March 2021 International Affairs

Sakshi Education

When is World Poetry Day observed?
World Poetry Day is celebrated on March 21 every year in the world.

During the UNESCO meeting held in Paris in 1999, it was decided to designate March 21 as "World Poetry Day".

One of the main goals of Poetry Day is to support linguistic diversity through poetry and provide opportunities for endangered languages to be heard in the community.

The day also encourages the oral tradition of poetry recitation and poetry teaching. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated March 21 as World Poetry Day for the first time at the 30th General Assembly held in Paris in 1999.
When is World Forestry Day observed?
The United Nations celebrated International Day of Forests on March 21. Since 2012, this day has been celebrated. The purpose of this day is to raise people's awareness and importance of forests. The day also focused on the importance of trees outside the forest. Likewise, celebrate this day to save the forest.

Theme for the year 2021: Forest restoration: a path to recovery and well-being

The idea of the International Day of Forests was put forward at the 23rd Congress of the European Agricultural Federation.

March 21 is chosen as the International Forest Day because it is the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere and the autumnal equinox in the southern hemisphere. When the earth enters its first spring, the vernal equinox will occur.

More than 13 million hectares of forest are lost every year. Large-scale deforestation causes 12% to 18% of world carbon emissions.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed 21st March as the World Forests Day. The United Nations Forum on Forests and the Food and Agriculture Organization are the main organizers of Forest Day.

Forest day is observed to raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests. The theme of each International Forest Day is selected by the Forest Partnership.
When is World Down Syndrome Day observed?
The world celebrates World Down Syndrome Day on March 21 every year. The General Assembly of the United Nations declared 2011 as the anniversary.

Down syndrome refers to the days when a person has an extra or partial copy of chromosome 21. The purpose of celebrating this day is to raise public awareness of Down syndrome.

Theme of the year 2021: We Decide.

In December 2011, the United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution A/RES/66/149, proclaiming March 21 as World Down Syndrome Day. March 21 is the world's first Down Syndrome Memorial Day. 2012. They believe that it is necessary to raise people's awareness of Down syndrome.

To commemorate this day, the General Assembly invited all member states, relevant organizations of the United Nations system and other international organizations, and civil society, including non-governmental organizations and the private sector, in an appropriate manner.

The World Down Syndrome Day was observed on the 21st day of the 3rd month because it was selected to indicate the uniqueness of the triploid (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome that causes Down Syndrome.

Down syndrome is also called trisomy 21. This is an inherited disease caused by abnormal cell divisions, resulting in extra complete or partial duplication of chromosome 21. It is just an additional genetic material that can cause some changes in people, including developmental abnormalities. Changes, physical characteristics.

The severity of Down syndrome varies from individual to individual, leading to lifelong intellectual disability and developmental delays. Down syndrome is the most common genetic disease that causes learning disabilities in children. It can also cause other medical abnormalities, such as heart and gastrointestinal diseases.
World Happiness Report 2021: Check India’s Rank
The United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network released the World Happiness Report 2021 on the day before the International Day of Happiness. This year, it will focus on the impact of Covid-19 and the performance of people around the world.

The theme for Happiness Day 2021: Happiness for All, Forever.
Finland has been voted the happiest country in the world for the fourth consecutive year. And other countries that walk behind Finland are Iceland, Denmark, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany and Norway.

Afghanistan (149) is the most unhappy country. Afghanistan is followed by the countries like Zimbabwe (148), Rwanda (147), Botswana (146) and Lesotho (145).

Neighbors in India: Pakistan – 105, Bangladesh - 101, China - 84.

India: Among the 149 countries evaluated, India ranks 139th. In 2020, India ranked 144th among 156 countries surveyed.

International Happiness Day is celebrated on March 20 each and every year that is to highlight the importance of happiness in people's daytime lives. The United Nations (UN) started celebrating the International Happiness Day in 2013, but passed a resolution in July 2012. The resolution was originally proposed by Bhutan. It emphasized the importance of national happiness to national income since the early 1970s and thus adopted Gross National Happiness (GNH) instead of Gross National Product (GNP).

Gross National Happiness: The term "Gross National Happiness" was first proposed in 1972 by Jigme SingyeWangchuck, the fourth king of Bhutan.

The concept implies that sustainable development should take a holistic approach to the concept of progress, with equal emphasis on the non-economic aspects of well-being.

The gross national product is the total value of all manufactured goods and services produced by citizens of a country in a given fiscal year, regardless of their location.

