1. Global Slavery Index 2023
Tags: INDEX
The Walk Free Foundation recently released the Global Slavery Index 2023, an assessment of modern slavery conditions in 160 countries.
An overview of the news
Global Slavery Index 2023 is the fifth edition and is based on the estimates from 2022.
The global slavery index provides an overview of modern slavery.
According to the report approximately 50 million individuals were living in “modern slavery” on any given day in 2021.
Of the 50 million affected people, 28 million suffer from forced labor, while 22 million face forced marriage. Remarkably, 12 million of those affected are children.
What is Modern Slavery?
It refers to situations of exploitation that a person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, or abuses of power.
Modern slavery is a term that covers various forms of exploitation, including forced labor, forced marriage, debt bondage, sexual exploitation, human trafficking, slavery-like practices, forced or servile marriage, and the sale and exploitation of children.
Key findings of the report
Countries with the highest prevalence: Based on available data, the following countries have been identified as having the highest prevalence of modern slavery: North Korea, Eritrea, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. These countries exhibit a relatively higher incidence of individuals living in modern slavery compared to others.
Countries with the lowest prevalence: On the other hand, certain countries have been found to have the lowest prevalence of modern slavery. These countries include Switzerland, Norway, Germany, Netherlands, and Sweden. They have comparatively lower instances of individuals living in modern slavery within their populations.
Countries with the maximum number of people living in modern slavery: India, China, North Korea, Pakistan, and Russia have been identified as countries with the highest number of people living in modern slavery.
G20 nations hosting the maximum number of people living in modern slavery: Out of the G20 nations, which represent the world's major economies, six members have been found to host the highest number of individuals living in modern slavery. These countries are India, China, Russia, Indonesia, Turkey, and the United States.
What is the Prevalence of Modern slavery?
The prevalence of modern slavery refers to the incidence of individuals living in modern slavery per 1000 population.
What is the Global Slavery Index?
The Global Slavery Index is a comprehensive report developed by Walk Free, a respected human rights organization.
The index draws upon data provided by the Global Estimates of Modern Slavery, a collaborative effort by the International Labour Organization (ILO), Walk Free, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
These organizations work together to gather and analyze data on modern slavery worldwide.
The recently published Global Slavery Index is the fifth edition of the report.
It represents the most up-to-date information available on the prevalence of modern slavery.
The data used in this edition is based on estimates from 2022, providing insights into the current state of modern slavery.
One of the key aspects examined by the Global Slavery Index is the prevalence of modern slavery within different countries.
To determine this, the index calculates the incidence of modern slavery per 1000 population.
This measurement provides a standardized way to compare the scale of modern slavery across countries.
2. India's AI supercomputer 'AIRAWAT' ranked 75th in Global Supercomputing list
Tags: INDEX Science and Technology
The AI Supercomputer ‘AIRAWAT’, installed at C-DAC, Pune has been ranked 75th in the top 500 Global Supercomputing List.
An overview of the news
The announcement was made during the 61st edition of the International Supercomputing Conference (ISC 2023) held in Germany.
The establishment of 'AIRAWAT' at C-DAC Pune is part of the National Program on AI initiated by the Government of India.
About supercomputer AIRAWAT
AIRAWAT is the name for an in-house cloud platform for big data.
The proposed AIRAWAT system is a 100+ petaflop AI-focused supercomputer.
There are parallels drawn to Japan’s AI Bridging Cloud Interface supercomputer in the NITI Aayog report.
This system is a 130 petaflop computer focused on providing compute for AI, ML and big data tasks.
What are supercomputers?
A supercomputer can perform high-level processing at a faster rate than a normal computer.
They work together to perform complex operations that are not possible with normal computing systems.
Fast speed and fast memory are the characteristics of supercomputers.
The performance of a supercomputer is generally evaluated in petaflops.
National Supercomputing Mission
The National Supercomputing Mission was launched In 2015.
The aim of the mission was to enhance the research capacities in the country to form a Supercomputing grid.
It supports the government's vision of 'Digital India' and 'Make in India' initiatives.
The mission is being jointly operated by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
It is implemented by Center for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune and IISc, Bengaluru.
Some important facts about supercomputer
China has the maximum number of supercomputers followed by the US, Japan, France, Germany, Netherlands, Ireland and the United Kingdom..
India’s first supercomputer - PARAM 8000
first supercomputer assembled indigenously - PARAM Shivay, installed in IIT (BHU)
PARAM Shakti, PARAM Brahma, PARAM Yukti, PARAM Sanganak are some name of india's supercomputers.
India's PARAM-Siddhi AI, has been ranked 63rd in the Top 500 list of most powerful supercomputers in the world.
3. Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways ranked 2nd on Data Governance Quality Index
Tags: INDEX National News
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has been ranked second among 66 ministries in the Data Governance Quality Index (DGQI) assessment for the December quarter (Q3) of FY23.
