World War Orphans Day is Observed on 6th January.
Every
January 6th, World War Orphans Day is celebrated to raise people's awareness of
the plight of war orphans and to resolve the painful conditions they face.
Highlights:
•
According to UNICEF, children under 18 who have lost one or two parents due to
any cause of death are considered orphans.
•
According to UNICEF data, there were approximately 140 million orphans
worldwide in 2015, including 10 million in Latin America and the Caribbean, 61
million in Asia, 7.3 million in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and 52 million
in Africa.
•
This day highlights the lives of children affected by the results of the war
and aims to improve their future.
•
According to UNICEF data, in the wars of the 18th, 19th and early 20th
centuries, nearly 50% victims were civilians, and this number gradually
increased in 2001. Since that year, the figure has fallen by 0.7%. Per year.
•
In World War II, about two-thirds of the victims were civilians, and by the end
of the 1980s, this number had risen to 90%.
•
Based on the above data, it is obvious that civilians in many countries around
the world have become victims of wars. Among them, the child is the victim of
silence. Millions of children grew up in war zones without family racial
conflicts. Orphans are not only forced to take care of themselves, but also
their young siblings (if any).
•
Therefore, this day highlights the plight of orphans and reminds us that we
must take care of every child.
Pravasi Bharatiya
Divas Convention Organized on 9 January.
The
PBD Convention is the flagship activity of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
provides an important platform for contact and contact with overseas Indians.
Although
the Covid pandemic is still ongoing, the 16th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
Convention is being organized on January 9, 2021. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD)
was celebrated on January 9th to commemorate the contribution of overseas
Indian communities to the development of India (NRI).
Highlights:
•
The PBD Convention is the flagship activity of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and provides an important platform for contact and contact with overseas
Indians.
•
Since 2003, the PBD Convention has been held every year. Since 2015, the format
been revised to celebrate PBD every two years.
•
The theme of Article 16 of the 2021 PBD Convention is: "Contribution to
Aatmanirbhar Bharat".
•
Since this day in 1915, Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest Pravasi, returned to India
from South Africa, leading India’s struggle for freedom and changing the lives
of Indians forever. Therefore, January 9th was set to celebrate this day. Days.
•
These conventions provide a platform for overseas Indian communities to
interact with their ancestral governments and local people to carry out
mutually beneficial activities.
•
These conventions are also very useful for connecting between overseas Indian
communities living around the world and enabling them to share their
experiences in various fields.
PMI Data Service Sector of India is at Slow Pace.
India's
PMI was published by Japanese company Nikkei, but was written and constructed
by IHS Markit, a global information provider based in London.
According
to the latest PMI data, India’s service industry activity grew at a slower rate
in December. The service industry PMI rose to 52.3 in December from 53.7 in
November.
Purchasing Managers Index:
•
The Purchasing Managers Index is an economic indicator that can indicate the
business activities and economic health of the manufacturing and service
industries.
•
India's PMI was published by Japanese company Nikkei, but was written and
constructed by IHS Markit, a global information provider based in London.
•
Unlike the Industrial Production Index (IIP), which denotes changes in input or
output.
•
PMI is an investor sentiment tracking index, and it is more dynamic in nature.
They come from a monthly survey of about 400 private companies.
•
The variables used to calculate PMI are: output, new orders, employment, input
costs, output prices, backlogs, export orders, purchase quantities, supplier
delivery time, purchase inventory, and finished goods inventory.
•
While Purchasing Managers Index >50 implies an expansion of business and
economic activity, Purchasing Managers Index <50 means contraction.
World Food Price
Index by FAO.
Food
and Agriculture Organization - FAO is one of the specialized agencies of the
United Nations (UN), leading international efforts to eradicate hunger
globally.
Food
Price Index of the Food & Agriculture Organization - FAO averaged 107.5
points in December 2020, which is an increase of 2.3 points from November 2020.
This is the 7th consecutive month of growth.
Highlights:
•
The food price index was established in 1996 as a public good.
