Current Affairs 16th September 2018
NATIONAL
- The festival of Nuakhai is being celebrated in Odisha. During this harvest festival of western Odisha, new produce Nabannis offered to presiding deities.
- The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, launched the ‘Swachhata Hi Seva’ Movement, to boost nationwide public participation in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, and catalyse the fulfilment of Bapu’s dream of a Clean India.
INTERNATIONAL
- India and Serbia signed agreements on cooperation in plant protection and plant quarantine and on-air services, following the talks between Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
BANKING & ECONOMY
- 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.
- The government has announced an array of steps to check the rising Current Account Deficit (CAD), and the fall in rupee.
- The Reserve Bank to purchase government securities (G-secs) worth Rs 10,000 crore on September 19, a move aimed at inducing liquidity in the system. The purchase of the government securities will be done through Open Market Operations (OMO)
- 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.
SPORTS
- Sardar Singh has announced his retirement from international hockey. He made the decision after a disappointing Asian Games where India failed to defend their title and had to settle for a Bronze medal.
AWARDS
- 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.
