# Ethanol

• India has achieved 10% ethanol blending of petrol five months ahead of schedule, PM Modi said on Monday.
• The achievement has reduced carbon emissions by 27 lakh tonnes.
• This blending has saved the country ₹41000 crore in foreign exchange spending (on oil imports) and boosted the income of farmers by ₹40000 crore in eight years.
• PM Modi said this in his address to a “save soil ” programme organized by Isha foundation, headed by spiritual leader Sadhguru, to mark world environment day.

# Drone corridor

• India’s premier medical Institute, AIIMS could get a drone corridor with its extension campus at Haryana’s Jhajjar before the year end.
• This could be India’s first dedicated medical unmanned aerial vehicle corridor.
• A senior aviation ministry official said the ministry and airports authority of India (AAI) had approved the plan.
• Over the past one year, drones have been used to send medical supplies, including Covid-19 vaccines, to remote parts of India.

# RBI

• Bankers expect the Reserve Bank of India to deliver its second rate hike in the forthcoming monetary policy committee meeting that ends on June 8.
• Most expects the increase to be in the range of 25 to 50 basis points.
• The central bank had hiked its repo rate – at which it lends to banks – by 40 basis points to 4.4% in an off cycle meeting on may 4.

# BPCL

• The centre is set to give a fresh push to its privatisation drive after facing a setback over the sale of state run oil refiner BPCL and will make a renewed bid to complete the transactions of a clutch of companies in the current fiscal year.
• Plans are also on the anvil to give a fresh push to privatisation of a state run bank as well as insurance company.