News in Short

• AamAadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal was elected as the party’s national convener for the third time in a row during the National Executive meeting.
• Earlier this year, the party’s constitution was amended to allow a person to hold a post more than twice.
• After the amendment the duration of the term has been increased to 5 years and the bar on the number of terms for officer bearers has been lifted.
• Kejriwal’s second term as national convener was to end in April 2019 but was extended for a year in 2018 in view of the Lok Sabha and Delhi Assembly elections.

• Chief Minister of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani has resigned from his post. He had held the position since last 5 years.
• Rupani’s resignation came with more than 14 months to go for his second term as CM. He had replaced Anandiben Patel in similar circumstances in August 2016.
• Apart from Deputy CM Nitin Patel, the names doing the rounds Saturday evening for new CM were BJP Gujarat chief C R Paatil, state vice-president GordhanZadafia, Union Health Minister MansukhMandaviya and even the administrator of Diu, Daman, Dadra Nagar Haveli and Lakshadweep Praful Patel.

• Gazprom has finished construction of the Nord Stream 2 subsea pipeline to Germany, which could allow Russia to double lucrative gas exports to Europe via the Baltic Sea.
• Completion of the construction stage means Russia has boosted its energy exporting capabilities towards Europe both from the north in the Baltic Sea and from the south in the Black Sea, where it operates the TurkStream pipeline.
• Gazprom started construction of the 1,200-km long Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia to Germany five years ago. Progress of the $11 billion project stalled at the end of 2019 when then U.S. president Donald Trump imposed sanctions.

• The average outstanding loan per agricultural household increased 57.7 per cent to Rs 74,121 in 2018 compared with Rs 47,000 five years ago in 2013, according to the latest findings of a survey by the National Statistical Office.
• The findings of the survey released by the Ministry of Programme Implementation and Statistics also estimated that the average monthly income from different sources rose 59 per cent to Rs 10,218 based on the ‘paid out expenses’ approach in 2018-19 compared with Rs 6,426 in 2012-13.
• The survey also revealed the number of agricultural households with outstanding loans at 4.67 crore during July-December 2018, about one lakh less than the 2013 estimate.

• Rainfall in August, which recorded 24% deficiency, was lowest in 12 years, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said.
• Two major spells of weak monsoon prevailed over the country when northwest, central and adjoining peninsular and west coast of India had subdued rainfall activities.
• The month of June recorded 10% more rainfall, but both July and August clocked deficiency of 7 and 24% respectively, according to the IMD data.
• The IMD had predicted that the rainfall activity was expected to be normal during August. It has now predicted above normal precipitation in September.