Daily Current Affairs and GK | 14 November 2024

Topic: Environment and Ecology

1. Environment Ministry has notified new rules under new Water Act.

• The new Rules – Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) (Manner of Holding Inquiry and Imposition of Penalty) rules, 2024 have been notified.
• The new rules have been notified for holding inquiry and imposing penalties for violations of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act.
• The new rules have been notified in the backdrop of the amendments made to the Water Act earlier in the 2024.
• The amendments had allowed the Centre to appoint officers to adjudicate offences, and violations and determine penalties.
• Under the amendments made in July, the Environment Ministry also notified Rules exempting non-polluting ‘white’ category industries from obtaining prior permissions to establish and operate under the Water Act.
• The Central Pollution Control Board, State Pollution Control Boards, Pollution Control Committees and Integrated Regional Offices of the Ministry of Environment can now file a complaint to the adjudicating officer regarding any contravention under this act.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

2. First US-India Ocean Dialogue is being held on 14 November.

• Measures to promote security and prosperity throughout the Indo-Pacific region will be discussed.
• U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer will take part in the event virtually.
• The Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) Intersessional is also scheduled to be held.
• This will be to further expand cooperation between the two countries on technological innovation and production.
• The iCET initiative on high technology cooperation is led by National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval and his U.S. counterpart, Jake Sullivan.
• The Quad grouping has announced the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness initiative for the Indian Ocean Region.
• The Quad grouping comprises of India, Australia, Japan and the US.

Topic: Economy/Banking/Finance

3. According to the RBI Deputy Governor, digital transfers of cash for public services increased by 56% in 2024.

• In 2024, there were 56% more e-transactions on average per day to access public services in India than the year before.
• Through 314 initiatives and digitally enabled Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT), Rs 6.9 lakh crore has been transferred.
• In the fiscal year 2023–2024, this benefited 176 crore people.
• Speaking at a conference on "Digital Technology, Productivity, and Economic Growth in India," RBI deputy governor Michael Patra made these remarks.
• According to Patra, up until March 2023, these DBTs are expected to have saved a total of Rs 3.5 lakh crore in costs.
• By 2029–2030, generative AI is expected to add $359–438 billion to India's GDP.
• The percentage of Indian businesses incorporating AI into their production processes rose from 8% in 2023 to 25% in 2024.
• He stated that India has also pledged Rs. 1.25 trillion to the growth of its semiconductor industry.
• He stated that the cost of implementing the Know Your Customer procedure in India has been cut in half thanks to Aadhaar.

Topic: Important Days

4. Children’s Day: 14 November

• Children’s Day is celebrated on 14 November each year.
• This day marks the birth anniversary of India’s 1st Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
• Jawaharlal Nehru, fondly remembered as “Chacha Nehru” for his affection for children.
• This day is being celebrated on 14 November since 1964.
• This year’s theme for World Children’s Day, “For every child, every right,”
• World Children's Day is celebrated every year on 20 November.
• It was first established in 1954 as Universal Children's Day to promote international togetherness awareness among children worldwide and to improve children’s welfare.

Topic: Defense

5. 4th coastal defense exercise ‘Sea-VIGIL-24’ will be conducted by the Indian Navy from 21 to 22 November.

• The two-day exercise will be wide-ranging in terms of both geographical reach and scale of participation, involving six ministries and 21 organizations and agencies.
• During the exercise, the main focus will be on strengthening the security of critical coastal infrastructure including coastal assets such as ports, oil rigs, single-point moorings, cable landing points and coastal population.
• In this exercise of 2024, Indian Army and Air Force are also participating.
• In 2018, Sea Vigil was originally conceptualized to validate and enhance the measures adopted to strengthen coastal security.

Topic: National News

6. New guidelines issued by the Centre to regulate misleading advertisements by coaching institutes.

• The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued guidelines stating that all coaching institutes will have to disclose relevant information about their students and courses to protect parents and aspirants from being misled.
• Guidelines were issued by Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare in New Delhi against misleading advertisements used by various coaching institutes.
• According to the guidelines, coaching institutes will have to prominently display any disclaimers and clarifications regarding their functioning, while consent from minor candidates for the use of photographs and testimonials will have to be taken only after their selection.
• According to the guidelines, the institutions will also have to accurately declare their services, facilities and infrastructure.
• The guidelines establish clear definitions of coaching, coaching centre and endorser.
• The secretary also warned against advertising false and unverified claims, guarantees and success rates.
• So far, CCPA has issued notices to 45 UPSC coaching institutes and sought a fine of over Rs 56 lakh for misleading advertisements.
• Coaching institutes should also have an active consumer grievance redressal mechanism.

Topic: National News

7. The 43^rd Edition of the India International Trade Fair (IITF) started on 14 November at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

• The theme of this year’s India International Trade Fair (IITF) is Viksit Bharat in 2047.
• The focus state of this year’s India International Trade Fair (IITF) is Jharkhand.
• Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are the partner states for this year’s IITF.
• 43rd IITF will continue till 27 November 2024.
• As many as 11 countries are also taking part in the fair.
• These countries include China, Egypt, Iran, South Korea, Sweden, Thailand, Türkiye, Tunisia, Lebanon, Kyrgyzstan and the UAE.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

8. International Conference on Communication and Dissemination of Traditional Knowledge started at Gurugram University on 13 November.

• Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (NIScPR) and Gurugram University jointly inaugurated the conference.
• Director of CSIR-NIScPR, Professor Ranjana Aggarwal, provided an overview of SVASTIK (Scientifically Validated Traditional Knowledge).
• Professor Aggarwal highlighted its significance in promoting scientifically validated Indian traditional knowledge.
• NIScPR has disseminated SVASTIK stories in 17 Indian languages through social media. 
• At the inaugural session of the Conference, the Souvenir and Abstract Book were also released.

Topic: International Appointments

9. Navin Ramgoolam became the new Prime Minister of Mauritius.

• Navin Ramgoolam was sworn in as prime minister for his fourth term.
• His Alliance du Changement (ADC) coalition won a landslide 60 of the 62 national assembly seats with 62.6% of votes.
• Ramgoolam took the oath of office during a brief ceremony at State House.
• Ramgoolam launched a program in 2006 to cut bureaucracy and simplify taxes to diversify the $10 billion economy from tourism, textiles, and sugar exports.
• The outgoing Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth’s popularity had decreased due to the cost of living crisis and corruption allegations.
• Pravind Kumar Jugnauth succeeded his father, Aneerood Jugnauth, in 2017. He again became Prime Minister in 2019.

Topic: Sports

10. Pankaj Advani bagged the 28th World Billiards title.

• Pankaj Advani clinched a historic 28th world title by defeating England’s Robert Hall 4-2 at the IBSF World Billiards Championship in Doha.
• It is his seventh world title in a row, a streak that started in 2016.
• He continued his strong performance in the fifth frame with another impressive break of 154 points.
• Advani quickly regained control after reaching the 150-point mark first in the second frame.

Topic: Defence

11. 9th edition of Garuda Shakti exercise concluded between India and Indonesia.

• On 12 November, the 9th edition of India-Indonesia Joint Special Forces Exercise Garuda Shakti concluded at Mokopassus, Sijantung, Indonesia.
• Its closing ceremony was attended by senior military officers of both the countries.
• In this program, Indian Ambassador to Indonesia Sandeep Chakraborty, Defense Attache in the Indian Embassy Captain Shiv Kumar and Colonel Inf J of the Indonesian Army were present. S. Elling were present.
• Exercise Garuda Shakti has enabled both the contingents to enhance their capabilities to conduct joint military operations in counter-terrorism environment in sub-conventional domain.
• Began on November 1, the Garuda Shakti exercise was designed to enhance bilateral military cooperation and strengthen ties between the armed forces of the two countries.
• 25 personnel from the Indian Army Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) as well as 40 Indonesian personnel from the elite Kopassus Special Forces also participated.
• The exercise was particularly significant as 2024 is the “Year of Technology Absorption” for the Indian Army, which will further deepen technological cooperation between the two countries.
• India and Indonesia are also celebrating the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year, as well as the completion of a decade of India's Act East Policy, with Indonesia as a key pillar.

Topic: International News

12. Vivek Ramaswamy, Elon Musk selected by Trump to lead new US government efficiency department.

• On November 12, US President-elect Donald Trump appointed Elon Musk to this role aimed at creating a more efficient government.
• Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswami will co-lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, which Trump has indicated will work across government boundaries.
• The new department would fulfill a long-standing Republican dream and “provide advice and guidance from outside the government.”
• Donald Trump has given Elon Musk the big responsibility of reducing government expenditure and making policies that will make the country profitable.
• The new department will work closely with the White House and the Office of Management and Budget to "enact large-scale structural reform and an entrepreneurial approach to government never seen before."

Topic: Awards and Prizes

13. Samantha Harvey won the Booker Prize for her novel ‘Orbital’.

• Britain’s Samantha Harvey won the 2024 Booker Prize for her novel ‘Orbital’.
• Orbital takes readers on an extraordinary journey to the International Space Station.
• Harvey’s win is not just significant for its content but also for the records it has broken. It has also outsold the last three Booker winners combined.
• Harvey wrote the novel during the pandemic while watching footage of the Earth in low orbit on her screen.
• Orbital is the second-shortest novel to win the Booker Prize in history. It is only 136 pages.
• Samantha Harvey is also the first woman to win the Booker Prize since 2019.
• The winner was announced by the chair of the judges, Edmund de Waal, at a ceremony held at Old Billingsgate in London.
• Harvey receives £50,000 and a trophy, which was presented to her by Paul Lynch.

Topic: Sports

14. Aravindh clinched the Chennai Grand Masters 2024 Masters title.

• In chess, GM Aravindh Chithambaram clinched the Chennai Grand Masters title after defeating GM Levon Aronian.
• GM V Pranav remained unbeaten throughout the tournament and claimed the Challengers title.
• The Chennai Grand Masters 2024 has two categories: Masters & Challengers.
• Aronian settled for a quick draw against GM Amin Tabatabaei.
• The Masters category witnessed a three-way tie for the top spot.
• Pranav ended the tournament with four wins and three draws and gets a direct entry in the Masters category next year.