1. Operation Unicorn for Queen Elizabeth II funeral
Tags: place in news Person in news International News
The 96 year old Queen Elizabeth II of United Kingdom died at her remote Highlands residence, Balmoral, in Scotland on 8 September 2022.
The whole of the United Kingdom is in mourning and Buckingham Palace has planned an elaborate funeral for her.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
Operation London Bridge or Operation Unicorn :
- According to Buckingham Palace if the Queen had died in London then the code name of her funeral would have been ‘‘London Bridge' .
- However as she died in Scotland the funeral has now been code named ‘Operation Unicorn.’
- The name was chosen because the unicorn is the national animal of Scotland and forms part of the royal coat of arms, along with the lion of England.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -
Another Important point to remember :
She was not only the Head of State of United Kingdom but also the Head of State of 14 other commonwealth countries -Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea, Saint Lucia, Solomon Islands, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Buckingham Palace :
Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of the United Kingdom's Monarch since 1837 and today is the administrative headquarters of the Monarch.
2. India and Japan announces first joint Air Force exercise
Tags: place in news Defence Summits International News
Reflecting the growing security cooperation between the two sides, India and Japan announced plans for their first air force exercise as New Delhi backed Tokyo’s efforts to reinforce its defence capabilities over the next five years.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- This was announced after the meeting of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with the Japanese Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada held in Tokyo, Japan on 8 September 2022.
- Rajnath Singh arrived in Japan after his visit to Mongolia.
- He also participated in India-Japan 2+2 dialogue involving the Defence and Foreign ministers of both the countries. India was represented by External Affairs minister S.Jaishanker and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh while Japan was represented by its Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Defence minister Yasukazu Hamada.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -
India -Japan military exercise :
- At present both the countries conduct Dharma Guardian, JIMEX and Malabar exercise. Japan also participated in the MILAN naval exercise 2022 held in Visakhapatnam.
- DHARMA GUARDIAN-2022, an annual exercise between Indian Army and Japanese Ground Self Defence Force was held from 27 February -10 March 2022, Belgaum Karnataka.
- The last edition of the India – Japan Maritime Bilateral Exercise, JIMEX, between the Indian Navy (IN) and the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF), was held in 2021 Arabian Sea from 06 to 08 October 2021.
- The last edition of Malabar exercise was held in 2021 involving the Australian, United States, Japanese and Indian Navy at sea of Philippines and Bay of Bengal.
3. India ranks 132nd out of 191 in UNDP's human development index
Tags: Economy/Finance International News
According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) report released on 8 September, India is ranked 132 out of 191 countries in the Human Development Index (HDI) 2021.
Switzerland tops the rankings, followed by Norway at second and Iceland at third.
South Sudan, Chad and Niger are at the bottom of the HDI scale.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- In the 2020 report, India had ranked 131st among 189 countries.
The report said that nearly 90 percent of countries have reported a decline in their HDI rankings in 2020 or 2021.
Among India's neighbours, Sri Lanka (73rd), China (79th), Bangladesh (129th), and Bhutan (127th) rank above India, while Pakistan (161st), Nepal (143th) and Myanmar (149th) rank worse.
India's latest HDI value is 0.633 which places the country in the medium human development category, lower than its value of 0.645 in the 2020 report.
The reason for the decline in the ranking of more than 90 percent of the countries is the Covid-19 pandemic.
The report raises concerns over growing polarization that is eroding democratic freedoms and human rights in many parts of the world.
Gender Inequality :
The COVID-19 pandemic has also exacerbated gender inequality, which has risen by 6.7% globally.
India has shown a slight improvement in its Gender Inequality Index value in the latest report as compared to the 2020 index (0.490 vs 0.493).
The index measures inequality between women and men in three dimensions – reproductive health, empowerment and the labour market.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -
About Human Development Index :
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) published its first Human Development Report (HDR) in 1990.
The report attempts to define and measure the level of development of economies.
Three indicators of Human Development Report (HDR)
Health - Measured by the life expectancy at birth
Education - Measured by the mean of years of schooling
Standard of Living - Measured by GNI (Gross National Income/Product) per capita at ‘Purchasing Power Parity
4. Volker Türk appointed new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Tags: Person in news International News
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Volker Turk of Austria as the next United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, following approval by the General Assembly on 8 September 2022.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- Turk will succeed Michelle Bachelet of Chile, who served as High Commissioner from September 1, 2018 through August 31, 2022.
- United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
- The High Commissioner for Human Rights is the principal human rights official of the United Nations.
- The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is accountable to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and is responsible for all the activities of OHCHR, as well as for its administration.
OHCHR :
- The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) also known as the UN Human Rights Office , is mandated to promote and protect all human rights established in the UN Charter and in international human rights laws and treaties.
- The headquarters of the OHCHR: Geneva, Switzerland.
5. Britain's Queen Elizabeth dies at the age of 96
Tags: Person in news International News
Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-reigning monarch, died on 8 September at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Her age was about 96 years.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- Queen Elizabeth ruled for 70 years, former Prince Charles will now be Britain's new monarch.
The Queen ascended the throne in 1952 and she witnessed a great social change.
During her reign there were 15 prime ministers, including Ms Truss, starting with Winston Churchill.
Queen Elizabeth II was born on 21 April 1926 in Mayfair, London.
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II.
Queen Elizabeth became the longest-serving British monarch In 2015, surpassing her great-grandmother, Queen Victoria.
In June 2022, she overtook Thailand's King to become the world's second-longest reigning monarch.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand ruled for 70 years and 126 days between 1927 and 2016.
Louis XIV of France is the longest reigning monarch in the world with 72 years and 110 days.
- In honour of Queen Elizabeth II, the Government of India has decided that on September 11, there will be a one-day state mourning across the country.
