The World Biofuel Day is observed every year on 10th August to create awareness about the non-fossil-fuels (green fuels).
Today, Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi attended an event to mark World Biofuel Day at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
In June 2018, The Union Government has approved the National Policy on Biofuels-2018.
The policy has the objective of reaching 20% ethanol blending and 5% biodiesel blending by 2030.
Note:
Biofuels can help to reduce import dependency on crude oil.
It can contribute to a cleaner environment, generate additional income for farmers, and generate employment in rural areas.
National Appointments
2. Justice Rajendra Menon takes charge as Chief Justice of Delhi
Lt Governor Anil Baijal administered the oath of office to Justice Rajendra Menon in a ceremony held at the Raj Niwas in Delhi.
Earlier, He was the Chief Justice of Patna High Court (in March 2017).
Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal has been elevated as the Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court.
Note:
The High Court of Delhi was established on 31st October 1966.
The National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi has six District Courts (Tis Hazari, Patiala House, Karkardooma, Rohini, Dwarka and Saket) that function under the Delhi High Court.
3. TRAI chairman R.S. Sharma gets two years extension
The Union government has extended the term of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman Ram Sewak Sharma (Indian Administrative Service -1978 batch) for two years.
As per the government notification, he will remain in the post till 30th September 2020 (when he turns 65 years).
Note:
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is a statutory body set up by the Government of India under section 3 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997.
It is the regulator of the telecommunications sector in India.
4. Rekha Sharma appointed the chairperson of NCW
The NCW member ‘Rekha Sharma’ (54-year) has been appointed as the chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW).
Earlier, she was a member of the Commission and holding the additional charge of chairperson after Lalitha Kumaramangalam demitted office in September 2017.
Note:
The National Commission for Women (NCW) is the apex national level organisation of India with the mandate of protecting and promoting the interests of women.
5. Marathe, Gurumurthy appointed part-time Directors on RBI board
The Union government has appointed Satish Kashinath Marathe and Swaminathan Gurumurthy as part-time non-official Directors on the central board of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for four years.
the appointment proposals were forwarded by the Department of Financial Services of the Union Ministry of Finance.
Banking & Finance
6. PayU & Reliance money announced a strategic partnership for instant loan
India’s leading digital payments company ‘PayU India’ has announced entering into a strategic partnership with Reliance Money to offer instant app-based personal loans, via LazyPay.
The loan amount will start from as low as Rs. 100 and will extend up to Rs. 1,00,000 with a duration varying from 15 days to 24 months.
It is an attempt to reach out to the underserved consumers in India.
Note:
LazyPay is one of the most innovative products from the stable of PayU.
It helps you stack multiple payments together and pay them later, thus making your checkout experience extremely convenient and quick.
7. Mobile wallet transactions hit record Rs.14,632 Crore in June
According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Data, the value of transactions made through mobile wallets touched a record Rs14,632 crore in June.
The data showed the rise of 4.2% from Rs 14,047 crore in May.
The number of transactions fell around 5% to 309.62 million in June after reaching an all-time high of 325.41 million in May.
The record transaction value shows wallet companies, which were struggling to set up compliance infrastructure and convince users to provide know-your-customer (KYC) documents, have survived the storm and signed up new customers.
National Affairs
8. NITI Aayog hosts Investors’ Conference
NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant has inaugurated the investor’s conference at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra for the Holistic Development of Islands.
It will attract investment for the sustainable development of eco-tourism projects in Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands.
The 11 anchor tourism projects are proposed to be implemented with private sector participation under the suitable risk-sharing model and through open-competitive bidding.
These tourism projects have been identified on Government-owned land in Smith, Aves, Long, Neil & Little Andaman Islands of Andaman & Nicobar, and in Kadmat, Suheli & Minicoy islands of Lakshadweep.
9. Project 'SWAYAM' launched by HRD Ministry
The Ministry of HRD (Human Resource Development) has embarked on a major and new initiative Project 'Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds' (SWAYAM).
It will provide one integrated platform and portal for online courses.
The objective of the ‘SWAYAM’ is to ensure that every student in the country has access to the best quality higher education at the affordable cost.
