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By admin: Dec. 4, 2022

International Cheetah Day

Tags: Important Days

Every year 4 December is observed as International Cheetah Day. The day is observed to raise people's awareness about safeguarding the cheetah from extinction. 

In India the International Cheetah Day was celebrated by the National Zoological Park, New Delhi (Delhi Zoo) in collaboration with the Central Zoo Authority.

Background of the Day 

American zoologist Dr Laurie Marker is credited with creating International Cheetah Day. Dr Marker founded the Cheetah Conservation Fund in 1991 and she designated December 4 as International Cheetah Day in 2010. Since that year, the world has been celebrating this day.

Cheetah is the fastest animal in the world and at present the majority of the animal is found in Namibia and South Africa.  It was declared as an extinct animal in 1954 by the government. 

The Government of India has started a project to repopulate India with Cheetah brought from Namibia and settled in Kuno National park in Madhya Pradesh.

Maharashtra to be the first state in the country to establish a separate Divyang department

Tags: State News

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has announced that the state government will establish a separate Divyang department for the welfare of differently-abled persons and the government has allocated Rs 1,143 crore rupees. He said that Maharashtra is the first state to have such a department.

He was speaking at an event on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in Mumbai.  Every year  3rd December is celebrated as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Mr Shinde said that there will be secretary-level officials for this separate ministry. It will take all the steps for the welfare of Divyang people in the state.

It will formulate policies for the welfare of the disabled by taking into consideration the views of the stakeholders. 

 Maharashtra 

It was known as Bombay state at the time of Independence in 1947.  On 1 May 1960 the Bombay state was split into Marathi speaking Maharashtra and Gujarati speaking Gujarat.

Maharashtra shares its boundary with Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Karnataka, Goa, Dadara and Nagar Havelli. It lies along the Arabian coast.

Capital: Mumbai (earlier Bombay). It is an island in the Arabian Sea. It was gifted by the Portuguese as a dowry for the marriage of the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza to the British King Charles II in May 1662.

Governor of Maharashtra: Bhagat Singh Koshiyari 

Unnati Hooda settles for a silvers as India wins 5 medals at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships

Tags: place in news Sports Person in news

Top Seeded Unnati Hooda  had to settle for a silver medal after she lost to Sarunrak Vitidsarn of Thailand in the final of the under 17 women's singles of the  Badminton Asia Junior Championships  held in Nonthaburi, Thailand on 4 December 2022.

Top Seeded Unnati Hooda lost to Sarunrak Vitidsarn of Thailand  in the finals and had to settle for silver   in the under 17 women's singles final of the   Badminton Asia Junior Championships  held in Nonthaburi, Thailand on 4 December 2022.  Unnati Hooda earlier created history by becoming the first Indian to enter the U-17 women’s singles final at the Asia Junior Championships. 

India finished the Badminton Asia Junior Championships 2022 with 5 medals -3 silver and 2 bronze medals.

On the last day of the championships India won two more silver medals.

 Anish Thoppnai lost to Chung-Hsiang Yih of Chinese Taipei in the under -15 men’s singles to settle for a silver.

Arsh Mohammad and Sanskar Saraswat lost to Chinese Taipei’s Lai Po Yu and Yi-Hao Lin in the men’s under-17 doubles.

Bronze medal winner for India 

India’s under-15 men’s doubles pair of Bjorn Jaison and Aathish Sreenivas PV also had to settle for a bronze medal after they lost their semi-final to top seeds Muhammad Mubarrok and Raihan Pramono of Indonesia.

India’s Gnana Datt lost to Chung-Hsiang Yih of Chinese Taipei in the -15 men’s semi-final to settle for a bronze medal.

At the last edition held in 2019 in Suzhou, China, India’s Tasnim Mir and Tara Shah clinched gold and silver medals, respectively, in the U-15 women’s singles event. 

Badminton Asia Junior Championships 2022 

The Badminton Asia Junior Championships 2022 was organised by Badminton Asia at Nonthaburi, Thailand from 29 November to 4 December 2022. 

The championship was held for men’s and women’s under15 and under 17 categories. It involved singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles.

It was first held in 1997 and is being held every year. The 2020 and 2021 edition was not held due to covid pandemic.

India the first country in the world to receive $100 billion in remittances: World Bank

Tags: Reports Economy/Finance

According to the World Bank report “Migration and Development Brief’, India is set to receive $100 billion as remittance in 2022 an increase of 12% as compared to 2021. .In 2021 India had received $89.4 billion in remittances.  India is the first country in the world to receive $100 billion in remittances from migrant workers abroad. 

What are remittances?

Remittance means transfers of funds. Remittances are of two types, Inward and outbound. If a person sends money to India from abroad then it is inward remittance. If a person from India sends money to a person abroad it is called outward remittance. The World Bank reports talks about inward remittances.  

