Daily Current Affairs and GK | 8 November 2024

Topic: India and its Neighbour

1. India and Nepal agreed to accelerate water resources and energy cooperation.

• Nepal and India have agreed to expedite hydropower projects and enhance cooperation in energy, water resources and other key sectors.
• Nepal's Energy and Water Resources Minister Deepak Khadka was on a visit to India from November 3 to 6.
• During the visit, both sides agreed to expedite projects including the Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project and the Arun III Hydroelectric Project.
• The Indian Government agreed to move forward with the Pancheshwar Project and the Nepalese side agreed to expedite work related to land acquisition for the Arun III Project being developed by an Indian company.
• During the meeting, the Indian side agreed to provide necessary assistance to Nepal in providing drinking water and irrigation facilities to the people of the hilly areas of the Himalayan country by installing solar panels.

Topic: International News

2. A proposal made by Australia to ban social media for children under 16.

• On 7 November, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Australian Government would introduce legislation to restrict social media access for children under the age of 16.
• The government is calling it a world-leading package of measures, which could become law by the end of next year.
• Australia is testing an age-verification system to help prevent children from accessing social media platforms, part of a range of measures that include the strictest controls imposed by any country to date.
• Albanese cited the dangers to children's physical and mental health caused by excessive use of social media.
• No jurisdiction has yet tried to use age verification methods such as biometrics or government identification to enforce age limits on social media, two of which are being tested.
• This year, the legislation will be introduced into the Australian Parliament, and will come into effect 12 months after approval by lawmakers.
• Children who have parental consent or already have an account will not get any exemptions.
• Last year, France proposed a ban on social media for children under the age of 15, although users were able to circumvent the ban by obtaining consent from their parents.

Topic: Agriculture and allied sectors

3. Government has doubled penalties for farmers involved in Stubble Burning.

• The Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change Ministry has doubled penalties for stubble burning.
• The government has issued the Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (Imposition, Collection and Utilization of Environmental Compensation for Stubble Burning) Amendment Rules, 2024.
• Under the revised rules, farmers with less than two acres of land holding will have to pay Rs 5,000 for stubble burning. It was earlier Rs 2,500.
• Those with land between two and five acres will be fined Rs 10,000, while farmers with over five acres of land will pay Rs 30,000.
• The amendment seeks to standardize the penalty structure, taking into account farmers with smaller landholdings.

Topic: Banking System

4. E-bank guarantee facility has been launched by Punjab & Sind Bank.

• Punjab & Sind Bank has launched this facility in partnership with National e-Governance Services Ltd. (NeSL).
• The e-Bank Guarantee (e-BG) facility will replace the paper-based BG issuance process with stamping and signatures.
• This step will reduce the TAT (turnaround time) and increase the ease of business for applicants and beneficiaries.
• NeSL’s e-BG is paperless. It is available in a digital form to the beneficiary of an e-BG on registration on the portal of NeSL.