GK Snapshots on 20 December 2021

International Migrants Day 2021 – December 18

The United Nations(UN)’s International Migrants Day is annually observed across the world on December 18th to increase the interest of the international community on effective and full protection of the human rights of the migrants.

The day also aims to ensure that migrants’ rights are not violated and are protected equally.

• The year 2021 marks the 70th anniversary of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), established in 1951.

The theme of International Migrants Day 2021 is “Harnessing The Potential Of Human Mobility”.

History of International Organization for Migration (IOM)

i.The IOM was established as the “Provisional Intergovernmental Committee for the Movement of Migrants from Europe(PICMME) in 1951.

ii.The organisation was renamed as Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration (ICEM) in 1952 and Intergovernmental Committee for Migration (ICM) in 1980.

iii.In 1989 the organisation was again renamed as International Organization for Migration (IOM).

iv.In September 2016, the IOM joined the UN system during the UNGA high-level summit to address large movements of refugees and migrants.

UN World Arabic Language Day observed on December 18 2021

The annual United Nations’ (UN) World Arabic Language Day was observed on the theme ‘Arabic Language, a bridge between civilisations’. This day honors the Arabic language, which is spoken by over 400 million people globally and celebrates the cultural diversity of the Middle Eastern region.

About Arabic Language:

i.As per UNESCO, Arabic first emerged in the northwest of the Arabian Peninsula.

ii.It is described as the member of the Semitic family of languages which also includes Hebrew and Aramaic.

iii.The language has given rise to a “fascinating aesthetic” in fields such as music, architecture, literature and philosophy.

Key Point:

i.This year’s event reaffirms the crucial role of the Arabic language in connecting people through culture, science, literature and several other fields as well as enhancing dialogue and building peace.

Minorities Rights Day 2021 – December 18

Minorities Rights Day is annually observed across India on 18th December to create awareness on the Constitutionally-assured rights of religious minorities and aims to uphold the right to freedom and equal opportunities for the ethnic minorities in India.

• The day also highlights the need to eliminate all forms of discrimination against minorities.
• The day is annually celebrated by the National Commission for Minorities (NCM)

Minority Communities in India:

i.Under Section 2 (c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992, the Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jain and Zoroastrians (Parsis) have been notified as minority communities.

ii.According to the 2011 census, the minorities constitute around 19.3 % of the total population of India.

PM Modi lays Foundation stone of Ganga Expressway in UP

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the longest highway in India, the Ganga Expressway in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh (UP) to offer fast-paced connectivity in India.

• The six-lane 594 km long expressway will be built at a cost of about Rs 36200 crore will connect the western and eastern regions of UP.

Features of Ganga Expressway:
i.The highway will pass through different districts of UP such as Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Budaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh and Prayagraj.
ii.A 3.5 km long airstrip was also planned to be built in Shahjahanpur for assisting emergency landing and take-off of Air Force planes.
iii.An industrial corridor will also be built along the expressway for the socio-economic development of the region.

Rajasthan’s Art and Culture Minister BD Kalla inaugurated 24th Lokrang-2021 in Jaipur

For the first time in two years amid COVID-19, on December 16, 2021, Rajasthan’s Art and Culture Minister Dr. Bulaki Das Kalla inaugurated 11-day long 24th ‘Lokrang-2021’, an annual festival of folk artists, at Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK) in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

• It is organized by JKK, Art and Culture Department and RUDA (Rural Non-Agriculture Development Agency) under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

• It will culminate on December 26, 2021.

• It will comprise National Handicrafts Fair in Shilpgram (rural arts and crafts complex in JKK) in collaboration with RUDA; and Rajasthani Language Writing Festival.

Karl Nehammer Sworn in as Chancellor of Austria

Karl Nehammer was sworn in as Austria’s chancellor by Alexander Van der Bellen, President of Austria in a ceremony in Hofburg Palace, Vienna, Austria. He is succeeding the career diplomat Alexander Schallenberg who took charge as chancellor in October 2021.

• He is the 3rd person to hold the role of Austria’s Chancellor in the last two months.

• Karl Nehammer from the ruling conservative Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), previously served as the Interior Minister of Austria.

New generation ballistic missile ‘Agni P’ successfully test-fired by DRDO in Odisha

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully test-fired its new generation Agni Prime (Agni-P) missile. The test was done from a defence base at Dr APJ Abdul Kalam island off the Odisha coast in Balasore.

• The Agni-P is a new generation advanced variant of the Agni class of missiles.

• The surface nuclear capable ballistic missile with a range of 1000 to 2000 km.

Salient features of Agni-P:
i.The missile was designed and developed completely by the DRDO is accurate and effective to the point.
• The successful test became a part of the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.
• The nuclear-capable Agni-P was first successfully test-fired by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on June 28, 2021.

ii.The missile weighs 50% less than Agni-3 & can be launched from rail and road and stored for a longer period. iii.Agni-P is a new generation advanced variant of the Agni class of missiles.

• The longest of the Agni series is Agni-V, an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a range of over 5,000 km.

India wins 16 Medals in 2021 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship & 1 Gold in World Weightlifting Championship

India concluded the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2021 with 16 medals, including 4 golds held at Tashkent, Uzbekistan while Bindyarani Devi was India’s only medallist at the World Weightlifting Championships 2021, that was also held parallelly at Tashkent.

• Bindyarani Devi won the Gold Medal in the 55 kg Clean & Jerk event.

Highlights:

i.India ended the Commonwealth championships with 16 medals – 4 Gold, 7 Silver, and 5 Bronze with 19 representatives in different categories participating in commonwealth games 2021.

ii.India’s 4 Commonwealth gold medallists – (Jeremy Lalrinnunga, Achinta Sheuli, Ajay Singh, Purnima Pandey) have qualified directly for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, United Kingdom (UK).

Former Union Minister R. L. Jalappa Passes Away

L. Jalappa, a veteran leader of the Indian National Congress(INC) and the former Union Minister of Textiles has passed away in Kolar, Karnataka. He was born on 19th October 1925 in Bengaluru, Karnataka

About R. L. Jalappa:

RL Jalappa was founder and Chairman of Devaraj Urs Medical College in Kolar and RL Jalappa Institute of Technology, Doddaballapur. In 1979 he quit Congress to form the Karnataka Kranti Ranga with former Chief Minister D Devaraj Urs and he again joined congress in 1998.

A new book titled “India’s Ancient Legacy of Wellness” by Dr Rekha Chaudhari Launched

A book titled “India’s Ancient Legacy of Wellness” authored by Dr Rekha Chaudhari was launched in the presence of the Governor of Maharashtra, Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

• It was launched on the occasion of World Digital Day (WDD) celebration.

i.The book highlights how important it is for human beings to be close to nature which helps to revive and recharge to do productive work.

ii.Dr Rekha has also published many of her research works in the World Health Organization (WHO). She was invited by John Hopkins, Harvard and Oxford University to publish her research.

News in Detail