India’s Emission Intensity Reduced by 33% between 2005 and 2019
- According to a Government report titled ‘The Third National Communication to the United NationsFramework Convention on Climate Change’, India reduced its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) emission intensity by 33% between 2005 and 2019. This was 11 years ahead of the target.
- India’s average rate of emission reduction increased from 1.5% annually during 2014 – 2016 to 3% annually from 2016 – 2019. This is the fastest recorded rate of reduction so far across any country.
- India created an additional carbon sink of 1.97 Billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent during this period.
About United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Capital– Abu Dhabi
Currency– UAE Dirham
President– Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Mercom India Report: Rooftop Solar Installations Rise 34.7% to 431 MW in July-Sep 2023
According to ‘Q3 2023 Mercom India Rooftop Solar Report’ released by Mercom India Research, the rooftop solar installations in India registered a 34.7% year-on-year (YoY) jump to 431 MegaWatt (MW) in the third quarter (Q3- July-September) of calendar year (CY) 2023.With this India’s cumulative rooftop solar capacity reached 10.1 GigaWatts (GW) at the end of September 2023.
Key points:
- Gujarat retained its top position in rooftop solar installations, contributing 26.7% to the cumulative installations, followed by Maharashtra (13.5%) and Rajasthan (8.3%).As of September 2023, the top 10 states collectively accounted for ~77% of the cumulative rooftop solar installations
- Between Q3 2022 and Q3 2023, Kerala recorded the highest compounded growth of 15%, followed by Gujarat(7.3%) and Maharashtra (5.1%).
- Around 62% of the total tendered capacity during the quarter was for government buildings in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Kerala, and other states.
World’s First Portable Hospital ‘Aarogya Maitri Aid Cube’ Unveiled in Gurugram
- The world’s first portable hospital, the ‘Aarogya Maitri Aid Cube,‘ which can be set up within one hour of arriving at the emergency site to treat the injured, was unveiled in Gurugram, Haryana.
- It was designed indigenously under Project BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita and Maitri).
- The modular trauma management and aid system is made up of 72 detachable mini-cubes, each being a specialised station for emergency response and humanitarian efforts.
- It can be used to treat as many as 200 patients with a range of injuries, including bullet injuries, burns, head, spinal, and chest injuries, minor surgeries, fractures, and major bleeding
ADB provided USD 200mn loan for U’khand’s Climate-Resilient Power System Development Project
- On December 4, 2023, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 200 Million loan for Uttarakhand Climate Resilient Power System Development Project to improve the quality, efficiency, and reliability of power supply, and aiding the state in achieving 24×7 power to its residents andtransitioning to the use of clean energy.
- The Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific, financed by the Government of Japan through ADB, will also provide USD 2 million grant to support livelihood enhancement, training, and awareness-raising activities of this project.
- ADB has unveiled an initiative to address climate and disaster risks in the crucial Hindu Kush Himalaya region, a vital water source supporting over a billion people across Asia.
About Asian Development Bank (ADB):
President – Masatsugu Asakawa
Headquarters – Mandaluyong City, Manila, Philippines
Establishment– 1966
Members – 68
Kerala Startup Mission Inks MoU with Business Finland to Boost Start-Up Ecosystem
Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) and Business Finland have signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) to boost the startup ecosystems in India and Finland.A KSUM volunteer exchanged the MoU with Business Finland Senior Director Laura Lindeman, during the Slush 2023 held in Helsinki, Finland, from 30th November 2023 to 1st December 2023.
Key points:
- The MoU seeks to support and maintain regular contact for mutual exchange of information and knowledge related to the start-up ecosystems in both countries.
- Under the MoU, a collaboration platform – Kerala Finland Innovation Corridor will be established. This will function as a bridge to accomplish the various initiatives by both organisations
- There will be research co-operation, joint events, visits, communication and marketing by both sides
- The MoU will serve as a vital link fostering mutual innovation and market access within the ecosystems
About Finland:
President– Sauli Niinisto
Capital– Helsinki
Currency– Euro
Forbes Asia’s 2023 Heroes of Philanthropy List features 3 Indian: K.P. Singh, Nandan Nilekani, & Nikhil Kamath
The Forbes Asia’s 2023 Heroes of Philanthropy list, the 17th edition of the annual unranked list, features 3Indians: Kushal Pal Singh (K.P. Singh), Chairman Emeritus of DLF Limited; Nandan Nilekani, co-founder and Chairman of Infosys; and Nikhil Kamath, Co-founder and Chief Financial Officer, Zerodha.The list features a total of 15 philanthropists from the Asia-Pacific region.
