Morning Current Affairs Updates: 17 August 2017

Aadhar must for availing Subsidised Crop Loans at 7%

In line with the government's policy, the RBI said that farmers can avail the short-term crop loans of up to Rs 3 lakh at a subsidised interest rate of 7 per cent, which could go down further to 4 per cent timely repayment. However, linkage of Aadhaar was made compulsory for availing the interest subvention scheme.

The RBI said in a notification to banks, “To ensure hassle-free benefits to farmers under the Interest Subvention Scheme, the banks are advised to make Aadhaar linkage mandatory for availing of short-term crop loans in 2017-18.”

The US designates Pakistan based terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen as Terrorist Organisation

The United States has named Pakistan based Kashmiri terrorist outfit Hizbul Mujahideen as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation. The US decision comes nearly two months after adding the group's Pakistan-based chief Syed Salahuddin to its list of designated global terrorists.

Slapping a series of sanctions on the outfit, the US state department said in a statement that adding such designations expose and isolate terrorist groups and individuals, and assist the law enforcement activities of US agencies and other governments.

CCEA approves proposal of DIPAM for strategic disinvestment

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, CCEA has approved the proposal of Department of Investment and public Asset Management, DIPAM for the strategic disinvestment. The approval will help in the speedy completion of strategic disinvestment transactions.

The department will set up an alternative mechanism comprising of the Finance Minister, Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Minister of Administrative Department, to decide on the matters relating to terms and conditions of the sale from the stage of inviting of Express of Interests till inviting of financial bid.