Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the 4th Global Renewable Energy Investors Summit & Exhibition (RE-INVEST) at Mahatma Mandir , Gandhinagar , Gujarat . During the three-day summit, people who have significantly contributed to India’s remarkable achievement of over 200 GW of installed non-fossil fuel capacity were felicitated. Shri Modi also visited the exhibition showcasing cutting edge innovations from public and private sector companies, start-ups and leading entrepreneurs. Germany, Australia, Denmark and Norway are participating in the event as partner countries. Gujarat is the host state and Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , Madhya Pradesh , Maharashtra , Rajasthan , Telangana and Uttar Pradesh are participating as partner states. The exhibition will showcase cutting edge innovations from public and private sector companies, start-ups and industry leaders. The exhibition will underline India’s commitment to a sustainable future.
2 Vande Metro renamed as ‘Namo Bharat Rapid Rail’
India’s first ‘ Vande Metro ‘ train has been renamed as ‘ Namo Bharat Rapid Rail ‘. The Railway Ministry has renamed ‘ Bhuj-Ahmedabad Vande Metro ‘ as ‘ Namo Bharat Rapid Rail ‘ just before its inauguration on 16 September. Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually flagged off this train from Bhuj railway station. It will cover the distance of 359 km from Bhuj to Ahmedabad in 5:45 hours. During this time the train will stop at 9 stations. This metro will start for the general public from Ahmedabad on 17 September. The total fare for the journey will be Rs 455. While other metro trains cover only short distances, the Namo Bharat train will connect Ahmedabad to its surrounding cities. This special metro has all 12 AC coaches, which have seating arrangement for 1,150 passengers.
3 Union Commerce & Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal launched Bharat Startup Knowledge Access Registry (Bhaskar) portal
The Central Government ‘s Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has launched the India Startup Knowledge Access Registry (BHASKAR) on 16 September . It is a digital platform launched with the aim of strengthening the country’s startup ecosystem . This initiative is a platform designed to centralize, streamline and enhance collaboration between key stakeholders within the entrepreneurial ecosystem, including startups, investors, advisors, service providers and government bodies. India currently has more than 1,46,000 DPIIT-recognized startups. BHASKAR will act as a bridge between startups, investors, advisors, service providers and stakeholders. This will promote seamless interaction across various sectors. Every stakeholder will get a unique BHASKAR ID, which will ensure personalized experience and efficient collaboration on the platform. DPIIT comes under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The Modi government renamed the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) as the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in January 2019. DIPP was established in 1995 and was restructured in 2000 with the merger of the Department of Industrial Development.
4 Lieutenant Commanders Rupa A. and Dilna K. will soon circumnavigate the world by sea
Two women officers of the Indian Navy, Lieutenant Commander Roopa A. and Lieutenant Commander Dilna K. will soon circumnavigate the world by sea. Roopa and Dilna will set off on the Navika Sagar Parikrama II – an expedition to circumnavigate the world, aboard the Indian Navy’s sailing ship ‘ INSV Tarini ‘ . Lieutenant Commander Dilna, a resident of Kozhikode , Kerala , was commissioned in the Navy in June 2014. Dilna’s father late Devadasan was serving in the Indian Army. Lieutenant Commander Roopa, a native of Puducherry , joined the Navy in June 2017. Roopa’s father GP Alagirisamy was part of the Indian Air Force. Both the officers are training under the guidance of renowned seafarer and Golden Globe Race hero retired Commander Abhilash Tomy .
5 GST Council constituted a group of ministers to review tax rates on life-health insurance
The GST Council on September 15 constituted a 13-member Group of Ministers (GoM) to suggest GST rates on premiums of different health and life insurance products. The group will submit its report by October 30. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary is the convener of the group of ministers. In the 54th GST Council meeting held on September 9, it was decided to set up a Group of Ministers (GoM) to review and examine the current structure of GST on life and health insurance. The final decision on taxation on insurance premium will be based on the report of the GoM. The decision on taxation will be taken in the next meeting of the GST Council to be held in November. Currently, 18 per cent GST is levied on insurance premium. The terms of reference (ToR) of the panel also includes suggesting tax rates on health/medical insurance including individual, group, family floater and other medical insurance for various categories such as senior citizens, middle class, persons with mental illness. Also, suggesting tax rates on life insurance including term insurance, life insurance (whether individual or group) with investment plans and reinsurance.
6 India participated in G-20 Agriculture Ministerial Meeting in Cuiaba, Brazil
Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ram Nath Thakur , Ambassador of India to Brazil Suresh Reddy and Joint Secretary (NRM), Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Franklin L. Khobang , participated in the G-20 Agriculture Ministerial Meeting held in Cuiaba, Brazil on September 12-14, 2024. The Indian delegation led by Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ram Nath Thakur held bilateral discussions with several global partners to enhance agricultural cooperation and address market access issues.
7 SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission completes first commercial spacewalk and returns safely to Earth
The members of the American company SpaceX ‘s space mission Polaris Dawn have returned to Earth after spending five days in Earth’s orbit and completing the first historic commercial spacewalk mission. Their spacecraft Dragon landed near the coast of Florida at 3:37 am local time. SpaceX broadcasted this event live. In a post on social media, SpaceX wrote – Dragon’s landing confirmed, welcome to Earth. The mission brought four astronauts back home after completing the world’s first commercial spacewalk. The US space agency NASA has said that this mission represents a big step towards the commercial space industry .
8 Salima Imtiaz becomes first Pakistani woman to join ICC umpire panel
Salima Imtiaz has become the first Pakistani female umpire to be named in the ICC International Panel of Development Umpires . This was announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on 15 September. Now Imtiaz will be able to umpire in women’s bilateral international matches and ICC women’s events . Salima joined the PCB’s women umpire panel in 2008 and has umpired in several Asian Cricket Council tournaments in the last three years. This is Salima’s first on-field appointment in a bilateral series. She will be seen umpiring in the upcoming three-match T20 series between Pakistan and South Africa women’s women . Salima’s daughter Kainaat Imtiaz plays cricket for Pakistan. Kainaat has played 40 international matches for Pakistan, including 19 ODIs and 21 T20 matches.
9 Santosh Kashyap will be the new head coach of the national senior women’s team
The All India Football Federation has appointed Santosh Kashyap as the Head Coach of the National Senior Women’s Team. Mr Kashyap will be coached by Priya PV as Assistant Coach and Raghuveer Praveen Khanolkar as Goalkeeper Coach. The first competition under Mr Kashyap’s coaching – South Asian Football Confederation Women’s Championship will be held in Kathmandu, Nepal from 17th to 30th October. In preparation for the championship, the 29-member team will be training in Goa from 20th September . Mr Santosh Kashyap has almost a decade of coaching experience during which he has coached prestigious football clubs like Mohun Bagan and Salgaocar.
10 International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is celebrated every year on 16 September . As a soft shield of various gases, the ozone layer protects the Earth from the harmful effects of the sun’s rays and thus helps in preserving life on this planet. Many commonly used chemicals are believed to cause severe damage to the ozone layer. The theme of Ozone Day this year is – Montreal Protocol – Step Forward in the Field of Climate.