The World Happiness Report ranks 149 countries based on how well their citizens feel about themselves.
World Water Day is observed on 22nd March
Every year, March 22 is World Water Day. It focuses on the importance of fresh water.

World Water Day has been commemorated since 1993, and its purpose is to raise awareness of the 2.2 billion lives without safe water.

The theme of 2020 is "Water and Climate Change", which aims to explore the interrelationship between water and climate change.

The theme of 2021 World Water Day is Valuing Water. At the beginning of the decade, this was a timely reminder of the importance of water, which will define the success of our sustainable development goals, which are planned to be completed in 2030.

The main focus of Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6 by 2030 - access to water and sanitation for all.

In addition to this, the International Decade of Action for Sustainable Water Development (2018-2028) has also been observed. These observations prove that water and sanitation measures are the key to poverty reduction, economic growth and environmental sustainability.

Established in 2003, the United Nations Water is a United Nations inter-agency organization dedicated to solving water problems and publishes annual reports on selected themes of World Water Day. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland.
United States will stop the export of helium from 2021
The United States will stop the export of helium from 2021. Therefore, India’s industry will suffer significant losses due to India’s imports of helium

Helium is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, inert and rare gas.

Application: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in rockets and nuclear reactors.

Dutch physicist Kamerlingh Onnes liquefies helium by cooling it to -270 degrees Celsius.

The Rajmahal volcanic basin in the Indian state of Jharkhand is a warehouse of helium trapped for billions of years.

India is conducting extensive mapping of the Rajamahal Basin for future exploration and utilization of helium.
China bans Sours Taiwan's 'freedom pineapple' harvest
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Wu Zu Joseph launched the "Free Pineapple" campaign on Twitter to condemn China’s ban on the import of pineapples from Taiwan on political grounds. After the implementation of the ban, Taiwan's pineapple has also become a political symbol of the region.

Pineapple Freedom is a political and social response to China’s ban on pineapple imports from Taiwan. The Chinese government has banned the import of pineapples from Taiwan before the 2021 pineapple peak season is approaching.

However, experts, producers and the Taiwanese government have all denied this. The name of the sport was inspired by the "Freedom Fries" game called "Freedom pineapples".

After facing the ban, the Taiwan government has asked its citizens and other diplomatic allies to increase their consumption of "free pineapples." The government also promised to provide financial assistance to any farmers who suffered losses due to the ban.

President of Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen also launched a social media campaign called "Eat Taiwan's Pineapple Until It Blows." The campaign was launched to encourage its citizens to increase consumption of local pineapples. Taiwanese restaurants also add pineapple to their dishes.

Taiwanese farmers are beginning to worry about exporting non-pineapple products from China to other markets because they worry that their products may be banned in the next step.
Govt PSU ‘absolutely concerned’ in Chabahar undertaking, work halted by US sanctions
The US assuring India that its sanctions do not affect the Chabahar port project in Iran, the work on the railway line to be built by India is still stuck, even as IRCON, a PSU, recently said it is “fully involved” in the project.

IRCON’s brass is in regular touch with the Iran embassy in New Delhi and in the post-Donald Trump era expected traction in the project to pick up, but that has not happened yet.

IRCON are fully involved in the Chabahar project. Everything is finalised, including how much it will charge, how much to fund, etc.

The main problem was US sanctions. It expected things to get sorted out after the arrival of the (Joe) Biden administration. That has not happened yet.

IRCON’s job is to monitor part of the work funded by the Indian government. Without the funding, there is little it can do despite the MoU.

Iranian engineering majors Mapna and Farab have also joined hands with IRCON for projects, cementing the Railway PSU’s presence in Iran.

IRCON will build the superstructure of the 600-km line between Chabahar port and Zahedan with India’s assistance worth $1.6 billion.

The line establishes an alternative trade route from Iran to Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan, and is strategically important to India.

The Union Budget for 2021-22 has allocated Rs 100 crore for the development of Chabahar Port.
Ministry ties up with UN for Jal Jeevan Mission in U.P.
The United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS) has established a partnership with the Danish government to support India’s flagship project, Jal Jeevan’s mission in Uttar Pradesh.

Aim is to provide strategic technical support for Jal Jeevan Mission (Water Project).

UNOPS should focus on establishing a scalable delivery model in the 11 key water protection areas in Bundelkhand and Vindhya regions in the Uttar Pradesh region.

The aim of Jal Jeevan's mission: to provide every rural household with a fully functional household tap connection by 2024.

This is in line with the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goal 6.

UNOPS is a business unit of the United Nations

It is committed to implementing projects for the United Nations system, international financial institutions, governments and other partners around the world.

