August 9th is celebrated as the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples across the world. The celebration highlights the role of indigenous people and the importance of preserving their rights, communities and knowledge they gathered and passed down over centuries. 

 

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2022 Theme : The theme of International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples this year is “The Role of Indigenous Women in the Preservation and Transmission of Traditional Knowledge.”

 

History : On December 23, 1994, the UNGA, passed resolution 49/214, declaring August 9 as the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People. On this date, in 1982, the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations had held its first meeting.

 

On December 21, 1993, the UNGA had declared December 10, 1994 as the start of the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People. 1993 was also announced as the International Year of the World’s Indigenous People.

 

Significance : Indigenous and tribal cultures, and communities, allow us to look back at our roots. Taking cognisance of the knowledge acquired by indigenous people is vital culturally and also scientifically. Ancient cultures had perfected their survival strategies over centuries and discovered remedies to ailments which have helped modern scientists tremendously. Apart from science, understanding and preservation of indigenous languages, their spiritual practices, and philosophies are also vital..

Source : News18

Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday(4th Aug 2022), announced that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's "Panchamrut Yojana" will help to achieve the goal of doubling farmers' income through the introduction of cost-effective technical measures and promotion of co-cropping method.

 

It is worth mentioning here, that the Yogi Government increased the sugarcane support price by Rs 350 in the last crushing season in advance, which included Rs 340 for normal and Rs 335 for species declared unsuitable.

 

According to an official of the Sugarcane Development Department, the Government has already started taking steps under Panchamrut Yojana to achieve this goal, and would initially select a total of 2028 farmers in the state ahead of the autumn season, to develop model plots so that more and more innovative farmers felt encouraged to join the programme for their own benefit.

 

The official said, “The minimum area of this plot will be 0.5 hectares, while at least 15 plots each will be selected in Sugarcane Development Councils of Central and Western Uttar Pradesh and 10 in Eastern Uttar Pradesh. Different goals have been set district-wise in terms of implementation of methods for maximum outcome under ‘Panchamrut Yojana'”..

Source : The Print

The government of Bangladesh signed an agreement with the World Bank on Sunday(7th Aug 2022) for USD 300 million financing. It will help the country strengthen its local urban institutions to respond and recover from the Covid 19 pandemic and improve preparedness for future shock.

 

The Local Government Covid 19 Response and Recovery Project will benefit 39.9 million people in urban areas of eight districts of Bangladesh, said the World Bank in a press release on Sunday(7th Aug 2022). It will help its cities and towns to build back better as they recover from the pandemic and prepare for future shocks, including climate change, disasters, and disease outbreaks. 

 

In addition, 329 municipalities and 10 city corporations will receive funds bi-annually from the project to improve critical urban services and infrastructures to mitigate and respond to climate change impacts, disasters, and future disease outbreaks. 

 

The project will carry out labour-intensive public works to ensure water supply and sanitation, drainage, and other critical services. These will benefit the low-income areas, slums, and areas exposed to high disease outbreak and disaster risks. It will simultaneously create 1.5 million days of short-term work as well as jobs for 10,000 women under the public works scheme for the urban poor. .

Source : AIR

Gustavo Petro has sworn in as the first leftist President of  Colombia.

Colombia's first leftist President was sworn into office Sunday(7th Aug 2022), promising to fight inequality and heralding a turning point in the history of a country haunted by a long war between the government and guerrilla groups.

 

Sen. Gustavo Petro, a former member of Colombia's M-19 guerrilla group, won the presidential election in June 2022 by beating conservative parties that offered moderate changes to the market-friendly economy, but failed to connect with voters frustrated by rising poverty and violence against human rights leaders and environmental groups in rural areas.

Mr. Petro is part of a growing group of leftist politicians and political outsiders who have been winning elections in Latin America since the pandemic broke out and hurt incumbents who struggled with its economic aftershocks.

He also promised to implement outstanding provisions of the 2016 peace agreement that saw the rebel FARC movement lay down arms after nearly six decades of civil conflict..

Source : The Hindu

106-year-old astronomical observatory established at Langat Singh College in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar has been included in UNESCO's endangered heritage list.

 

* This observatory is the first of its kind in eastern India. It was established in 1916 to impart astronomical knowledge to the students on the said college campus.

