Daily Current Affairs and GK | 20 September 2024

Topic: India and its Neighbours

1. India demands modification of the Indus Water Treaty.

• India has sent a formal notice to Pakistan to review and modification of the Indus Water Treaty.
• Under Article XII (3) of the Treaty, from time to time the treaty provisions could be modified between both governments.
• In September 1960, the Indus Waters Treaty was signed in Karachi by Jawaharlal Nehru and Ayub Khan.
• Under the provisions of the treaty, the Eastern rivers—the Sutlej, the Beas and the Ravi will be available for unrestricted use by India, while the Western rivers the Indus, the Jhelum and the Chenab will be available for unrestricted use by Pakistan.
• India is demanding fundamental and unforeseen changes in circumstances that require a reassessment of obligations under various articles of the Indus Water Treaty.
• India wants to foster the development of clean energy to meet its emission reduction targets, environmental issues, and change in population demographics.

Topic: Art and Culture  

2. Union Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar inaugurated the 19th Divya Kala Mela on 19th September 2024.

• Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Kumar inaugurated it in Visakhapatnam.
• Divya Kala Mela is an embodiment of the ‘Vocal for Local’ movement. 
• The Divya Kala Mela is being organized by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) through National Divyangjan Finance and Development Corporation (NDFDC).
• From September 19 to September 29, 2024, Divyang entrepreneurs and craftsmen from all across the nation will have their products and handiwork on display at the Mela.
• There will be over 100 Divyang entrepreneurs, artists, and artisans exhibiting their goods and abilities from roughly 20 states and UTs.
• One special effort to support Divyangjans' economic development is the Divya Kala Mela.
• The series began in 2022, and the edition in Visakhapatnam is the 19th.

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

3. HCLTech has become number one India-headquartered Company in World's Best Companies 2024 list of TIME magazine.

• HCLTech has also achieved a place in the global top 10 list within the Professional Services category.
• In the World's Best Companies 2024 ranking, top-performing companies across the globe are identified.
• The companies are identified on the parameters of employee satisfaction, revenue growth, and sustainability.
• The ranking includes 1000 companies worldwide. It features 22 Indian-born companies this year.
• HCLTech has secured the 112th position globally. Infosys and Wipro are ranked at 119th and 134th respectively.
• The Adani Group and Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industriesstands at 736th and 646 place, respectively.
• In the banking sector, Axis Bank is leading at 504th place. State Bank of India (SBI) follows at 518th.

Topic: Sports

4. Scotland has agreed to host Commonwealth Games in 2026.

• Glasgow will host the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Original host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games was Australia’s Victoria state.
• However, Victoria State withdrew last year citing rising costs. 
• This will be the 4th Commonwealth Games which will be hosted in Scotland.
• Earlier, 1970 and 1986 games were held in Edinburgh, and the 2014 games were held in Glasgow.
• Commonwealth Games are held every four years. The event was established in 1930 as the British Empire Games.
• The event is open to 74 nations and territories. Birmingham hosted the 2022 games.
• This is the second time in a row that a host that was first chosen has stepped down after winning the bid.
• After winning the bid to host the 2022 edition in 2015, Durban, South Africa withdrew its offer 17 months later citing financial difficulties.
• Birmingham then took over as the event's host.
• First organised in 1911, the Commonwealth Games have been contested every four years since 1930.
• The 2010 edition of the Games was held in India.

Topic: Art and Culture

5. Nadi Utsav 2024 inaugurated at IGNCA in New Delhi.

• On 19 September, the three-day Nadi Utsav inaugurated at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts – IGNCA in New Delhi to celebrate the significance of India’s rivers.
• Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) is hosting the fifth edition of Nadi Utsav from September 19-21, 2024.
• The festival is being celebrated under the theme 'Rivers in Reverse: Making of a Lifeline', focusing on the elements of culture in and around the river.
• Since its launch in 2018, the Nadi Utsav has sought to increase public awareness of the value of rivers, seeing them not just as natural resources but as an integral part of India's cultural heritage.
• The event will also include a documentary film festival titled My River Story, which will screen 11 films focusing on river themes.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Summit/Conference/Meeting

6. International WASH Conference 2024 concluded at 8th India Water Week.

• The International WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) Conference was organized by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti on the occasion of the 8th India Water Week was organized in New Delhi between 17-19 September 2024.
• This three-day gathering was centered on the theme ‘Sustaining Rural Water Supply’.
• It offered a platform for knowledge exchange, showcasing innovations, and sharing best practices aimed at addressing global WASH challenges, with a special focus on achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6).
• The event comprised over 40 sessions (offline and online), 143 offline paper presentations, 43 online paper presentations and 5 panel discussions.
• It covered a wide range of topics such as water quality, greywater management, community engagement, information, education and behaviour change communication (IEC/BCC) initiatives and climate change adaptation.
• The highlight of the event was the Swachh Sujal Gaon, a model village showcasing India's comprehensive approach to strengthening the WASH sector in rural areas.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

7. India and the EU have decided to work together in the area of sustainable water management.

• India and the EU have decided to work together with focus on river basin management.
• The EU Ambassador to India praised the EU's growing partnership with India in water management during the inauguration of the India-EU Water Forum on September 18.
• During the 6th EU-India Water Forum, India and the EU decided to strengthen their cooperation in sustainable water management.
• 6th EU-India Water Forum took place on the sidelines of the 8th India Water Week.
• In order to solve issues with East Africa's water bodies, such as Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika, the forum examined trilateral cooperation between East Africa, India, and the European Union.
• The India-EU Water Partnership (IEWP) was established in 2016.
• The goal of the IEWP is to improve the frameworks for policy, science, and technology in water management.
• The EU and India are working together on river management in the Tapi and Ramganga River Basins under the IEWP.
• Presently, IEWP is in Phase III. The collaboration will broaden its efforts to include other key basins, such as the Brahmaputra, under Phase III.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

8. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG), The Habitats Trust and HCL Foundation signed a MoU for marine conservation in New Delhi.