Headquarters: United Nations City Campus in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Founded in 1973, it is part of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

In 1995, it became an independent self-financing organization.
When is the World Tuberculosis Day observed?
March 24th is World Tuberculosis Day, which aims to raise public awareness of the devastating health, social and economic consequences of tuberculosis, and to step up efforts to curb the global tuberculosis epidemic.

March 24 was chosen to commemorate the anniversary of Dr Robert Koch's discovery of the cause of tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) in 1882.

Tuberculosis stays the deadliest infectious killer in the world. Every day, more than 4000 people die of tuberculosis, and nearly 30,000 people get sick from this preventable and curable disease.

The World Health Organization launched a joint initiative Find.Treat.All.#EndTB Work with the Global Fund and the Stop Tuberculosis Partnership.

The Indian government promised to eliminate the tuberculosis epidemic by 2025 and provide corresponding resources to rapidly reduce the incidence and mortality of tuberculosis in India.

Theme for the year 2021: The Clock is ticking
World's first ship tunnel to be built under Norwegian mountains
Norway has planned to construct Ship tunnel underneath the mountains in Stadhavet peninsula of Norway. The tunnel will be 37 meters high, 1,700 metres long and 26.5 metres wide. A total of $315 million would be spent in constructing ship tunnel. Tunnel will burrow through narrowest point of Stadhavet peninsula.

Conventional blasting will be employed to build tunnel. It will also use underground drilling rigs and pallet rigs. Tunnel was included in the National Transport Plan for the first time in 2013. Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications approved for preparations to start in March 2021.

The Ship Tunnel Project has been designed to help in navigation of ships through rough and treacherous Stadhavet Sea in north western Norway. Currently, ships have to wait for few days so that harsh weather conditions and rough tides conditions in Stadhavet Sea is improved before transiting the area.

This peninsula lies in Stad Municipality in north western part of Nordfjord district in Norway. It is considered as the dividing point between Norwegian Sea and the North Sea. It is a 500-metre-high mountain plateau comprising of a 645-metre-tall Tarvaldsegga peak. It plunges into sea in a 497-metre-tall cliff at Kjerringa.
Increasing tendency to politicise humanitarian situations is unfortunate
India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations has said the increasing tendency to politicise humanitarian situations is unfortunate.

According to him, there is an urgent need for the donor community to scale up assistance to conflict-affected countries.

India speaking at the UNSC open debate on 'Conflict and Food Security' said nations must resist linking developmental aid with progress in the political process as this will only enhance food insecurity in conflict situations.

Citing estimates from the World Food Programme (WFP), India said the number of people suffering from food insecurity is projected to more than double by the end of 2020 to 270 million people, with the COVID-19 pandemic making it worse.

The "Global Report on Food Crises 2020'' by WFP and 15 other humanitarian and development agencies notes that more than 77 million people are suffering from acute food insecurity in conflict-affected countries.

Pandemic has only served to make food insecurity more complex by forcing countries to impose restrictions on the movement of people, thereby depriving farms of hands to reap the harvest.

It has resulted in loss of farm-based employment, limiting access to food in the rural areas and eroding the ability of the State to cope with the socio-economic pressure of the pandemic.

Fragile States generally have weak capacities to design, implement and monitor policies and programmes related to food, thereby increasing their vulnerability while facing a conflict situation.

India is of the view that armed conflict and terrorism combined with extreme weather, crop pests, food price volatility, exclusion, and economic shocks can devastate any fragile state leading to food insecurity and increase the threat of famine.
COVID-19 disruptions caused 1.4 million unintended pregnancies
UN sexual and reproductive health agency in collaboration with Avenir Health, a global health organization published United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) report.

.An estimated 12 million women in 115 countries lost access to family planning services due to disruptions caused by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Supply chain problems, mobility restrictions and fear of seeking health services contributed to this massive disruption for millions of women.

The number of unintended pregnancies could be as high as 2.7 million at the higher end of projections, or as low as 500,000 at the lower end of projections.

These latest figures come as many countries, particularly high-income nations, show early signs of steeply declining birth rates. The impact of COVID-19 on access to health services has varied across countries and is ongoing.

The study was conducted in 115 low- and middle-income countries in January 2021. The projections showed that family planning services were largely disrupted in April and May of 2020.

An estimated 12 million women faced this disruption for a duration of 3.6 months on an average.

This number could be as high as 23 million on the higher end of projections, or as low as 4 million at the lower end of projections.

