In a major boost to the Indian Air Force’s combat capabilities, eight US-made Apache AH-64E attack helicopters are set to be inducted into the IAF on September 3, officials said on Monday.

Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa will be the chief guest during the induction ceremony, which will take place at the Pathankot Air Force station.

The AH-64E Apache is one of the world’s most advanced multi-role combat helicopters and is flown by the U.S. Army.

“Eight of the Apache attack helicopters are set to be inducted into the IAF, that will enhance the force’s combat capabilities,” a senior IAF official said.

The IAF had signed a multi-billion dollar contract with the U.S. government and Boeing Ltd in September 2015 for 22 Apache helicopters. The first four of the 22 helicopters was handed over to the air force by Boeing on July 27.

The BJP-led Haryana Government has announced a 4,750 crore rupees waiver on interest and penalty on crop loans. This will benefit around 10 lakh farmers of the state. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said this while addressing a rally in Bhiwani, Haryana yesterday. 

The farmers who have borrowed from Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS), District Cooperative Central Banks, Land Mortgage Bank and Haryana Land Reforms and Development Bank will benefit from this decision. 

According to the announcement, the farmers whose bank accounts were declared Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) by these banks and were unable to renew their loans will now be able to do so. Mr Khattar said, out of 13 lakh farmers who borrowed from PACS, the accounts of over eight lakh had turned into NPAs. He said, the five per cent penalty imposed on farmers who failed to repay loans taken from PACS will now be completely waived.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Russia from September 4 to 5 during which he will hold a bilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and attend the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, the External Affairs Ministry announced on Monday.

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, at a media briefing, said the visit will be a short one, lasting about 36 hours.

Its two main purposes are that the prime minister has been invited to attend the Eastern Economic Forum as one of the chief guests and he will also hold the 20th annual bilateral summit with the Russian president.

Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan today launched a new scheme of Annual Health Check-up for CGHS beneficiaries who are pensioners of the age of 75 years and above. 

He also inaugurated state-of-the-art CGHS Bhawan in New Delhi. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Harsh Vardhan stated that CGHS services should be made available in 100 cities by 2022. 

The CGHS services which started in 1954 from Delhi expanded to only 25 cities till 2014. However, in the last five years under the NDA Government, the services have been extended to as many as 71 cities. 

Defence Ministerial meeting between India and Japan is presently underway in Japan's capital Tokyo. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is heading the Indian side while Japanese side is led by Japan's Minister of Defence Takeshi Iwaya. The Ministerial Dialogue will aim to further strengthen India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership and include wide-ranging discussions to enhance the bilateral defence and security engagements between the two countries. 

The two sides are also expected to deliberate on the long-pending issue of supply of the US-2 amphibious aircraft by Japan to India.
Earlier, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reached Tokyo today during the first leg of his five-day visit to Japan and South Korea to enhance strategic ties and explore possibilities of collaboration of major military platforms. 

The 14th Conference of Parties, COP14, to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification will get underway in Greater Noida today. The Conference will focus on desertification and degradation of land and will go on till 13th of this month. Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar had earlier this week highlighted India’s resolve to combat desertification. Mr Javadekar asserted that India will lead from the front to combat desertification and move the world in a positive direction. AIR correspondent reports the main objective of the convention is to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought in countries experiencing serious drought or desertification. 

India will host over 3000 participants and take the responsibility of leading 196 nations towards Sustainable Development for the next two years in COP14. This Conference will provide framework for countries to restore the land and protect human health. It will present sustainable solutions for better land management. The Conference is expected to agree on about 30 decisions to ramp up and elaborate further actions needed on the ground. Different industries will showcase their latest products, and innovations associated with reduction of land degradation. Land is the lifeline for all living beings, and the impact of land degradation is ultimately on human health and well-being. 

The stage is all set for the crucial separation of lander Vikram from Chandrayaan 2 Orbiter this afternoon. According to ISRO, the separation is scheduled between 12:45 PM and 1:45 PM. The separation will allow the lander to travel towards the lunar surface, leaving the Orbiter to continue to revolve around the moon.

Yesterday evening, ISRO successfully carried out fifth and final orbit manoeuvre of Chandrayaan 2 to refine its circular path around the moon. The orbiter will remain in its orbit for a planned one year. The composite Chandrayaan-2 has the orbiter, the lander and the rover. The 1.5-ton lander carries in its belly the 27 kg rover. The mission of the lander is to soft-land on the lunar South Pole and to safely unleash the rover. The lander and the rover have a mission life of a single lunar day or 14 days of the earth.

A complete ban on the use of polythene bags will come into force in Uttar Pradesh from tomorrow. 

Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said, local police station and its in-charge will be held responsible for non-compliance of the government order in this regard. 

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had vowed last year to make Uttar Pradesh plastic and polythene-free. 

Allahabad High Court had also banned the use of polythene in the state. Government has said that alternative things will be made available to the people.

A delegation from the 59th course of National Defence College (NDC) India comprising 15 senior officers from civil services and defence forces of India, UK, Japan, Mongolia and Bangladesh visited Nepal. 

During the three-day visit which was concluded on Wednesday, the team led by Vice Admiral Srikant, AVSM, Commandant NDC called on Nepal’s Chief of Army Staff, General Purna Chandra Thapa and discussed matters of mutual interest. 

The delegation was briefed about various functions of the Nepali Army during its visit to Nepali Army headquarters. The team also visited Western Division Headquarters at Pokhara as well as the prestigious Mountain Warfare School at Jomsom. 

The delegation also paid a courtesy call on Nepal’s Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali and Defence Secretary Reshmi Raj Pandey. 

The government has announced the merger of ten public sector banks into four banks. It announced the merger of Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank with Punjab National Bank as well as the merger of Canara Bank and Syndicate Bank.

The merger of Union Bank of India, Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank and the consolidation of  Indian Bank with Allahabad Bank was also announced. Briefing media in New Delhi yesterday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that government wants a strong financial system to make the country a five trillion economy. 

The Finance Minister said, after the merger of banks, the country will now have 12 public sector banks instead of 27. She said, the profitability of public sector banks has improved and total gross non-performing assets have come down to  7.9 lakh crore rupees in March this year from 8.65 lakh crore rupees in December last year.