Current affairs 20 July 2024

NHAI To Charge Double Toll For FASTag Violations.

• The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has implemented strict measures to ensure proper use of FASTags on national highways.
• Currently, user fees are collected on approximately 45,000 km of National Highways and Expressways at around 1,000 toll plazas across India.
• With a penetration rate of about 98% and over 80 million users, FASTag has revolutionized toll collection in country.

India saw fastest growth in electronic waste generation: UNCTAD report.

• India experienced a 163% surge in electronic waste generation from 2010 to 2022, now contributing 6.4% of global SCSIT (screens, computers, and small IT and telecommunication equipment) waste, up from 3.1% in 2010.
• The UNCTAD report The ‘2024 Digital Economy Report: Shaping an environmentally sustainable and inclusive digital future’ highlights the environmental hazards of e-waste.

NFDC and Netflix launched "The Voicebox" Upskilling Program.

• National Film Development Corporation and Netflix India have partnered to launch The Voicebox, an upskilling program for voice-over artists in multiple Indian languages, focusing on training in seven major cities.
• Open to professionals with over 2 years of experience in media, targeting at least 50% women, and top performers contributing to Netflix’s Azaadi ki Amrit Kahaniya project.

Sobha Group’s Sri Kurumba Trust Wins Global CSR ESG Award 2024.

• Sri Kurumba Educational and Charitable Trust received the Best Child and Women Development Initiatives of the Year 2024 at the Global CSR, Sustainability, and ESG Awards 2024.
• The awards ceremony took place at Hyatt Regency, Gurgaon, organized by Marketing and Brand Honchos.
• Mr. Nagarajan S, Vice President of Projects at Sobha Limited, accepted the award on behalf of the organization.

South Korea Supreme Court Grants Rights to Same-Sex Couples.

• South Korea's top court upheld an earlier decision by an appeals court that ruled that the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) had to grant same-sex couple spousal coverage.
• The appeals court decision last year was the first time a South Korean court recognized the rights of a gay couple.
• Across Asia, only Taiwan, Thailand and Nepal have enshrined marriage equality into law.