9 Killed, Thousands Injured

• A series of pager explosions across Lebanon resulted in the deaths of at least nine people.
• Approximately 2,800 others, including Hezbollah fighters, medics, and Iran’s envoy to Beirut, were injured.
• The explosions occurred around 3:45 PM local time and lasted for about an hour.
• The Lebanese government and Hezbollah have attributed the attacks to Israel, describing them as a significant escalation in ongoing conflicts.

International News

India and US Explore Enhanced Energy Cooperation

• India and the US have committed to deepening their bilateral cooperation across the energy value chain.
• This agreement emerged from a meeting between Indian Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, and US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources, Geoffrey Pyatt.
• The meeting took place during GasTech 2024 in Houston.
• The focus will be on advancing both conventional and renewable energy sectors.

Banking and Finance News

Banks and FIs to Invest Rs 32.5 Trillion in Renewable Energy by 2030

• At the 4th RE-Invest Summit, leading renewable energy developers, manufacturing companies, banks, and financial institutions pledged close to $386 billion (Rs 32.45 trillion) for RE projects by 2030.
• India aims to build 500 gigawatts (Gw) of RE capacity by 2030.
• Commitments from the solar power industry have reached 570 Gw.
• Reliance Industries (RIL) leads with a 100 Gw commitment, followed by NTPC (41.3 Gw) and ReNew (40 Gw).

Rank and Reports News

Haryana Overtakes Punjab in GDP, West Bengal’s Decades-Long Economic Decline

• A working paper by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) highlights the relative economic performance of Indian states from 1960-61 to 2023-24.
• The paper, authored by EAC-PM member Sanjeev Sanyal, reveals that West Bengal’s share of the national GDP has declined from 10.5% in 1960-61 to 5.6% in 2023-24.
• Haryana has overtaken Punjab in terms of GDP.
• Maritime states have generally outperformed others, with the exception of West Bengal.

Banking and Finance News

Windfall Tax on Crude Petroleum Slashed to Zero

• The government has scrapped the windfall tax on domestically produced crude oil.
• The change is effective from September 18.
• The windfall tax on domestically produced crude oil will now be zero.
• This decision was announced through a government notification.

Appointments and Resignations News

Atishi Marlena Set To Be New CM of Delhi

• Atishi Marlena from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will be the new Chief Minister of Delhi.
• She will replace the AAP supremo and party chief Arvind Kejriwal.
• The decision was taken in a meeting of the members of the legislative assembly.
• Atishi Marlena is 43 years old and has been a prominent figure in the party.

Banking and Finance News

India’s Exports Shrink 9.3% in August, Trade Deficit at 10-Month High

• India’s exports fell 9.3% in August to $34.7 billion.
• The trade deficit hit a 10-month high of $29.7 billion as imports surged to $64.4 billion.
• Factors such as softening oil prices, reduced demand from China, and global recession contributed to the slowdown in exports.
• Imports grew 3%, driven by a sharp increase in gold inflows ahead of the festive season and reduced import duties on gold.

National News

Centre Asks Platform Aggregators to Register Workers on e-Shram Portal

• The Indian government has mandated that platform aggregators onboard themselves and their gig workers onto the e-Shram portal.
• This initiative aims to provide unorganised labour with access to various social security schemes.
• The step is crucial to ensure workers’ access to social welfare benefits.
• It also aims to maintain an accurate registry of beneficiaries.

Sports News

Indian Men’s Hockey Team Won Asian Champions Trophy 2024

• India’s Men’s Hockey Team clinched the 5th Title of the Asian Champions Trophy in 2024.
• India beat China 1-0 in the final game of the tournament.
• The winning goal was scored by Jugraj Singh.
• This victory adds to India’s impressive record in the tournament.

Sports News

ICC introduces equal prize money for men’s and women’s cricket World Cups

• The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced equal prize money for men’s and women’s cricket teams in all World Cup events.
• This change will start with the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup.
• The tournament is set to take place next month in the UAE.
• Cricket becomes the first major team sport to offer equal prize money across genders.