•
The Price Index is a public good in order to help monitoring the development of
the global agricultural market.
•
The FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) is a measure of the monthly changes in the
international price of a basket of food.
•
It measures changes in a basket of grains, oilseeds, dairy products, meat, and
sugar.
•
The Base period is 2014-16.
Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO):
Food
and Agriculture Organization - FAO is one of the specialized agencies of the
United Nations (UN), leading international efforts to eradicate hunger
globally. On October 16, World Food Day is observed every year globally.
Celebrate this day to mark the tenth anniversary of the founding of FAO in
1945. India issued a commemorative rupee coin of 75 denominations to
commemorate the 75th anniversary of the founding of FAO (October 16, 2020). It
is one of the United Nations food aid organizations based in Rome (Italy). Its
sister institutions are the World Food Program and the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD).
India to become Fifth-Largest Economy in 2025: Centre for
Economics and Business Research (CEBR).
India,
which is world’s sixth-biggest economy in 2020, will again overtake the U.K. to
become the fifth-largest in 2025 and race to the third spot by 2030.
India Specific Findings:
•
As the manufacturer of the majority of the world’s vaccines, India is better
placed than many other developing countries to roll out the vaccines
successfully and efficiently.
•
Efforts to liberalise the agricultural sector can deliver economic benefits.
However, with the majority of the Indian workforce employed in the agricultural
sector, the reform process requires a delicate and gradual approach that balances
the need for longer-term efficiency gains with the need to support incomes in
the short-term.
•
The government’s stimulus spending in response to the COVID-19 crisis has been
significantly more restrained than most other large economies, although the
debt to GDP ratio did rise to 89% in 2020.
•
The outlook for the economy going forwards will be closely related to the
government’s approach to infrastructure spending.
•
It forecasts that the Indian economy will expand by 9.0% in 2021 and by 7.0% in
2022.
•
Annual GDP growth expected to sink to 5.8% in 2035.
•
India will become the world’s third largest economy by 2030, overtaking the UK
in 2025, Germany in 2027 and Japan in 2030.
Nanotechnology
Recently,
a team of scientists has created a nanomicelle that can be used for effective
drug
delivery
to treat various cancers including Breast, Colon and Lung Cancer.
Highlights:
•
Nanotechnology or nanotech is the technology that involves the manipulation of
matter on atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scales. This includes particles
of a scale of 1 to 100
Nanometers.
•
Nanomicelles are formed when amphiphilic molecules assemble themselves to
create a globular structure that is only around 5 to 100nm in diameter.
•
Different agents are used to create Nanomicelles, however, they are usually
made through surfactant molecules that may be non-ionic, ionic, and cationic
detergents. Some nanomicelles may also be developed from a mixture of lipids
and detergents.
•
They are amphiphilic have a hydrophilic outer shell and a hydrophobic interior.
This dual property makes them a perfect carrier for delivering drug molecules.
•
The hydrophilic shell makes the micelle water soluble that allows for
intravenous delivery while the Hydrophobic core carries a Payload of drug for
Therapy.
•
Once injected intravenously, these nanomicelles can easily escape the
circulation and enter the tumours where the blood vessels are found to be
leaky. These leaky blood vessels are absent in the healthy organs.
•
Nano Science and Technology Mission
(NSTM):
•
NSTM, launched in 2007, is an umbrella programme that aims to promote research
and development in nanotechnology. The objectives include the promotion of
research, infrastructure development to support the research, development of
nanotechnology, human resources, and international collaborations.
•
Nano Science and Technology Initiative
(NSTI):
•
It was set up by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in 2001 to
focus on issues related to infrastructure development, research and application
programmes related to nanomaterials including drugs, drug delivery, gene
targeting and DNA chips.
International Blue Flag Hoisted at 8 Beaches Across
the Country.
The
Environment Minister has virtually hoisted the international blue flags in 8
beaches across the Country.
Blue Flag Certification:
•
This Certification is accorded by an international agency “Foundation for
Environment Education, Denmark” based on 33 stringent criteria in four major
heads i.e.
