India The First Country in The World to Receive $100 billion in Remittances

Why In News

India will be the first country in the world to receive $100 billion from remittances during 2022, the World Bank has said.
 
India will be the first country in the world to receive $100 billion from remittances during 2022, the World Bank has said. Though remittances to the rest of the South Asian countries declined by 10%, it rose by 12% in India’s case.

Key Points of the Report:

Remittances to South Asian countries grew by 3.5% to $163 billion in 2022
Though remittances to the rest of the South Asian countries declined by 10%, it rose by 12% in India’s case.
Worldwide, remittances are estimated at $794 billion in 2022.
 South Asia receives the most remittances that are estimated at $163 billion in 2022.
 India’s share will be $100 billion.
Latin America and Caribbean comes second with $142 billion.

Remittances to South Asia grew an estimated 3.5% to $163 billion in 2022, but there is large disparity across countries, from India’s projected 12% gain — which is on track to reach $100 billion in receipts for the year — to Nepal’s 4% increase, to an aggregate decline of 10% for the region’s remaining countries,” said the World Bank report on remittances.

Remittances to India were enhanced by wage hikes and a strong labour market in the US and other member countries of OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). In the Gulf Cooperation Council destination countries, governments ensured low inflation through direct support measures that protected migrants’ ability to remit. Sending $200 to the region cost 4.1% on average in the second quarter of 2022, down from 4.3% a year ago.

Top five recipient countries

The top five recipient countries for remittances in 2022 are expected to be India, establishing a benchmark of $100 billion in the year, followed by Mexico, with a tally of $60 billion (which replaced China in second position during 2021), and China, the Philippines, and the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Impact:

Remittances are a vital source of household income for low income countries as they help alleviate poverty, improve nutritional outcomes, and are associated with increased birth weight and higher school enrolment rates for children in disadvantaged households. Studies show remittances help recipient households to build resilience, for example through financing better housing and to cope with the losses in the aftermath of disasters.

India had received $89.4 billion in remittances in 2021, according to the World Bank, making it the top recipient globally last year also.

India, Germany sign Migration and Mobility Agreement

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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Germany's foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock signed a comprehensive migration and mobility partnership.

Key Points

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Germany’s foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock signed a comprehensive migration and mobility partnership, which will facilitate easier access for people to study, research and work in both countries.

The deal which aims at facilitating two-way movement of students, professionals and researchers, is also set to address the challenges of illegal migration.

Impact:

The migration and mobility partnership is set to encourage increased exchange of students between the two countries. In May this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated that the Indian government will facilitate admission of German students in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) under programmes like Study in India.

Further the deal ensures an active people-to-people exchanges including among students, academia and professional work force.

This thereby enhances efforts on Germany and India’s part to expand the internationalisation higher education systems, to interlink further the innovation and research landscapes of both countries, and to strengthen dual structures for Vocational Education and Training.

International Conference on “J C Bose: A Satyagrahi Scientist” Organized in New Delhi

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On the occasion of 164th birth anniversary of legendary Indian scientist Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Govt. of India organized an International conference on the contributions of J C Bose.

Key Points

On the occasion of 164th birth anniversary of legendary Indian scientist Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose and as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsava, Vijnana Bharati and Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India organized an “International conference on the contributions of J C Bose: A Satyagrahi Scientist”, at Inter-University Accelerator Centre, New Delhi. 

J.C. Bose- Fact

Born on 30th November, 1858 to Bama Sundari Bose and Bhagawan Chandra, Bengal. He was a Plant Physiologist and physicist who invented the crescograph, a device for measuring the growth of plants. He for the first time demonstrated that plants have feelings.

Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose was a biologist, physicist, botanist and an early writer of science fiction.

Bose discovered wireless communication and was named the Father of Radio Science by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering.

He was responsible for the expansion of experimental science in India.

Bose is considered the father of Bengali science fiction. A crater on the moon has been named in his honour.

He founded Bose Institute, a premier research institute of India and also one of its oldest. Established in 1917, the Institute was the first interdisciplinary research centre in Asia. He served as the Director of Bose Institute from its inception until his death.

Important Days

National Zoological Park celebrates International Cheetah Day 2022

Why In News

The National Zoological Park, Delhi Zoo has celebrated International Cheetah Day and Wildlife Conservation Day in New Delhi on 4th December.

International Cheetah Day 2022:

The National Zoological Park, Delhi Zoo has celebrated International Cheetah Day and Wildlife Conservation Day in New Delhi on 4th December. The purpose of the celebration is to spread awareness among the present generation about Wildlife Conservation. The day is dedicated to encouraging people worldwide to help this animal win the race against extinction. Cheetahs are carnivores and they usually chase down their prey and then bite its throat, killing it by cutting off its air supply (suffocation).

Notably: In India the International Cheetah Day was celebrated by the National Zoological Park, New Delhi (Delhi Zoo) in collaboration with the Central Zoo Authority.

History of International Cheetah Day

A special day dedicated to these incredible racing species holds roots to the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), and an American zoologist and researcher named Dr. Laurie Marker. American zoologist Dr Laurie Marker is credited with creating International Cheetah Day. Dr Marker founded the Cheetah Conservation Fund in 1991 and she designated December 4 as International Cheetah Day in 2010. Since that year, the world has been celebrating this day.

Reportedly, the day began since Dr. Marker took to commemorate Khayam, a cheetah she raised at the Wildlife Safari that she ran in Oregon, by establishing December 4th as International Cheetah Day in his memory. Khayam was trained for the first research project in re-wilding and inspired her first trip to Namibia in 1977. Interestingly, International Cheetah Day coincides with the day for wildlife conservation. These global days are an opportunity for people to get closer to mother nature and protect other living beings from being harmed or endangered.

In the 1980s, she created a programme to educate locals to preserve cheetahs instead of killing them. The inauguration of the Cheetah Conservation Fund, which aims to save the cheetah, took place in 1991.

Then, in 2010, Khayam’s birthday, December 4, was for the first time honoured as International Cheetah Day. In 2022, eight cheetahs were brought from Namibia, an African country, to the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.
Important Poin about the Cheetah

The cheetah (a big and slender cat with long legs) is popularly known as the fastest animal on earth, it can reach a top speed of 70 mph in just three seconds. The animal weighs anywhere from 46 to 158 pounds and, unlike most other big cats, cheetahs hunt in the daytime. At present the majority of the animal is found in Namibia and South Africa.  It was declared as an extinct animal in 1954 by the government. The Government of India has started a project to repopulate India with Cheetah brought from Namibia and settled in Kuno National park in Madhya Pradesh.

City of Joy’ author Dominique Lapierre passes away at the age of 91

Freedom at Midnight author Dominique Lapierre has passed away at the age of 91. He was born on July 30, 1931 in Chatelaillon.

Freedom at Midnight author Dominique Lapierre has passed away at the age of 91. He was born on July 30, 1931 in Chatelaillon. Lapierre’s works, in collaboration with the American writer Larry Collins, became bestsellers such that they sold about 50 million copies of the six books he wrote. The author was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian award, in 2008.

Even though Lapierre was from France, he was passionate about India, something that was reflected in his 1985-work City of Joy, based on the hardships of a rickshaw puller in Kolkata, that turned out to be a massive success. It was also adapted for a movie in 1992 which starred Patrick Swayze and was directed by Roland Joffe.

His other Books (co -authored by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins)

·        Is Paris Burning?

·        O Jerusalem, 

·        The Fifth Horseman, 

·        Is New York Burnin

·        City of Joy

·        Freedom at Midnight.