Daily GK Updates - 13th September, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Assam govt to distribute over 1 lakh pump sets to double farmers’ income by 2022 : According to Assam Agriculture Minister Atul Bora, the state government will distribute over 1 lakh pump sets to double the farmers’ income by 2022.The pump sets will be distributed under NABARD’s Rural Infrastructure Development Project.

2. Haryana Signs MoU with Indian Oil for Ethanol plan : The Haryana government has signed a MoU (memorandum of understanding) with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to set up an ethanol plant in Panipat with an outlay of over Rs 900 crore.The initiative with a proposed capacity of 100 kilolitres of ethanol per day will manage crop residue and prevent straw burning before the upcoming paddy season.

The pact will be valid for one year.

3. Andhra Pradesh launches E-Rythu to boost cashless farm ecosystem :The Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has launched a mobile platform, e-Rythu (e-farmer in Telugu) to enable small-scale farmers to market their produce at reasonable prices.The platform has been developed by global payments and technology company Mastercard.

4. Tamil Nadu govt bans e-cigarettes in state : The Tamil Nadu government has banned e-cigarettes in the state, it is a myth that it is less harmful than Beedis and cigarettes.The ban covers distribution, trade, display, marketing, advertisement, use, import and possession of e-cigarettes.According to the recent Global Adult Tobacco Survey showed that 20% of people in Tamil Nadu (31% men and 9.8% women) use tobacco.The e-cigarette is a battery run an electronic device that tries to create the feeling of tobacco smoking.

5. Assam CM Sonowal inaugurates Indo-Bhutan Border Centre : Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has inaugurated the Indo-Bhutan Border Centre at Darranga in Assam's Baksa district to strengthen bilateral trade with the neighbouring country.The Centre has decided to construct 264 km of border roads touching four BTAD districts of the state.

6. Manoj Jhalani selected for UNIATF Award : Shri Manoj Jhalani 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.Mr Jhalani is the Additional Secretary & Mission Director (NHM), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Sushma Swaraj embarks on a two-day visit to Moscow : The union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj embarked on a two-day visit to Moscow to hold the meeting of the 23rd India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Technical and Economic Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC).Mrs Swaraj will co-chair the meeting with Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Yuri Borisov.

OTHER UPDATES:

BUSINESS/ECONOMY:

1.  CCEA approves 25 per cent hike in ethanol price : According to the Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved over 25% hike in the price of ethanol produced directly from sugarcane juice for blending in petrol.The procurement price of ethanol derived from 100 % sugarcane juice to 59 rupees 13 paise per litre (current rate - 47 rupees 13 paise).The price for ethanol produced from B-heavy molasses has been hiked to 52 rupees 43 paise a litre(current rate- 47 rupees 13 paise).

2.  Retail inflation fell to 10-month low of 3.69 per cent in August : Retail inflation fell to a 10-month low of 3.69% in August on the back of easing prices of fruits, vegetables and other food items.The Consumer Price Index-based inflation was at 4.17 per cent in July.Retail inflation means the increase in prices of certain products or commodities compared to a base price.

BANKING/FINANCE:

1. HDFC Life elevates Vibha Padalkar as MD and CEO : HDFC Life has appointed ‘Vibha Padalkar’ as its new managing director(MD) and CEO for a period of three years.Currently, Vibha Padalkar is the executive director and chief financial officer of HDFC Standard Life Insurance.She is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India(ICAI).

SPORTS:

1. 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.He (usually plays the centre-half position) made over 350 international appearances for India and captained the national team from 2008 to 2016.