31 August 2024, The Hindu
At 6.7%, growth slid to five-quarter low in Q1
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GS 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment
- Signalling a moderation in the economy’s growth momentum, India’s real GDP rose 6.7% in the April to June 2024 quarter, the slowest in five quarters, and well below the Reserve Bank of India’s expectation of a 7.1% uptick as well as the 7.8% uptick registered in the preceding quarter.
- For the first time in a year, growth in the real Gross Value Added (GVA) in the economy outperformed GDP growth, with a 6.8% uptick in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024-25.
- This is a significant shift from the preceding two quarters, Q3 and Q4 of 2023-24, when real GVA growth lagged GDP growth by 1.8 and 1.5 percentage points, respectively.
Cyclone Asna forms over Kutch; rain lashes Gujarat
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GS 1: Important Geophysical phenomena such as cyclone
- Cyclone Asna has formed over the Kutch coast in Gujarat and adjoining areas of Pakistan, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday.
- The cyclonic storm – a rare land-originating one in August and headed to the Arabian Sea – is expected to move further away from the western coast in the next 48 hours.
- On the back of cyclone, light to moderate rainfall occurred at most places in Gujarat and heavy to very heavy rainfall was reported at isolated places over Kutch and adjoining districts of Saurashtra on Friday, the IMD noted.
MCD zonal committee polls: nominations filed; AAP, BJP seek control of crucial panel
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GS 2: Devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein
- A total of 66 councillors of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Congress filed their nominations for the posts of the chairperson and the deputy chairperson of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)’s zonal committees on Friday, the last day of filing nominations.
- The zonal committee elections for the posts of the chairman and the deputy chairman for each of the 12 zonal bodies will be held on September 4.
Education Ministry asks T.N. to sign PM-SHRI MoU to get Samagra Shiksha funds
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GS 2: Issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure
- fter Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week asking the Centre to expedite the release of its share to the state under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan responded Friday urging him to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre for the PM SHRI scheme and stating that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 “fully supports the idea of teaching Tamil in the schools of Tamil Nadu.”
- On the Centre-State tussle over the implementation of the PM SHRI scheme, which aims to set up “exemplar schools” that will showcase aspects of the NEP, Pradhan wrote that Tamil Nadu had given an undertaking in March indicating the state’s willingness to sign the PM SHRI MoU for the 2024-25 academic year, and a draft MoU was sent by the Ministry of Education to the state.
SC to set up five-judge Bench to hear Kerala’s plea on ceiling on net borrowing
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GS 2: Devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein
- Kerala government in the Supreme Court on Friday (August 30, 2024) made an oral mentioning about the formation of a Constitution Bench to examine whether a State has an “enforceable right” to raise its borrowing limits over and above the cap fixed by the Union government.
- The oral mentioning was made before Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud by senior advocate Kapil Sibal for Kerala.
India yet to take a decision on Pak. invite to SCO meet
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GS 2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests
- The government confirmed on Friday (August 30, 2024) that it has received an invitation from Pakistan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of Government (HoG) meeting in Islamabad on October 15-16.
- However, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it did not have a decision yet on whether India would participate and at what level that would be, even as it outlined other travel scheduled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September and October this year.
- “We have received the invitation for attending the Heads of Government Summit of the SCO from Pakistan, which will be hosted by Pakistan, and on that as and when we have an update, we’ll share [it] with you,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
UCC a small measure of justice for women, says Vice-President
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GS 1: Society - Role of women and women’s organization
- Echoing President Droupadi Murmu’s remarks on the rape and murder at the R.G. Kar hospital Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday said a society where “women and girls do not feel safe is not a civilised society”.
- He also backed a Uniform Civil Code, calling it a “small measure of justice” for women.
- Mr. Dhankhar was addressing students at Delhi University’s Bharati College. He called upon the citizens to echo the “clarion call” of the President on violence against women.
- In a piece to PTI, the President said it was time India woke up to the “perversion” of crimes against women, and countered the mindset that saw women as “less powerful, less capable, less intelligent”.
