GK Snapshots on 6 November 2021

World Tsunami Awareness Day 2021 – November 5

The United Nations (UN)’s World Tsunami Awareness Day is annually observed across the globe on November 5th to create awareness about the tsunami, and the share the innovative approaches to risk reduction

The observances of the day are facilitated by the UN Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) in collaboration with the UN systems.

• The day also promotes the Target F of Sendai Seven Campaign: “substantially enhance international cooperation to developing countries through adequate and sustainable support to complement their national actions for implementation of the present Framework by 2030”.

• The observance of the day aligns with the International Day for Disaster Reduction (October 13) and the seven targets of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.

6th International One Health Day – 3rd November 2021

The International One Health Day is annually observed across the globe on 3rd November to create awareness about the need for a One Health approach to address the shared health threats at the human-animal-environment interface. 3rd November 2021 marks the 6th One Health Day, a global campaign that highlights the importance of one health approach.

What is One Health?
i.One Health is a collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary approach, working at the local, regional, national, and global levels, which aims to achieve optimal health outcomes that recognise the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment.
ii.It recognises the connection between the health of people, animals and the environment.

World One Health Congress (WOHC):
i.7th World One Health Congress (WOHC) will take place from November 7 – 11, 2022 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore.

ii.The theme for the 7th World One Health Congress is Integrating Science, Policy and Clinical Practice: A One Health Imperative Post COVID-19.

5th Ganga Utsav 2021-The River Festival held virtually; Ganga Atlas developed by IIT Kanpur Launched

The annual ‘Ganga Utsav 2021-The River Festival’ was organized virtually on November 1-3 by National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) to mark the anniversary of announcement of River Ganga as the ‘National River’ i.e. November 4th.

• This year marked the 5th edition of the festival which was celebrated under the leadership of Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Ministry of Jal Shakti, as a part of the ongoing celebrations for 75 years of Independence and Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

• It should be noted that the 2021 World River Day (4th Sunday of September) was celebrated on September 26.

Aim of River Festival 2021:

To take Ganga Utsav 2021 to the various river basins in India and promote the celebration of ‘Nadi Utsav’ (River Festival)

Objective of River Festival:

i.To promote stakeholder engagement and ensure public participation under the aegis of the Ganga Knowledge Center as NMCG targets strengthening of the public – river connect.

ii.To highlight the significance of ‘Jan Bhagidari’ in the revival of Ganga.

India-Bhutan issues LoE to add 7 Entry-Exit Trade Points

In November 2021, India and Bhutan formalised seven additional entry – exit points for trade through Letters of Exchange (LoE) issued during the Commerce Secretary level meeting between the countries that discussed Trade & Transit issues.

• This formalisation is a part of measures to increase trade connectivity.

• The Indian delegation was led by Department of Commerce Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam, and the Bhutanese delegation was led by Dasho Karma Tshering, Secretary, Bhutan Ministry of Economic Affairs.

• Key Participants – BVR Subrahmanyam, Secretary, Department of Commerce – India & Dasho Karma Tshering, Secretary, Bhutan Ministry of Economic Affairs

Centre Launched “Har Ghar Dastak” Campaign to Increase Vaccination Coverage

Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, announced that the government of India has launched the “Har Ghar Dastak”, a door to door Covid-19 vaccination campaign to increase vaccination coverage across India.

The campaign aims to motivate people towards getting fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

• The Health Ministry is set to launch a mega vaccination campaign under which the health care workers will go door to door to vaccinate people eligible for 2nd dose and who have not taken their first dose.

UK launches 1st Commemorative Coin featuring Mahatma Gandhi

On 4th November, the Government of the United Kingdom (UK) unveiled a £5 coin to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of Diwali. This is the 1st time the UK government is releasing a coin on Mahatma Gandhi. Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of UK, chose the final design for the coin. It is the first time Mahatma Gandhi has been commemorated on an official UK coin.

