Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of Important Weekly Current Affairs of Sep 15th to 21st Sep 2024. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBIClerk 2024 and other competitive exams can make use of it.

Weekly Current Affairs Sep 15th to 21st PDF Download

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

• Every year 15th September is celebrated as National Engineers Day in India.
• The International Day of Democracy is observed every year on the 15th of September.
• Every year World Ozone Day is observed on 16 September.
• Every year September 17 is observed as World Patient Safety Day.
• Every year 18th of September is celebrated as World Bamboo Day.
• Every year World Alzheimers Day is observed on 21st September.
• International Day of Peace is celebrated on 21st September of every year.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will initiate the release of the first instalment of central financial assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Grameen (PMAY-G) over the coming days
• Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal introduced two new online portals during the third Board of Trade meeting.
• The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has approved infrastructure projects worth ₹3 lakh crore in the first 100 days of its third term.
• In a boost to green mobility, the Cabinet approved a Rs 10,900-crore incentive for the promotion of electric mobility, including 25 lakh two-wheelers, and another Rs 3,435 crore for uninterrupted operation of more than 38,000 electric buses across cities and towns

• The Statistics Ministry plans to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Eighth Economic Census (EC), scheduled from January to December 2025.

• The Spices Board India has introduced a new mobile application called ‘CardsApp’, aimed at enhancing cardamom production.
• The three new criminal laws will be implemented across the country in two years, said a top government official while listing the achievements of 100 days of the NDA government
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated six Vande Bharat Express trains via video conference from Ranchi
• Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal launched the Bharat Startup Knowledge Access Registry (BHASKAR) in New Delhi
• The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has confirmed that the government will once again cover Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited’s (MTNL) upcoming interest payment on bonds
• The Indian government has proposed a Rs 6,000-crore initiative to promote precision farming through smart technologies like AI, IoT, and drones.

• President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu will inaugurate the 8th India Water Week (IWW) 2024 on 17th September in New Delhi
• During the 4th Anniversary Celebrations of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) in New Delhi, the ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT) was officially designated as a Fisheries Incubation Centre under PMMSY

• The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has officially approved the second version of its Audit Quality Maturity Model (AQMM 2.0).
• India is set to host the second edition of the Global Food Regulators Summit from September 19-21, 2024, in New Delhi.
• Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi announced a significant policy change that will benefit women-owned micro and small enterprises (MSMEs) by providing enhanced credit guarantee coverage under the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) scheme
• Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced significant updates regarding the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), a government-managed retirement savings fund, introducing enhanced flexibility for subscribers and changes to withdrawal limits and eligibility criteria.
• The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of the National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) in Mumbai.
• The Union Cabinet has taken a significant step towards implementing One Nation One Election by clearing the proposal for simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies
• Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah is set to unveil three significant initiatives to transform the Indian dairy sector
• The Union Cabinet has given the green light to the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan, a scheme aimed at improving the socio-economic conditions of tribal communities in India
• The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) scheme, with a financial allocation of ₹35,000 crore for the 15th Finance Commission cycle, which extends until 2025-26.
• The Union Cabinet cleared the new moon mission Chandrayaan-4 and approved the development of the Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM) as part of the government’s vision to explore and study the Earth’s closest planet.
• The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved a subsidy of ₹24,474.53 crore on Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilisers for the Rabi season 2024-25 (October 2024 to March 2025).
• In a significant step toward ensuring social security for gig and platform workers, the Ministry of Labour & Employment (MoLE) has directed platform aggregators to register their workers on the e-Shram portal.
• The Centre has announced a partial restoration of wheat allocation for beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY), a major social welfare scheme providing free food grains to over 800 million poor individuals

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• The World Health Organization (WHO) granted its first authorisation for a mpox vaccine for use in adults, marking a critical step in combating the disease, particularly in Africa.
• Former President Donald Trump launched a new cryptocurrency venture called World Liberty Financial just 50 days before Election Day.
• Nepal became the 101st country to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) as a full member.
• The Hague became the first city in the world to ban advertisements promoting fossil fuel products and carbon-intensive services including cruise ships and air travel.
• The United States (US) has decided to sell High Altitude Anti-Submarine Warfare (HAASW) sonobuoys worth USD 52.8 million to India.
• Algeria has been granted authorization to join the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), a multilateral development bank.

