World AIDS Awareness Day- 1st December, The first ever SCO Online International Exhibition on Buddhist Heritage, Six-lane widening project of the Varanasi-Prayagraj section of NH-19
World AIDS Awareness Day- 1st December
- World AIDS Day takes place on 1 December each year.
- It’s an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness.
- Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day.
- Every year, on 1 December, the world commemorates World AIDS Day.
- People around the world unite to show support for people living with and affected by HIV and to remember those who lost their lives to AIDS.
- In 2020, the world’s attention has been focused by the COVID-19 pandemic on health and how pandemics affect lives and livelihoods.
- COVID-19 is showing once again how health is interlinked with other critical issues, such as reducing inequality, human rights, gender equality, social protection and economic growth.
- With this in mind, this year the theme of World AIDS Day is “Global solidarity, shared responsibility”.
- Now is the moment for bold leadership for equal societies, the right to health for all and a robust and equitable global recovery.
- This World AIDS Day join us in calling on countries to step up their efforts to achieve healthier societies.
- This World AIDS Day let us demand global solidarity and shared responsibility.
- World AIDS Day is an opportunity to show solidarity with the millions of people living with HIV worldwide.
- Most people do this by wearing an HIV awareness red ribbon on the day.
- The world has made significant progress since the late 1990s, but HIV remains a major global public health issue.
- And like many other major health issues, it faces additional challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first ever SCO Online International Exhibition on Buddhist Heritage
- Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India & Chair of the SCO Council of Heads of Government in 2020, launched the first ever SCO Online Exhibition on Shared Buddhist Heritage, during the 19th Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (SCO CHG), held in New Delhi.
- This SCO online International exhibition, first ever of its kind, is developed and curated by National Museum, New Delhi, in active collaboration with SCO member countries.
- The exhibition deploys state of the art technologies like 3D scanning, web GL platform, virtual space utilization, innovative curation and narration methodology etc.
- Buddhist philosophy and art of Central Asia connects Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries to each other.
- This online international exhibition presents an excellent opportunity for visitors to access, appreciate and compare Buddhist art antiquities from SCO countries on a single platform and from the comfort of their home.
- Such transnational online exhibition also has potential to connect, heal and rejuvenate communities in current pandemic times.
- The international exhibition gives a glimpse of the artistic wealth displayed in various museums across Asia, and represents the artistic excellence embedded within an eclectic historical timeline spanning across the development of different Schools of Buddhism.
- The participating institutions are National Museum (New Delhi), Indian Museum (Kolkata), National Museum of Kazakhstan, Dun Huang Academy (China), National Historical Museum of the Kyrgyz Republic, Museums of Pakistan, State Museum of Oriental Art, Moscow (Russia), National Museum and National Museum of Antiquities, Tajikistan and renowned archaeological sites of Uzbekistan.
- The visitors can explore the Indian Buddhist treasures from the Gandhara and Mathura Schools, Nalanda, Amaravati, Sarnath etc. in a 3D virtual format.
- ThePakistan hall depicts the life of Gautama Buddha and Buddhist Art through a collection of impressive Gandhara art objects from Karachi, Lahore,Taxlia, Islamabad, SWAT and Peshawar museums.
- These include fasting Siddhartha and footprint of Buddha from Sikri, meditating Buddha from SahriBahloi, miracle of Sravasti from Gandhara etc.
- Over 100 objects from State Oriental Art Museum, Moscow, depict the Buddhist Buriyat Art of Russia through icons, ritual objects, monastery traditions etc.
- The Dunhuang Academy of China contributed a rich digital collection on Buddhist Art from Dunhunag that include ingeniousarchitecture, resplendent murals, decorative designs, costumes etc.
- The marvels of Buddhist art from ancient Termez, Karatepa, Fayaztepa heritage sites can be seen in the Uzbekistan hall.
- The exhibition also showcases rare Buddhist art objects from various heritage sites and museums of Kazakhstan and Kyrygstan.
- The prime attraction of Tajikistan hall is the 13 meter long reclining – ‘Buddha in Nirvana’ from Ajina-Tepa.
- National Museum, New Delhi has unfolded a new dimension in museum experiences by developing this online 3D virtual exhibition.
- The Prime Minister of India, in his Maan Ki Baat session on 29.11.2020, has lauded National Museum, New Delhi for its innovative efforts of using technology in cultural sector.
Six-lane widening project of the Varanasi-Prayagraj section of NH-19
- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated six-lane widening project of the Varanasi – Prayagraj section of NH-19.
- Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said we are now seeing the outcome of the work of connectivity along with the beautification of Kashi done in the past.
- He added that the unprecedented work has been done on new highways, pull-flyovers, widening of roads to reduce traffic jams in and around Varanasi.
- The 73-km stretch of the newly widened and six laned NH-19, made with a total outlay of Rs 2,447 crore is expected to reduce the travel time between Prayagraj and Varanasi by one hour.
- The Prime Minister remarked that our farmers would benefit greatly when modern connectivity expands in the area.
- Over the years, efforts have been made to create infrastructure like cold storage along with modern roads in the villages.
- A fund of 1 lakh crore rupees has also been created for this.
- Taken an example of how the farmers are benefiting from the government’s efforts and modern infrastructure.
- Black rice was introduced 2 years ago in Chandauli to increase the income of the farmers.
- Last year, a farmer committee was formed and around 400 farmers were given this rice to grow in the Kharif season.
- While normal rice sells for Rs 35-40 a kg, this black rice was sold for up to Rs 300 a kg.
- For the first time, this rice has been exported to Australia, that too at the rate of around Rs. 800 per kg.
- India’s agricultural products are famous all over the world.
- However, why farmers shouldn’t have access to this big market and higher prices.
- The new agricultural reforms have given farmers new options and new legal protection and at the same time the old system also continues if someone chooses to stay with that.
- Earlier transactions outside the mandi were illegal but now the small farmer can take legal action on the transactions outside the mandi also.
- The Prime Minister said Governments make policies, laws and regulations.
