Daily Current Affairs and GK | 13 November 2024

Topic: Important Days

1. Public Service Broadcasting Day 2024: 12 November

• Public Service Broadcasting Day is observed on 12 November.
• It is celebrated every year to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s only visit to the studio of All India Radio, Delhi in 1947.
• He addressed the displaced people, who had temporarily settled at Kurukshetra in Haryana after partition.
• Mahatma Gandhi was scheduled to travel to Kurukshetra on November 12, 1947 and address the 2.5 lakh Indian refugees who were camped there.
• But because of certain unforeseen circumstances, he was unable to travel to Kurukskhetra.
• So, an arrangement was made for Gandhiji’s live broadcast from All India Radio for them.
• All India Radio (AIR) came into existence in 1936, evolving out of the Indian State Broadcasting Service. AIR acquired the name AKASHVANI in 1956.

Topic: Summit/Conference/Meeting

2. Coast Guards of India and Sri Lanka held the 7th Annual High-Level Meeting in Colombo on November 11.

• This meeting was organized to combat international maritime crimes and promote regional cooperation.
• A four-member ICG delegation led by Director General DG S Paramesh and SLCG delegation led by Director General Rear Admiral YR Serasinghe attended the meeting.
• The meeting underscored the shared commitment of both Coast Guards to address maritime challenges, as well as focus on a range of contemporary regional maritime issues.
• This includes drug trafficking, marine pollution, safety of seafarers, adoption of best practices, capacity building programmes and other collaborative arrangements.
• The resulting meeting emphasized enhancing mutual cooperation in addressing these challenges, thereby strengthening the maritime safety and security architecture in the region.
• This annual meeting follows the institutional mechanism outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two maritime agencies in May 2018.
• In 2025, the 8th edition of the meeting will be hosted by the ICG.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

3. 25th South Asian Telecommunication Regulators Council (SATRC) conference held in New Delhi.

• The 25th South Asian Telecommunication Regulators Council (SATRC) conference was started on November 12.
• It was a two-day conference to discuss and develop new regulatory ideas and strategies for the telecommunications sector.
• It brings together regulators from across South Asia on one platform.
• Its main aim is to provide a platform for regulators from telecom service providers, internet service providers, satellite service providers, and consumers.
• Its main aim is to collaborate on shaping a unified regulatory agenda.
• This conference will come up with a new agenda for the next two years.
• It was organized by the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) and was hosted by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

Topic: Indian Economy

4. ​By November 10, net direct tax collection has increased by 15.4% to ₹12.1 lakh crore.

• From April 1 to November 10, the Union government collected ₹12.1 lakh crore rupees in net direct taxes. This is an increase of 15.4% year over year.
• Direct taxes increased by more than 21% on a gross basis to ₹15 lakh crore in the same time. Personal and corporate taxes are included in direct taxes.
• Income Tax Department had issued tax refunds of ₹2.9 lakh crore.
• A healthy tax collection rate aids the government in reaching its annual fiscal deficit target.
• According to the July Budget, the Centre is targeting a fiscal deficit of 4.9% for FY25.
• Direct taxes are imposed on an individual's earnings or profits.
• They are directly paid by an individual or company to the government without any intermediaries.