1) World First Aid Day 2020: 12 September
•The World First Aid Day is observed on the second Saturday of September every year to create awareness about the importance of first aid in preventing injuries and saving lives. The World First Aid Day 2020 is being observed on 12 September.
•The day was started by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in 2000 to educate people in the world of the benefits of first aid, need of first aid and the right way to do first aid.
2) International Day for South-South Cooperation: 12 September
•International Day for South-South Cooperation is observed globally on 12th September every year. The day celebrates the economic, social and political developments made in recent years by regions and countries in the south. It also highlights the UN’s efforts to work on technical cooperation among developing countries.
Background of International Day for South-South Cooperation:
•The history of the South-South cooperation begins in 1949 with the establishment of the UN technical aid programme by the Economic and Social Council and the creation of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1969. In the year 1978, the conference of the Global South on TCDC adopted the Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA) for promoting and implementing technical cooperation among developing countries. This was one of the main pillars for the South-South cooperation.
3) Meghalaya launched India’s largest “Piggery Mission”
•The state government of Meghalaya has launched India’s Biggest “Piggery Mission” with an outlay of Rs 209 Crores. It is being launched under the aegis of Meghalaya Livestock Enterprises Advancement Society (MLEADS) and funded by the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC). The main objective of the Piggery Mission is to reduce the annual import of Pork worth Rs 150 Crore and make Meghalaya self-sufficient (“Aatma Nirbhar”) in pork production over the next 3 years.
•Piggery Project aims to transform the piggery sector through Quality Enhancement, Skill Development, Value Addition & Input Cost Optimisation. Through the “Piggery Mission,” farmers in the state will be provided Interest-Free Loan. The State Government will pay the interest, to encourage farmers to avail the loan.
4) India ranked 105th position in Global Economic Freedom Index 2020
•India has been ranked 105th position “Global Economic Freedom Index 2020 Annual Report” by Canada’s Fraser Institute, which has been released in India in conjunction with Center for Civil Society, New Delhi-based think tank. This is the 24th edition of Economic Freedom of the World.
•The Rankings were based on 2018 data and many new restrictions on international trade, tightening of the credit market due to Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) and COVID-19’s impact on debt and deficits did not reflect in India’s score. The Report has been divided into 4 Quartiles based on the rankings.
5) UNICEF appoints Ayushmann Khurrana for children’s rights campaign
•United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has appointed Bollywood Actor Ayushmann Khurrana as its celebrity advocate for children’s rights campaign, ”For Every Child”. He will work towards this initiative in India. He will support UNICEF to end violence against children, especially in the present situation COVID-19 is increasing the risk of violence and abuse against children due to the extended lockdown and the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic.
6) Moody’s forecasts India’s GDP at -11.5% for FY21
•The rating agency, Moody’s has projected the GDP growth rate for India to contract 11.5 per cent in fiscal 2020-21 (FY21) due to the coronavirus pandemic. For 2021-22 (FY22), Moody’s projected the economy of India to grow at 10.6 per cent.
7) 13th Aero India-21 to be held in Bengaluru in Feb 2021
•The 13th edition of Aero India-21 is scheduled to be held at Air Force Station, Yelahanka, Bengaluru, Karnataka from 3 to 07 February 2021. Raksha Mantri, Shri Rajnath Singh has launched the website for Aero India 2021. Aero India is Asia’s largest air show and aviation exhibition held biennially in Bengaluru since 1996. The website can be accessed at aeroindia.gov.in.
