The Daily Brief – 24th January 2020

National Girl Child Day is celebrated every year on 24^th January in India to spread awareness among people about all the inequalities girls face in the Indian society. The day was started by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Government of India in 2008. The international day of girl child is celebrated on 11^th October every year. In India according to the Census 2011, the sex ratio was 108.9.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) unveiled a robot named ‘Vyommitra’ that will travel to space as a part of Gaganyaan unmanned mission. ISRO will conduct two unmanned missions – one in December 2020 and another in June 2021 – before the Gaganyaan mission. Vyommitra is a half humanoid that will simulate human functions in space and also interact with the environment control life support system.

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved the procurement of military equipment of worth over Rs. 5100 crores from indigenous sources. It also approved the shortlisting of Indian Strategic Partners (SP) and the potential Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) that would collaborate in the construction of six conventional submarines in India under the strategic partnership model.

The International Labour Organization released its ‘The World Employment and Social Outlook Trends 2020’ (WESO) report. The report predicted a rise in the global unemployment by 2.5 million in 2020. As per the report about 188 million people are unemployed in the world. Around 267 million people in the age group 15-24 are not in employment, training or education. ILO was established in It became the United Nation’s first specialized agency in 1946 and has 187 member States.

India celebrated the 123^rd birth anniversary of freedom fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on 23^rd January, 2020. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was born on 23^rd January, 1897, and died on 19^th August, 1945 in a plane crash. Bose had formed a separate army on 21^st October, 1943 to challenge the British and named it as ‘Azad Hind Fauj’ or Indian National Army (INA). Captain Mohan Singh was the first commander of Azad Hindi Fauz. He was elected as the president of Indian National Congress in 1939.

India slipped 10 ranks to 51^st position in the global democracy index for the year 2019 released by Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). Norway topped the index which intends to measure the state of democracy in 167 countries. According to the list, India’s total score in the year 2018 was 7.23, which has now reduced to 6.90, lowest of all time. India’s highest score was 7.91 in 2014 and has declined since then. North Korea was ranked at the bottom of the list. The global average this year was 5.44. The Democracy Index was first published in 2006.

Union Minister of State for Shipping (I/C) and Chemical & Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya participated in the High-level roundtable of The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) at World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland on 21^st January, 2020. The theme of the event was ‘Access for all: Leveraging Innovations, Investments and Partnerships for Health’. Officially launched in January 1996, UNAIDS aims is to coordinate global action on the AIDS disease and alleviate its impact.