“Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light.”
Hellen Keller
“विश्वास वह शक्ति है जिससे उजड़ी हुई दुनिया को पुनः रोशन किया जा सकता है।”
हेलन केलर
Monday, January 18, 2021
Quote of the Day
United Nations: India has the largest diaspora in the world
The United Nations recently released the report “International Migration 2020 Highlights”. According to the report, the Indian diaspora is the largest in the world. More than 18 million people from India were living outside India as of 2020.
Key Findings of the report
- The other countries with large diaspora are Mexico, China, Russia and Syria.
- According to the report, India’s diaspora is distributed across a number of major countries such as UAE (3.5 million), Saudi Arabia (2.5 million) and US (2.7 million).
- The other countries hosting large number of migrants from India are Oman, Australia, Kuwait, Canada, Qatar, Pakistan and UK.
- Between 2000 and 2020, the size of migrant population has grown in all countries. During his period, India experienced the largest gain at nearly ten million. India was followed by Syria, Venezuela, China and Philippines. The countries where the migrant population increased during this period are Armenia, India, Ukraine, Pakistan, Tanzania, Ukraine.
- The migration of India was motivated by labour and family reasons.
- The United States was the largest country of destination of international migrants. There were more than 51 million migrants in the US as of 2020. This is equal to 18% of the total migration population of the world.
- The US was followed by Germany. Germany hosted the second largest migrants worldwide holding more than 16 million migration population. Germany was followed by Saudi Arabia, Russia and the UK.
- The COVID-19 has slowed down the growth in the stock of international migrants by around two million by mid-2020. This is 27% less than the growth expected since 2019.
- The growth in the number of international migrants has reached 281 million. It was 173 million in 2000 and 221 million in 2010. Currently, the total international migrants are about 3.6% of the world population.
- In terms of regional migration corridors, the central and southern Asia to Northern Africa and Western Asia grew the most. In these corridors the migrant population almost tripled between 2000 and 2020.
Current Affairs – January 18, 2021
India
Himachal Pradesh: India’s first voter votes in panchayat elections
India’s first voter Shyam Saran Negi (103) voted in the panchayat elections in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh on January 17, 2021. Believed to the first voter in the 1952 General Election, Negi was born on July 1, 1917 and retired as a schoolteacher.
Classical musician Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan (89) dies
Legendary Indian classical musician Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan died in Mumbai on January 17, 2021 at the age of 89. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1991, followed by Padma Bhusan in 2006 and Padma Vibhushan in 2018. In 2003 he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi award.
Union Education Minister honoured by Canada’s Hindi Writers Guild
Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ was honoured by the Hindi Writers Guild, Canada for his literary work on January 16, 2021. Nishank was conferred with the “Sahitya Gaurav Samman” through a virtual programme. India’s High Commissioner in Canada Ajay Bisaria was also present on the occasion.
Karnataka: Union Home Minister inaugurates farmer-friendly projects in Bagalkot
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on January 17, 2021 inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various farmer-friendly projects in Bagalkot, Karnataka.
Kerala: India’s first ‘Labour Movement Museum’ to be set up in Alappuzha
The country’s first Labour Movement Museum, showcasing the history of world labour movement, would be launched in Alappuzha, Kerala. The museum will feature a huge repository of documents and exhibits that shaped the labour movements across the continents, state Tourism department said on January 17, 2021.
Economy & Corporate
Pm flags off 8 trains to boost connectivity to Statue of Unity at Kevadia, Gujarat
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 17, 2021 flagged off eight trains connecting different parts of the country to Kevadia in Gujarat, via video conferencing. Kevadia is famous for world’s tallest statue, the Statue of Unity of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, which Modi inaugurated in October 2018. These trains will connect Kevadia to Varanasi, Dadar, Ahmedabad, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Rewa, Chennai and Pratapnagar. The Ahmedabad-Kevadia Jan Shatabdi Express, one of the eight trains, has been equipped with the ‘Vista-dome tourist coach’ which offers large viewing areas with rooftop glasses and seats for passengers.
World
Boris Johnson invites PM Modi to UK for G7 summit in June
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has invited his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for the G7 summit on January 17, 2021 for the high-level meeting to be presided over by Britain in Cornwall between June 11 and 13. India was chosen alongside South Korea and Australia as guest countries of the multilateral summit. The Group of Seven (G7) comprises the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US.
Norway: 29 elderly die after receiving Pfizer-BioNTech SE vaccine for Covid-19
Norway expressed increasing concern about the safety of the Pfizer-BioNTech SE vaccine for Covid-19 on elderly people with serious underlying health conditions after raising an estimate of the number who died after receiving inoculations to 29.
Unidentified gunmen kill two women judges in Afghan capital
Gunmen fired on a car in northern Kabul on January 17, 2021, killing two women judges who worked for Afghanistan’s high court.