Thus here remittance means money that has been transferred to Indians by non-resident Indians (NRIs) employed outside the country to family, friends or relatives residing in India.

Reason for Increase in remittances to India 

According to the World Bank one of the main reasons for the increase in flow of remittance to India was the wage hike and a strong labour market in the United States of America.  

Highly-skilled Indian migrants living in wealthy nations such as the US, UK, and Singapore were sending more money home

Highlights of the World Bank report on Remittance to India.

• According to the World Bank there has been a significant change in the pattern of remittances and in the direction of Indian migrants' destinations.
• Earlier the migration was dominated by low skill migrants to 5 GCC countries (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar). They got low wages and hence they were able to send only smaller amounts to their relatives back home.
• Now highly skilled India’s are migrating to countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand where they earn high wages.
• Quoting the RBI report the World Bank says that “between 2016–17 and 2020–21, the share of remittances from the United States, United Kingdom, and Singapore increased from 26 percent to over 36 percent.
• In the same time period the share from the 5 GCC countries (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar) dropped from 54 to 28 percent.
• With a share of 23 percent of total remittances, the United States surpassed the United Arab Emirates as the top source country in 2020–21.
• About 20 percent of India’s emigrants are in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Other key points of the World Bank Report

India was the largest recipient of remittance in the world followed by Mexico (2nd position), China (3rd), Egypt (4th) and the Philippines (5th).

Remittances to low and middle-income countries have grown by 5% in 2022 to around $626 billion.

Barring India and Nepal. Other south Asian countries saw a decline of more than 10% in their remittances from 2021, due to the end of government incentives introduced during the pandemic.

 Other Important World Bank reports 

• World Development Report 
• Global Economic Prospect 
• Business Enabling Environment (It will replace the Ease of Doing Business report). It will be launched in April 2024.

President of World Bank: David Malpass

Navy Day 2022 to be celebrated at Eastern Naval Command Visakhapatnam

Tags: Defence Important Days

Every year since 1972, 4th December has been observed as Navy Day in India.  The day is celebrated to honour the Indian Navy's role during the India Pakistan war of 1971. This year for the first time the Navy Day celebration is taking place outside New Delhi at Eastern Naval Command headquarters Visakhapatnam.

The Indian Navy launched Operation Trident on 4-5 December 1971 to block the Karachi port of Pakistan. During the operation the Indian Navy sank four Pakistani vessels including PNS Khaibar, killing hundreds of Pakistani Navy personnel. 

Background to the Day 

Navy Day was first celebrated on 21 Oct 1944 by the Royal Indian Navy, which coincided with the Royal Navy's Trafalgar Day of the British navy.

Until 1972 the Navy Day was celebrated on 15 December and the week in which 15 December fell was observed as Navy Week.

At the Senior Naval Officers’ Conference in May 1972, it was decided that Indian Navy Day would be celebrated on December 4 to recognise the efforts and achievements of the Indian Navy during the 1971 Indo-Pak war.

Navy Day 2022 

This year the Navy Day celebration will be held in Visakhapatnam. This is for the first time that the Navy Day celebration is being held outside Delhi. Indian Naval ships, submarines, aircraft and Special Forces from Eastern, Western and Southern Naval Command would showcase the capability and versatility of the Indian Navy. The event will culminate with a sunset ceremony and lighting up of ships at anchorage.

The Indian Navy will demonstrate India’s combat prowess and capability through an ‘Operational Demonstration' during the celebration.

President of India and the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Droupadi Murmu would witness the event as the Guest of Honour.

The event will be hosted by the Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral R Hari Kumar.

Indian Navy 

The modern Indian Navy was founded on 26 January 1950.

It comes under the Union Ministry of Defence 

President is the supreme commander of the Indian Navy.

Current Chief of Naval Staff: Admiral R.Hari Kumar 

Navy Day: 4 December 

The Headquarters of the Indian Navy is at New Delhi 

Naval Command and its Headquarters 

Indonesia raises volcano warning to highest after Semeru erupts

Tags: Environment place in news International News

The Indonesian authorities raised the warning on Semeru volcano to the highest level on 4 December 2022 after an eruption spewed a column of ash high into the air.

The  eruption in the Semeru volcano located in the  East Java province follows a series of earthquakes on the west of the island, including one last month that killed more than 300 people.

The eruption started on 3 December 2022 and the plume from the volcano reached a height of 50,000 feet (15 km).

The Indonesian authorities have started the evacuation of people including children and seniors, living near the volcano.

Mount Semeru last erupted in December 2021, killing at least 69 people. At that time the eruption had left entire streets filled with mud and ash, swallowing homes and vehicles, with nearly 10,000 people seeking refuge.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity.

Indonesia has around 142 volcanoes and it has the largest population (86 lakh) in the world living within 10 km close range to volcanoes. 

