Daily Current Affairs, 18th September 2024, Important News Headlines (Daily GK Update)
stay connected for the most significant current affairs of September 18, 2024, to remain informed about the most recent national and international news, significant developments, and key events.
National News
Rashtrapati Nilayam to Host Bhartiya Kala Mahotsav in Late September
The inaugural Bharatiya Kala Mahotsav will be held from September 29 to October 6, 2024, at Rashtrapati Nilayam in partnership with the Ministry of Development of North-East Region and the Ministry of Culture.
The Swachh Bharat Mission is on the brink of its second decade, and SHS has been implemented.
The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, which was initiated by the Honorable Prime Minister of India in 2014, has had a transformative effect on our society. This year, the Swachhata hi Seva 2024 campaign will commemorate its tenth anniversary and will focus on the theme of “Swabhav Swachhata – Sanskaar Swachhata.”
News from Around the World Lebanon Pager Explosions: At least nine fatalities and thousands of injuriesThe deaths of at least nine individuals and the injuries of approximately 2,800 others, including Hezbollah fighters, medics, and Iran’s envoy to Beirut, were the result of a succession of pager explosions that occurred throughout Lebanon. The detonation occurred at approximately 3:45 PM local time and persisted for approximately one hour. The attacks have been attributed to Israel by the Lebanese government and Hezbollah, who have described them as a substantial escalation in the ongoing conflicts.
India and the United States Investigate Expanded Energy Collaboration
India and the United States have pledged to enhance their bilateral collaboration throughout the energy value chain in order to facilitate a fair and orderly energy transition. This agreement was the result of a meeting between Hardeep Singh Puri, the Indian Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, and Geoffrey Pyatt, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources, at GasTech 2024 in Houston. The two leaders deliberated on the potential for increased collaboration between the institutions and corporations of their respective countries, with an emphasis on the advancement of both conventional and renewable energy sectors.
Banking News By 2030, banks and financial institutions will invest Rs 32.5 trillion in renewable energy.
Leading renewable energy (RE) developers, manufacturing companies, banks, and financial institutions committed nearly $386 billion (Rs 32.45 trillion) to the development of RE projects by 2030 at the 4th RE-Invest Summit, which was organized by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). India seeks to construct 500 gigawatts (Gw) of renewable energy capacity by 2030; however, the solar power industry has pledged 570 Gw. Reliance Industries (RIL) is the leader of the field, with a 100 Gw commitment, followed by NTPC (41.3 Gw) and ReNew (40 Gw).
Economy News Haryana Surpasses Punjab in GDP; West Bengal’s Economic Decline of Decades
The relative economic performance of Indian states from 1960-61 to 2023-24 is the focus of a working paper by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), which was authored by EAC-PM member Sanjeev Sanyal. West Bengal, which held the third-largest share of the national GDP at 10.5% in 1960-61, has experienced a consistent decline and now accounts for only 5.6% of India’s GDP in 2023-24, according to the paper “Relative Economic Performance of Indian States: 1960-61 to 2023-24.” In general, maritime states have outperformed others, with the exception of West Bengal, as noted in the report.
The windfall tax on crude petroleum has been reduced to zero.
The windfall tax on domestically produced petroleum oil has been eliminated by the government, effective September 18. The government announced in a notification that the windfall tax on crude oil produced domestically will be nil.
News Regarding Appointments
Atishi Marlena is expected to be appointed as the new Chief Minister of Delhi.
The new Chief Minister of Delhi will be Atishi Marlena, a 43-year-old member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Arvind Kejriwal, the party chief and supremo of the AAP, will be succeeded by her. The decision was made during the meeting of the legislative assembly’s members.
Business News
The trade deficit in India reached a 10-month high in August, as the country’s exports experienced a 9.3% decline.
India’s trade deficit reached a 10-month high of $29.7 billion in August, as imports surged to $64.4 billion, while exports decreased by 9.3% to $34.7 billion. The export slowdown was influenced by a variety of factors, including a global recession, reduced demand from China, and softening crude prices. Imports experienced a 3% increase, which was primarily due to the reduction of import duties on gold and a significant increase in gold inflows prior to the festive season.
Schemes News Centre Requests Platform Aggregators to Register Workers on the e-Shram Portal
The Indian government has mandated that platform aggregators enroll themselves and their gig workers onto the e-Shram portal. This initiative is designed to provide unorganized labor with access to a variety of social security schemes. This procedure is essential for the preservation of an accurate registry of beneficiaries and the guarantee of workers’ access to social welfare benefits.
Indian Men’s Hockey Team Secures 2024 Asian Champions Trophy
India’s Men’s Hockey Team secured its fifth Asian Champions Trophy title in 2024 by defeating China 1-0 in the final game of the tournament, thanks to a goal scored by Jugraj Singh.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has implemented a policy of providing equal prize money for the men’s and women’s cricket World Cups.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has declared that the prize money for all World Cup events will be distributed equally between men’s and women’s cricket teams, commencing with the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup. Cricket will become the first major team sport to offer identical prize money across genders with the upcoming tournament in the UAE, which is scheduled to take place next month.
Daily Current Affairs, 18th September 2024 MCQ
Q1: When will the Bharatiya Kala Mahotsav be held at Rashtrapati Nilayam?
Answer: The Bharatiya Kala Mahotsav will be held from September 29 to October 6, 2024.
Q2: What milestone is being celebrated by the Swachh Bharat Mission in 2024?
Answer: The Swachh Bharat Mission is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2024 with the campaign “Swachhata hi Seva” focusing on “Swabhav Swachhata – Sanskaar Swachhata.”
Q3: What happened in Lebanon as a result of pager explosions?
Answer: At least nine people were killed, and approximately 2,800 others, including Hezbollah fighters and Iran’s envoy to Beirut, were injured in a series of pager explosions, which the Lebanese government and Hezbollah attribute to Israel.
Q4: What are India and the United States planning to expand cooperation on?
Answer: India and the United States are planning to expand cooperation across the energy value chain, focusing on a fair and orderly energy transition, including both conventional and renewable energy sectors.
Q5: What is the financial commitment made for renewable energy development by 2030?
Answer: Banks and financial institutions have committed Rs 32.5 trillion to renewable energy projects by 2030.
Q6: Which Indian state has surpassed Punjab in terms of GDP, and which state’s economy has been in decline?
Answer: Haryana has surpassed Punjab in GDP, and West Bengal’s economy has been in decline, shrinking from 10.5% of India’s GDP in 1960-61 to 5.6% in 2023-24.
Q7: What recent decision did the government make regarding windfall tax on crude petroleum?
Answer: The government has reduced the windfall tax on domestically produced crude petroleum to zero, effective September 18, 2024.
Q8: Who is expected to be appointed as the new Chief Minister of Delhi?
Answer: Atishi Marlena from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is expected to be appointed as the new Chief Minister of Delhi.
Q9: What was India’s trade deficit in August 2024?
Answer: India’s trade deficit in August 2024 was $29.7 billion, the highest in 10 months.
Q10: What initiative is the Indian government enforcing for platform aggregators and gig workers?
Answer: The Indian government is requiring platform aggregators to register themselves and their gig workers on the e-Shram portal to provide access to social security schemes.
Q11: What title did India’s Men’s Hockey Team win in 2024?
Answer: India’s Men’s Hockey Team won the 2024 Asian Champions Trophy.
Q12: What policy has the ICC implemented for World Cup prize money?
Answer: The ICC has implemented a policy of equal prize money for both men’s and women’s cricket World Cups, starting with the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE.
