1.Art and Culture
First Young Readers’ Boat Library launched in Kolkata
The West Bengal Transport Corporation has launched the First Young Readers’ Boat Library in collaboration with a heritage book store.
The library has been launched on a boat with the motive that one can read books while appreciating the beauty of Kolkata.
The boat library which will cruise on the Hooghly river will provide options for children to choose from a selection of 500 titles in English and Bengali.
2.International Affairs
UN releases Global Climate Survey
The United Nations has released its biggest ever opinion poll on climate change that is the ‘UN Global Climate Survey’.
In the survey, the UN finds that two-thirds of people think it is a ‘global emergency’ wherein young people showed greater concern.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) conducted the “Peoples’ Climate Vote” for 1.22 million people from 50 countries to prepare for the report.
Quick Fact: UNDP was founded on 22 November 1965.
3.India and the World
India pledges USD 150,000 for UN Peacebuilding
The permanent representative of India to the United Nations, TS Tirumurti announced the pledge of USD 150,000 to fund the activities of the UN Peacebuilding.
India is conscious to prioritize the building of governance structure to strengthen democracy and rule of law.
UN Peacekeeping operations are policing & peacebuilding actions carried out by the UN to bring order and stability in the nations affected by war.
Quick Fact: UN Peacekeepers are known as ‘Blue Helmets’ or ‘Blue Berets’.
4.International Affairs
Google workers from all over the world form ‘Alpha Global Union’
Recently, Google workers from all around the globe have formed an international union called the ‘Alpha Global’ named after Google’s parent company Alphabet.
The union formed in coordination with the UNI Global Union comprises 13 different unions representing workers in 10 different countries.
The union has been formed to build a more ethical and accountable company.
Quick Fact: Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded Google on 4 September 1998.
5.Economy
India’s New Central Bank Digital Currency
RBI is in process of examining if India needs a new Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) & is exploring ways to operationalize the digital currency.
The statement from the RBI has come in the light of gaining popularity of the private digital currencies, virtual currencies, and cryptocurrencies.
These currencies are not operational in India because regulators & the government have always been skeptical about the risks associated with them.
Quick Fact: Reserve bank of India (RBI) is headquartered in Mumbai.
6.National Affairs
UP becomes the first state in India to have 2 Expressway airstrips
In Uttar Pradesh, a new 3,300-meter long airstrip has been constructed near Kurebhar on Purvanchal Expressway.
UP has become the first state to have 2 expressway airstrips, the other one being on the Lucknow- Agra Expressway.
Airstrips on expressways are designed to facilitate emergency landing and take-off of fighter planes.
Quick Fact: Yogi Adityanath is the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
7.Defense
Indian Navy conducts exercise AMPHEX- 21 with Army and Air Force
A large-scale tri-service joint amphibious exercise AMPHEX – 21 was held in the Andaman & Nicobar group of islands.
The exercise was aimed at validating India’s capabilities to safeguard the territorial integrity of its island territories.
The joint force executed multi-domain, high-intensity offensive and defensive maneuvers in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
Quick Fact: Indian Navy Day is observed on 4 December.
8.Science and Technology
SpaceX breaks ISRO’s record by launching 143 satellites
SpaceX successfully launched its amphibious rideshare mission ‘Transporter 1’ carrying 143 small satellites.
The launch by SpaceX broke the record set by ISRO in 2017 for deploying 104 satellites onboard the PSLV in a single mission.
SpaceX used a two-stage ‘Falcon-9‘ rocket for the mission from the Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Quick Fact: Elon Musk is the Founder & CEO of SpaceX.