World Champion Rudrankksh Patil wins ISSF President’s Cup held in Egypt

Tags: place in news Sports Person in news

The  current world champion Rudrankksh Patil of India  defeated world No. 1 Danilo Sollazzo of Italy in the men’s 10m air rifle final to win the gold medal at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) President’s Cup 2022 in Cairo, Egypt, 2 December 2022.

The ISSF Presidents Cup is the season finale of the International Shooting Sport Federation yearlong competition where top ranked shooters of the year are invited. It was held from 28 November -4 December 2022 in Cairo, Egypt.

Rudrankksh Patil was awarded the Golden Target award, given to the best athlete of the year in the category by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF).

Tokyo Olympian and world No. 4 Anjum Moudgil, had to settle for silver after narrowly losing to Anna Janssen of Germany in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions final.

India finished the ISSF President’s Cup 2022 with two medals - one gold and one silver. 

At the 2021 edition of the ISSF President’s Cup, India won five medals - two golds, two silvers and one bronze.

International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF)

It is an international body which governs International shooting.

It was founded in 1907 as International Shooting Union and later renamed as ISSF in 1998.

Headquarters: Munich, Germany 

President: Vladimir Lisin 

India’s Bio-economy has grown 8 times to over $80 billion in 2022: Jitendra Singh

Tags: place in news Economy/Finance Summits

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh has said that India's bio-economy has grown 8 times in the last 8 years under Prime Minister Modi leadership from $10 billion in 2014 to over $80 billion in 2022.

He was speaking at the “International Conference on Emerging Trends in Biosciences and Chemical Technology- 2022” in Jammu on 3 December 2022.

The conference is being organized by Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, School of Biotechnology, Jammu in collaboration with CSIR-IIIM Jammu and The Biotech Research Society of India, from 3rd - 5th December 2022.

 Dr Jitendra Singh said that Biotech Startups have grown 100 times in the last 8 years from 52 odd startups in 2014 to more than 5300 in 2022. He said, 3 Biotech Startups were incorporated every day in 2021 and a total of 1,128 biotech startups were set up in 2021 alone, signalling the rapid growth of the sector in India.

What is Bio- Economy?

The concept of Bio-Economy was first used in Europe. The term Bio Economy generally refers to an economy using renewable natural resources to produce food, energy, products and services. The important renewable natural resources include the biomass in forests, soil, fields, bodies of water and the sea and freshwater.  

The  Bio- Economy covers all sectors and systems that rely on biological resources (animals, plants, micro-organisms and derived biomass, including organic waste), their functions and principles. 

It includes all economic and industrial sectors that use biological resources and processes to produce food, feed, bio-based products, energy and services.

International conference on “J C Bose: A Satyagrahi Scientist” organized in New Delhi

Tags: place in news National Summits Person in news

The Union Ministry of Culture organised an “International conference on the contributions of J C Bose: A Satyagrahi Scientist” at the  Inter-University Accelerator Centre, New Delhi on 3 December 2022 on the occasion of 164th birth anniversary of legendary Indian scientist Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose.

The aim of the conference was to acknowledge and popularize the contributions of Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose.

Jagdish Chandra Bose 

JC Bose was born on 30 November 1858 in Mymensingh (Bangladesh) and died on 23 November 1937 at Giridih, Jharkhand.

He was a Plant Physiologist and physicist who invented the crescograph, a device for measuring the growth of plants. He for the first time demonstrated that plants have feelings. 

He discovered wireless communication and was named the Father of Radio Science by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering. 

A crater on the moon is named in his honour. 

He established Bose Institute in Kolkata in 1917 which is the first interdisciplinary research centre in Asia.

Jharokha: A Compendium of Indian handicraft, handloom, art and culture” held in Delhi

Tags: Festivals place in news

The Union ministry of Textile in partnership with the Union Ministry of Culture is organizing “Jharokha-Compendium of Indian handicraft/ handloom, art and culture” at Delhi from 2nd December 2022 to 15th December 2022. Jharokha is a celebration of the traditional Indian handicrafts, handlooms, and art & culture. 

The “Jharokha-Compendium of Indian handicraft/ handloom, art and culture”   is being organised across 13 states and Union Territories at 161 locations as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav by the Union ministry of Textile in partnership with the Union Ministry of Culture.

The first event was held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh from 8th March 2022 on the occasion of the International Women’s day. The first event focussed on   womanhood and the contribution of women in the field of art, craft and culture.

The celebrations at Jharokha will include showcasing of handicraft and handloom products from across the country. Artisans, weavers, and artists who have given their significant contribution in promoting and reviving Indian handloom, handicrafts, art and culture will also be felicitated in the event.

Union Minister for Culture: G.Kishan Reddy 

Union Minister for Textile: Piyush Goel