Joint Indian-US army exercise ‘Yudh Abhyas 2016’ to begin in Uttarakhand
i. As part of the ongoing Indo-US defence cooperation, a joint military training exercise, ‘Yudh Abhyas 2016’ is set to be conducted in Uttarakhand from September 14 to 27.
ii. The exercise in Chaubattia was being conducted by the headquarter Central Command.
Cabinet Approves Formation and Functioning of GST Council
i. The Union Cabinet has approved the formation, process and functioning of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council.
ii. The primary function of the GST Council will be to decide the GST rate along with many other things.
iii. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will be heading the GST Council, which will comprise state finance ministers as well.
Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Awards presented
i. The five-day-long 22nd Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival concluded at the Rabindra Mandap auditorium with the presentation of the prestigious awards named after the legendary Odissi artists. Click here for more
Vidya Balan Brand Ambassador of Samajwadi Pension Yojana
i. Bollywood actress Vidya Balan appointed as brand ambassador of the ambitious Samajwadi Pension Yojana by Uttar Pradesh government.
ii. The actor who had earlier been associated with the “ghar-ghar shauchalya” campaign of the Union government will be seen campaigning about the scheme in the coming months.
ii. The main Objective of the scheme to encourage savings among people living below the poverty line and provide them financial assistance.
Filipino revenge drama wins best picture at the world’s oldest film festival
i. A revenge drama Ang Babaeng Humayo (The Woman Who Left) on 10 September 2016 won the Golden Lion for Best Film Award at the 73 Venice Film Festival.
ii. On the other hand, Russian director Andrei Konchalovsky and Mexican film director Amat Escalante shared Silver Lion for Best Direction for their respective films Paradise and The Untamed.
Govt launches toll-free number for postal complaints
i. The government today launched a toll-free number 1924 to register postal complaints.
ii. It will initially be operational for 12 hours on working days and has been started in Hindi, Malayalam, and English. Notably, Department of Posts (DoP) is the 8th largest department in terms of the number of complaints.
Mandi, Sindhudurg Emerge Cleanest Districts In India
i. Mandi in Himachal Pradesh and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra have emerged the cleanest districts in India according to a report released in New Delhi by Drinking Water and Sanitation Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.
ii. Besides, the districts of Shimla (Himachal Pradesh), Nadia (West Bengal) and Satara (Maharashtra) feature at the top of the index.
HP, Singapore sign MoU for smart integrated township
i. Himachal Pradesh government has signed a preliminary Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Singapore government for developing a smart integrated township in Jathiadevi near Shimla airport.
ii. The MoU was signed between Himachal PradeshHousing and Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA) and Asian Pacific SingaporeEnterprise in the presence of Urban Development and Town and Country Planning and Housing minister Sudhir Sharma.
Army Green beat Neroca FC to win Durand Cup
i. Army Green on has won the 128th edition of Durand Cup football title.
ii. Army Green defeated Neroca FC 6-5 via penalty shootouts.
Pakistan appoints Wasim Bari as manager of national cricket team
i. Former Pakistan Test captain Wasim Bari has been appointed as the new manager of the national team for the coming ‘home’ series against the West Indies in the UAE.
ii. 68-year-old Bari, who played 81 Tests and 51 ODIs, has also served as chief selector and chief operating officer in the board.
Stan Wawrinka Beats Defending U.S. Open Champion Novak Djokovic
i. Stan Wawrinka defeated world number one Novak Djokovic to claim a 3rd Grand Slam title at the US Open tennis tournament.
ii. Wawrinka secured a 6-7 (1/7), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 victory over Serbia’s Djokovic.
Centre inaugurates national fair in Bengaluru
i. Union Minister of State for Ayush (Independent Charge) Shri Shripad Yesso Naik and Union minister for Fertilisers and Chemicals and Parliamentary Affairs Shri Ananth Kumar inaugurated the National Fair on comprehensive Indian Medicine system (AROGYA) in Bengaluru.
ii. The two days BRICS Wellness Workshop and AROGYA fair is being organized by the Ministry of AYUSH, in collaboration with Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS).
Centre issues fresh guidelines for flexi-fund for CSS
i. The government has issued fresh flexi-fund guidelines that will give more freedom to states in spending money under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) to meet local developmental requirements.
ii. Under the new norms, flexi-funds in each CSS has been increased from the current 10% to 25% for states and 30% for Union Territories.
Government approves agreement with Kenya for cooperation in National Housing Policy
i. Union Cabinet under the chairmanship of Prime Minister gave approval for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Kenya on cooperation in the field of National Housing Policy Development and Management (NHPDM).
ii. The MoU was signed on 11th July, 2016 at Nairobi during the visit of the PM Modi to Kenya.
Important Current Affairs Quiz for Bank ...