✓ Environmental
Education and Information,
✓ Bathing Water Quality,
✓ Environment Management
and Conservation and
✓ Safety and Services on
the beaches.
•
It started in France in 1985 and has been implemented in Europe since 1987, and
in areas outside Europe since 2001 when South Africa joined.
•
Japan and South Korea are the only countries in South and south-eastern Asia to
have Blue Flag beaches.
•
Spain tops the list with 566 such beaches; Greece and France follow with 515
and 395, respectively.
Which are the 8 Beaches?
•
The beaches where the International Blue Flags were hoisted are:
✓ Kappad (Kerala)
✓ Shivrajpur (Gujarat)
✓ Ghoghla (Diu)
✓ Kasarkod and
✓ Padubidri (Karnataka)
✓ Rushikonda (Andhra
Pradesh)
✓ Golden (Odisha) and
✓ Radhanagar (Andaman
& Nicobar Islands).
Iceberg A68a
Recently,
Iceberg A68a has been floating off the Coast of South Georgia Island. This has
prompted fears about the impact the iceberg could have on the island’s abundant
wildlife.
Highlights:
•
An iceberg is ice that broke off from glaciers or shelf ice and is floating in
open water.
•
Icebergs travel with ocean currents and either get caught up in shallow waters
or ground themselves.
•
The US National Ice Center (USNIC) is the only organisation that names and
tracks Antarctic Icebergs.
•
Icebergs are named according to the Antarctic quadrant in which they are
spotted.
•
Shaped like a closed hand with a pointing finger, the iceberg known as A68a
split off in 2017 from Larsen Ice Shelf on the West Antarctic Peninsula, which
has warmed faster than any other part of Earth's southernmost continent.
•
On its journey, smaller icebergs have calved from the iceberg and the biggest
section of the iceberg is called A68a and spans an area of roughly 2,600 sq.
km.
Recently,
the two icebergs that calved from A68a - have been named by the USNIC. They are
called A68e and A68f.
•
All the berg fragments are entrained in a fast-moving stream of water known as
the Southern Antarctic Circumpolar Current Front.
•
The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is the most important current in the
Southern Ocean, and the only current that flows completely around the globe.
•
The ACC, as it encircles the Antarctic continent, flows eastward through the
southern portions of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.
•
It has been drifting towards the remote island of South Georgia, which is a
British Overseas Territory (BOT).
•
The fear is that if the iceberg grounds itself near the island, it could cause
disruption to the local wildlife that forages in the ocean. Penguins and seals will
have to travel farther in search of food.
•
On the other hand, there are some positives of an iceberg being stuck in the
open ocean, since icebergs carry dust which fertilises ocean plankton, which
draws up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
•
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) will launch a research mission to study
A68a’s impact on the ecosystem.
•
BAS is a component of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). NERC is
part of UK Research and Innovation.
•
It delivers and enables world-leading interdisciplinary research in the Polar
Regions.
•
Calving of Glaciers: Calving is the glaciological term for the mechanical loss
(or simply, breaking off) of ice from a glacier margin.
•
Calving is most common when a glacier flows into water (i.e. lakes or the
ocean) but can also occur on dry land, where it is known as dry calving.
•
Before calving occurs, smaller cracks and fractures in glacier ice grow into
larger crevasses.
•
The growth of crevasses effectively divides the ice into blocks that
subsequently fall from the snout into an adjacent lake (where they are known as
icebergs).
•
Glacier Snout is the lowest end of a glacier, also called glacier terminus or
toe.
•
Impact on Glacier Mass Balance:
•
In lake-terminating (or freshwater) glaciers, calving is often a very efficient
process of ablation and is therefore an important control on Glacier Mass
Balance.
1). World War Orphans Day is Observed on 6th January.
Every
January 6th, World War Orphans Day is celebrated to raise people's awareness of
the plight of war orphans and to resolve the painful conditions they face.
Highlights:
•
According to UNICEF, children under 18 who have lost one or two parents due to
any cause of death are considered orphans.