• Quad Initiatives of PM Modi: Discussions on peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, Reform of global governance structures, Addressing pressing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.
• Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet announced that Angkor Wat has been recognized as the most photogenic UNESCO World Heritage site in Asia by Times Travel.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) has congratulated Jordan for becoming the first country in the world to be officially verified as having eliminated leprosy.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the renaming of Port Blair, the capital of Andaman & Nicobar Islands to “Sri Vijaya Puram” as a move to “free the nation from colonial imprints.”
• The Gujarat government has set up the Gujarat State Institution for Transformation-GRIT under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel’s chairmanship.
• The 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2024 is slated to be held in Goa from 20th to 28th November 2024.
• The first semiconductor park in Uttar Pradesh will be established in Greater Noida, near the upcoming Noida International Airport.

• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the Jatayu Conservation and Breeding Centre in the Bharivaisi, Campierganj Range of the Gorakhpur Forest Division.
• The 9th Ladakh Zanskar Festival 2024 began with remarkable grandeur in the picturesque village of Sani, signifying a landmark event for the region.
• The Assam government has launched Orunodoi 3.0, a women-centric financial assistance scheme aimed at providing monthly financial support to economically disadvantaged families in the state.
• At the 4th Global Renewable Energy Investors Meet and Expo, hosted for the first time outside Delhi, Gujarat emerged as the top performer, winning the maximum number of awards.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

• Bengaluru-based athleisure sportswear start-up Agilitas Sports has received an undisclosed strategic investment from Spring Marketing Capital.
• The Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) identified the highest-ever GST evasion in FY24, totalling Rs 81,875 crore across 78 cases in the online money gaming industry
• India’s trade deficit soared to a 10-month high of $29.7 billion in August 2024, driven by record imports of $64.4 billion and a contraction in exports for the second consecutive month.
• India’s wholesale price index (WPI)-based inflation dropped to a four-month low of 1.31% in August, down from 2.04% in July.
• India’s exports experienced their sharpest decline in 13 months, falling by 9.3% in August to ₹2.91 lakh crores ($34.71 billion).
• The Centre has announced a partial restoration of wheat allocation for beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY), a major social welfare scheme providing free food grains to over 800 million poor individuals
• Navi, a fintech company founded by Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal, has emerged as India's sixth-largest player on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), surpassing Amazon Pay just one year after launching its UPI services