About Forbes:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Mike Federle
Headquarters– Jersey City, New Jersey, the United States of America (USA)
Founded in– 1917
Educate Girls Founder Safeena Husain Honoured with WISE Prize for Education 2023
Safeena Husain, the founder and board member of Educate Girls, was awarded the WISE Prize for Education 2023 by the Qatar Foundation at the 11th edition of the World Innovation Summit for Education(WISE) Summit held on 28th -29th November 2023.Safeena Husain became the first Indian woman to receive the WISE Prize for Education, and she received the WISE Prize medal along with USD 500,000 prize money
WISE Prize for Education 2023:
Safeena Husain is recognized for her contribution to equality and access to education through her Educate Girls organisation, which empowers communities for girls’ education by partnering with the government to identify, enrol, and retain out-of-school girls across India.
About Safeena Husain:
i.Safeena Husain has been awarded the NITI Aayog Women Transforming India Award(2017), and the NDTV-L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth Award(2016).
ii.She also received the British Asian Trust’s Special Recognition Award for outstanding contribution to education
About Educate Girls:
- Educate Girls,an Indian Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), established in 2007, enrolled 1.4 million girls in schools and supported education for more than 18.6 million children through the government education system
- Educate Girls works with over 21,000 community-based gender champions in the most marginalised communities in India to break the cycle of inequality and exclusion
- Educate Girls initiated the world’s first Development Impact Bond (DIB) in education, an outcomesbased financing model that achieved extraordinary results in both learning and enrolmen
- Educate Girls has received the prestigious Skoll Award(2015) the USAID Millennium Alliance Award(2014), the Stars Impact Award(2014), and the India Development Marketplace Award in 2011 from the World Bank.Educate Girls was one of the winners of the WISE Award in 2014.
Renowned Cricketer Suresh Raina appointed as the Youth Voter Awareness Ambassador for Jammu & Kashmir
Election Commission of India (ECI) appointed Former (Retired) Indian cricketer Suresh Kumar Raina as the Youth Voter Awareness Ambassador for Union Territory (UT) Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), to create awareness among the youngsters to participate in the electoral process for higher voter turnout.Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of J&K, Pandurang K Pole presented a letter of his appointment on 1stDecember, 2023.
Key points:
- ECI released a notification that individuals who are 18 year or above can enroll in the electoral rolls by submitting “Form No.6” for new elector registration by December 9, 2023.
- It has also mandated a special summary revision of photo electoral rolls in all parliamentary and assembly constituencies in UT J&K with January1, 2024 as the qualifying date.
About Suresh Raina:
Suresh Raina, the former Indian cricketer from Uttar Pradesh is a Left-handed batsman. He was a part of 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup (50 overs) winning squad and 2013 International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy Triumph. He was also the first Indian to have scored a hundred in all three formats of the game (Tests, One Day International & Twenty 20 International).He played his Debut international match against Sri Lanka in 2005 (ODI).Also his final international match against England in 2018 (ODI)
About Election Commission of India (ECI):
Chief Election Commissioner of India – Rajiv Kumar
Established – 1950.
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2023- December 03
The United Nations (UN) International Day of Personswith Disabilities (IDPD) is annually observed across the globe on 3 December to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity, rights, and well-being of persons with disabilities.IDPD also seeks to increase awareness about the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic, and cultural life.The 2023 theme of IDPD is, “United in action to rescue and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for, with, and by persons with disabilities“.
Key points:
- In October 1992, as the UN Decade of Disabled Persons (1983–1992) drew to an end, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/47/3 and designated 3 December as an annual International Day of Disabled Persons
- The 1st observance of International Day of Disabled Persons was marked on 3 December 1992.In December 2007, the UN renamed the title International Day of Disabled Persons, observed every year on 3 December, as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) by the UNGA resolution A/RES/62/127
- The 1st observance of the new title International Day of Persons with Disabilities was on 3 December 2008.
International Day of Banks 2023 – December 4
The United Nations (UN)’s International Day of Banks is annually observed across the globe on December 4 to recognise the vital role of banking systems in the Member States in contributing to the improvement ofthe standard of living.4th December 2023 marks the observance of the 4th International Day of Banks.
Key points:
- In 2019, United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/74/245proclaimed December 4 of every year as International Day of Banks
- The first ever International Day of Banks was observed on 4th December 2020.
About the United Nations (UN):
Secretary-General- António GuterresHeadquarters- New York, United States ofAmerica (USA)
Establishment- 1945