• The main objective of this initiative is to implement critical conservation efforts.
• These include the removal of ghost nets, mapping and classifying areas affected by ghost gear, and improving understanding to prioritize cleanup efforts.
• As part of this MoU, surveys will be carried out in ecologically sensitive regions to protect and monitor marine biodiversity.
• In order to promote stewardship of marine ecosystems, the ICG, Habitats Trust, and HCL Foundation will collaborate to involve coastal communities in conservation efforts.
• Ghost gear refers to derelict fishing gear. It refers to any lost, abandoned, or thrown fishing gear found in maritime environments.

Topic: Agriculture and allied sectors

9. Union Minister Amit Shah launched ‘White Revolution 2.0’.

• ‘White Revolution 2.0’ has been launched by the Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah.
•  It has been launched with an action plan for the formation and strengthening of 2 lakh new Multipurpose Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies, and dairy and fishery cooperatives.
• ‘White Revolution 2.0’ will focus on empowering women and further strengthening the fight against malnutrition.
• Under White Revolution 2.0, the government has set a target to increase milk procurement by dairy cooperative societies by 50 per cent over the next five years.
• This program is focused on four key areas – empowering women farmers, enhancing local milk production, strengthening dairy infrastructure and boosting dairy exports. 
• The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) will fund the initiative from its resources.
• Amit Shah also launched RuPay Kisan Credit Cards for dairy farmers and the installation of micro-ATMs at dairy cooperative societies.

Topic: Sports

10. Punjab clinched the 14th Hockey India Junior Men’s National Championship 2024.

• Punjab defeated Uttar Pradesh in the finals of the 14th Hockey India Junior Men’s National Championship 2024 at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium.
• The final winner of the match is decided in the shootout, with Punjab winning 4-3 to lift the trophy.
• Sukhwinder Singh (5'), Jarman Singh (33'), and Jobanpreet Singh (39') scored goals for Punjab.
• Ajeet Yadav (31'), Suraj Pal (48'), and Akash Pal (54') scored one goal each for Uttar Pradesh.
• Haryana defeated Karnataka 5-0 to secure third place on the podium.

Topic: Sports

11. The equal prize money for men and women in World Cups announced by the ICC.

• On 17 September, equal prize money for men and women in the World Cup was announced by the International Cricket Council, starting with the Women's T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates next month.
• The ICC said in a statement that the winning team of the Women's T20 World Cup will be awarded $2.34 million, which is 134% more than the $1 million paid to Australian women if they win the title in South Africa in 2023.
• India, who won the Men's T20 World Cup earlier this year, received a cash prize of $2.45 million.
• The ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 will be the first ICC event where women will receive the same prize money as their male counterparts, marking a significant milestone in the history of the sport.
• The move is in line with the ICC's strategy to prioritise the women's game and accelerate its growth towards 2032.

Topic: Economy/Banking/Finance

12. Interest rates reduced by the Federal Reserve to 4.75%-5%, with further cuts indicated in 2024.

• On 18 September, the Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point, marking the start of an aggressive set of policy changes aimed at strengthening the U.S. labor market.
• The Federal Reserve lowered its key lending rate target by 0.5 percentage points to 4.75%-5%.
• Projections released following their two-day meeting showed a narrow majority, 10 of 19 officials, favoured lowering rates by at least an additional half-point over their two remaining 2024 meetings.
• The Federal Open Market Committee voted to lower the federal funds rate to a range of 4.75% to 5%.
• The rate had previously remained at a 20-year high for more than a year.
• The Committee remains confident that inflation is moving steadily toward 2%.
• At the same time, the Committee believes that risks to achieving the employment and inflation goals are roughly balanced.
• Officials have updated quarterly economic forecasts, raising their average estimate for unemployment at the end of 2024 to 4.4% from June's 4% forecast.

Topic: Space and IT

13. Government approved funds for Chandrayaan-4 mission.

• Chandrayaan-4 mission, India’s fourth mission to the Moon, received a budget of ₹2,104.06 crore.
• India became the first country to land a probe on the lunar South Pole with the success of Chandrayaan-3.
• Chandrayaan-4 will be a remote mission to retrieve the samples from the lunar surface.
• The mission aims to bring rock samples from the lunar surface back to Earth after a soft landing.
• It will be launched in 2027 and will use the expanded technology developed in Chandrayaan-3.
• This mission will achieve the foundational technologies capabilities for landing an Indian astronaut on the Moon by 2040.
• Union Cabinet has also approved the development of the NGLV launch vehicle.
• It will be cost-effective, reusable, and has the potential to be commercially viable. It will have three times the present payload capability.

Topic: Personality in News

14. Manu Bhaker became brand ambassador of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

• Manu Bhaker, the double Olympic medal winner, became the new brand ambassador of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
• Manu Bhaker is a daughter of Marine Engineer.
• Manu Bhaker made history in the Paris Olympics by winning two medals in a single Olympic event.
• More than 500 women also participated in the "Harnessing Nari Shakti for the Development of the Nation" programme.