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND ECONOMY

• The State Bank of India (SBI) plans to raise up to ₹7,500 crore through the issuance of a second tranche of Tier-II bonds.
• Bank of Baroda (BoB) is planning to launch 7 phygital branches as a pilot project across the country.
• State Bank of India’s (SBI’s) cost-to-income (C/I) ratio sharply increased to 60% in FY24 from 56.2% in FY23 due to higher employee expenses.
• According to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, India's outward foreign direct investment (FDI) commitments rose by $1 billion to $3.21 billion in August 2024, up from $2.29 billion in August 2023.
• Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) increased its stake in Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to approximately 9.3%.
• The Reserve Bank of India has imposed a penalty of Rs 31.8 lakh on BNP Paribas for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Interest Rate on Advances’.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) plans to comprehensively revamp its currency management infrastructure over the next 4-5 years to meet future cash demands of the growing economy.
• The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has increased transaction limits for tax payments using the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), allowing people to transfer Rs 5 lakh in a single transaction.
• PhonePe, a Walmart group fintech firm, partnered with Liquid Group, a cross-border payment solutions provider, to expand its merchant acceptance network in Singapore.
• In pursuance of the announcement in the Union Budget 2024-25, Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman will launch the NPS Vatsalya scheme on September 18, 2024, in New Delhi.
• Fintech start-up Moneyview became the sixth unicorn in 2024 after raising $4.6 million (INR 38.6 Cr) from Accel India and Nexus Ventures.
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has decided to shorten the time taken for credit of bonus shares and their subsequent trading to two days from the record date.
• Axis Bank is expanding its private banking business, Burgundy Private, to 15 new cities.
• The country's biggest private sector lender, HDFC Bank, looks to increase the income of 5 lakh marginal farmers earning less than Rs 60,000 annually by 2025 as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, Parivartan.
• The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has selected IT major Infosys to develop its NextGen digital platform.
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has approved amendments to the National Stock Exchange (NSE) memorandum of association, allowing a 10-fold increase in authorised share capital to ₹500 crore.
• ICRA ESG Ratings Limited has assigned its first Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) rating to InCred Financial Services, a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC).
• Star Health and Allied Insurance Company Limited (Star Health Insurance) and Policybazaar announced the launch of 'SUPER STAR', a personalised long-term health insurance plan which is customer-centric in nature with an objective of delivering greater customer value.
• AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB) and Kotak Life announced a partnership to offer life insurance and financial security solutions.
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has assured Pakistan of providing $2 billion annually in new loans from 2024 to 2027, totaling $8 billion over four years.
• The World Bank pledged an additional $2 billion in financing to Bangladesh during this fiscal year to support critical reforms, flood response, air quality improvement, and healthcare.
• The State Bank of India (SBI) raised ₹7,500 crore through its second Basel III-compliant Tier-2 bond issuance of the current fiscal year.
• Bank of Baroda (BoB) has introduced ‘Aditi’, a GenAI-powered virtual relationship manager, to enhance the digital customer service experience.
• The "One State, One RRB" policy, aimed at consolidating Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) for operational efficiency, is in the drafting phase. As per the Department of Financial Services (DFS), draft rules for the policy will be completed by the end of September 2024.
• Jana Small Finance Bank has launched a new "Liquid Plus" fixed deposit offering, providing an interest rate of 6.75% per annum for tenures ranging from 7 to 180 days.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

• Dommaraju Gukesh, an 18-year-old chess prodigy, was awarded Businessline’s Young Changemaker Award.
• The Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) honoured Bezan Chenoy for completing 50 years as a professional horse trainer

• The 2024 76^th Emmy Awards were held at the Peacock Theatre and broadcast live on Lionsgate Play in India, celebrating exceptional television performances and productions

• Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has been honored with the prestigious Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar by the Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

• Nehal Vora has been reappointed as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Central Depository Services India (CDSL) for a second five-year term, from September 18, 2024, to September 17, 2029.
• Arunangshu Sarkar has been appointed as the Director (Strategy and Corporate Affairs) at Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), making him the first to hold this position
• Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), is seeking a second term.
• The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) announced the appointment of RS Sharma as the Non-Executive Chairperson of ONDC.
• Arvind Kejriwal, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor, resigned as the Delhi Chief Minister on 17 September 2024.
• The Supreme Court Collegium recommended afresh to the Centre the appointment of Chief Justices of the High Courts of Meghalaya, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Madhya Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh.
• Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has appointed Arash Zerehtan as the governor of Kurdistan province.
• Anurag Garg has been appointed as the new Director General (DG) of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), effective from the date of assumption of charge until May 23, 2026, or until further orders.
• Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor will head the Standing Committee on External Affairs.