•
According to UNICEF data, there were approximately 140 million orphans
worldwide in 2015, including 10 million in Latin America and the Caribbean, 61
million in Asia, 7.3 million in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and 52 million
in Africa.
•
This day highlights the lives of children affected by the results of the war
and aims to improve their future.
•
According to UNICEF data, in the wars of the 18th, 19th and early 20th
centuries, nearly 50% victims were civilians, and this number gradually
increased in 2001. Since that year, the figure has fallen by 0.7%. Per year.
•
In World War II, about two-thirds of the victims were civilians, and by the end
of the 1980s, this number had risen to 90%.
•
Based on the above data, it is obvious that civilians in many countries around
the world have become victims of wars. Among them, the child is the victim of
silence. Millions of children grew up in war zones without family racial
conflicts. Orphans are not only forced to take care of themselves, but also
their young siblings (if any).
•
Therefore, this day highlights the plight of orphans and reminds us that we
must take care of every child.
2).
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention Organized on 9 January.
The
PBD Convention is the flagship activity of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
provides an important platform for contact and contact with overseas Indians.
Although
the Covid pandemic is still ongoing, the 16th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
Convention is being organized on January 9, 2021. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD)
was celebrated on January 9th to commemorate the contribution of overseas
Indian communities to the development of India (NRI).
Highlights:
•
The PBD Convention is the flagship activity of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and provides an important platform for contact and contact with overseas
Indians.
•
Since 2003, the PBD Convention has been held every year. Since 2015, the format
been revised to celebrate PBD every two years.
• The theme of Article 16 of the 2021 PBD Convention is:
"Contribution to Aatmanirbhar Bharat".
•
Since this day in 1915, Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest Pravasi, returned to India
from South Africa, leading India’s struggle for freedom and changing the lives
of Indians forever. Therefore, January 9th was set to celebrate this day. Days.
•
These conventions provide a platform for overseas Indian communities to
interact with their ancestral governments and local people to carry out
mutually beneficial activities.
•
These conventions are also very useful for connecting between overseas Indian
communities living around the world and enabling them to share their
experiences in various fields.
3).
PMI Data Service Sector of India is at Slow Pace.
India's
PMI was published by Japanese company Nikkei, but was written and constructed
by IHS Markit, a global information provider based in London.
According
to the latest PMI data, India’s service industry activity grew at a slower rate
in December. The service industry PMI rose to 52.3 in December from 53.7 in
November.
Purchasing
Managers Index:
•
The Purchasing Managers Index is an economic indicator that can indicate the
business activities and economic health of the manufacturing and service
industries.
•
India's PMI was published by Japanese company Nikkei, but was written and
constructed by IHS Markit, a global information provider based in London.
•
Unlike the Industrial Production Index (IIP), which denotes changes in input or
output.
•
PMI is an investor sentiment tracking index, and it is more dynamic in nature.
They come from a monthly survey of about 400 private companies.
•
The variables used to calculate PMI are: output, new orders, employment, input
costs, output prices, backlogs, export orders, purchase quantities, supplier
delivery time, purchase inventory, and finished goods inventory.
•
While Purchasing Managers Index >50 implies an expansion of business and
economic activity, Purchasing Managers Index <50 means contraction.
4).
World Food Price Index by FAO.
Food
and Agriculture Organization - FAO is one of the specialized agencies of the
United Nations (UN), leading international efforts to eradicate hunger
globally.
Food
Price Index of the Food & Agriculture Organization - FAO averaged 107.5
points in December 2020, which is an increase of 2.3 points from November 2020.
This is the 7th consecutive month of growth.
Highlights:
• The food price index was established in 1996 as a public
good.
•
The Price Index is a public good in order to help monitoring the development of
the global agricultural market.
•
The FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) is a measure of the monthly changes in the
international price of a basket of food.
•
It measures changes in a basket of grains, oilseeds, dairy products, meat, and
sugar.
•
The Base period is 2014-16.
Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO):
Food
and Agriculture Organization - FAO is one of the specialized agencies of the
United Nations (UN), leading international efforts to eradicate hunger
globally. On October 16, World Food Day is observed every year globally.
Celebrate this day to mark the tenth anniversary of the founding of FAO in
1945. India issued a commemorative rupee coin of 75 denominations to
commemorate the 75th anniversary of the founding of FAO (October 16, 2020). It
is one of the United Nations food aid organizations based in Rome (Italy). Its
sister institutions are the World Food Program and the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD).
5).
India to become Fifth-Largest Economy in 2025: Centre for Economics
and
Business Research (CEBR).
India,
which is world’s sixth-biggest economy in 2020, will again overtake the U.K. to
become the fifth-largest in 2025 and race to the third spot by 2030.
India
Specific Findings:
•
As the manufacturer of the majority of the world’s vaccines, India is better
placed than many other developing countries to roll out the vaccines
successfully and efficiently.
•
Efforts to liberalise the agricultural sector can deliver economic benefits.
However, with the majority of the Indian workforce employed in the agricultural
sector, the reform process requires a delicate and gradual approach that
balances the need for longer-term
efficiency
gains with the need to support incomes in the short-term.
•
The government’s stimulus spending in response to the COVID-19 crisis has been
significantly more restrained than most other large economies, although the
debt to GDP ratio did rise to 89% in 2020.
•
The outlook for the economy going forwards will be closely related to the
government’s approach to infrastructure spending.
•
It forecasts that the Indian economy will expand by 9.0% in 2021 and by 7.0% in
2022.
•
Annual GDP growth expected to sink to 5.8% in 2035.
• India will become the world’s third largest economy by
2030, overtaking the UK in 2025, Germany in 2027 and Japan in 2030.
6).
Nanotechnology
.
Recently,
a team of scientists has created a nanomicelle that can be used for effective
drug
delivery
to treat various cancers including Breast, Colon and Lung Cancer.
Highlights:
•
Nanotechnology or nanotech is the technology that involves the manipulation of
matter on
atomic,
molecular, and supramolecular scales. This includes particles of a scale of 1
to 100
Nanometers.
•
Nanomicelles are formed when amphiphilic molecules assemble themselves to
create a
globular
structure that is only around 5 to 100nm in diameter.
•
Different agents are used to create Nanomicelles, however, they are usually
made through
surfactant
molecules that may be non-ionic, ionic, and cationic detergents. Some
nanomicelles may also be developed from a mixture of lipids and detergents.
•
They are amphiphilic have a hydrophilic outer shell and a hydrophobic interior.
This dual
property
makes them a perfect carrier for delivering drug molecules.
•
The hydrophilic shell makes the micelle water soluble that allows for
intravenous delivery while the Hydrophobic core carries a Payload of drug for
Therapy.
•
Once injected intravenously, these nanomicelles can easily escape the
circulation and enter the tumours where the blood vessels are found to be
leaky. These leaky blood vessels are absent in the healthy organs.
•
Nano Science and Technology Mission (NSTM):
•
NSTM, launched in 2007, is an umbrella programme that aims to promote research
and development in nanotechnology. The objectives include the promotion of
research, infrastructure development to support the research, development of
nanotechnology,
human
resources, and international collaborations.
•
Nano Science and Technology Initiative (NSTI):
•
It was set up by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in 2001 to
focus on issues related to infrastructure development, research and application
programmes related
to
nanomaterials including drugs, drug delivery, gene targeting and DNA chips.
7). International Blue Flag Hoisted at 8 Beaches Across
the Country.
The
Environment Minister has virtually hoisted the international blue flags in 8
beaches across the Country.
Blue
Flag Certification:
•
This Certification is accorded by an international agency “Foundation for
Environment Education, Denmark” based on 33 stringent criteria in four major
heads i.e.
✓ Environmental Education and
Information,
✓ Bathing Water Quality,
✓ Environment Management and
Conservation and
✓ Safety and Services on the
beaches.
•
It started in France in 1985 and has been implemented in Europe since 1987, and
in areas outside Europe since 2001 when South Africa joined.
