Important Days
International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD)
- The International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is observed on December 3 every year.
- It aims to spread awareness about the rights and well-being of people with disabilities.
- Theme for 2022 is ‘Transformative solutions for inclusive development: The role of innovation in fuelling an accessible and equitable world.’
- The observance of International Day of Persons with Disabilities began in 1992.
- Later in 2006, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was also adopted with an aim to work towards creating equal opportunities for persons with disabilities through the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
Note
- As per statistics by the United Nations, the world population is over 7 billion people and more than one billion people, which is approximately 15 percent of the world’s population, live with some form of disability; 80 percent live in developing countries.
National Pollution Control Day
- It is observed on December 2 every year to commemorate those who lost their lives in the 1984 Bhopal Gas tragedy on the night of December 2nd and 3rd.
- A poisonous gas known as Methyl Isocyanate (MIC), caused many deaths following leak from a pesticide plant.
- The individuals who did not die were exposed to cancers, blindness, loss of livelihood.
- In terms of industrial pollution disasters, the Bhopal Gas Tragedy ranks among the worst.
Note
- In India, around 7 million people die due to air pollution each year, of which 4 million are killed by indoor air pollution.
- Air pollutants are so tiny that they can pass through mucus membranes and other protective barriers to harm the lungs, heart, and brain.
Awards and Honour
Indian Startup Kheyti among the five winners of The Earthshot Prize
- Indian startup Kheyti, which provides ground-breaking yet simple farming solutions, has been named as one of the five winners of this year’s prestigious Earthshot Prize, an initiative of Prince William that rewards each winner with 1 million pounds.
- Kheyti, won in the category Protect and Restore Nature which offers a pioneering solution for local smallholder farmers to reduce costs, increase yields and protect livelihoods in a country on the frontlines of climate change, according to the statement on the Earthshot website.
- The prize is Prince William’s initiative towards driving an impetus to save the planet by funding projects that provide innovative solutions to the ongoing climate change crisis.