April 2020 estimates by the same partners had projected that 47 million women in 114 low- and middle-income countries would be unable to use modern contraceptives if the lockdowns or related disruptions continue for an average of 6 months. They had predicted it would result in seven million unintended pregnancies.

The unintended pregnancies have put a great strain on families, which were already struggling under pandemic-related financial burdens. They have also resulted in increased maternal morbidity and mortality, as well as rising numbers of unsafe abortions.

Fortunately, quick action has helped many health systems to maintain or restore essential health services, including contraceptives

Even amid rising costs and supply chain constraints, it was able to procure and deliver contraceptives and other reproductive health supplies, as well as personal protective equipment for health workers.

Creative efforts, such as using a ride-hailing app to deliver contraceptives, SMS outreach and targeting family planning counselling to quarantine centres, also helped maintain or restore services. The short message service (SMS) programme is part of a partnership between UNFPA, the World Food Programme (WFP).
When is the International River Action Day observed?> GK> Days
Celebrate International River Action Day on March 14th to raise awareness of the importance of rivers and climate change.

On this day, communities and individuals around the world work together to express their opposition to destructive water development projects, health and sustainable management of watersheds.

The day was earlier known as "International Dam Day" to commemorate rivers, water and life. In India, some projects to protect rivers or oppose the construction of dams have also been initiated. Narmada BachaoAndolan is one of them.

Participants of the First International Conference of Dam Influencers, held in Curitiba, Brazil in March 1997, passed the "International Day of Action on Dams and Rivers, Water and Life".

Representatives of 20 countries decided to designate the International Day of Action as the "Day of Action Against Large Dams" in Brazil on March 14.

The main purpose of facilitating this day is to make a concerted voice to oppose destructive water development projects, restore the health of the basin, and demand fair and sustainable management of our rivers. Theme 2021: Rights of Rivers.
When is the World Consumer Rights Day observed?> GK> Days
On March 15, 2020, World Consumer Rights Day was celebrated globally to protect the rights of consumers. The purpose of this day is to raise people's awareness of consumer needs and rights, and to ensure that they will not suffer from social injustice or market abuse that may undermine their rights.

Countries around the world commemorate World Consumer Rights Day by holding human rights conferences and discussing various ways to protect consumer rights.

World Consumer Rights Day was commemorated for the first time on March 15, 1983. Since then, this day of the year has been called World Consumer Rights Day.

The theme of World Consumer Rights Day (2019) is "Trusted Smart Products". This theme emphasizes consumer demand for IoT products such as smart phones and wearable devices. The theme of World Consumer Rights Day 2020 is "Sustainable Consumers".

Parliament passed the Consumer Protection Act 2019 in the month of August 2019 which replaces the 1986 Consumer Protection Act. India celebrates December 24th every year as National Consumer Day.

The inspiration for World Consumer Rights Day came from US President John F Kennedy. He sent a special message to the US Congress on March 15, 1962, in which he formally talked about consumer rights.

The consumer movement originally set this date in 1983 and at present uses this day every year to mobilize action on important issues and activities.

Theme for 2021 is: Tackle Plastic Pollution.
Taliban blow apart 2,000 years of Buddhist history
In March 2001, the Taliban began to blow up two huge Buddha statues in the Bamiyan Valley in Afghanistan. Now, 20 years later, the Bamiyan Buddhas have been brought back to life in the form of 3D projections in an event called “A Night With Buddha”.

Bamiyan Buddha is a model of the fusion of Gupta, Sassanian and Hellenistic artistic style.

It is said that the history of Bamiyan Buddha can be traced back to the 5th century AD. They used to be the tallest standing Buddha statues in the world.

They were called by locals Salsal and Shamama.

Salsal - The light shines on the entire universe; Shamama - The queen mother.

UNESCO included the remains on the 2003 World Heritage List

Efforts have been made to use the available debris to restore and rebuild the walls of the Buddha statue.
U.K. turns to Indo-Pacific in post-Brexit foreign policy
Britain wants to expand its influence among countries in the Indo-Pacific region to try to moderate China’s global dominance, a document laying out post-Brexit foreign and defence policy priorities said recently.

The document sets out a planned increase of Britain’s nuclear warhead stockpile by more than 40% to weigh against evolving global security threats, and underlines the importance of strong ties with the U.S. while naming Russia as the top regional threat.

Britain’s biggest foreign and defence policy review since the end of the Cold War sets out how Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to be at the forefront of a reinvigorated, rules-based international order based on cooperation and free trade.

Calling the Indo-Pacific “increasingly the geopolitical centre of the world”, the government highlighted a planned British aircraft carrier deployment to the region.

