CA NOV

India's Q2 GDP Slows to 5.4%

• India's GDP growth has slowed to 5.4% in the second quarter of 2024-25, according to government data.

India's Q2 GDP Growth Report

• India's Q2 GDP growth slipped to 5.4%, marking an 18-month low.
• The National Statistics Office released the figure.
• The figure is below the Reuters poll estimate of 6.5%.
• It showcases a decline from 6.7% in Q1FY25 and 8.1% in Q2FY24.
• Gross Value Added (GVA) grew by 5.6%, falling short of the predicted 6.5%, with a slowdown from 7.7% in Q2FY24.
• The agriculture sector demonstrated consistent growth, expanding by 3.5%.
• The mining sector faced a downturn, contracting by -0.1% in Q2FY25.
• Manufacturing slowed dramatically to 2.2% growth.
• The electricity, gas, and other utility services sector grew by 3.3%.
• Construction grew by 7.7%.
• Trade, Hotels, and Transport recorded 6% growth.
• The financial, real estate, and professional services category grew by 6.7%.
• Public administration, defense, and other services posted 9.2% growth.

Direct Flights from Bhubaneswar to 5 New Cities

• Bhubaneswar will add flights to five new Indian cities starting in New Year 2025.
• These cities include:
  • Indore
  • Dehradun
  • Lucknow
  • Jaipur
  • Kochi
• Starting January 1, 2025, IndiGo will operate flights from Bhubaneswar to Indore four days a week.
• From early 2025, there will be three daily IndiGo flights from Bhubaneswar to Dehradun.
• Starting January 3, 2025, there will be IndiGo flights three days a week from Bhubaneswar to Jaipur and Lucknow.
• Air India will begin offering daily direct flights from Bhubaneswar to Kochi in the New Year.
• The new airline services from Bhubaneswar Airport will enhance Temple City’s significance as a regional transportation center.
• The foundation for the flight services has already been established by the New Destination Policy in Odisha, encouraging airlines to increase operations.

Australia Bans Social Media for Minors Under 16

• Australia approved a social media ban for children on November 28th, setting a global precedent with strict regulations targeting Big Tech.
• Tech giants like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Meta Platforms must prevent minors under 16 from logging in.
• Companies failing to comply face fines of up to AUD 49.5 million (USD 32 million).
• The prohibition takes effect in a year, following an enforcement strategies trial is set to begin in January.

Google Antitrust Case: Canada Orders Google to Sell Two Services and Pay Fine

• Canada's antitrust watchdog sues Google for allegedly engaging in anti-competitive behavior.
• Google is asked to sell off two ad tech businesses and pay a fine.
• It is requested that Google sell:
  • ad exchange, AdX
  • publisher ad server, DoubleClick for Publishers
• Google is estimated to have a 90% market share in publisher ad servers an estimated 70% in advertiser networks.
• Google’s market dominance has stifled innovation, discouraged rival competition, increased advertising costs, and decreased publisher earnings.

India's First Green Hydrogen Fuel Station

• Hemant Soren has taken oath as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand
• Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ministry launched the e-filing portal
• India and Singapore started bilateral exercise Agniwarrior 2024
• Kochi, Kerala will host Indian Coast Guard's National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise and Workshop (SAREX-24)
• Annapurna Devi recently launched national campaign "Child Marriage Free India"
• Jaytirth Raghavendra Joshi appointed as new head of Brahmos Aerospace
• India's first green hydrogen fuel station inaugurated in Leh
• Max Verstappen has won the Las Vegas Grand Prix
• India's rank in the Network Readiness Index 2024 is 49th
• Keith Kellogg has been nominated by the newly elected US President Donald Trump as special envoy for Russia and Ukraine

India Tests K-4 Missile from INS Arighaat

• India's nuclear-capable K-4 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) was reportedly successfully tested from the nuclear-powered submarine INS Arighaat.

• The test occurred in the Bay of Bengal off the coast of Visakhapatnam.

• K-4 missile was fired from the 6,000-ton submarine.

• The K-4 missile has a 3,500-kilometer striking range and solid fuel.

• The missile test was carried out by INS Arighaat, put into service on August 29.

• India announced a public area warning and notice to airmen (NOTAM) for an missile test in the Bay of Bengal between November 27 and 30.

• INS Arighaat is India's second nuclear-powered submarine and enhances the nation's nuclear deterrence.

• The submarine may carry nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles, or SSBNs and can carry K-4 missiles, which have a strike range of 3,500 km.

• India’s first SSBN, INS Arihant, is equipped with K-15 missiles with a 750 km range.

Delhi-Dehradun Expressway: Travel in 2.5 Hours

• The Delhi-Dehradun Expressway is scheduled to open in January 2025.
• It will cut travel time between Akshardham in New Delhi and Akshardham from 6.5 hours to 2.5 hours.
• The Delhi-Dehradun, begins in Akshardham and travels of Ghaziabad, Baghpat, Shamli, Saharanpur, and Haridwar before NH-72 in Dehradun.
• The estimated cost of the six-lane Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, which is around Rs 12,000 crore.
• The expressway features a 12-km elevated corridor near.
• The project uses eco-friendly materials and green technology to reduce its environmental impact.
• The expressway has six lanes, which can be extended to eight and smart traffic management systems, toll plazas along with green zones.