Sports
Sports Ministry to name all new, upgraded SAI facilities after sportspersons
The Sports Ministry on January 17, 2021 said it has decided to name all the upcoming and upgraded facilities of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) after renowned athletes who have brought accolades for the country.
Friday, January 15, 2021
Quote of the Day January 15, 2021
“A man is born alone and dies alone; and he experiences the good and bad consequences of his karma alone; and he goes alone to hell or the Supreme abode.”
Chanakya
“व्यक्ति अकेले जन्मता है और अकेले मरता है; और अपने अच्छे और बुरे कर्मों का फल खुद ही भुगतता है; और वह अकेले ही नर्क या स्वर्ग जाता है।”
चाणक्य
How to pollution-proof doorstep delivery
The near-death blow dealt by the COVID-19 pandemic to global economies notwithstanding, e-commerce companies have not just thrived but have witnessed a much higher growth rate. According to the India Brand Equity Foundation, e-commerce companies registered a growth of 31 per cent in the third quarter of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. The consequent increase in demand for e-commerce deliveries has had an impact on the environment in urban areas and will inevitably lead to rise in emissions and air pollution.
To reduce this environmental impact, e-commerce companies need to promote zero-local-emission delivery strategies. While “true” zero emission vehicles are still some distance away — even electric vehicles (EVs) are ultimately powered by the grid fuelled primarily by thermal power plants — the realisation of zero local emissions will go a long way in reducing air pollution in major cities.
On an average, major e-commerce players in India such as Amazon, Flipkart and Bigbasket deliver around 1.5–2 lakh orders per day; 65 per cent of this demand comes from just five cities, namely, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Bengaluru. This demand increases significantly, by 1.5 times, during the festive season. For instance, according to a report in Business Insider, Flipkart witnessed a 10-fold increase in shipments during the Diwali festival sale this year compared to the same period last year.
Though there are no conclusive numbers yet, the increased sales of commercial vehicles, such as mini-trucks and pick-up vans, during the pandemic is proof that the e-commerce industry helped the automobile sector stay afloat when it was struggling because of hugely decreased demand. However, these are mostly conventional vehicles and may lead to environmental impacts in the long run. According to a World Economic Forum study on the future of the last-mile delivery, the increase in demand will lead to an increase in emissions by 32 per cent globally.
Introduction of electric vehicles (EVs) and non-motorised transport (NMT; walking and cycling), and optimising delivery trips are a few of the solutions for realising sustainable last-mile deliveries in urban areas. Flipkart and Amazon have recently announced plans to introduce EVs in their delivery fleet. While Flipkart aims to convert 40 per cent of its fleet to EVs, Amazon plans to introduce 10,000 EVs in India in the near future. However, the introduction of EVs comes with challenges as electric transportation is still an evolving segment and not a run-of-the-mill solution. In addition, the introduction of NMT needs strategic implementation and planning.
A major challenge is that most of the e-commerce companies outsource the logistics and last-mile delivery. These delivery service providers need to convert their fleet to clean vehicles. Additionally, the location of warehouses pose a challenge, with a majority of them situated in the outskirts due to affordable rentals.
Return deliveries (in case the addressee is not available or when goods are exchanged) add to the cost of operation, increasing the man-hours and the travel/trip length per order. The different categories of delivery slots (priority, same day, free, etc.) also complicate trip planning.
Delivery service providers need to convert their fleets to clean vehicles; private players can play a vital role in minimising the potential air pollution from this sector. DOT, a Delhi-based start-up, provides EVs to Swiggy, Amazon, and Bigbasket for last-mile delivery. Further, leased EVs can be a viable option for both delivery service providers and e-commerce companies. The latter can even forge tie-ups with EV manufacturers to directly lease the required fleets.
The peripheral location of warehouses provides an opportunity for not only EV implementation but also traffic reduction within cities, ultimately reducing emissions. Within cities, strategically located warehouses shared by multiple e-commerce players can make EV introduction financially viable through sharing of land and charging infrastructure cost, streamlining the flow of heavy and light commercial vehicles, efficient fleet utilisation, and ease of operation for delivery service providers.
A potential solution to reduce the travel required by delivery executives is to set up a pickup point network, with smart lockers every 1 km or so, considering the location-wise number of shipments. Bus stops, shopping malls, etc. could be used as potential locations for such lockers. Such a network can also open up the option of NMT delivery to the consumer’s doorstep. Gated communities can install lockers at the entrance to avoid travel inside their premises.
Cities need to understand delivery movements, as well as the location of warehouses, consolidation centres, and delivery hotspots to prioritise sustainable last-mile delivery. Further, assessing the socio-economic and environmental impacts of urban last-mile deliveries and freight movement will help cities develop sustainable transport policies. Zero-emissions vehicles (electric or non-motorised vehicles), off-peak-hour deliveries, centralised pick-up points, and a network of freight hubs throughout a city are some of the solutions to meet the growing demand of urban last-mile deliveries. Finally, to realise long-term sustainable mobility, cities need to develop urban freight policies with an emphasis on strategic interventions in last-mile delivery.
