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Pib

1. President of India presents Rajbhasha Awards on the occasion of Hindi Diwas
The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind presented the Rajbhasha Awards on the occasion of Hindi Diwas at a function held in New Delhi today (September 14, 2017).
He also launched the ‘LILA Mobile App’ in the presence of Shri Rajnath Singh, Union Minister of Home Affairs and Shri Hansraj Gagaram Ahir and Shri Kiran Rijiju, Ministers of State for Home Affairs.

2. PM Modi and Japanese PM Abe lay foundation stone for India’s first High Speed Rail project
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe today jointly laid the foundation stone for India’s first high speed rail project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
Speaking on the occasion, at a large public meeting in Ahmedabad, the Prime Minister spoke of the high ambition and willpower of “New India.” He congratulated the people of India on the occasion, and said that the bullet train project will provide speed and progress, and deliver results quickly.
The Prime Minister said that this high speed railway would not only bring two cities closer, but also bring the people living hundreds of kilometers away, closer to each other.
The Prime Minister said technology is useful only if it provides benefit to the common man. He said the technology transfer envisaged in this project will benefit Indian Railways, and boost the “Make in India” initiative. He said the project would be eco-friendly as well as human-friendly

3. Media Reports regarding drought in 225 districts in 17 States, factually incorrect: Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
Recently, some news reports have been published regarding drought warning for 225 districts in 17 States, are factually incorrect. The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has been monitoring regularly the agricultural situation in the States.
The overall rainfall in the country is in the category of normal (-6%). The monsoon season in the country is from 1st June to 30th September. Many States particularly, NE States are receiving heavy monsoon rains.
This wide distribution of rainfall has brightened the prospects of kharif production in current season. During 2017-18, the area sown under all kharif crops is 1041.17 lakh hectares against the normal of corresponding period of 1014.00 lakh hectares as on 08.09.2017

4. Operation Insaaniyat
Humanitarian Assistance to Bangladesh on Account of Influx of Refugees
A humanitarian crisis arose in Bangladesh due to heavy influx of refugees from neighbouring Myanmar. The government of India has decided to assist Bangladesh in this crisis by sending relief material. The Indian Air Force was tasked to airlift the relief material from India to Bangladesh.
The C-17 carrying relief material departed early morning on 14 Sep 17 and routed via Kolkata to pick up additional load. The material was delivered at Chittagong, Bangladesh at 1245 hours on 14 Sep 17. One more C-17 is scheduled to airlift additional relief material to Bangladesh.

. 5. SAIL’s retail sales gets boost with SAIL’s Gaon ki Ore campaign
Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL), is running a nation-wide campaign (SAIL steel – Gaon ki ore) which is aimed at boosting steel consumption in country. This has started to reflect positively through the dealer sales numbers, which recorded an 18% jump in the month of August 2017 over CPLY selling 91,000 tonnes of steel in the month. SAIL targets to sell 1 Million Tonnes steel through its dealer network this financial year and aims at doubling it in next three financial years, as per the directions from Steel Minister Shri Birender Singh to SAIL to go for smart marketing.
SAIL had identified the potential of rural markets for enhancing steel consumption which is currently around 10 kgs per capita per year as against around 150 Kg per capita consumption in Urban India.
The Gaon ki ore campaign is designed to familiarize end users at the Grass-root level, especially of rural areas, with innovative usage of SAIL steel and its applications and advantages in construction, household equipment, agriculture etc.