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the reappointment of V Vaidyanathan as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IDFC First Bank.
• India's Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW) has appointed Manu Bhaker, the double Olympic medal-winning shooter, as its brand ambassador.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

• Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Ram Nath Thakur led the Indian delegation and the Ambassador of India to Brazil Shri Suresh Reddy and Joint Secretary Shri Franklin L. Khobung, Department of Agriculture & Farmers during the bilateral meetings.
• The Food Ministry and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the 2024-25 fiscal year, focused on enhancing the efficiency and accountability of foodgrain procurement and distribution operations.
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the US Department of Defence’s Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) and India’s iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) of the Ministry of Defence's Defence Innovation Organization (DIO) at the INDUS-X Summit in California
• Indian Sugar & Bio Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and PRAJ Industries
• Indian Sugar & Bio Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and PRAJ Industries
• China's central bank, the People's Bank of China (PBoC), has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Maldivian Ministry of Economic Development and Trade to strengthen trade and investment
• Zomato has announced its collaboration with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to introduce 'Zomato - Food Delivery in Trains'.
• Vodafone Group Plc has signed a major agreement with Microsoft Corp. to integrate AI assistants across its business operations
• KRIBHCO, a leading fertilizer cooperative, and Novonesis, a biological solutions company, have entered a long-term collaboration to improve crop yield and soil quality for Indian farmers
• Metro Bank, the UK’s community-focused bank, has announced a long-term collaboration with Infosys, a global leader in digital services and consulting, to significantly improve its IT and support functions.
• REC has signed non-binding memorandum of understandings (MoUs) with Renewable Energy (RE) developers aggregating about Rs 1.12 lakh crore, which will be implemented over a period of 5 years
• The Indian government has approved Anushakti Vidhyut Nigam Ltd. (ASHVINI), a joint venture between Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) (51%) and NTPC Ltd (49%), to build, own, and operate nuclear power plants across India
• The Cotton Association of India (CAI) and the Liverpool-based International Cotton Association Ltd (ICA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation and promote fair business practices in the cotton industry

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND REPORTS

• For the first time, India has surpassed China in a key MSCI equities index, signalling India's growing prominence in global markets.
• A working paper by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) highlights the significant effects of economic liberalisation that began in the 1990s, particularly on certain states in India

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS

• Two Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Watercrafts (ASWCWC) of the Indian Navy, INS Malpe and INS Mulki, were launched at Cochin Shipyard.
• Lt. Commanders A. Roopa and K. Dilna of the Indian Navy are set to embark on a blue-water voyage around the world onboard INSV Tarini.
• A state-of-the-art submarine escape training facility, named "Vinetra," was commissioned at INS Satavahana in Visakhapatnam.
• The second edition of the four-day Naval Commanders’ Conference 2024 began in New Delhi.
• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will deliver the final four LCA Mk-1 trainers to the Indian Air Force (IAF) by March 31, 2025.
• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), successfully conducted the preliminary automotive trials of the Indian light Tank, Zorawar, a highly versatile platform capable of deployment in high-altitude areas.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• India successfully test-fired the Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VLSRSAM) on two consecutive days, September 12 and 13, 2024, from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, Odisha.
• BepiColombo is a joint mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) aimed at studying Mercury.
• SpaceX launched its daring Polaris Dawn mission, a multiday orbital expedition carrying a four-member civilian crew for the first spacewalk by non-professional astronauts.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

• Neeraj Chopra, India's Olympic gold medalist in javelin, finished the 2024 season with a second-place result at the Diamond League final in Brussels.
• The 21st HCL International Bridge Championship recently concluded with a series of highly competitive events, showcasing exceptional skill and strategy in the game of bridge.
• The Rs. 100,000 AITA Men's Tennis Tournament, held at the Ace Academy, concluded with top seed Ajay Malik clinching the championship title
• India's hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh and veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh have been shortlisted for the prestigious FIH Hockey Stars Awards following their outstanding performances at the Paris Olympics.
• India won their fifth Asian Champions Trophy title with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over China.
• Ricky Ponting has been named the Head Coach of Punjab Kings for the 2025 season and beyond.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES

• Lebanese novelist Elias Khoury who dedicated much of his writings to the Palestinian cause and taught at universities around the world, making him one of Lebanon's most prominent intellectuals, has passed away at the age of 76.