By Trupti Deshpande and Anantha Lakshmi Paladugula
The writers work in the area of environment and the ecosystem at the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), a research-based think tank
Current Affairs – January 15
India
Foundation stone of science communication and policy research institute
On January 14, 2021, the Union Science and Technology minister Dr Harsh Vardhan laid the foundation stone of CSIR- National Institute of Science communication and policy research in New Delhi. The institute has been formed by merging CSIR-NISCAIR and CSIR-NISTADS.
Armed forces veterans day
on January 14, 2021, V armed forces veterans day was celebrated. The armed forces day marks the retirement day of Field Marshal Cariappa. Cariappa was the first Indian commander in chief of the Indian armed forces. He retired on January 14, 1953.
ASMI 9 mm machine pistol
The Indian army and the defence Research Development organisation DRDO has developed India’s first indigenous 9 mm machinie pistol called ASMI.
Centre to SC: Discriminalising adultery may cause instability in Army
On January 13, 2021, the centre urged the Supreme Court that its 2018 verdict, decriminalising adultery be not made applicable to the armed forces. According to the central government it may cause instability within the services. The verdict was pronounced under the Indian Penal Code.
75th Foundation Day of Food Corporation of India
On January 14, 2021, the 75th foundation day of the Food Corporation of India was celebrated. The Food Corporation of India is a statutory body that operates under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. It was founded on January 14, 1965. Its initial headquarters was located in Chennai and was later moved to New Delhi.
Employee welfare measures to be extended to seamen
The demand of the National Union of seafarers of India to extend the employee welfare measures such as pension and provident fund to the seamen community has been approved by the government of India. This is to benefit more than 4 lakh Indian seafarers all ranks working in India and in foreign ship.
Dushyant Dave resigned as Supreme Court bar association president
On January 14, 2021, the president of Supreme Court bar association Dushyant Dave resigned from her post.
Supreme Court asks states and union territories to reopen Anganwadis
On January 13, 2021, the Supreme Court of India ordered the state and union territories to reopen Anganwadi centres. The centre for closed during lockdown.
No Republic Day chief guest in 2021
On January 14, 2023 the ministry of external affairs announced that there will be no chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations due to global situation arising because of covid-19. The decision has been taken after the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson cancelled his visit to India to attend the Republic Day celebrations due to the pandemic.
Economy and corporate
Bhartiya Kisan union president recuses himself from Supreme Court committee
Bhartiya Kisan union president Bhupinder Singh recused himself from the four-member committee appointed by the supreme court. Committee was appointed to resolve the issues between farmers and centres over the three farm laws. The farmer unions have been raising doubts over the composition of the panel in fitting that the members are in favour of the laws.
WPI slows to 1.22%
the wholesale price-based inflation slowed down to 1.22 % in December 2020. This is the food prices. The WPI in November, 2020 was 1.55% and in December,2019 it was 2.76%.
Bharat Biotech starts supply of COVID-19 vaccine
The Bharat Biotech has begin its supplies of core vaccine. The vaccine was developed in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of virology is top the first batch has been dispatched from Hyderabad to 11 cities across the country. This was followed by the receipt of government purchase order for 55 lacs of doses.
SWITCH Drones
the Indian Army has signed a contract to procure or undisclosed quantities of high altitude variant of SWITCH unmanned aerial vehicles with ideaForge. The contract was signed at 20 million USD.
Thales and Bharat Dynamics to work in partnership on air defence system
on January 14, 2021, the European defence company Thales signed an agreement with the Public Sector Unit Bharat dynamics Limited on and add defence system. With this the Bharat dynamics Limited will become a part of the STAR Streak Missile System. The this will provide an opportunity to boost the export of Indian manufactured components.
Google remove personal loan apps
On January 14, 2021, Google reviewed hundreds of personal loan apps in India. That it giant then remove those Apps that were found to be violating uses safety policies.
World
Donald Trump impeached
On January 13, 2021, Donald Trump became the first president of United States to be impeached twice.
President elect Joe Biden names Samantha Power as USAID Chief
On January 13, 2021 the president-elect Joe Biden named the former Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power as the chief of United State agency for international development, USAID.
Snapchat bans Donald Trump
On January 13, 2021, Snapchat permanently banned the United States President Donald Trump from the platform.
WHO experts arrived in Wuhan
IT team of experts from the World Health Organisation has arrived in we want to investigate the Origins of the Deadly coronavirus pandemic.
United States Bans tomato and cotton products from china
On January 13, 2021, the United States announced a ban on the entry of tomato and cotton products from the Xinjiang region of China.
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