Current Affairs GK 13 th July 2024

CURRENT AFFAIRS 13 July, 2024

1. NITI AAYOG RELEASES SDG INDIA INDEX 2023-24 –

• The SDG India Index 2023-24 reveals significant national and subnational progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). India’s composite score improved to 71, reflecting advancements across key sectors like poverty eradication, economic growth, climate action, and biodiversity conservation.
• Front Runner States: 32 States and UTs achieved scores between 65 and 99, with notable improvements seen in Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and West Bengal.
• New Entrants: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, and others join the Front Runner category due to substantial score increases.
• Goal 13 (Climate Action): Score increased from 54 to 67, showcasing enhanced disaster preparedness and renewable energy adoption.
• Goal 1 (No Poverty): Improved from 60 to 72, driven by social welfare schemes like PMAY and Ayushman Bharat.

2. INDIA TO OBSERVE ‘SAMVIDHAAN HATYA DIWAS’ ON JUNE 25 –

• The Government of India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has made a significant decision to observe June 25 annually as ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas‘ (Constitution Murder Day). This observance is intended to commemorate the immense sacrifices and contributions of those who endured the harsh realities of the 1975 Emergency.
• The Union Home Minister emphasized that this decision serves a dual purpose: To honor the spirit of millions who struggled to revive democracy
• To acknowledge the inexplicable persecution faced by citizens at the hands of an oppressive government during the Emergency period
• The observance of Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas is expected to play a crucial role in keeping the eternal flame of individual freedom and the defense of democracy alive in every Indian citizen. By doing so, it aims to prevent any dictatorial force from repeating the horrors of the past.
• The Emergency refers to a 21-month period from June 25, 1975, to March 21, 1977. During this time, the government led by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi invoked special provisions in the Constitution to impose sweeping executive and legislative measures on the country.

3. IMF AGREES TO $7 BILLION LOAN PROGRAM FOR PAKISTAN –

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Pakistan reached a deal on July 12, 2024, for a $7 billion loan program that will last for 37 months. The main goal of this Extended Fund Facility program is to help Pakistan, a country that has had a lot of economic problems, become more stable and grow in a way that benefits everyone.
• The IMF has said that the new program can’t start until its Executive Board agrees to it. Pakistan also needs to get “timely confirmation of necessary financing assurances” from important developmental and bilateral partners like China, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. These assurances could include loan rollovers or payments.
• This deal was discussed in May after a short-term $3 billion scheme was successfully finished. This earlier scheme was very important for stabilizing Pakistan’s economy and keeping the country from defaulting on its debt.

4. NASA’S CHAPEA PROJECT –

• It is called “Mars Dune Alpha” and is a 1,700-square-foot building made with 3D printing at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. It has bedrooms, bathrooms, a work area, a robot station, a gym, and a vertical farm, among other things. It is next to a 1,200-square-foot area that is used to simulate events that would happen outside of vehicles on Mars. The setup includes red, rocky cliffs and simulated Martian dirt to make the experience more real.
• The main reason for this long-term engagement was to collect information on the physical and mental effects of a Mars-like environment, such as being alone, having limited resources, and having to wait for messages to arrive.
• These new ideas are very important for getting astronauts ready for the mental and physical difficulties of longer-term space missions in the future. Crew members did a wide range of jobs, from simulating spacewalks to growing vegetables. They gave NASA useful information about how to keep people healthy in confined and remote environments.

5. INDIA GENERATED 125 MILLION JOBS BETWEEN FY14 & FY23, SAYS SBI REPORT –

• India created 125 million jobs between FY14 and FY23, which is 4.3 times more than the 29 million jobs created in the preceding decade (FY04-FY14).
• Excluding agriculture, 89 million jobs were created in manufacturing and services during FY14-FY23, compared to 66 million in FY04-FY14.
• Employment in MSMEs has surpassed 200 million as of July 2024, reflecting a 66% increase from the last year.