 

* Principal of Langat Singh College O. P. A planetarium was also set up at the college in 1946, Roy said. After 1970 the position of the observatory as well as the constellation began to decline gradually and most of the machines installed there have either been lost or turned into junk.

 

* After being included in UNESCO's list of endangered heritage observatories, hopes of reviving and preserving it have now been raised.

 

* As per college records, Prof. Romesh Chandra Sen had consulted J Mitchell (an astronomer and principal of Wesleyan College, Bankura in West Bengal) in February 1914, taking the initiative to set up an astronomical observatory in the college. In 1915, a telescope, astronomical clock, chronograph and other instruments were obtained from England and in 1916 the Astronomical Observatory started working..

Source : Times of India

Akasa Air, India’s newest carrier backed by billionaire Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, has finally taken off. The airline's inaugural flight between Mumbai and Ahmedabad was cleared by Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia and MoS General Vijay Kumar Singh on Sunday(7th Aug 2022).

 

Akasa Air's service between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will see 28 weekly flights.

 

Akasa started taking reservations for its inaugural commercial flights on Friday. The airline will initially operate out of Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Kochi.

 

Subsequently, from August 13, the airline would start flying an extra 28 weekly flights between Bengaluru and Kochi. With immediate effect, tickets are available to everyone..

Source : Economic Times

The Ministry of Culture has organised Amrit Mahotsav named ‘Badhe Chalo’, to create a youth centric activation.

 

It is being held across 10 cities every day from 5th to 11th August 2022.

 

Ten locations include : Lal Chowk, Ashtley Hall, Akashdeep Market, Central Mall, Telibandha Talab, CMR Mall, Gaurav Tower, Maharaja Sayajirao University,  Alpha One Mall and Keshav Vatika.

 

These events will be ended on the 12th August, at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi. 

Source : AIR

The Uttar Pradesh government is looking at turning the state a $1 trillion economy by 2027 and to help achieve this goal, it has signed a pact with with Deloitte India, which will work as a consultant.

 

The MoU was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath here on Friday(5th Aug 2022), an official statement issued here said. The Uttar Pradesh government has entrusted the big responsibility to Deloitte India for the prosperity of the country's largest populous state, it said.

 

The state government had on July 19 decided to appoint Deloitte India as a consultant during a meeting of the council of ministers chaired by Adityanath. This decision was based on the recommendation of a high-powered committee. Adityanath said, "Now is the time of Uttar Pradesh, and taking full advantage of its potential, the state will become the most important base for multi-dimensional development of the country.".

 

Indian American from Virginia, Aarya Walvekar has crowned Miss India USA in 2022 in New Jersey. Saumya Sharma, a second-year premedical student at the University of Virginia, was declared first runner up and Sanjana Chekuri of New Jersey was the second runner-up. 

 

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the pageant which is the longest-running Indian pageant outside of India. It was started by New York-based Indian- Americans Dharmatma and Neelam Saran under the banner of Worldwide Pageants.

 

As many as 74 contestants representing 30 states participated in three different pageants –Miss India USA, Mrs. India USA and Miss Teen India USA.

 

Akshi Jain from Washington has crowned Mrs India USA and Tanvi Grover from New York was crowned Miss Teen India USA.

 

Winners of all three categories receive complimentary tickets to Mumbai early next year to take part in Worldwide Pageants organised by the same group.

 

The event attended by singer Shibani Kashyap, Khushi Patel, Miss India Worldwide 2022 and Swathy Vimal, Mrs. India Worldwide.

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has for the first time in its 80-year history appointed a woman Director-General.

 

Dr Nallathamby Kalaiselvi, who is currently Director of the CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CSIR-CECRI), Karaikudi, will now lead the network of 38 laboratories and nearly 4,500 scientists, has been appointed for two years, according to a note from the Appointments Committee of the Union Cabinet.

 

Ms. Kalaiselvi’s research work spans over 25 years and is focused on electrochemical power systems and developing electrode materials, custom-design synthesis methods, optimising reaction parameters and electrochemical evaluation of in-house prepared electrode materials for making energy storage devices. 

 

Her research interests include lithium and beyond lithium batteries, supercapacitors and waste-to-wealth driven electrodes and electrolytes for energy storage and electro-catalytic applications..

Source : The Hindu