National unity day
Why in News
- National Unity Day is celebrated every year on 31 October. October 31 is the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of India.
Key point
- Every year this day is celebrated as National Unity Day.
- It is the 145th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who reached Kevadia in Gujarat, paid tribute to Sardar Patel on this occasion. Shah participated in the program organized at the Statue of Unity on the occasion of National Unity Day.
- Actually, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played an important role in integrating 560 princely states into the Union of India. National Unity Day is celebrated to acknowledge the efforts made by Sardar Patel to unite the nation.
- His efforts towards national integration have led to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel being referred to as the ‘Iron Man of India’. Programs are organized every year on 31 October to honor the contribution of Vallabhbhai Patel. In the year 2014, the Central Government had decided to celebrate Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary on 31 October as National Unity Day.
Statue of Unity
- The Statue of Unity was unveiled in the year 2018. This statue of Sardar Patel is 182 meters high and it is the tallest statue in the world. The statue depicting the late freedom fighter Vallabhbhai Patel has been designed by prominent Indian sculptor Ram V Sutar. The Statue of Unity has been established on the river Narmada in front of Sardar Sarovar Dam in Kevadia district of Gujarat.
About Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was the first Deputy Prime Minister of India. He was instrumental in persuading more than 500 princely states to join the independent Indian Union.
- Patel was also known as the ‘Iron Man’, as he was successful in integrating all the princely states into the newly independent India despite many obstacles. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is considered one of the founders of the Republic of India.
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had also supported Mahatma Gandhi’s non-cooperation movement and Khadi movement and opted to wear only Khadi clothes.
- He was appointed as the 49th President of the Indian National Congress in 1934. He also played a major role in promoting the Quit India Movement. He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna.
World Health Organization
Why in News
- The World Health Organization (WHO) recently announced that Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, one of the most prominent figures during the COVID-19 pandemic, is the only candidate to head the World Health Organization.
Key point
- In his application, the former Ethiopian Minister of Health and Foreign Affairs has stated that COVID-19 has “devastated the world” and that in his second term, he wants to ensure that there is another such Let our earth be “really prepared” to deal with the crisis.
- The five-year mandate of Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, elected to the WHO leadership in 2017, is set to expire in the coming August.
Regarding unopposed nomination
- The WHO said in a statement that, “by the deadline of September 23, 2021, only one candidate name was proposed by member states: Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.”
- The UN health agency also said that Tedros was nominated by 28 countries.
- Seventeen EU members have extended their support to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus for a second term, including Austria, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
- Germany and Spain’s nominations state that the strengthening of the WHO in the wake of the COVID pandemic “must continue with full and undivided commitment”, adding that the organization still needs “strong, pragmatic and visionary leadership”. “
- A WHO statement revealed that, outside the European Union, Bahrain, Barbados, Botswana, Cook Islands, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Oman, Rwanda, Tonga and Trinidad and Tobago also proposed Tedros’ name Is.
- Indonesia has said that the world is still reeling from the pandemic “and the WHO still needs a sustained leadership”.
- Kenya, Oman and Rwanda have stated that it is their deep belief that Tedros is “an ideal representative to remain in this role”.
Why in News
- The G20 Summit held in Rome, Italy has ended.
Key point
- The next G20 summit will be held in Indonesia next year in 2022. After this, India will host it in the year 2023 and then in the year 2024, the G20 summit will be in the hands of Brazil.
- The G20 summit in India will be held at Pragati Maidan in Delhi. For this Pragati Maidan is being developed afresh.
- This will be the first time that India will host the G20 summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been representing India in the G20 since 2014.
- On 31 October 2021, the last day of the summit of the G20, the world’s largest group of countries, the leaders said that the G20 countries, including India, are committed to dealing with the immediate threat of climate change.
- The G20 leaders said they would reduce the impact of climate change, climate adaptation and increase funding.
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Net Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions: At A Glance
- At the summit, the G20 countries reiterated the old promise of rich countries to raise $100 billion annually to help poor countries combat climate change, and pledged to increase finance to help them adapt to climate change. The convention recognizes the relevance of ‘net zero greenhouse gas emissions’ or ‘carbon neutrality’ to nearly the middle of the century.
- Leaders of the world’s largest economies in the G20 agreed to take “meaningful and effective” steps to control global warming to 1.5°C amid rising carbon emissions threats.
- Italy, the host of the G20 summit, wanted to see concrete targets set for it to reduce carbon emissions and help poor countries protect themselves from the effects of rising temperatures.
- But no definite time frame has been given for this.
India’s side
- G20 leaders including Prime Minister Modi have agreed that the World Health Organization (WHO) will be strengthened to expedite the process for emergency use approval of corona vaccines.
- Prime Minister Modi told the whole world that next year our target is to make 500 crore vaccines. India has given affordable vaccines to the world, which can be used by low-income countries as well.
- After attending the G-20 summit, Prime Minister Modi has gone to Glasgow to attend the United Nations Climate Summit.
Vaccination is the only way to deal with the epidemic
- In the conference, the vaccine against the epidemic was described as the most important and it was said that vaccination is the only way to deal with this global epidemic.
- In the conference, the G-20 countries agreed to strive to achieve the global targets of immunization of at least 40 percent of the population by the end of 2021 and 70 percent of the population by the middle of 2022.
G20 countries
- The G20 includes Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union. Huh. India has been a member of the G20 since its inception in 1999.
- The ‘Sherpa’ is the representative of the leaders of the member countries of the G-20. It coordinates the agenda of the summit.
- Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said that it has been decided that WHO’s recognition of anti-corona vaccines deemed safe and effective will be mutually accepted subject to national and privacy laws of the countries.
Why in News
- The first warship of Project 15B, Y12704 (Visakhapatnam) was handed over to the Indian Navy on 28 October 2021.
Key point
- Mazagon Docks Limited (MDL) is building guided missile destroyer warships under Project 15B. The contract for four ships of Project 15B was signed on 28 January 2011. These are known as Visakhapatnam class ships. The project is a follow-up to the Kolkata category (Project 15A) initiated in the last decade.
- The ship has been designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house design body, Directorate of Naval Design and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai.
- These four ships have been named after the major cities of the four corners of the country, which are- Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal and Surat.
- The foundation of this Visakhapatnam class ship was laid in October 2013 and the ship was launched in April 2015.
- The ship is fitted with massive propulsion machinery, multiple platform equipment and major weapons and sensors, similar to the Kolkata class ships.
- The 163 meter long warship has a full load displacement of 7400 tonnes and a maximum speed of 30 knots.
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The total indigenous content of the project is about 75%. Apart from a large number of indigenous equipment in the ‘Float’ and ‘Move’ categories, the destroyer is equipped with major indigenous weapons which are as follows:-
- Medium Range Surface to Air Missiles (BEL, Bengaluru).
- BrahMos surface-to-surface missiles (BrahMos Aerospace, New Delhi).
- Indigenous Torpedo Tube Launcher (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai).
- Anti-Submarine Indigenous Rocket Launcher (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai).
- 76 mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (BHEL, Haridwar).
- The delivery of this Visakhapatnam class ship is an acknowledgment of the work being done by the Government of India and the Indian Navy towards creating a ‘Self-reliant India’ to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Indian Independence.
- The induction of the destroyer battleship despite the COVID challenges is a tribute to the collaborative efforts of a large number of stakeholders.
- It will enhance the country’s maritime power in the Indian Ocean region.
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