China and the U.K. both benefit from bilateral trade and investment, but China also presents the biggest state-based threat to the U.K.’s economic security.

Britain, the world’s sixth-largest economy, is dwarfed economically and militarily by China, but believes through soft power and strategic alliances it can help persuade Beijing to play by the rules of a new, more dynamic international system.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said U.K.’s attempts to influence Beijing had been marginal so far, saying it was better acting “in concert with clusters of like-minded countries to have the maximum and moderating impact on China.”
Quad Summit strengthens America’s hand before talks with China: U.S. official
The U.S. has sought to build strength before engaging China later this week and the Quad summit is an example of this.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan are scheduled to meet China’s Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Yang Jiechi and State Councilor Wang Yi soon.

Both U.S. officials have been extensively engaged with allies, primarily in Europe and the Indo-Pacific, since the administration kicked off on January 20.

Mr. Blinken is currently visiting Tokyo and Seoul along with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

AN US official said that the Quad [summit] last week was probably the most important very clear illustration in practical terms of exactly what we’re trying to achieve here, bringing together the four leaders in a virtual summit for the first time to actually do something together that we couldn’t do individually, particularly on the vaccine distribution deliverable that was big and affirmative for the region.

This isn’t just about something that is here to counter China. This is about something that’s actually about doing something that enhances our leverage, enhances the quality of life in the region in meaningful ways.

U.S. President Joe Biden hosted the first ever summit level meeting of the Quad grouping — the U.S., India, Australia and Japan.

The group announced a plan to produce and distribute up to 1 billion vaccines to overcome shortages in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

It was important for Beijing to hear directly from Mr. Blinken and Mr. Sullivan and that sometimes there is a “hope in Beijing that our public message is somehow different” from private message.

“And we think it’s really important that we dispel that idea very early, and that we’re very clear with delivering the same messages in private that you have heard from us in public,” they said.

The U.S. has said it will discuss a long list of concerns with China — these include human rights abuses, Chinese aggression in the neighbourhood, an erosion of democratic norms in Hong Kong and some of Beijing’s economic practices and policies.
When is the World Sparrow Day observed?
Every March 20th is regarded as "World Sparrow Day" to raise people's awareness of this bird. This day was first celebrated in 2010. The initiative was initiated by the "Forever Nature Association" in India.

In India, sparrows are spread all over the country, all the way to the valleys of Assam and the lower parts of Assam mountains. To the east in the Himalayas, this species was replaced by the Eurasian tree sparrow.

Scientific name-Passer domesticus

Conservation status-the least concerned issue in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Habitat and distribution - Sparrows can be found all over the world, except for Antarctica, China and Japan, on all continents. It is native to Eurasia and North Africa. It is the national bird of Bihar and Delhi.

As we all know, it is close to human settlements, so it is one of the most common birds in cities.

Some of the reasons for its population decline are as follows: The construction of our house is not friendly, Use chemical fertilizers in crops, noise pollution, Exhaust emissions from vehicles.
United States offers temporary legal residency to Venezuelans
The United States has announced to offer temporary legal residency to several hundred thousand Venezuelans who fled their country due to economic collapse.

The White House announced that the US will also review US sanctions intended to isolate the South American nation. Both measures mark a shift from U.S. policy toward Venezuela under President Donald Trump.

President Joe Biden’s administration announced it would grant temporary protected status to Venezuelans already in the United States, allowing an estimated three lakhs 20 thousand people to legally live and work in the country for 18 months.

Citizens of 10 countries, totaling about 400,000 people, are in the United States now with temporary protected status. The largest number come from El Salvador, Honduras and Haiti, many with U.S. citizen children and spouses.

China to launch Chinese version of e-health certificate for outbound Chinese travelers
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said that China will launch its version of electronic health certificate for international travellers. Chinese Foreign Ministry today elaborated that the Chinese version of health certificate will be rolled out for outbound Chinese travelers but It did not say anything on its availability for foreigners in China. The certificate will be available in two formats, digital and in paper, with the certificate-holder's NAT and IgG anti-body test results and vaccination status on record.

Wang Yi in Beijing said that China plans to explore the feasibility for mutual recognition of COVID-19 vaccine inoculation with different countries.

Chinese Foreign Ministry said that this will facilitate the issuance of visas, thus making cross-border travel much easier and contributing to the healthy, safe and orderly people-to-people exchanges.

The moves indicate that in coming times, China may relax some of its stringent travel restrictions for people who can prove they are either immune to the virus or not infected with it.

However, it may not be that simple. China has maintained strict border controls during the pandemic, shutting out people from severely affected countries and put travellers to mandatory quarantines.

