Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recently introduced Internal Ombudsman (IO) scheme 2018 to tighten internal grievance redressal system at Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs). In it, RBI has given statutory powers to Internal Ombudsman (IO) under section 35 A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. The central bank has tightened the selection and operating procedure for IO in banks and made it mandatory for lenders with more than 10 branches (excluding Regional Rural Banks) to have an independent authority to review complaints that were partially or wholly rejected by the respective banks. An ombudsman is a person officially charged with investigating and addressing public complaints or violation of rights. The tenure of the IO cannot be more than 5 years and it is not open to reappointment. An IO also cannot be removed without consent from the RBI. This new post will not report to the bank’s CEO but to the customer service committee of the bank.

Notes:
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has recently announced to launch Mars Mission “HOPE”, which is expected to be launched by 2020. Upon launch, it will become the first mission to Mars by any Arab or Muslim country. The aim of the mission is to enrich the capabilities of Emirati engineers and to increase human knowledge about the Martian atmosphere. The Hope probe will study the atmospheric layers of Mars in detail and will provide data to study the causes of the corrosion of its surface that has made it impossible for water to exist on the planet. The project will also provide insights about the weather on the Red Planet. It will observe weather phenomena such as dust storms and changes in temperature and how the atmosphere interacts with topography, from the highest volcano peaks to ice sheets to the vast deserts and the deepest canyons. It is expected to reach Mars in 2021, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the UAE’s formation.

Notes:
The first round of the ‘two-plus-two dialogue’ between India and the US will be held in New Delhi on September 6. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will hold talks with their counterparts US Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo and Defence Secretary James N Mattis. Issues like enhancing trade, ways to counter terrorism and India’s concerns over the Trump administration’s decision to make changes in the H1B visa programme are expected to figure during the event. On US sanctions on the import of Iranian oil, India will explain to the US its position on the issue, including how the import has been crucial for India’s energy security. Both sides will discuss the long-pending Communications, Compatibility, Security Agreement “COMCASA”. It will help India obtain critical and encrypted defence technologies for Indian defence platforms from the US.

Notes:
The 2018 edition of Maralal International Camel Derby event was held at Maralal town in Kenya. It is best Kenya’s best known and most prestigious camel race that attracts both local and international competitors. The event is a major draw for spectators as well as racers. It is an entertaining festival of fun and local competition that brings this small desert town to life.

Notes:
In a bid to boost Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flagship ‘Digital India’ campaign, the Rajasthan government has decided to provide free mobile phones to women of Below Poverty Line (BPL) families under the Bhamashah Yojana. The aim of the scheme is to transfer financial and non-financial benefits of government schemes in a transparent manner. The state government will also provide free Wifi facilities to as many as 5,000 gram panchayats to ensure that the state is well connected with the outside world. This programme commenced on September 1 and will end on September 30.

Notes:
The International Aviation Summit 2018 was held in New Delhi from September 3-4, which was jointly organized by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), the Airports Authority India (AAI) and International Air Transport Association (IATA). The summit commemorates the approaching milestone of 50-straight months of double digit domestic growth for Indian aviation. More than 700 delegates and leaders attended the summit. In it, Civil Aviation minister Suresh Prabhu revealed that the Civil Aviation Ministry is coming up with Vision 2035 under which it plans to build 100 new airports across India in the next 10-15 years with an investment of $60 billion and address the major issues concerning aviation industry such as airport infrastructure, taxation and use of technology.

Notes:
Aurora Prize Laureate Kyaw Hla Aung, a noted lawyer and activist from Myanmar, has recently announced to donate his $1 million award money towards humanitarian relief work among Rohingya refugees. He was given the 2018 award for his fight against injustice and advocating on behalf of the Rohingya people. The money will be distributed among three international organisations — Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF), the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) and MERCY Malaysia — who are providing medical aid and assistance to Rohingya refugees across South East Asia. This initiative will benefit around 3,75,000 Rohingya refugees.

Notes:
Dr Arif Alvi has been elected as the new President of Pakistan and will take the oath of the office on September 9. He will succeed Mamnoon Hussain. Dr. Alvi is a close ally of Prime Minister Imran Khan and one of the founding members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party.

Notes:
The Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) has approved a proposal by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) to increase the wages of artisans by over 36%, from Rs 5.50 per hank previously to Rs 7.50 per hank. The proposal for an increase in wages to khadi spinners along with payment of government subsidy — Modified Market Development Assistance (MMDA) — has been approved with effect from August 15, 2018. Under the MMDA programme, 30% of the prime cost is paid to the khadi institutions as production subsidy. Of this 30%, 40% goes to artisans as wage incentives and the remaining 60% goes to the khadi institutions. The wage incentives are paid by KVIC directly to the accounts of the artisans through direct benefit transfer. As a result, if an artisan makes 20 hanks in a day — he will get Rs 150 per day as wage at the rate of Rs 7.50 per hank, plus incentives including MMDA, which would be approximately 35% on Rs 150, that is Rs 52.

Notes:
Indian Shooter Om Prakash Mitharwal clinched his first gold in the 50m pistol event at the 2018 International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championships in Changwon, South Korea on September 4. Mitharwal, who won bronze in the 10m air pistol and the 50m pistol events of the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, shot a score of 564 to finish on top at ISSF Championships.