•
Japan and South Korea are the only countries in South and south-eastern Asia to
have Blue Flag beaches.
•
Spain tops the list with 566 such beaches; Greece and France follow with 515
and 395, respectively.
Which
are the 8 Beaches?
•
The beaches where the International Blue Flags were hoisted are:
✓ Kappad (Kerala)
✓ Shivrajpur (Gujarat)
✓ Ghoghla (Diu)
✓ Kasarkod and
✓ Padubidri (Karnataka)
✓ Rushikonda (Andhra Pradesh)
✓ Golden (Odisha) and
✓ Radhanagar (Andaman &
Nicobar Islands).
8).
Iceberg A68a
Recently, Iceberg A68a has been floating off the Coast of
South Georgia Island. This has prompted fears about the impact the iceberg
could have on the island’s abundant wildlife.
Highlights:
•
An iceberg is ice that broke off from glaciers or shelf ice and is floating in
open water.
•
Icebergs travel with ocean currents and either get caught up in shallow waters
or ground themselves.
•
The US National Ice Center (USNIC) is the only organisation that names and
tracks Antarctic Icebergs.
•
Icebergs are named according to the Antarctic quadrant in which they are
spotted.
•
Shaped like a closed hand with a pointing finger, the iceberg known as A68a
split off in 2017 from Larsen Ice Shelf on the West Antarctic Peninsula, which
has warmed faster than
any
other part of Earth's southernmost continent.
•
On its journey, smaller icebergs have calved from the iceberg and the biggest
section of the iceberg is called A68a and spans an area of roughly 2,600 sq.
km.
Recently,
the two icebergs that calved from A68a - have been named by the USNIC. They are
called A68e and A68f.
•
All the berg fragments are entrained in a fast-moving stream of water known as
the Southern Antarctic Circumpolar Current Front.
•
The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is the most important current in the
Southern Ocean, and the only current that flows completely around the globe.
•
The ACC, as it encircles the Antarctic continent, flows eastward through the
southern portions of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.
•
It has been drifting towards the remote island of South Georgia, which is a
British Overseas Territory (BOT).
•
The fear is that if the iceberg grounds itself near the island, it could cause
disruption to the local wildlife that forages in the ocean. Penguins and seals
will have to travel farther in
search
of food.
•
On the other hand, there are some positives of an iceberg being stuck in the
open ocean, since icebergs carry dust which fertilises ocean plankton, which
draws up carbon dioxide
from
the atmosphere.
•
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) will launch a research mission to study
A68a’s impact on the ecosystem.
•
BAS is a component of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). NERC is
part of UK Research and Innovation.
•
It delivers and enables world-leading interdisciplinary research in the Polar
Regions.
• Calving of Glaciers: Calving is the glaciological term
for the mechanical loss (or simply, breaking off) of ice from a glacier margin.
•
Calving is most common when a glacier flows into water (i.e. lakes or the
ocean) but can also occur on dry land, where it is known as dry calving.
•
Before calving occurs, smaller cracks and fractures in glacier ice grow into
larger crevasses.
•
The growth of crevasses effectively divides the ice into blocks that
subsequently fall from the snout into an adjacent lake (where they are known as
icebergs).
•
Glacier Snout is the lowest end of a glacier, also called glacier terminus or
toe.
•
Impact on Glacier Mass Balance:
•
In lake-terminating (or freshwater) glaciers, calving is often a very efficient
process of ablation and is therefore an important control on Glacier Mass
Balance.
•
It implies combined processes (such as sublimation, fusion or melting,
evaporation) which remove snow or ice from the surface of a glacier or from a
snow-field.
•
Glacier mass balance is simply the gain and loss of ice from the glacier
system.
• Global warming has increased the frequency of this
process.
•
It implies combined processes (such as sublimation, fusion or melting,
evaporation) which remove snow or ice from the surface of a glacier or from a
snow-field.
•
Glacier mass balance is simply the gain and loss of ice from the glacier
system.
•
Global warming has increased the frequency of this process.