6. Second India-Japan 2plus2 Ministerial Dialogue begins in Tokyo
Tags: International Relations International News
The 2nd India-Japan 2022 Ministerial Dialogue began in Tokyo on 8 September.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended the second India-Japan 2+2 ministerial dialogue along with their Japanese counterparts in Tokyo on 8 September.
Rajnath Singh said, there has been significant progress in Indo-Japan bilateral relations in recent times.
India and Japan are set to complete 70 years of diplomatic ties in December this year and the two countries will hold an event to mark the occasion in New Delhi in December.
The meeting reflects the commitment of both the countries towards strengthening bilateral security and defence cooperation.
It also demonstrates the strength of the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.
During the talks, the two sides will review bilateral cooperation in various fields and decide the way forward.
India's '2+2' format of dialogue :
It is a format of the meeting of the Foreign and Defence Ministers of India and its allies on strategic and security issues.
India has 2+2 dialogues with four major strategic partners - the US, Australia, Japan and Russia.
Apart from Russia, three other countries are also India's partners in the Quad.
The '2+2' dialogue with Japan was launched in 2019 to further deepen bilateral security and defence cooperation.
The first Ministerial 2+2 Dialogue with Japan was held in New Delhi in December 2019.
7. US President Joe Biden nominates Indian-American attorney Arun Subramanian to US District Judge in New York
Tags: Person in news International News
US President Joe Biden on September 6 nominated Indian-American attorney Arun Subramaniam to be the US District Judge for the Southern District of New York.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- Subramaniam was the first South Asian judge to serve on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York after being confirmed by the Senate.
Subramaniam did his Juris Doctor (JD) from Columbia Law School in 2004 and a BA from Case Western Reserve University in 2001.
Currently he is a partner at Susman Godfrey LLP in New York where he has worked since 2007.
Subramaniam also served as a law clerk for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the Supreme Court of the United States from 2006 to 2007.
The Indian-origin attorney has expertise in matters relating to the False Claims Act, public entities, trafficking in child pornography, consumers and persons injured by unfair means.
8. Sheikh Hasina confers scholarships on descendants of Indian soldiers killed in Bangladesh Liberation War
Tags: International Relations International News
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina conferred the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Student Scholarship at a function in New Delhi on 7 September.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- This scholarship was awarded for the first time to the descendants of soldiers, officers of the Armed Forces of India who were martyred or grievously injured during the historic liberation war of 1971.
This scholarship was awarded to 100 - 100 students of class 10 and 12 which is a tribute to the Indian heroes who made supreme sacrifice for the country.
The award is named after Hasina's father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
A total of 200 family members of Indian Army personnel have received scholarships.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -
Liberation War of 1971 :
In the 1950s, Pakistan was ruled by a military-bureaucratic rule that ruled the entire country (East and West Pakistan) in an undemocratic manner.
The Bengalites had no political representation in this system of governance.
This dominance of West Pakistan was challenged by the Bengalis during the general elections of 1970.
In the general election of 1970, the Awami League of East Pakistan's Sheikh Mujibur Rahman got a clear majority.
West Pakistan was not ready for any leader of East Pakistan to rule the country.
On March 26, 1971, West Pakistan launched Operation Searchlight in East Pakistan.
As a result, lakhs of Bangladeshis had to take refuge in India.
The Pakistani army had to face defeat due to the bravery of the 'Muktiwahini Sena' and Indian soldiers who fought for the independence of Bangladesh.
On 6 December 1971, a new nation Bangladesh was born out of 13 days war with the intervention of India.
9. Piyush Goyal launches India US Startup SETU - Supporting Entrepreneurs in Transformation and Upskilling programme in San Francisco
Tags: National Economy/Finance Government Schemes International News
The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goel launched the India US Startup SETU - Supporting Entrepreneurs in Transformation and Upskilling programme in San Francisco, United States on 6 September 2022.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
Aim of the Startup:
- Piyush Goyal said it will act as a bridge between Indian and American companies and will support entrepreneurs in transforming, upskilling and leveraging on the success stories of the Indian Diaspora in the US.
- The minister observed that some good ideas of startups don't take off for lack of mentorship, guidance, funds.
- The initiative would connect start-ups in India to US-based investors and start-up ecosystem leaders with mentorship and assistance in various areas including funding, market access and commercialization.
- The interaction will be supported through the mentorship portal under the Startup India initiative MAARG, or the Mentorship, Advisory, Assistance, Resilience, and Growth program, which is a single-stop solution finder for startups in India.
What is MAARG ?
- It is a portal which has been launched by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the startups India initiative.
- The portal has been developed with the idea that a mentor shall be accessible to the startups, anywhere in the country.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -
Points to remember :
- January 16 is observed as Startup day as on this day in 2016 the government of India launched its flagship Startup India initiative. The first Startup day was observed in 2022.
- India has become the third-largest Startup ecosystem in the world after the US and China.
- Bengaluru based Neobank Open is the 100th Unicorn Startup in India.
10. India donates 5000 tonnes of rice to Madagascar
Tags: International News
Indian Ambassador to Madagascar Abhay Kumar presented 5000 tonnes of rice to President Andry Rajoelina of Madagascar at a donation ceremony held at the Presidential Palace in Antananarivo.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- Earlier, India donated 15 thousand bicycles to Madagascar on the occasion of World Bicycle Day. World Bicycle day is observed on 3 June every year.
- President Rajoelina thanked the Government and people of India for the generous donation.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -
Madagascar :
- It is an island country off the South-East coast of Africa.
- It is the fourth largest island in the world after Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo.
- Capital: Antananarivo
- Currency: Ariary
- President: Andry Rajoelina
