29th September 2015 - Important Current Affairs updates

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International Affairs

• 29th September is World Heart Day.
• The World Heart Day is an international campaign held on 29th September by the World Heart Foundation to inform people about cardiovascular diseases, which are the biggest cause of death. 
• This day promotes preventative measures to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
• Themes of World Heart Day
• Theme of World Heart Day 2015 : Creating heart-healthy environments
• Theme of World Heart Day 2014 : Heart Choices NOT Hard Choices
• Theme of World Heart Day 2013 : Take the road to a healthy heart
• Theme of World Heart Day 2012 : One World, One Heart, One Home
• Theme of World Heart Day 2011 : One World, One Heart, One Home
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets US President Barack Obama in New York.
• United States and India agreed to further deepen co-operation on counter terrorism and radicalisation.
• India also announced that it is going to increase its contribution to UN peace keeping operations.
• Note : Modi also held bilateral talks with President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and President of France François Hollande.

National Affairs

• Government unveils Green Highways (Plantation, Transplantation, Beautification and Maintenance) Policy 2015 to create clean, green and pollution free India.
• The aim of the policy is to promote greening of Highway corridors with participation of the community, farmers, private sector, NGOs, and government institutions.
• Under this policy, the government has made it mandatory to set aside 1 per cent of the total project cost of any highways contract to a “Green Fund” corpus for plantation.
• Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping : Nitin Gadkari 

Business & Economy

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced its fourth bi-monthly monetary policy for the current fiscal.
• The Reserve Bank cuts interest rate by 0.5% to 4-year low of 6.75%. 
• With this move, Home and Car loans to be cheaper.
• Highlights
• Cuts interest rate by 0.5 per cent to boost economy
• Repo rate adjusted to 6.75 pc, lowest in 4-years
• Expects banks to pass on entire benefit to borrowers
• CRR remains unchanged at 4 pc
• GDP forecast for 2015-16 lowered to 7.4 pc
• Tentative economic recovery underway, far from robust
• Global environment looking weak; not good for India
• Growth likely to pick up in later part of this fiscal
• CPI inflation expected to reach 5.8 pc in January 2016
• Inflation is likely to go up from Sept
• FPI investment limit in debt securities to be fixed in rupee term
• FPI investment limit in govt bonds to be hiked to 5 pc by 2018
• RBI to issue final guidelines on base rate computation by November-end.
• Fifth Bi-monthly Monetary Policy on December 1.
• RBI says inflation is expected to reach 5.8% in January 2016
• Current RBI Rates
• Bank Rate - 7.75%
• Repo Rate - 6.75%
• Reverse Repo Rate - 5.75%
• Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) - 4.00%
• Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) - 21.50%
• Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) - 7.75%
• The Government of India signed a loan agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB) for US $ 123.51 million for tranche 3 of the Infrastructure Development Investment Program for Tourism to continue upgrading tourism infrastructure and services in Punjab, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
• The loan will be used for development and conservation of places of tourist attractions.

Science & Technology

• The US space agency NASA has announced that liquid water has been observed on the planet Mars.
• Scientists have long speculated that there may once have been life on the Red Planet. 
• The presence of liquid water makes it possible that life could currently exist there.

Sports

• Asian AirGun Championship 2015
• India's Gurpreet Singh bags silver and Jitu Rai grabs bronze in the 10 meter Air Pistol event.

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