CHHATTISGARH
· Centre applies for ADB loan to fund Ch’garh Road Connectivity Project
- The Central Government has applied for financial assistance from Asian Development Bank (ADB) towards meeting the cost of implementation of Chhattisgarh Road Connectivity Project (CRCP).
- Notably, the Chhattisgarh Government has prepared and approved a priority investment programme for improvement (rehabilitation, strengthening and widening) of about 5,000 km of state roads at an estimated cost of about Rs 10,500 crore according to an introductory note made in the Initial Environment Examination (IEE) report submitted by State Public Works Department (PWD) to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in May this year.
- Notably, ADB had also been helping Chhattisgarh government upgrade about 916 kilometers of roads in the State.
- The works include development of new road sections, two laning work, constructing and strengthening culverts and bridges.
- Notably, new stretches of rural roads are rapidly coming up in Chhattisgarh with massive funding support from ADB.
- The ADB has provided lending support to Chhattisgarh for projects undertaken under PMGSY. The international funding agency had been helping to either construct or upgrade 31,000 kms of rural roads in the states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradsh, Odisha, West Bengal and Assam nationally.
- Notably, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways allocated Rs 1533.68 crores to Chhattisgarh for development of national highways during the last financial year.
INTERNATIONAL
- International Literacy Day 2018
- International Literacy Day is celebrated annually on September 8 across the world.
- The day was declared by UNESCO on October 26, 1966.
- According to UNESCO’s statistics, India’s literacy rate is 72.1 per cent.
- This year International Literacy Day theme is “Literacy and skill development.”
- UN postal agency to issue special Diwali stamp next month
- The UN postal agency will issue special stamps here next month to commemorate the festival of Diwali.
- The United Nations Postal Administration will issue a New York special event sheet on October 19 to commemorate the Indian festival.
- The background of the sheet features the United Nations Headquarters building illuminated with the message of “Happy Diwali” to celebrate the spirit of the festival.
· Dr Arif Alvi sworn in as 13th president of Pakistan
- Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisaradministered the oath on September 9. Dr Arif ur Rehman Alvi is succeeding Mamnoon Hussain, who took oath as 12th head of state on September 9, 2013 after his election as a candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
- Alvi, one of the founders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and dentist by profession, contested against two opposition candidates Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Pakistan Peoples Party senior leader Aitzaz Ahsan.
NATIONAL
· Government spent Rs 132 crore on GST advertisements
- The expenditure on advertisements through print mediastood at nearly ₹127 crore while more than ₹5 crore was spent on advertisements with outdoor media.
- There was “nil” expenditure for the same on electronic media.
- The Goods and Services Tax (GST) was implemented on July 1, 2017.
- The government had also roped in Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchanas brand ambassador to promote GST and inform people about its benefits.
· Rs 3K cr approved for women safety projects in 8 cities
- Union Home Ministry has approved allotment of Rs 3,000 crore for women safety projects in eight metro cities, including Delhi. The project includes setting up of women police patrol teams, technological installations like panic buttons, smart-LED street lights, transit dormitories for women and children, one-stop crisis centres, forensic and cyber crime cells in the selected metros under the Women Safe City Project. It will be implemented in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Lucknow from 2018-19 to 2020-21.
- An integrated approach has been followed while designing the physical infrastructure to be added to enhance safety of women and children in public places and to instil a sense of security in them
· Businesses may have to geotag office premises
- Businesses may soon have to geo-tag their registered office premises in the statutory filings with the Registrar of Companies, as the government tightens regulatory systems to prevent fraud. Geo-tagging will let the online return filing system raise red flags wherever it detects that far too many companies are registered in the same premises.
- This will help government identify instances of one building being used by hundreds of shell companies as their registered office or of companies citing vacant plots as their registered office address.
- US Open 2018: Novak Djokovic beats Juan Martin del Potro to win title
- Novak Djokovic produced an impeccable performance to beat Juan Martin del Potro in the US Open final and win his 14th Grand Slam title.
- Djokovic, who won Wimbledon in July, will climb to fourth in the world after back-to-back Grand Slam victories.
- Only great rivals Roger Federer (20) and Rafael Nadal (17) have won more.
· Naomi Osaka defeated Serena Williams to win U.S Open
- Naomi Osaka became the first Japanese woman to win a Grand Slam title after she registered an emphatic win over Serena Williams in the finals of the U.S Open.