An overview of the news
The ministry scored 4.7 out of 5, indicating its commitment to excellence in data governance.
Conducted by the Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), NITI Aayog, the DGQI survey aims to measure the maturity level of administrative data systems and their use in decision making of various ministries and departments on the implementation of central sector schemes.
MoPSW's success in DGQI assessment was aided by the concerted efforts of the National Technology Center for Ports, Waterways and Coasts (NTCPWC) at IIT Madras, which was tasked to improve MoPSW's Management Information System (MIS) in compliance with DGQI standards I went.
Six key indicators
The DGQI assessment covers six key themes including data generation, data quality, use of technology, data analysis, access and dissemination, data security and human resource capability, and case studies.
Data Governance Quality Index (DGQI)
The Data Governance Quality Index (DGQI) survey is conducted by NITI Aayog's Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office.
The survey aims to evaluate the performance of different Ministries /Departments in implementing Central Sector Schemes (CS) and Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS).
4. Index of Eight Core Industries increases by 3.6 percent in March 2023
Tags: INDEX Economy/Finance
The combined Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) increased by 3.6 percent (provisional) in March 2023 as compared to the Index of March 2022.
An overview of the news
The production of Coal, Fertilizers, Steel, Natural Gas, and Refinery Products increased in March 2023 over the corresponding month of last year.
ICI measures combined and individual performance of production of eight core industries viz Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Refinery Products, Fertilizers, Steel, Cement and Electricity.
The Eight Core Industries comprise 40.27 percent of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
Summary of the Index of Eight Core Industries
Coal - Coal production (weight: 10.33 percent) increased by 12.2 percent in March 2023 over March 2022.
Crude Oil - Crude Oil production (weight: 8.98 percent) declined by 2.8 percent in March 2023 over March 2022.
Natural Gas - Natural Gas production (weight: 6.88 percent) increased by 2.8 percent in March 2023 over March 2022.
Petroleum Refinery Products - Petroleum Refinery production (weight: 28.04 percent) increased by 1.5 percent in March 2023 over March 2022.
Fertilizers - Fertilizer production (weight: 2.63 percent) increased by 9.7 percent in March 2023 over March 2022.
Steel - Steel production (weight: 17.92 percent) increased by 8.8 percent in March 2023 over March 2022.
Cement - Cement production (weight: 5.37 percent) declined by 0.8 percent in March 2023 over March 2022.
Electricity - Electricity generation (weight: 19.85 percent) declined by 1.8 percent in March 2023 over March 2022.
5. India ranks 38th in World Bank's Logistics Performance Index (LPI)
India secured 38th rank in the Logistics Performance Index (LPI) released in 2023 by the World Bank.
An Overview of the News
India's improvement in ranking can be attributed to its significant investments in both hard and soft infrastructure, as well as technology.
India's current ranking shows a significant improvement from its 44th rank in 2018 and its 54th rank in 2014.
The Logistics Performance Index ranks 139 countries based on factors such as the efficiency of customs clearance processes, the quality of transportation infrastructure and the ease of arranging shipments.
Singapore and Finland have been identified as the most efficient and highest ranked countries in terms of logistics performance as per LPI 2023.
About the World Bank
It was established in 1944 and is headquartered in Washington, DC.
Itsprimary goal is to reduce poverty in developing countries by providing financial assistance, technical expertise, and other resources to support development projects.
The World Bank operates through two main institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA).
The IBRD provides loans to middle-income and creditworthy low-income countries, while the IDA provides grants and loans to the poorest countries.
The World Bank also works closely with other international organisations such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, and regional development banks to coordinate development efforts and promote economic growth.
Founders -John Maynard Keynes, Harry Dexter White
President - David Malpass
6. Hurun's Global Unicorn Index 2023
Hurun's Global Unicorn Index 2023 released on 18th April.
India in the report
According to the report India continues to be the world's third-largest country with the highest number of unicorns, following the US and China.
Ed-tech BYJU'S worth $22 billion topped the list of Indian Unicorns, followed by on-demand delivery start-up Swiggy and fantasy sports platform travel- stay finder Dream11 ($8 billion each).
BYJU'S is the only Indian Unicorn among the list of the top 10 biggest rises in valuation since pre-Covid.
As per reports the number of Indian unicorns established outside India is more than the number of unicorns based within India.
India has a total of 138 unicorns, out of which 70 were established by Indian co-founders but have their headquarters located outside India, while 68 are based in India.
Global Status
The United States of America topped the index with 666 unicorns, up 179 compared to 2022, followed byChina in 2nd position with 316 unicorns (up 15).
In terms of unicorn investors, Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global Management, and SoftBank are the top three, having invested in 238, 179, and 168 unicorn startups, respectively.
