8 September 2024

• Important Day: International Literacy Day (8 September) observed globally; India highlighted adult literacy data and the New Education Policy.
• Sports: Aryna Sabalenka won the 2024 US Open women's singles title, her third Grand Slam.
• Appointments: Finance Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey was designated in a senior administrative reshuffle.
• Governance: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in Riyadh for a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia to strengthen bilateral ties.

GS area: Governance (education), Social justice

International Literacy Day is observed on 8 September each year. It was proclaimed by UNESCO in 1966. The 2024 theme was "Promoting multilingual education: Literacy for mutual understanding and peace."

Key India data:

• Census 2011 literacy rate: 74.04 per cent overall. Female literacy: 65.46 per cent. Male literacy: 82.14 per cent. These are the last Census-based figures; ASER surveys update trends annually.
• ASER 2023: The Annual Status of Education Report shows that while enrolment has improved, foundational reading and arithmetic skills remain weak. Only 57 per cent of Grade 5 students in rural India can read a Grade 2 text.
• New Education Policy 2020: Emphasises foundational literacy and numeracy as the top priority for Classes 1-3. NIPUN Bharat Mission (National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy) was launched in 2021 to achieve universal foundational literacy by Grade 3 by 2026-27.
• Adult literacy: The National Literacy Mission Authority manages adult education. The ULLAS (Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society) scheme, launched 2022, targets 5 crore adults who are literate but functionally limited.
• SDG 4: Quality education for all. Universal primary and secondary education with foundational literacy is a core SDG 4 target.

Static linkage: Education policy, NEP 2020, SDG 4.

GS area: International Relations

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's two-day visit to Riyadh in September 2024 covered several bilateral dimensions:

• Energy dependence: Saudi Arabia is India's second-largest crude oil supplier (after Iraq). India imports over 80 per cent of its crude oil needs. Gulf states collectively supply the majority.
• Indian diaspora: Approximately 2.4 million Indians live in Saudi Arabia, making it one of the largest Indian diaspora communities globally. Remittances from Saudi Arabia are a significant source of foreign exchange for India.
• Vision 2030: Saudi Arabia's economic diversification programme reducing dependence on oil exports. Indian companies and the Indian workforce are involved in Vision 2030 infrastructure projects.
• Hajj quota: Saudi Arabia allocates a Hajj quota to India each year. India sends one of the largest national Hajj contingents.
• I2U2 Group: India, Israel, UAE and US. A 2022 grouping focusing on infrastructure, food security, clean energy and transport. Overlaps with India's Gulf engagement.

Static linkage: India's oil imports, Gulf diaspora, India's neighbourhood and extended neighbourhood policy.

GS area: Economy (government schemes), Governance

The Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY), a small-savings scheme under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, announced rule changes effective from 1 October 2024.

• Launch: 2015 under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao.
• Eligibility: Girl child under 10 years of age who is an Indian resident.
• Deposit limits: Minimum Rs 250 per year; maximum Rs 1.5 lakh per year. The account receives deposits for 15 years; matures when the girl turns 21.
• Partial withdrawal: Up to 50 per cent of the balance may be withdrawn for education after the girl turns 18.
• Tax benefits: Deposits qualify for deduction under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act. Maturity proceeds are tax-free under Section 10.
• Rule change from October 2024: If the account was opened by grandparents, guardianship must be transferred to parents or legal guardians. The change prevents funds from remaining outside parental control indefinitely.
• Interest rate (FY24-25): 8.2 per cent per annum. SSY offers one of the highest interest rates among small savings instruments.

Static linkage: Small savings schemes, Beti Bachao, financial inclusion.

GS area: Economy (taxation)

The 54th GST Council meeting outcomes took effect in early September. Key decisions:

• Cancer medicines: GST reduced from 12 per cent to 5 per cent.
• Salty and savoury foods: GST reduced from 18 per cent to 12 per cent for certain packaged products.
• GST Council: Constitutional body under Article 279A, inserted by the 101st Constitutional Amendment (2016). Chaired by the Union Finance Minister. All state finance ministers are members.
• Decision-making: Decisions require a three-fourths majority of votes. The Centre's vote counts as one-third; states collectively hold two-thirds.
• Four primary slabs: 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent. A compensation cess applies on top of the 28 per cent slab for luxury and demerit goods.

Static linkage: GST structure, cooperative federalism in taxation.

GS area: Sports (general awareness)

India's final tally at the 2024 Paris Paralympics was 29 medals: 7 gold, 9 silver and 13 bronze. This was India's best-ever performance at the Paralympics.

Key context:

• Paralympic Games: Held since 1960. Governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
• Classification: Athletes compete within impairment classes to ensure fair competition.
• India's programme: Para-athletics, para-badminton, para-archery and para-shooting are India's strongest events.
• Historical progression: India won no medals at the Paralympics until 1984. The growth since 2016 (Rio: 4 medals) to 2024 (29 medals) reflects institutional investment in para-sports.

Static linkage: Sports governance, Paralympic movement, Khelo India.

GS area: Culture, Art and Culture

Nuakhai Juhar, the harvest festival of western Odisha and southern Chhattisgarh, was observed.

• Timing: Celebrated on Bhadrapada Shukla Panchami (the fifth day of the bright fortnight in the Bhadra month of the Hindu calendar), one day after Ganesh Chaturthi.
• Significance: Nuakhai marks the ceremonial eating of newly harvested rice. The name means "eating new food" in Sambalpuri.
• Communities: Primarily celebrated by the people of western Odisha (Sambalpur, Bargarh, Bolangir) and adjacent areas in southern Chhattisgarh.
• Cultural aspect: The festival honours the goddess Samaleswari, the presiding deity of Sambalpur, and is a social bonding occasion cutting across caste lines.

Static linkage: Indian culture (art and culture), tribal and folk traditions.

• Algeria presidential election: Abdelmadjid Tebboune won re-election on 7 September 2024 with 94.65 per cent of valid votes. He was first elected in 2019. Algeria (officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria) is the largest country in Africa by area.
• International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies: Observed on 7 September (UN-declared since 2019). The 2024 theme was "Invest in clean air now." India's National Clean Air Programme targets a 20-40 per cent reduction in PM2.5 concentration by 2026 from 2017 baseline levels.