Doval meets prominent Presidential aspirants ahead of Sri Lanka election
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GS 2: India and its neighbourhood relations
- Three weeks ahead of Sri Lanka’s crucial Presidential election National Security Adviser Ajit K. Doval, who arrived in Colombo on Thursday (August 29, 2024), met prominent Presidential aspirants, apart from political leaders representing the island nation’s Tamil and Muslim minorities.
- In his meeting with President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is seeking a mandate promising “economic stability”, Mr. Doval discussed ongoing economic collaboration between Sri Lanka and India, the Presidential Media Division said.
Era of uninterrupted dialogue with Pak. is over, says Jaishankar
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GS 2: India and its neighbourhood relations
- As far as Pakistan is concerned, the age of “uninterrupted dialogue” has ended, said External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday (August 30, 2024).
- Speaking at the launch of a book by veteran diplomat Rajiv Sikri at the Vivekananda International Foundation, the External Affairs Minister said relations in the neighbourhood were part of a continuity that had to be addressed in a dynamic manner.
- “For every country in the world, neighbours are always important. Neighbouring relationships are of utmost importance for every country in the world.
- They can never be solved. They are continuing relationships which will always throw up problems,” said Mr. Jaishankar, referring to the recent political developments in Bangladesh and Maldives and said, every country in the world had some issues with its neighbours. “It’s in the very nature of being a neighbour,” the Minister said.
Joint panel meeting on Waqf
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GS 2: Parliament — structure, functioning
- At a stormy eight-hour-long second sitting of Parliament’s Joint Committee on Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, there was a heated exchange between the Opposition and the government members, especially on the clause allowing the District Collector to be the final arbitrator on Waqf properties.
- The Opposition briefly walked out in protest after panel chairman and BJP MP Jagdambika Pal refused to allow one of the witnesses to depose.
- The meeting began at 11 a.m. and went on till 7 p.m.
- The argument arose in the second half of the deliberations when advocate Fuzail Ahmad Ayyubi, who had deposed on behalf of Indian Muslims of Civil Rights (IMCR), New Delhi, returned to speak for Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board.
U.P. to outsource over 10,000 teaching jobs to ease anganwadis’ load
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GS 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation
- The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to outsource over 10,000 teaching jobs across 75 districts in the State in order to ease the burden on anganwadi workers, who double as playschool teachers for children aged three to six, read an official communication.
- A model bid will be prepared to onboard an external recruiting agency, which in turn will onboard 10,684 Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) teachers on an annual 11-month contract, read the letter dated August 24, which was addressed by Kanchan Verma, Director General of the Department of Basic Education in the State to all district Basic Education Officers.
Fertilizers source of many ailments, switch to organic farming, says Shah
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GS 3: Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country, - different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage
- Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah said on Friday that it has been proven now that chemicals present in fertilizers are the source of several health ailments such as hypertension, diabetes, thyroid and even cancer. He said organic farming was linked to the health of 140 crore Indians.
- A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Co-operative Organics Limited (NCOL) and Uttarakhand Organic Commodity Board (UOCB) was signed in the presence of Mr. Shah.
- Minister of State for Cooperation, Krishna Pal Gurjar, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Uttarakhand, Ganesh Joshi and Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, Ashish Kumar Bhutani, were present on the occasion.
Core sectors grew 6.1% in July
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GS 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment
- Output from India’s eight core sectors grew 6.1% in July, rebounding from a blip in June when growth had slid to a five-month low of 5.1%, as per data released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry on Friday (August 30, 2024).
- The Ministry had earlier pegged June’s core sectors’ growth at 4%, the lowest in 20 months, and the revision was largely driven by a sharp revision in steel output numbers, which now reflect a 6.7% growth compared with a 27-month low of 2.7% estimated earlier.
- Electricity generation numbers were also revised for June to show a 8.6% rise, compared with 7.7% estimated earlier.
Members at Pacific Islands Forum back joint police plan, maintain Taiwan ties
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GS 2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests
- Pacific leaders endorsed a major joint policing initiative and rebuffed moves from China's allies to sideline Taiwan on Friday, as they wrapped up a regional summit in Tonga.
- Security was a focal point at this year's Pacific Islands Forum, an unwieldy bloc of U.S. partners, China friends and states still tied to Taiwan.