Features of Coin:

• Coin Designer – Heena Glover

• Image in Coin – Lotus Flower

• Quote in Coin – ‘My Life is my message’

• The coin is available both in Gold and Silver.

UNEP’s Sustainable Urban Cooling Report : Cities will be Too Hot to Live

Beating the Heat: Sustainable Urban Cooling Handbook report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) indicates that cities will be the hotspots, if global warming continues.

• The temperature increases due to the Urban heat island effect by an average of 4 degree celsius by 2100.Many cities could warm as much as 4 °C if GHG emissions continue at high levels at the end of the century.

• High temperatures affect productivity, water quality, and increase air pollution.

• The report was launched during the UN Climate Conference (COP26) by the Cool Coalition, UNEP, RMI, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM), Mission Innovation and the Clean Cooling Collaborative.

South African author Damon Galgut bags Booker Prize 2021

South African author Damon Galgut has won the prestigious Booker Prize 2021 for fiction for his novel ‘The Promise’. It was his ninth book that states the decline of one dutch family in South Africa over four decades from the apartheid era to the present day. It is a tale of a troubled Afrikaner family and its broken promise to a Black employee.

• With this recognition, Damon Galgut won 50,000 pounds $69,000) as an award amount.

• Booker prize is the world’s most prestigious literary honours which is also called Oscars of world literature.

Key Points:
i.He has previously been nominated twice; first in 2003 for ‘The Good Doctor’ and in 2010 for ‘In a Strange Room’, but lost both times.
ii.He is the third South African novelist to win the Booker Prize, after Nadine Gordimer in 1974 and J.M. Coetzee, who won twice, in 1983 and 1999.
iii.The chair of the judges (Booker Prize) was Maya Jasanoff.

Indian-origin Canadian Anita Anand Sworn-in as Canada’s 43rd Defence Minister

Anita Anand (54 years), an Indian-origin Canadian has been sworn in as the 43rd Defence Minister of Canada replacing Harjit Sajjan, who has been appointed as the Minister of International Development Agency.

• She is the 2nd Woman to hold this position following the former Canadian Prime Minister Kim Campbell, who held the post for 5 months in 1993.

• She is the first Hindu Canadian to become a federal cabinet minister Anita Anand, born in rural Nova Scotia, Canada, was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Oakville in 2019. She has previously served as Minister of Public Services and Procurement.

China Launches world’s first Earth Science Satellite, Guangmu-1 or SDGSAT-1

China sent world’s first Earth-science satellite, Guangmu-1 or SDGSAT-1 on November 5, 2021 into space from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in the northern Shanxi Province.

• Guangmu-1 was launched by a Long March-6(LM-6) carrier rocket or also known as CZ-6 (Chang Zheng-6) which is the 395th flight mission.

• SDGSAT-1 is the first satellite customized according to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which adopted in 2015 with 17 SDGs for peace and prosperity.

• China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) launched the mission and SDGSAT-1 was developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

Noted Economist Dr Shankar Acharya Authored a New Book Titled “An Economist at Home and Abroad: A Personal Journey”

Noted Economist and former Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India, Dr Shankar Acharya has authored a new book titled “An Economist at Home and Abroad: A Personal Journey”.

• The book features the professional and personal life of the most accomplished policy economist Dr Shankar Acharya.

• The book is published by HarperCollins India.

Bhaskar Chattopadhyay Authors a new Book titled “The Cinema of Satyajit Ray”

A new book titled ‘The Cinema of Satyajit Ray’ written by the author Bhaskar Chattopadhyay and published by Westland details the life of legendary Indian Filmmaker – ‘Satyajit Ray’. The book is divided into two sections, first is about art and second is the artist.

• Bhaskar Chattopadhyay also authored novels like “Patang” (2016), “Here Falls the Shadow” (2017) and “The Disappearance of Sally Sequeira” (2018).

i.The book describes 39 feature films of Satyajit Ray – including various short films and documentaries to investigate their cinematic and social context.

ii.It also contains essays on each film and documentaries of Satyajit Ray.
 

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