Even though China allowed few categories of foreigners to enter its borders but international students including thousands of Indian students are still not allowed.

Reports suggest that there have been talks in favour of rolling out a ‘vaccine passport’ system that would ease some of the restrictions on those entering or traveling through China.

Experts believe that vaccine passport initiatives are ‘extremely complicated’ due to countries’ variable travel restrictions, data privacy issues and varied effectiveness of the vaccines to different variants of SARS CoV 2 virus. Different regions use different systems for recording and storing pandemic-related information.

Wang Yi also said that China opposes ‘Vaccine nationalism’. However, accepting each other’s vaccines might be a tricky issue for many countries especially when WHO has approved only few vaccines. WHO’s approval may create a pool of vaccines which may help establish a ‘vaccine passport’ regime but WHO is yet to approve enough number of vaccine candidates.

Wang Yi said China was willing to help the United Nations provide Covid-19 vaccines to peacekeeping forces and help the International Olympic Committee do the same for athletes.

China has controlled its domestic Covid-19 outbreak, but its vaccination program lags behind many Western countries.

China has so far approved four vaccines developed by domestic drugmakers for public use, including three inactivated-virus vaccines and one viral vector vaccine.
US DefenseSecy Lloyd Austin to visit India next week
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is likely to visit India next week, said an official on Sunday, as the two allies seek to deepen military ties to counter the growing power of China in the Asia-Pacific region.

The first person visit by a top official of the new US President Joe Biden's administration will focus on enhancing cooperation, said the source, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Austin plans to meet Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during his visit some time in the week of March 15, the official added.

In January, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his counterpart Austin emphasised Washington's commitment to the Major Defense Partnership with New Delhi. The two leaders also held talks over the two countries' vision of an open and free Indo-Pacific region.
France conducts first military exercises in space
France has launched its first military exercises in space in order to test its ability to defend its satellites as well as other defence equipment from attack amid the growing competition between the world powers in Earth’s orbit.

The Head of France’s newly created Space Command Michel Friedling called the space exercises a stress test of the systems and mentioned that the exercises were a first for the French army as well as entire Europe.

The exercise, which has been codenamed ‘AsterX’ in the memory of the first French satellite from the year 1965, will be based on 18 simulated events in an operations room.

Objective of a military exercise in space:

At the time of the exercise, the French military will be monitoring a dangerous space object as well as a threat to its own satellite from any other foreign power with a considerable space force. According to Friedling, a series of events appear and create threats or crisis situations against the space infrastructure but only this.

Key Highlights:
The German Space and US Space Force agencies have also been taking part in the French exercises. They began on March 8 and will run till March 12, 2021.

The Space Command of France was announced in 2019 and aims to have 500 personnel by the year 2025.

Investment by France in the space program is set to reach 4.3 billion euros over the budget period of 2019-2025. It is just a fraction of the amount spent by China or the United States.
When is the World Kidney Day 2021 observed?> GK> Days
Every year, World Kidney Day is marked on the second Thursday of March. This year, the day is being observed on March 11 worldwide. In India, annually about two lakh people get kidney diseases and it's difficult to diagnose it in its initial stage.

The objective of celebrating the event is to spread awareness about the increasing number of people contracting kidney diseases across the world. The day highlights the need for the strategies for prevention and management of kidney disease. It also encourages people to opt for regular screening and make changes for a healthy lifestyle.

History
The first time World Kidney Day was celebrated was in the year 2006. The aim is to raise awareness among people of kidney-related problems and treatment and the impact of kidney on our overall health. The number of kidney disease patients and following deaths have been increasing in our country. World Kidney Day is a global health campaign that brings focus to the importance of fighting kidney disease.

Theme
The theme of World Kidney Day 2021 is “Living Well with Kidney Disease”. World Kidney Day helps to reduce the impact of kidney disease and related health problems. Early symptoms of kidney disease include loss of appetite, fatigue and frequent vomiting, decreased urination, sleepiness, itching, and muscle strain. Some of the causes are consumption of alcohol, lack of water, overeating meat, high salt, excessive smoking, excessive use of analgesics, and less urination.

Significance
Kidneys are our body’s vital organs which filter the blood and help in passing waste as urine. The celebration of World Kidney Day was first started by the joint committee of International Society of Nephrology and International Federation of Kidney Foundations. Every year, health organisations celebrate the day to help people prevent kidney disease and also inform them to take precautions for a healthy life. They organise campaigns to spread messages about kidney diseases, their prevention and cure.
US President Joe Biden sets goal of July 4th to mark Independence from Covid-19
US President Joe Biden has said he is hopeful that America can mark independence from Covid-19 on July 4th if people get vaccinated. In his first televised prime-time address as president, Mr. Biden said he would order states to make all adults eligible for vaccinations by May Current measures prioritise people by age or health condition.

