IMPORTANT DAYS
World Toilet Day 2024 celebrated on 19 November
• Every year on 19 November, World Toilet Day is celebrated.
• The theme of World Toilet Day 2024 is “Toilets - A Place for Peace.”
• World Toilet Day is being celebrated every year since 2013.
• UN General Assembly adopted World Toilet Day on 24 July 2013.
• According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2023, approximately 1,000 children under the age of five die every day due to unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene.
• Improved sanitation could potentially save 1.4 million lives annually, making it clear that urgent action is needed in this area.
• 2.2 billion people still lack access to safely managed drinking water, and 2 billion lack basic sanitation services, including 653 million living without any facilities.
• In 2024, India is going to launch the “Our Toilets: Our Dignity” campaign, which will begin on November 19 and end on December 10, 2024, on Human Rights Day.
• This will link sanitation to human rights and the global need for dignity and privacy, especially for women and girls.
• Since its launch in 2014, the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) has transformed sanitation in India, building over 11.73 crore household toilets and achieving 5.57 lakh ODF Plus villages under SBM-Grameen.
• The initiative has also improved public health, with the WHO reporting 300,000 fewer diarrhoea deaths by 2019 compared to 2014.
APPOINTMENTS
K Sanjay Murthy appointed as the new Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
• K Sanjay Murthy, a 1989-batch IAS officer, has been appointed as the new Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.
• President Droupadi Murmu appointed Murthy, who currently serves as Secretary, Department of Higher Education.
• He succeeds Girish Chandra Murmu, who retired on November 20, 2024.
• Girish Chandra Murmu, appointed CAG in August 2020, was previously the first Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.
• CAG, established under Article 148 of the Constitution, is an independent authority.
• The CAG audits Central, State, and local government accounts and submits reports to Parliament and state assemblies.
• The CAG is appointed by the President and removed under the same conditions as a Supreme Court judge.
• The office oversees the Indian Audit and Accounts Department, ensuring accountability in public finance.
NATIONAL NEWS
National Youth Festival 2025 will be celebrated in January 2025.
• The National Youth Festival 2025, rebranded as "Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue," will be held on January 11-12, 2025.
• This initiative honors Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary, celebrated as National Youth Day on January 12.
• The platform will enable youth to share their vision for a developed India directly with PM Narendra Modi.
• It aims to discover and support young talent while connecting them with key decision-makers and global leaders.
• A "Vikasit Bharat Challenge," a four-stage competition, will inspire youth participation in shaping India’s future.
• State-level teams will compete in theme-based events during the festival.
• Winning teams will present their ideas for India's development to the Prime Minister.
• The dialogue seeks to empower youth and encourage innovative solutions for a progressive nation.
STATE NEWS
Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh is India’s 56th tiger reserve
• Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve, Chhattisgarh has been notified as the 56th Tiger reserve of the country.
• It is the third largest tiger reserve, covering 2,829 sq km, after Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam and Manas Tiger Reserves.
• The reserve spans Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur, Korea, Surajpur, and Balrampur districts.
• It includes a core area of 2,049.2 sq km (Guru Ghasidas National Park and Tamor Pingla Sanctuary) and a buffer of 780.15 sq km.
• It connects to Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh and links with Bandhavgarh and Palamau Tiger Reserves.
• The reserve lies in the Chota Nagpur and Baghelkhand plateaus.
• NTCA approved its notification in October 2021.
• Chhattisgarh now has four tiger reserves, enhancing its role in wildlife conservation.
BANKING, ECONOMY AND FINANCE
With a 7% GDP growth forecast for 2024, India leads the G20.
• India is leading the G20 with a forecasted GDP growth rate of 7% in 2024.
• Indonesia is in second place with 5%, followed by China in the third position with a growth rate of 4.8%.
• With a predicted GDP growth rate of 3.6%, Russia is ranked fourth on the list, followed by Brazil in fifth place with a 3% growth rate.
• The African region comes next with 3%. The US is ranked seventh with a projected GDP increase of 2.8%.
• With a predicted growth rate of zero, Germany is regarded as the worst performer among the advanced countries.
• Canada and Australia are predicted to grow at 1.3% and 1.2%, respectively.
• The EU, the UK, and France are all classified as having modest growth rates of 1.1%.
• Italy and Japan are predicted to expand at even slower rates of 0.7% and 0.3, respectively.
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES
Vision Next program has been introduced by central government
• The central government launched the Vision Next program to boost the textiles manufacturing sector.
• Union Minister Giriraj Singh stated that India’s textile industry is now worth $176 billion.
• The industry is projected to grow to $350 billion by 2030.
• Tamil Nadu plays a key role in India’s textile sector, highlighted during a review meeting in Chennai.
• A Textile Park is being planned in Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar district with allocated funds.
• The textile sector currently provides employment to 4.6 crore people.
• The workforce is expected to rise to 6 crores by 2030.
• The Minister shared these updates during his interaction at the National Institute of Fashion Technology in Chennai.
SUMMIT AND CONFERENCE
The 19th G20 summit concluded and Brazil handed over the presidency to South Africa.
• The 19th G20 Summit concluded on 19th November 2024 in Brazil.
• Brazilian President Lula da Silva handed over the G20 presidency to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
• Lula highlighted key initiatives during his presidency, including a global alliance against hunger and poverty.
• Climate change was added to finance ministries' agendas, and a multilateral bioeconomy document was approved.
• A global debate on taxation and reforms for effective global governance were initiated.
• New initiatives include a Women’s Empowerment Working Group and a proposed 18th SDG for racial equality.
• The group committed to tripling global renewable energy capacity by 2030.
• A coalition for local vaccine and medicine production was also established.
• After South Africa’s presidency, all G20 countries will have chaired the group at least once.
MISCELLANEOUS
Meta fined ₹213.14 crore by CCI over 2021 WhatsApp privacy policy.
• Meta was fined ₹213.14 crore by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) on November 18, 2024.
• The fine was imposed over WhatsApp’s 2021 privacy policy update.
• CCI stated that WhatsApp cannot mandate data sharing with Meta for users to access its services in India.
• In January 2021, WhatsApp announced updates to its terms of service and privacy policies.
• The new terms, effective February 8, 2021, required mandatory data sharing with Meta companies.
• Previously, users had the option to opt out of sharing their data with Facebook.
• The updated policy removed this option, making data sharing mandatory for all users.
• Users were compelled to accept these terms to continue using WhatsApp.
• The CCI ruled this practice as unfair and imposed the penalty on Meta.
