1. PM to inaugurate SEMICON India 2024
– Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate SEMICON India 2024 at India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh
– SEMICON India 2024 is being organised with the theme “Shaping the Semiconductor Future”
2. Official Visit of HH Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi to India
Agreements signed :
1. MoU in the field of Barakah Nuclear Power Plant Operations and Maintenance between Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC) and Nuclear Power Cooperation of India Limited (NPCIL)
2. An Agreement for long-term LNG supply between Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited
3. MoU between ADNOC and India Strategic Petroleum Reserve Limited (ISPRL)
4. Production Concession Agreement for Abu Dhabi Onshore Block 1 between Urja Bharat and ADNOC
5. MoU between Government of Gujarat and Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company PJSC (ADQ) on food parks development in India
3. Five Successful Years of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana (PM-KMY)
– Launched on September 12, 2019, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojna (PM-KMY) has been providing social security to all land-holding Small and Marginal Farmers (SMFs) across the country.
– This old-age pension scheme is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme.
– Under the initiative, eligible small and marginal farmers are given a fixed monthly pension of Rs. 3,000 after attaining the age of sixty.
– To qualify, farmers contribute monthly to the pension fund during their working years, with matching contributions from the central government.
– Farmers aged between 18 and 40 years need to contribute between Rs. 55 to Rs. 200 per month until they turn 60.
– The Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) manages the pension fund, and beneficiary registration is facilitated through Common Service Centres (CSCs) and State governments.
– All farmers with cultivable land holdings of up to 2 hectares and listed in state/UT land records as of 1st August 2019 are eligible for benefits under the scheme. As of August 6, 2024, a total of 23.38 lakh farmers have joined the scheme.
– Under the scheme, Bihar leads with over 3.4 lakh registrations while Jharkhand ranks second with over 2.5 lakh registrations.
4. India to Host 2nd Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Civil Aviation
– The conference aims for Regional Aviation Growth and Sustainability
– Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Civil Aviation 2024 to Set Stage for ‘Delhi Declaration’ on Air Safety, Security, and Sustainability
– It is the 2nd Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Civil Aviation and the first Ministerial Conference of the Asia Pacific region was organized in 2018 in Beijing, China.
– The event is co-hosted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India.
Chicago Convention
– Convention on International Civil Aviation (also known as Chicago Convention), was signed on 7 December 1944 by 52 States.
– Pending ratification of the Convention by 26 States, the Provisional International Civil Aviation Organization (PICAO) was established. It functioned from 6 June 1945 until 4 April 1947.
5. International Cooperative Alliance is going to hold its General Assembly and Global Cooperative Conference in India for the first time in 130 years
– The conference going to be held in New Delhi
– The theme of conference is “Cooperatives Build Prosperity for All,”
– The Conference will also mark the official launch of the UN International Year of Cooperatives – 2025
– The Conference will be used to showcase Indian Cooperatives’ products and services in the ‘Haat’ setup with the theme of Indian Villages
– Computerization of PACS, formation of three new cooperatives, National Cooperative Organics Ltd. (NCOL), National Cooperative Exports Ltd (NCEL) and Bharatiya Beej Sahkari Samiti Ltd (BBSSL) have put India at the forefront of the Global Cooperative movement
6. IEPFA organised ‘Niveshak Mashal’
– It is an annual half marathon to promote financial literacy and investor awareness.
– As part of the 8th Foundation Day, IEPFA also hosted a conference on ‘Role of Financial Education in Promoting Investor Awareness and Protection’ with school children
– The marathon is organised by The Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA), in collaboration with the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) and Pardada Pardadi Educational Society (PPES).
7. Second International Buddhist Media Conclave to be organised in Delhi
– International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) and the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) are set to organise the 2nd International Buddhist Media Conclave on the theme “Mindful Communication for Conflict Avoidance and Sustainable Development”.
8. INDIA- USA JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE YUDH ABHYAS -2024 COMMENCES IN RAJASTHAN
– The Indian Army contingent comprising 600 personnel is being represented by a battalion of the RAJPUT Regiment along with personnel from other arms and services.
– The exercise will focus on operations in the semi-desert environment.
– Aim of the Joint Exercise is to enhance joint military capability of both sides to undertake counter terrorism operations in a sub conventional scenario under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.
9. Recommendations during 54th meeting of the GST Council
1. GST Council recommends Group of Ministers (GoM) on life and health insurance related GST with existing GoM on Rate Rationalisation
2. GST Council also recommends formation of a GoM to study the future of compensation cess
3. GST Council recommends to exempt supply of research and development services by a Government Entity; or a research association, university, college or other institution notified u/s 35 of Income Tax Act using government or private grants
4. GST Council recommends reduction in GST rates on cancer drugs – Trastuzumab Deruxtecan, Osimertinib and Durvalumab from 12% to 5%.
5. The GST Council recommended roll out of a pilot for B2C e-Invoicing, following the successful implementation of e-invoicing in the B2B sector.
6. Roof Mounted Package Unit (RMPU) Air Conditioning Machines for Railways would be classified under HSN 8415 attracting a GST rate of 28%.
7. GST rate on car seats classifiable under 9401 to be increased from 18% to 28%.
8. To notify GST @ 5% on the transport of passengers by helicopters on seat share basis
10. 4th Global Renewable Energy Investment Meet & Expo (RE-INVEST)
– The expo to be held in Gandhinagar , Gujarat
– Organised by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), GoI
– Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Karnataka & Uttar Pradesh are the Partner States for the event.
About RE-INVEST :
– The first edition was organized in February 2015 in New Delhi, the second in October 2018 in Delhi NCR, and the third on a virtual platform in November 2020 due to COVID-19 constraints.
11. New Safety Regulations For Machinery And Electrical Equipment To Affect MSMEs: GTRI
– On August 28, 2024, the Ministry introduced the Machinery and Electrical Equipment Safety (Omnibus Technical Regulation) Order, 2024, which is set to take effect on August 28, 2025.
– The new safety regulations for machinery and electrical equipment issued by the government will affect domestic production by the MSME segment and delay the import of essential equipment, think tank GTRI said
– The new order bring in stringent safety standards for machinery and electrical equipment manufactured or imported into India, aimed at aligning Indian safety practices with global norms.
– It said that while large corporations may have the resources to meet new safety standards, MSMEs face unique challenges in complying with the Ministry of Heavy Industry’s (MHI) order.
12. Two anti-submarine warfare vessels for Indian Navy launched at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL)
– Contracts for Sixteen Anti Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC) ships for construction of eight ships each from CSL, Kochi and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata respectively were signed in April 2019.
– The ships, Malpe and Mulki , were built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Kochi.
– The ASW SWC ships are 78 m long and displacement is approx 900 tons. They can achieve a maximum speed of 25 knots with endurance of up to 1800 nautical miles.