Daily Current Affairs 18th September 2024, Important News Headlines (Daily GK Update)

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 from September 29 to October 6, 2024.

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

In 2014 Honorable Prime Minister of India launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, it has a transformative impact in our society. This year it will mark its 10th anniversary and this year Swachhata hi Seva 2024 campaign embraces the theme of ‘Swabhav Swachhata – Sanskaar Swachhata’.

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 and injuries to approximately 2,800 others, including Hezbollah fighters, medics, and Iran’s envoy to Beirut. 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.

India and US Explore Enhanced Energy Cooperation

India and the US have committed to deepening their bilateral cooperation across the energy value chain, aiming for a just and orderly energy transition. 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, held during GasTech 2024 in Houston. The two leaders discussed expanding collaboration between their nations’ institutions and companies, focusing on advancing both conventional and renewable energy sectors.

Banking News

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

At the 4th RE-Invest Summit, hosted by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), leading renewable energy (RE) developers, manufacturing companies, banks, and financial institutions pledged close to $386 billion (Rs 32.45 trillion) to develop RE projects by 2030. India aims to build 500 gigawatts (Gw) of RE capacity by 2030, but commitments from the solar power industry have reached 570 Gw. Reliance Industries (RIL) leads the pack with a 100 Gw commitment, followed by NTPC (41.3 Gw) and ReNew (40 Gw).

Economy 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), authored by EAC-PM member Sanjeev Sanyal, highlights the relative economic performance of Indian states from 1960-61 to 2023-24. Titled “Relative Economic Performance of Indian States: 1960-61 to 2023-24,” the paper reveals that West Bengal, once holding the third-largest share of the national GDP at 10.5% in 1960-61, has seen a consistent decline, now accounting for only 5.6% of India’s GDP in 2023-24. The report notes that maritime states have generally outperformed others, with the exception of West Bengal.

Windfall Tax on Crude Petroleum Slashed to Zero

The government has scrapped the windfall tax on domestically produced crude oil with effect from September 18. The windfall tax on domestically produced crude oil will be zero, the government said in a notification.

Appointments News

Atishi Marlena Set To Be New CM of Delhi

43 year old, Atishi Marlena from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will be the new Chief Minister of state Delhi. She will replace the AAP supremo and party chief Arvind Kejriwal. Decision was taken in the meeting of member of legislative assembly.

Business 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, with the trade deficit hitting 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.

Schemes 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, an initiative aimed at providing unorganised labour with access to various social security schemes. This step is crucial to ensure workers’ access to social welfare benefits and 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 Asian Champions Trophy in 2024, by winning a goal from Jugraj Singh, India beat China 1-0 in the final game of the tournament.

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

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that men’s and women’s cricket teams will receive equal prize money in all World Cup events, starting with the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup. Set to take place next month in the UAE, this tournament will make cricket the first major team sport to offer equal prize money across genders.