IMPORTANT DAYS

Hindi Journalism Day 2024 celebrated on 30 May

• Hindi Journalism Day, celebrated annually on 30 May, honors the significantcontributions of Hindi journalists who serve the public with truth and courage.

• This day commemorates the launch of the first Hindi newspaper, "UdantMartand," by Pt. Jugal Kishore Shukla on 30 May 1826, in Calcutta.

• This event marked the beginning of Hindi journalism.

• During British rule, the publication of UdantMartand was a landmark moment in Indian journalism history.

• This era saw a rise in important publications and an increase in the number of journalists dedicated to this field.

APPOINTMENTS

Pradip Kumar Tripathi has been appointed as secretary to Lokpal

• Pradip Kumar Tripathi has been appointed as the Secretary to Lokpal until July 30.

• His appointment, along with that of IAS officer Rakesh Ranjan as the Chairman of the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), has been ratified by the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet.

• Furthermore, Amit Yadav has assumed the role of Officer on Special Duty in the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, while IAS officer Rajendra Kumar has been designated as the Secretary in the Department of Border Management.

• Lokpal, a multi-member body comprising a Chairperson and a maximum of 8 members, is mandated to have 50% judicial members.

• The President appoints Lokpal members based on the recommendation of a selection committee.

SUMMIT AND CONFERENCES

Cold Chain and Logistics Summit organized by FICCI in New Delhi.

• The Cold Chain and Logistics Summit, titled "Navigating The Future of Cold Chain Logistics," was organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in New Delhi on May 29th.

• The summit aimed to promote collaboration and innovation in developing an integrated, sustainable, and efficient cold chain ecosystem for India's perishable goods sector.

• Discussions focused on creating sustainable infrastructure to enhance energy efficiency, reduce waste, and ensure the integrity and safety of temperature-sensitive goods within supply chain management.

• This summit provided a dynamic platform for exchanging best practices and strategies, offering insights into the technologies and trends shaping the future of cold chain logistics.

The 6th meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism between India and Japan held in New Delhi

• The 6th meeting of the India-Japan Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism was held in New Delhi.

• Led by Joint Secretary KD Dewal from India's Ministry of External Affairs and Ambassador Hiroyuki Minami from Japan, the delegations discussed regional terrorist threats, including state-sponsored cross-border terrorism in South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and the Middle East.

• They also addressed terrorist activities in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the challenges posed by new technologies, internet misuse, radicalization, and terrorist financing.

• Both sides emphasized the importance of information sharing, capacity building, training, and cooperation in multilateral forums like the UN, FATF, and the Quad.

• The next meeting will be held in Tokyo on a mutually agreed date.

BANKING, ECONOMY AND FINANCE

As per ILO, the Global unemployment rate is expected to fall slightly to 4.9% in 2024.

• According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), the global unemployment rate is expected to decrease slightly to 4.9% in 2024, down from 5.0% in 2023.

• In January, the ILO had projected that the unemployment rate would remain at 5.2%, influenced by anticipated increases in unemployment in advanced economies.

• However, the ILO revised its forecast due to lower-than-expected unemployment rates in China, India, and high-income countries.

• The ILO also predicts that the unemployment rate will remain at 4.9% in 2025.

• Despite this slight improvement, the report highlights that 183 million people worldwide remain unemployed, while 402 million people who wanted to work were without a job.

• In high-income countries, the unemployment rate stood at 9.7% for women and 7.3% for men.

• Additionally, the report estimates that 45.6% of working-age women will be employed in 2024.