Top 5 countries with most Unicorns
USA (666)
China (316)
India (68)
UK (49)
Germany (36)
Top 5 Cities with Most Unicorns
San Francisco (USA) - 181
New York (USA) - 126
Beijing (China) - 79
Shanghai (China) - 66
London (UK) - 42
7. Tibet least free country in Freedom in the World Index 2023
Tags: INDEX
Global watchdog Freedom House has released its 'Freedom in the World Index' for 2023, ranking Tibet as the "world's least free country" along with South Sudan and Syria.
An Overview of the News:
This is the third annual report after the 2021 and 2022 Freedom House reports. According to the report, both Chinese and Tibetans living in Tibet lack basic rights.
According to the report, the Chinese authorities are very harsh in suppressing any sign of discontent among Tibetans.
A number of issues relating to the human rights of the Tibetan people require serious and urgent attention from the international community.
Every move by the Communist Party of China (CPC) to sinicize Tibet is being closely watched by the rest of the world.
People living in Tibet are not even getting basic human rights.
The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights raised the issue of serious human rights violations in Tibet in its third Periodic Review Report.
The Communist Party of China (CPC) is forcefully destroying Buddhism and culture in Tibet for complete Sinicization.
Tibetan children have been completely cut off from Buddhist teachings. Along with this, hatred against Buddhism and culture is being created in children through school education.
Tibetan religious leaders are being persecuted in the name of re-education.
The Freedom House report compared the atrocities in Tibet to the atrocities committed on Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang province.
8. India ranked 77th in the world's 'Most Criminal Countries' ranking
World of Statistics released the ranking of the world's "most criminal countries" in which India is ranked 77th, while the US is at 55th and the UK at 65th.
An Overview of the News
- As per the ranking, Venezuela has been ranked first as the most criminal country, followed by Papua New Guinea in second place and South Africa in third place.
- Turkey, Germany and Japan are among the least criminal countries, ranked 92nd, 100th and 135th respectively.
- According to this report, Afghanistan ranks fourth with a crime rate of more than 76 crimes per 100,000 people.
- The overall crime rate is calculated by dividing the total number of reported crimes by the total population and multiplying by 100,000.
Countries with the ten highest crime rates
- Venezuela (83.76)
- Papua New Guinea (80.79)
- South Africa (76.86)
- Afghanistan (76.31)
- Honduras (74.54)
- Trinidad and Tobago (71.63)
- Guyana (68.74)
- El Salvador (67.79)
- Brazil (67.49)
- Jamaica (67.42)
9. Southern states lead in State Energy Efficiency Index 2021-22
Tags: INDEX
Union Minister for Power and Renewable Energy R. K. Singh released the State Energy Efficiency Index (SEEI) 2021-22 report on 10 April.
An Overview of the News:
- The SEEI was released during the RPM (Review, Planning and Monitoring) meeting of states and state utility companies in New Delhi.
- Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan and Telangana are among the top ranked states in the State Energy Efficiency Index-SEEI.
- Four states Assam, Haryana, Maharashtra and Punjab are in the achiever category with scores between 50 and 60.
- Besides, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Chandigarh are the top performing states in their respective state groups.
Objective of State Energy Efficiency Index:
- To help states identify areas for improvement, learn from best practices and adopt an economy-friendly approach to energy efficiency implementation.
- By prioritizing energy efficiency, it aims to drive carbon reduction efforts and achieve a more sustainable future.
- The index is designed to help monitor progress toward state goals for energy savings and emissions reductions.
Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE):
- The Government of India established the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) on 1 March 2002 under the provisions of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
- The mission of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency is to assist in developing policies and strategies under the provisions of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001 with an emphasis on self-regulation and market principles.
10. Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport enters the busiest airports club, ranks 9 in world
Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) ranks ninth in the list of top ten busiest airports in the world, according to data from the Airports Council International (ACI).
An overview of the news
For the first time, an Indian airport has made it to the list of top ten airports in terms of traffic.
As per ACI report, Delhi airport is expected to handle more than 5.94 crore passengers in 2022.
As a result of this achievement, IGIA has jumped from 17th position in pre-Covid 2019 to 9th position, according to ACI data.
In terms of traffic, five of the top ten airports are from the US.
Apart from India, Dubai is the only other airport in Asia in the list.
No Chinese airport made it to the list considering the travel restrictions due to the Covid situation in the country.
Mumbai is India's second busiest airport.
Top 10 busiest airports in the world in 2022
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (93.7 million passengers)
Dallas Fort Worth Airport (73.4 million passengers)
Denver Airport (69.3 million passengers)
Chicago O'Hare Airport (68.3 million passengers)
Dubai Airport (66.1 million passengers)
Los Angeles Airport
Istanbul Airport (64.3 million passengers)
Heathrow Airport in London
IGI Airport in Delhi
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport
