National
Union Government constitutes Committee to suggest steps to promote card payments:
i) The Union Finance Ministry has constituted 11 members high-level committee to suggest steps to promote card payments with an aim to discourage cash transactions.
ii) The 11-member committee will be headed by Principle Adviser for social sector in NITI Aayog and former Finance Secretary Ratan P Watal.
The terms of reference of committee:
i) Recommend various measures to incentivise transactions through cards and digital means, e.g., through tax incentives/rebates, introduction of cash back/lottery.
ii) Review the payments system in the country and recommend measures for encouraging digital payments.
iii) Study and recommend need for changes, if any, in the regulatory mechanism under various laws, relevant for the purpose of promotion of payments by digital modes.
BCCI submits first Compliance Report to Lodha Panel panel:
i) The Lodha Panel wants 11 reforms to be implemented by the 15th October.
ii) The BCCI Secretary Ajay Shirke has submitted the first Compliance Report to the Supreme Court-appointed Justice RM Lodha Panel in regards to the implementation of reforms as per the apex court verdict.
iii) Earlier, BCCI has filed a Review Petition with the Supreme Court seeking recusal of Chief Justice of India TS Thakur from the case.
Maharashtra Government unveils Mumbai-Nagpur Super Communication Expressway project –
i) Maharashtra Government has unveiled ambitious Mumbai-Nagpur Super Communication Expressway project in Mumbai. The 46,000-crore rupee ambitious project will create state-of-the art road connectivity within a period of three years and give a fillip to investment in the state.
ii) Mumbai-Nagpur Super Communication Expressway project will be implemented by Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).
Japanese scientists detect rare deep-Earth tremor S wave microseism:
i) Scientists in Japan studying earthquakes for the first time have detected a rare deep-Earth tremor, known as an S (secondary) wave microseism. Microseisms are very faint tremors.
ii) The detection was made by scientists from the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention in Japan.
iii) The storm in the North Atlantic known as a weather bomb which was a small but potent storm that gains punch as pressure quickly mounts.
US to create world’s largest protected marine area off Hawaii:
i) United States is going to create world’s largest protected marine reserve area named as Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument off the Hawaiian coast.
ii) It will be created by expansion of present national monument off Hawaii. US President Barck Obama will use his power to expand this national monument.
Pakistan to host 19th SAARC Summit in Islamabad:
i) Pakistan is going to host the 19th SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Summit in Islamabad (capital city) and Murree on November 9 and 10, 2016.
ii) It will be the meeting of the head of states or head of government of the eight SAARC countries. Besides, nine observers of SAARC have also been invited to attend the Summit.
iii) The 19th SAARC Summit was held in Kathmandu, Nepal in November 2014 with the theme Deeper Integration for Peace and Prosperity. It had focused on enhancing connectivity between the member states for easier transit-transport across the region
22nd edition of Delhi Book Fair begins:
i) The 22nd edition of the Delhi Book Fair (DBF) began at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. The nine day event will conclude on 4th of September 2016. Focus of the this edition of DBF will be to highlight initiatives undertaken by
ii) Union Government for its Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan to inculcate better reading habits among the younger generation.
iii) The Delhi Book Fair has been organised by Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) in association with Federation of Indian Publishers.
PM announces task force for next three Olympics:
i) The task force will prepare a comprehensive action plan for effective participation of Indian sports persons in the coming Olympic Games. The 2020 Olympic Games will be held in Tokyo(Japan).
ii) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced to set up a task force to prepare action Plan for the next three Olympics Games (2020, 2024 and 2028).
Short News
i) Karnataka Bank MD and CEO P Jayarama Bhat has launched a mobile application KBL-SMARTz built on the unified payments interface (UPI) platform of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
ii) The Nagaland State Assembly has passed the Goods and Service Tax (GST) Constitution Amendment Bill, 8th State to ratify the tax reform.
iii) The Central government has appointed Gopal Murli Bhagat as Executive Director of Corporation Bank for a period of three years. Prior to his elevation, Bhagat was General Manager with Bank of India.
iv) IT capital of the country, Bengaluru, will host the 2017 Bharatiya Pravasi Divas. It is scheduled to take place on February 7, 8 and 9 of 2017.
v) The US Postal Service will commemorate the festival of Diwali with a Forever stamp on Oct 5 and on behalf of this a dedication ceremony to be hosted at Consulate General of India in New York.
vi) The World Bank has announced a funding of Rs 980 crore to dredge the Brahmaputra as an initiative to develop waterways to Bangladesh and to other South East Asian countries which is give fillip to trade and industry in the Area.
vii) Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, DIPP, will launch a nation-wide awareness campaign on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).