Notes:
NITI Aayog has been publishing the Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) since 2018. So far two editions CWMI (June 2018) and CWMI 2.0 (August 2019) have been published.
Subsequent edition of CWMI was prepared in August 2022 with delay due to the nationwide Covid-19 situation. NITI Aayog will come up with a combined report from the third to sixth edition of the Composite Water Management Index.

Notes:
The India Infrastructure Report 2023 on Urban Planning and Development was released by Venkaiah Naidu, former Vice-President of India, along with Amitabh Pant, G20 Sherpa of India and former CEO, NITI Aayog.
The Report has been a collaborative effort of the IDFC Foundation, Infrastructure Development Corporation (Karnataka) and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA). It contains 25 chapters by prominent names in the urban development and policy ecosystem on the current state of urban development in India. The India Infrastructure Report (IIR) series was initiated by the IDFC Foundation in 2001.

Notes:
India, Pakistan and South Africa, along with five others, have pushed for a five-year global patent waiver for Covid-19 diagnostics and therapeutics. In a submission to the World Trade Organization, they said that diagnostics and therapeutics are essential tools to fight the pandemic.
The submission, made on behalf of 65 WTO members came after the US refrained from taking sides in extending the waiver, which is applicable to Covid-19 vaccines only. For almost two years, India, South Africa and 80 other WTO members sought a response for future pandemics through exceptions in the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement but the ministerial outcome of 2022 (MC12) only covered Covid-19 vaccines.

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Wheebox, in collaboration with several entities including the All India Council for Technical Education, Confederation of Indian Industry, and Association of Indian Universities, has unveiled the India Skills Report. As indicated by the India Skills Report 2024, employability in India has shown improvement, with 51.25% of evaluated young individuals deemed employable possessing the necessary skills.
Kerala has emerged as the top choice among states for employment, securing the second position in overall employability within the 18-21 age group, reaffirming its position as a robust talent pool in India.

Notes:
The Indian economy is projected to grow at a rate of 6.2% in 2024, a slight decrease from the 6.3% estimate for 2023. This growth is supported by strong domestic demand and the robust performance of the manufacturing and services sectors. This positions India as the fastest-growing large economy in the world, as stated in the United Nations World Economic Situation And Prospects Report for 2024.

Notes:
According to a Transparency International report, India ranked 93 out of 180 countries in the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). The CPI is published annually by Transparency International, a non-governmental organization. The CPI ranks countries on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean) based on their perceived levels of public sector corruption.

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The International Energy Agency’s “Electricity 2024” report on India’s energy future reveals key trends: persistent coal reliance, a surge in renewable energy (44% of total capacity), and nuclear power’s promising growth. Despite India’s net-zero target by 2070, coal is projected to meet 68% of electricity demand by 2026. Renewable generation stabilizes with 21% in 2023, and hydropower faces a 15% fall due to changing weather. India aims to triple nuclear capacity by 2032, with 4 GW entering commercial operation by 2026, contributing to a global 10% increase.

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India’s logistics performance has shown significant improvement, ranking 38th out of 139 countries in the World Bank’s 2023 Logistics Performance Index, a climb of six places since 2018 and sixteen places since 2014. This data, shared by Union Minister Shri Som Parkash, highlights advancements in Customs, Infrastructure, Logistics Services, Shipment Arrangement, Tracking, and Timeliness. Initiatives like the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan and the National Logistics Policy, along with digital reforms like the Unified Logistics Interface Platform, contribute to this positive trend.

Notes:
NITI Aayog launched the “Greening and Restoration of Wasteland with Agroforestry (GROW)” initiative, unveiling a portal for universal access to state and district-level data. Hosted on the Bhuvan website, GROW employs advanced technologies like remote sensing and GIS to assess agroforestry suitability across India. It aligns with national goals, aiming to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030 and create a carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes. The initiative utilizes a developed Agroforestry Suitability Index (ASI) for national-level prioritization, considering parameters like land use, wasteland, slope, water proximity, and soil organic content.

Notes:
The Consumer Affairs Secretary advocates the infusion of artificial intelligence into the ‘e-Jagriti’ portal to expedite consumer court case resolutions. The portal, under the Department of Consumer Affairs, streamlines consumer dispute redressal through features like online case filing, fee payment, and AI-driven smart search for archived complaints. It integrates various grievance platforms, utilizing AI and ML technologies for voice-to-text conversions, metadata creation, and a virtual court facility, aiming to enhance efficiency and accessibility in consumer complaint resolution.