1. UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children 2024 (SOWC-2024) report
Tags: Reports
UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children 2024 (SOWC-2024) report
Why in the news?
- Children’s wellbeing will be ‘under threat’ by 2050, warns UNICEF.
Important points:
- The world is facing an unprecedented crisis with nearly half of all children, about 1 billion ,living in countries that face a high risk of climate and environmental hazards, the UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children 2024 (SOWC-2024) report, said.
- Today’s children are confronting amore unpredictable, hazardous environment than any previous generation.
- The report examines the impact of three long-term global forces, demographic shifts, climate and environmental crises, and frontier technologies, which it says will have a profound effect on children’s livesbetween now and 2050.
- The report says there is a bleak future for youth due to demographic shifts, climate change, and technological transformation by 2050
- Children are experiencing a myriad of crises, from climate shocks to online dangers, and these are set to intensify in the years to come.
About UNICEF:
- The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund(UNICEF), is an organization that works to protect the rights of children and young people.
- UNICEF headquarters arein New York.
2. Global carbon dioxide emissions -2024
Tags: Reports
Global carbon dioxide emissions -2024
Why in news?
- According to a peer-reviewed report by a scientist, the collective has found that carbon emissions are set to rise 0.8% in 2024 since last year. This islower than the 1.2% rise in 2023, over 2022.
Important point:
- In 2023, the largest absolute contributions to global fossil CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions were from China (31%), the United States (13%), India (8%), and the EU 27 (7%).
- India’s contribution to go up 4.6%,in 2023 as compared to 2022.
- These four regions account for 59% of global fossil CO2 emissions, while the rest of the world contributed 41%.
- EU-27 represents 27 of the most economically developed European countries.
3. WIPO Report-2024
Tags: Reports
WIPO Report-2024
Why in news?
- India has secured a spot in the global top 10 for all three major intellectual property (IP)rights-patents, trademarks, and industrial designs.
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) :
- The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has published the World Intellectual Property Indicators (WIPI) 2024, underscoring global trends in intellectual property (IP) filings.
- The report reveals significant growth in patent, trademark, and industrial design applications across top economies.
Important Points:
- India has secured a spot in the global top 10 for all three major intellectual property (IP) rights—patents, trademarks, and industrial designs.India continues to solidify its place as a global leader in the intellectual property (IP) landscape by showing substantial progress and marking new milestones in IP activity.
- India recorded the fastest growth in patent (+15.7%) applications in 2023 among the top 20 origins, marking the fifth consecutive year of double-digit growth.
- Indiaranks sixth globallyfor patents with 64,480 applications, with resident filings accounting for over half of all submissions (55.2%)—a first for the country.
- The patent office also granted 149.4% more patents in 2023 compared to the previous year, underlining the country’s fast-evolving IP ecosystem.
- The report indicates a steady rise (36.4%) in India’s industrial design applications, which aligns with increasing emphasis on product design, manufacturing, and creative industries within India.
- The top three sectors—Textiles and Accessories, Tools and Machines, and Health and Cosmetics—made up almost half of all design filings,
- Between 2018 and 2023, patent and industrial design applications more than doubled, while trademark filings increased by 60%, reflecting the country’s growing emphasis on IP and innovation. India’s patent-to-GDP ratio also saw significant growth, rising from 144 to 381 in the past decade, indicating that IP activity is scaling alongside economic expansion.
- India ranked fourth globally in trademark filings, with a 6.1% increase in 2023.Nearly 90% of these filings were by residents, with key sectors including Health (21.9%), Agriculture (15.3%), and Clothing (12.8%) leading the way. India’s trademark office holds the second-largest number of active registrations worldwide, with over 3.2 million trademarks in force, reflecting the country’s strong position in global brand protection.
Significance:
- The findings from WIPO’s World Intellectual Property Indicators 2024 showcase India’s advancements in innovation and IP. The steady increase in resident filings demonstrates the impact of government initiatives, which aim to make India a global innovation leader.
4. Global TB Report-2024
Tags: Reports
Global TB Report-2024
Why in news?
- Recently Global TB report published by the world Health Organization(WHO) and Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Lauds India’s Progress in the Fight Against Tuberculosis.
Important points of the report:
- It shows 8.2 million people were newly diagnosed with TB in 2023, a figure that represents the highest number of TB cases recorded by the WHO since it began global TB monitoring in 1995.
- It also marks a significant increase from the 7.5 million new TB cases reported in 2022.
- Although the estimated number of 1.25 million TB deaths in 2023 is down from the 1.32 million recorded in 2022 and continues a declining trend from the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, that number still far surpasses the 320,000 COVID deaths officially reported to the WHO last year.
- The data show that 30 mostly low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) bear 87% of the global TB burden, with five countries—India (26%), Indonesia (10%),China (6.8%), the Philippines (6.8%), and Pakistan (6.3%)—combining for 56% of the burden.
- 55 percent of people who developed TB were men, 33 percent were women, and 12 percent were children and young adolescents.
- According to the report, a significant number of new TB cases are driven by five major risk factors: undernutrition, HIV infection, alcohol use disorders, smoking, and diabetes.
India's condition:
- In 2023, India was estimated to have had 27 lakh TB cases, of which 25.1 lakh persons were diagnosed and put on treatment.
- This has buoyed India's treatment coverage to 89 percent in 2023 from 72 percent in 2015, thereby bridging the gap of missing cases.
- It acknowledged a drop in India's TB incidence - from 237 per lakh population in 2015, to 195 per lakh population in 2023, accounting for a 17.7 percent decline.
5. India: Third-Largest Ethanol Producer and Consumer
Tags: Reports
India has risen to become the third-largest producer and consumer of ethanol globally, driven by key policy reforms aimed at promoting biofuels and energy sustainability.
An Overview of the News
Boosting Ethanol Production: The government has introduced various programs, offering financial support to sugarcane farmers and manufacturers to increase ethanol availability.
Reducing Fossil Fuel Dependence: Policies focus on blending ethanol with fuels to cut down reliance on fossil fuels and support rural farmers.
India Sugar & Bio-Energy Conference (September 2024): Organized by ISMA, the conference gathered policymakers and industry leaders to discuss the future of sugar and bio-energy sectors.
"Harmonising Sweet Sustainability": The theme highlighted sustainable practices and teamwork in driving eco-friendly innovations in the sugar and bio-energy industries.
Focus Areas: Discussions centered around expanding ethanol production, optimizing supply chains, and promoting sustainable farming to align with India's green economy goals.
6. Delhi Airport Rises to 24th, Mumbai Drops to 44th in Mega Hub Rankings
Tags: Reports
Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi has improved its ranking, moving from 25th place last year to 24th this year.
An Overview of the News
Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport has dropped 10 positions, falling from 34th to 44th place.
Low-Cost Megahubs
IndiGo has become one of the largest airlines globally, with Delhi and Mumbai serving as its primary hubs.
Delhi's IGIA is ranked 5th in the world's top low-cost mega hubs, up from 6th place last year.
Mumbai has maintained its position at 11th in the same category.
OAG Megahubs 2024 Report
The OAG Megahubs 2024 report highlights the most internationally connected airports globally.
Rankings are based on the number of scheduled international connections and the variety of destinations served.
The report includes the top 50 most connected international airports and the top 25 most connected low-cost carrier (LCC) airports.
7. India's UPI Hits ₹81 Lakh Crore in Transactions, Leads Global Digital Payments
Tags: Reports Economy/Finance
According to Paysecure data, India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) processed nearly ₹81 lakh crore in transactions from April to July 2024.
An Overview of the News
UPI's transaction volume has exceeded that of the world's leading digital payment platforms.
This represents a 37% Year-over-Year (YoY) increase in transaction volume.
UPI processed 20.6 lakh crore rupees in July 2024, setting a record for the highest transactions in a single month.
Global Leadership in Digital Transactions
India leads globally with over 40% of its payments made digitally.
UPI is the dominant platform for digital payments in India.
UPI processed an average of 3,729.1 transactions per second, a 58% increase from 2,348 transactions per second in 2022.
Comparison with Global Payment Platforms
Skrill (UK-based) ranked second with 1,553.8 transactions per second and 49 billion transactions in 2023.
Pix (Brazil-based) ranked third with 1,331.8 transactions per second.
About UPI
It is an Indian payment system, developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2016.
Function: Facilitates instant P2P and P2M transactions via mobile devices.
Requirements: Mobile number registered with the bank, recipient’s UPI ID.
Tech: Runs on IMPS, open source API.
Regulation: Overseen by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Launch: UPI-enabled apps available on Google Play from 25 August 2016.
8. NSO Reports 6.7% GDP Growth for April-June 2024 Quarter
Tags: Reports
The Indian economy achieved a 6.7% real GDP growth for the April-June 2024 quarter.
An Overview of the News
The Ministry of Statistics' data highlights this as a significant economic performance.
Sectoral Performance
The manufacturing sector grew by 7%, contributing positively to job creation.
The construction and electricity sectors experienced double-digit growth.
Private Final Consumption Expenditure increased by 7.4%, and Gross Fixed Capital Formation grew by 7.5%.
Economic Outlook
Aggregate demand is gaining momentum with improved rural consumption and rising incomes.
This uptick in demand is expected to boost private sector investment and overall growth.
Despite this positive outlook, global economic concerns persist, including geopolitical tensions, recession fears in major economies, and financial market volatility, although inflation has moderated in many countries.
9. NCAER Report: India's Poverty Rate Plummets to 8.5% in 2022-24
Tags: Reports
Poverty in India decreased from 21.2% in 2011-12 to 8.5% in 2022-24, according to the NCAER report.
An Overview of the News
This decline persisted despite challenges posed by the pandemic, as per data from the India Human Development Survey (IHDS).
Rural vs Urban Trends:
Rural poverty dropped sharply from 24.8% in 2011-12 to 8.6% currently.
Urban areas also saw a decline, from 13.4% to 8.4%.
Impact of Economic Growth:
Economic growth contributed to poverty reduction, emphasizing the need for flexible social protection programs.
Long-term poverty drivers are shifting from "accidents of birth" to "accidents of life," such as natural disasters and changing occupational opportunities.
Government Surveys and Data:
NITI Aayog CEO indicated poverty has fallen to 5%, aligning with the latest consumer expenditure survey.
NSSO data showed significant increases in per capita monthly household expenditure from 2011-12 to 2022-23.
Poverty Thresholds and Adjustments:
Poverty lines adjusted over time: from Rs 447 and Rs 579 in 2004-05 (Tendulkar Committee) to higher thresholds in 2011-12 adjusted by the Planning Commission.
10. India Becomes World’s Third-Largest Domestic Aviation Market
Tags: Reports
India has surpassed Brazil to become the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market, following the U.S. and China.
An Overview of the News
This ranking is based on data compiled by the aviation analytics firm Official Airline Guide (OAG).
The growth has been driven by airlines like IndiGo and Air India expanding their fleets to meet the increasing number of air passengers.
India’s domestic airline capacity doubled over the past decade, rising from 7.9 million seats in April 2014 to 15.5 million in April 2024.
Comparison with Brazil and Indonesia: Brazil now ranks fourth with 9.7 million airline seats, followed by Indonesia at fifth with 9.2 million.
Growth Rates
Highest Growth Rate: India posted the highest annual average capacity growth rate among the top five countries at 6.9%, followed by China at 6.3% and the US at 2.4%.
Airline Dominance
IndiGo and Air India: These two airlines, which have more than 1,000 planes on order, dominate the market, accounting for 9 out of 10 domestic seats.
Low-Cost Carriers (LCCs)
According to OAG, India has experienced the most significant shift towards low-cost carriers (LCCs) among the top five countries.
As of April 2024, low-cost carriers (LCCs) represented 78.4% of India's domestic capacity. This was followed by Indonesia at 68.4%, Brazil at 62.4%, the US at 36.7%, and China at 13.2%.