Mr. Biden was speaking exactly a year to the day after the outbreak was classified a global pandemic. Last year many Americans were forced to forgo the elaborate parades, fireworks displays and parties that feature in the national holiday on July 4th, which marks independence from Britain.

In his speech, President Biden said he did not expect large events to be able to go ahead, but he hoped small groups could meet again. The US has by far the highest death toll in the world from the virus, but death and infection rates have been declining in recent weeks as the vaccine programme picks up.

President Biden said the number of places where people could be immunised would be increased, with veterinarians and dentists among those also allowed to vaccinate people.
When is the World NGO Day observed?
World Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Day celebrated on February 27 to raise people’s awareness of the NGO sector and encourage people around the world to participate and dedicate themselves to a better cause.

NGOs are called non-governmental organizations or non-profit organizations, and they face several challenges in today's society. NGOs play an important role in various sectors such as education, culture, science or development. The purpose of today is to motivate and encourage people to participate in NGOs to improve society.

In 2010, the member states of the Board of Directors of the Ninth Baltic NGO Forum of the Baltic States of Lithuania formally recognized the World NGO Day. The member states of the Forum are Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Norway and Sweden.

On February 27, 2014, the first World NGO Day was held in Helsinki, the capital of Finland. And the event was hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland. Hundreds of international leaders from non-governmental organizations, the United Nations, UNESCO and the European Union gathered at the event in Helsinki.

NGO day makes an opportunity to raise the flag for NGOs. It just recognizes the way NGOs change the world in our lives.

The International Secretariat of World Non-Governmental Organization Day announced Mr. Zafar Iqbal as the honorary goodwill ambassador of Pakistan for "World Non-Governmental Organization Day" He is the founder of "NGO World". In Pakistan in 2014, he took this opportunity to celebrate this day for the first time.

Since then, every February 27th, various events have been organized with the purpose of providing a platform for Pakistan’s social/non-governmental organization departments to exchange their experiences, copy their achievements and establish contacts to achieve more Big benefits.

World Non-Governmental Organization Day plays an important role and is appreciated globally. It provides an opportunity to commemorate and pay tribute to the founders, employees, volunteers, members, and supporters of NGOs.

There are several ways to celebrate this day. People are engaged in community work initiated by non-governmental organizations in the city.
Swiss neutrality in world affairs again attractive
Switzerland’s Ambassador said that its traditional foreign Policy of Neutrality (Swiss Neutrality) has become attractive again because of the changing political reality in the world.

Policy of Neutrality is a foreign policy position wherein a state intends to remain neutral in future wars. A sovereign state that reserves the right to become belligerent if attacked by a party to the war is in a condition of armed neutrality.

A permanently neutral power is a sovereign state which is bound by international treaty, or by its own declaration, to be neutral towards the belligerents of all future wars. An example of a permanently neutral power is Switzerland. Other being Ireland, Austria, etc.

The concept of neutrality in war is narrowly defined and puts specific constraints on the neutral party in return for the internationally recognized right to remain neutral.

International Day of Neutrality is a United Nations recognized day held on 12th December each year to raise public awareness of the value of neutrality in international relations.

National policies of neutrality are aimed at promoting the use of preventive diplomacy, which is a core function of the United Nations.

The term "Preventive diplomacy" refers to diplomatic action taken to prevent disputes from escalating into conflicts and to limit the spread of conflicts when they occur.

India’s policy of Non-alignment and Switzerland’s traditional policy of neutrality have led to a close understanding between the two countries.

In 1948, a Treaty of Friendship was concluded between both the countries. Both believe in the spirit of democracy and pluralism.
When is the World Defence Day observed?
World Defense Day is designated on March 1, 2021. This day aims to raise awareness of public protection from natural and technological disasters and rescue services. World Civil Defense Day was established in 1990 by the International Civil Defense Organization (ICDO) Congress. It commemorates the day when the 1972 ICDO Constitution entered into force as an intergovernmental organization.

ICDO was founded in Paris in 1931 by the French surgeon George Saint-Paul. It was recognized by the French Parliament in June 1935, and in 1972 received the status of an intergovernmental organization.

ICDO’s Constitution has two purposes. It aims to arouse public attention to the vital importance of citizen protection worldwide, to raise people’s awareness of self-protection preparations and preventive measures that should be taken in the event of an accident or disaster, and I would like to extend my high regards.