World Chess Championship 2025: Gukesh vs Ding Liren

• 18-year-old Gukesh is setting out to become the youngest world chess champion in history
• Gukesh Dommaraju will be the first Indian beside Viswanathan Anand to compete in the World Chess Championship.
• He faces Ding Liren at Singapore's Resorts World Sentosa who is the current world champion.
• Gukesh tied with Ding Liren during the 2024 World Chess Championship.
• The score with Chinese Grandmaster by winning on Wednesday was 1-1 during the 14-classical World Chess Championship 2024 match.
• Gukesh’s 2022 Chess Olympiad performance won a gold medal and played a crucial role in helping India secure a bronze medal
• The WCC has a total prize pool of $2.5 million:
  • Players will earn $200,000 (~1.68 crore) for every game they win.
  • The winner of the match will take home $1.3 million (around 10.9 crore) while, the runner-up will receive $1.2 million (around 10.1 crore).

Free International Journals Online Access

• Government initiative "One Nation One Subscription" was approved on November 25th.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union Cabinet. aims to guarantee nationwide access to academic research articles / journal publications.
• 6,000 crore set aside for the project over a three-year period.
• Scheme target researchers, faculty and students across higher education institutions ran by :
  • Federal
  • state
  • central government research
  • Development agencies
• Includes 30 international journal publishers
  • Provide access to nearly 13,000 e-journals.
• more than 6,300 government higher education institutions and central government R&D institutions will benefit from this
• managed through Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET)

Delhi-Srinagar Vande Bharat Sleeper Train

• Indian Railways will soon connect Jammu and Kashmir capital (Srinagar) to the nation by introducing 3rd version of Vande Bharat Sleeper train.
• BEML manufactures Vande Bharat Sleeper trains, built to cover long distances including special design in colder regions, with heating elements for drivers etc.
• Estimated travel time reduced from 20 hours to 13 hours from Delhi-Srinagar Railway operational line.
• The routes will operate 800km within 13 hours via USBHL projects under development stopping at:
  • Ambala Cantt
  • Ludhiana
  • Kathua -Jammu Tawi -Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra -Sangaldan -Banihal
• New Delhi-Srinagar Vande Bharat Sleeper Train will offer three accommodation options: -AC 3 Tier (3A): around 2,000 -AC 2 Tier (2A): around 2,500 -AC First Class (1A): around 3,000

SC Rules: Socialist and Secular in Preamble are Constitutionally Valid

• The petitions were filed by: social worker Balram Singh, ashwini Upadhyay.
• The petitioners argued the 42nd Amendment distorted the original intentions of the Constitutions framers.
• Lok sabhas extended terms were intended for argent needs, not for altering the constitution.
• the preamble can be amended by parliament under article 386.

'Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat Campaign'

• Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Annapurna Devi, introduced 'Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat Campaign'/Child Marriage Free India campaign.
• Aims to prevent Child marriage and other harmful practices, to help girls achieve their potential by ending Child Marriages
• Government began Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao to transform how society views girls.
• UN data shows South Asia has seen the biggest drop in child marriage, India has a major role in it.
• The seven high-burden states-West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Tripura, Assam, and Andhra Pradesh—as well as 300 districts with rates higher than the national average. - Aims to lower the prevalence of Child marriage to less than 5% by 2029.
• Amends law to guarantee that 18 is te legal minimum age for marriage.

Current Affairs One Liners 27 November 2024

• 3 calendar years of funding under "One Nation One Subscription" scheme.
• Bajrang Punia- Four years of ban.
• Delhi to Srinagar Vande Bharat Sleeper- January 2025
• Atal Innovation Mission- ₹2,750 crores
• CCI approval to acquire stake in Flipkart- Alphabet Government approved for PAN 2.0 project- ₹ 1,435 crores

Delhi Expands Pension Scheme for Seniors

• Government will be expanding its old-age pension system to include an extra 80,000 older residents.
• Which will increase the total number of beneficiaries to 5.3 lakh.
• Those aged 60-69 will get 2,000 per month, while those 70 and older will receive 2,500.
• The annual family income should be less than 1 lakh.
• Applicants must have lived in Delhi for at least five years. Interested candidates may apply at https://edistrict.delhigovt.nic.in is the e-district site.
• Applicants must upload: -Age Proof: Any Official document as proof of age -Bank account details: Aaddhar linked single-operated bank account. -Additional Proof:(for SC/ST/Minority applicants)

Suspension of Olympic bronze winner Bajrang Punuia

• Suspended for four years by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for breaking anti-doping rules after failing to submit Urine Sample March 10, 2024.
• No longer eligible to compete in professional wrestling.
• Four-year suspension begins April 23 2024.
• NADA referred to Article 20.1 and 20.2 of the Anti-Doping Rules which govern athlete conduct
• He sought clarification from NADA about using expired test kits.

Jay Bhattacharya to Join Trumps Cabinet

• President elect Donald Trump has appointed Stanford academic and Covid-19 policy critic Jay to head the NIH, joining Vivek Ramaswamy
• Jay earned both his MD and PhD in economics from Stanford University
• Research focused on improving heath and wellbeing studies the connections between economics, medical advancements and government policies.
• He was and outspoken opponent of the Covid-19 policies and regulations
• Co authoted essay " Is Coronavirus as Deadly as they Say?" in March 2020

Current Affairs: Next Ambassador of India to Brazil

• Narendra Modi was honored with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Global Peace Award
• The “Ab Koi Bahana Nahi” campaign has been launched in collaboration with UN Women
• Dinesh Bhatia as next Ambassador of India to Brazil
• Vaibhav Suryavanshi youngest player to be sold in IPL auction history
• Rishabh Pant most expensive player in IPL auction history.
• Consitutuion Day celebrated every year in India on 26 November
• Lucknow Super Giants- most expensive player in IPL