Top News Highlights-22 November 2024

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Rural (PMAY-R) Marks 8 Years

• Mission: Offers housing to the economically weaker sections (EWS), with a total ambition for 2.95 crore homes by 2023-24.
• Achievements: More than 2.67 crore houses completed; 74% of them owned by women, enriching rural households.
• Facilities: ₹1.20-1.30 lakh monetary assistance per family, integrated with schemes such as Swachh Bharat Mission for toilets and LPG under Ujjwala.
• Way Forward: Extended till FY 2024-29 with an outlay of ₹3.06 lakh crore for another 2 crore houses.

Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor Operational

• Distance: 10,300 km between Chennai and Vladivostok; saves 16 days in transit as compared to Suez Canal routes
• Significance: Logistics costs are reduced. India’s maritime trade comprises 95% by volume and supports Maritime Vision 2030.
• Strategic Significance: Balances the situation as far as the South China Sea is concerned; this ensures that the Act Far East policy of India gets strengthened.
• Future Potential: Enhances connectivity and spreads Indian presence in the Pacific trade network.

UNICEF’s ‘State of the World’s Children 2024’ Report Highlights

• Demographic Changes: The child population worldwide will stabilize at 2.3 billion by 2050; India is expected to have 350 million children or 15% of the worldwide figure.
• Climate Risks: Over 1 billion children live in high-risk climate zones; India ranks 26th on the Children’s Climate Risk Index.
• Technology Divide: Over 95% of high-income populations are internet users, while only 26% of low-income countries.
• Recommendation: Plan for climate resilience, invest in renewable energy, and develop child-friendly policies for safety in the digital and physical world.

India’s Gender Budgeting Recognized by UN

• Genesis: It was instituted in 2005-06 within the Ministry of Finance with an objective to mainstream gender concerns into public policies.
• Characters: Two-part Gender Budget Statement comprises Part A: Exclusively women-only schemes and Part B: Women-inclusive schemes >30% of allignment
• Results: It projects India commitment towards resource efficiency for achieving gender equality.
• Negatives: More important programs for women are excluded and there is a lack of sex-disaggregated data.

Bhu-Neer Portal Launched to Manage Groundwater

• Objective: Hub of centralized management and regulation of groundwater resources, developed by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA).
• Features: Compliances with Environment Protection Act (1986) and uses real-time monitoring data for making proper decisions.
• Importance: Groundwater depletion is an important source of irrigation for 60% of India’s agriculture.
• Collaborations: Developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC).

India-CARICOM Summit Strengthens Ties

• Key Pillars: Capability building, agriculture, renewable energy, innovation, trade, and many more.
• Relevance: CARICOM aligns with India’s multilateralism ambitions, including UNSC permanent membership and South-South cooperation.
• Climate Cooperation: CARICOM countries like Suriname joined the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
• Economic Opportunities: Serves as a gateway for India’s engagement with Latin American and Caribbean economies.

India Ranks 10th in Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2025

• Ranking: Denmark is at the top place (4th position), and the first, second, third position vacant to highlight lack of global action.
• Parameters: GHG emissions, renewable energy consumption, energy efficiency, and climate policy can be tracked for 63 countries.
• India’s Strengths: It has led in renewable energy and policy frameworks despite fast-increasing transport sector emissions.
• Global Impact: It points to India’s leadership in clean energy transitions despite global climate challenges.

Key Concepts and Policies

• PMAY-R: A flagship housing scheme that has ensured social equity as it is a targeted assistance scheme and multi-scheme convergence.
• Eastern Maritime Corridor: It is a strategic initiative for the enhancement of maritime trade and geopolitical positioning.
• Gender Budgeting: Framework to ensure gender inclusivity in resource allocation and public expenditure.
• Bhu-Neer Portal: A technology-enabled groundwater management system against overexploitation and scarcity.
• CCPI: the Global Index that Measures Progress toward the Implementation of the Paris Agreement, Reflecting Climate Leadership and Policy Alignment.