The efforts and sacrifices of national institutions in charge of disaster relief.
New EU ‘right to repair’ laws require technology to last for a decade
Companies that sell refrigerators, washing machines, hair dryers or TVs in the European Union (EU) will need to ensure that the repair period for these devices is up to 10 years.

The Right to Repair electronic products refers to government legislation designed to enable consumers to repair and modify their own consumer electronic devices. Otherwise, manufacturers of such devices require consumers to use only the services they provide.

The concept of Right to Repair originated in the United States, when the United States’ Motor Vehicle Owners Right to Repair Act of 2012 required manufacturers to provide necessary documents and information, allow anyone to repair their vehicles.

According to the new EU regulations, manufacturers will have to ensure that parts can be used for up to ten years, although some parts will only be provided to professional repair companies to ensure proper installation.

The new equipment must also be accompanied by a repair manual and be manufactured in such a way that when it is really impossible to repair it, it can be dismantled with conventional tools to increase the recycling rate.
When is the World Wildlife Day observed?
Since 2013, World Wildlife Day has been celebrated every March 3rd. The selected date coincides with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) signed in 1973.

The UN General Assembly resolution also designated the secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora as the facilitator of the global commemoration of this special Wild Fauna and Flora Day on the United Nations calendar.

The theme 2021: "Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet", This highlights the central role of forests, forest species and ecosystem services in sustaining the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people around the world, especially indigenous and local communities that are historically connected to forests and adjacent forest areas.

This theme is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 1, 12, 13, and 15, and their broad commitments to reduce poverty, ensure the sustainable use of resources, and protect the land of life.

Year 2020 is called the "Biodiversity Super Year" and it will host several major global events that will put biodiversity at the forefront.

On March 3, 1973, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was passed. World Wildlife Day was proposed by Thailand.
When is the World Hearing Day observed?
World Hearing Day is March 4th every year. Several people are living with unrecognized hearing loss. This day will arouse people's attention to early detection of hearing loss.

This day promotes the health of ears and hearing, and makes people aware of how to prevent deafness and hearing loss.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 466 million people have hearing impairments that are disabled. By 2050, it will affect one in ten people.

Previously, on World Hearing Day 2019, WHO launched a new mobile and web-based application called "HearWHO".

Specifically, the app allows people to check their hearing on a regular basis. In addition, it is necessary to detect hearing loss as early as possible.

In addition, the application can also display the user's score, which means that the results of the test can be stored so that the user can monitor the hearing status over time. Hearing apps benefit people who are often exposed to high sound quality.

The WHO organizes its annual World Hearing Day seminar at its Geneva headquarters. The theme of the year 2021: Hearing Care for ALL! Screen, Rehabilitate, Communicate. World Hearing Day 2021 will mark the release of the first "World Hearing Report" in history.
UNGA unanimously adopts India-sponsored resolution declaring 2023 as International Year of Millets
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared 2023 the "International Year of Millets." It was announced that this year’s resolution was proposed by India. The resolution was passed by consensus and was supported by more than 70 of the 193 countries.

Tirumurti, the Permanent Ambassador of India to the United States, shared the news. He emphasized that this is a big step that will promote the ecological and nutritional benefits of millet worldwide.

Xiaomi will now be promoted as a key component of the food basket and effective policy changes. The ambassador also expressed his gratitude to all the co-sponsors of the Indian resolution, especially countries other than the UN member states, such as Bangladesh, Senegal, Nepal, Russia and Nigeria.

A resolution initiated by India declared 2023 the International Year of Millet. With the passage of this event, this day now invites the United Nations, United Nations member states and other world organizations to commemorate this year through several activities, with the purpose of raising people’s awareness of the health and other nutritional aspects of using millet and arousing people’s awareness Policy concerns. These activities should also highlight that millet is suitable for cultivation even in unfavorable weather conditions.

Indian resolution: India proposed a resolution to commemorate the Year of Millet, considering that it is necessary to promote a diverse, balanced, diverse and healthy diet by increasing the consumption and sustainable production of millet. Also recognize the diversity and adaptability of Xiaomi.

The United Nations General Assembly announced the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition 2016-2025 in April 2016. The declaration recognizes the need to eradicate hunger and prevent all forms of malnutrition in the world.

The announcement provides a comprehensive platform for a wide range of groups dedicated to solving nutritional problems. In the context of this resolution, India proposed a resolution on the "International Year of Millet" to promote a sustainable food system.