International Day of Families 2022:

The International Day of Families is annually marked all across the globe on 15 May. The day not only highlights the importance of families but also focuses on the understanding of the economic, demographic, and social factors that impact families as a unit.

The United Nations focuses on some important issues that are central to the well-being of families across the world like health, education, children's rights, gender equality, work-family balance, and social inclusion among others.

Theme for this year:

The theme this year is 'Families and Urbanisation'. It aims at raising awareness about the importance of sustainable, family-friendly urban policies.

A major mega-trend shaping our world and the well-being of families worldwide is urbanisation. Urbanisation for a sustainable future is important for the attainment of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

SDG Urban Index and Dashboard 2021-22: Shimla tops the index;

The index and dashboard have been launched with the collaboration of NITI Aayog- GIZ and BMZ which focuses on driving the SDG localization in the Indian cities, under the umbrella of Indo-German Development Cooperation.

The SDG Urban Index and Dashboard have ranked 56 urban areas on 77 SDG indicators across the 46 targets of the SDG Framework. The data collected on these indicators have been sourced from official data sources such as NCRB, NFHS, and the data portals of various Indian Government ministries.

TVS Motor Company, the flagship company of TVS Group, has joined the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the world’s largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative. TVS Motor has become the 1st Indian two-wheeler and three-wheeler manufacturer to join the UNGC. TVS Motor will also engage in collaborative projects which will advance the development goals of the UN, particularly the Sustainable development goals (SDG).

China has launched the world’s first Earth-science satellite, Guangmu or SDGSAT-1 into space from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in the northern Shanxi Province. The satellite was launched by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and developed by the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS).
Guangmu was launched by a Long March-6 carrier rocket which is the 395th flight mission. SDGSAT-1 is the first satellite customized according to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which was adopted in 2015 with 17 SDGs for peace and prosperity.

09 November 2021 Current Affairs:World’s First Earth-Science Satellite, Guangmu Or SDGSAT-1 Was Launched Into Space By China.

♦ From the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province, China has launched the world's first Earth-science satellite, Guangmu or SDGSAT-1, into space.
♦ The satellite was built by the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals and launched by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) (CBAS).
♦ Guangmu is the 395th flying mission of the Long March-6 carrier rocket.
♦ SDGSAT-1 is the first satellite tailored to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
♦ It was established in 2015 and includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for peace and prosperity.
♦ Beijing is the capital of China; the Renminbi is the currency, and Xi Jinping is the president.

Meeting was chaired by Dr. G. P. Samanta, who happens to be the Chief Statistician of India & Secretary of Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI).

Representatives from National Statistical Offices (NSOs) of the BRICS Countries attended the meeting.
In the meeting, JSP (Joint Statistical Publication) 2021 and JSP Snapshot 2021 for BRICS Countries were released.

Speakers from BRICS NSOs spoke on efforts taken so far and future plan with respect to data & methodologies in monitoring the SDGs.

Heads of NSOs further acknowledged the importance of collaboration & exchange of best practices regularly to bridge the data gaps for supporting policymakers in evidence-based decision making.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been conferred with the SDG Progress award for Bangladesh’s steady progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the UN-sponsored Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). Prime Minister Hasina is currently visiting the US to attend the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi has been appointed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Advocate in the 76th UN General Assembly. Guterres appointed Satyarthi, STEM activist Valentina Munoz Rabanal, Microsoft President Brad Smith and K-pop superstars BLACKPINK as new SDG Advocates. With this, the UN now has total of 16 SDG Advocates.

Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi has been appointed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Advocate in the 76th UN General Assembly. Guterres appointed Satyarthi, STEM activist Valentina Munoz Rabanal, Microsoft President Brad Smith and K-pop superstars BLACKPINK as new SDG Advocates. With this, the UN now has total of 16 SDG Advocates.