World Habitat Day is observed on the first Monday of October every year. The observation reminds the world that everyone has the responsibility and opportunity to shape the future of towns and cities. Cities are responsible for more than 70% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Many people from rural areas globally migrate to cities to realise their dreams for a better life. Unplanned and uncontrolled growth of the urban areas is also becoming places where marginalisation, poverty, inequality is seen. It is also a reminder of the collective responsibility towards ensuring the future and sustainability of the Human Habitat. Another significant issue is the vulnerability to the risks posed by natural disasters. Wikipedia refers to Habitat as an array of resources, physical and biotic factors present in an area, such as supporting the survival and reproduction of a particular species. Habitat is a species-specific term. Humankind is struggling to ensure its Habitat is liveable with all its intelligence and ability and think that it belongs only to them. Rapid urbanisation and overexploitation of earth’s resources, impacting the lives of many species. World Habitat Day aims to remind people that they have the power and the responsibility to shape the future of its Habitat. Not only to the human beings but to all the inhabitants of the mother earth.
World tourism day is celebrated on September 27 to mark the foundation of the UN World Tourism Organisation and being celebrated since 1980. As the UN says, it is an opportunity to look beyond tourism statistics and acknowledge that, behind every number, there is a person. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a massive social and economic impact, left no country untouched, poor, and marginalised groups and the most vulnerable. Restarting tourism would go a long way in kickstarting the recovery. According to the UN, one in every ten people on earth is employed in Tourism Industry. For some countries, tourism contributes to one-fifth of their GDP. World Tourism Day aims to highlight the importance the tourism sector plays in our lives and focus on inclusive growth. India is one of the oldest civilisations in the world. With multicultural experiences and a rich heritage accompanied by beautiful attractions, the country is among the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Everything you look for the world over, you would find in India. Be it the snow in the Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh region, the majestic Ganga, or the enthralling beaches. Tourism can be very motivating too. When you are down and trying to solve a complex problem visiting heritage sites like Mamallapuram could be inspiring. When our ancestors could do that many years ago, sure we can do it now. As Samuel Johnson said, travelling is to realise. Yes, there is so much to see, enjoy and learn.
Engineers use their knowledge and experience to find suitable solutions to a problem. The pyramids in Egypt, the Brihadeeswarar Temple of Thanjavur, among many others, stand as a testament to the ingenuity and skill of ancient engineers. Engineering has always had an essential role in development and human welfare. India celebrates Engineer’s Day on September 15, on the birth anniversary of legendary Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya. He was one of the greatest nation builders who contributed to the field of engineering and education. In recognition of the services rendered by Sir MV, India has been celebrated Engineers Day on his birthday since 1968. This year it is the 160th birth anniversary of Sir MV. Advancements in Science, Engineering, and Technology aim to find solutions to the problems being faced by humanity. While the progress made in the domains found answers to many issues, and quality of life of humans got enhanced considerably. But the lack of a holistic approach and hurry to achieve success and find solutions have emerged newer problems like climate change. The theme for this year, “Engineering for a Healthy Planet”, reminds humanity of the importance of holistic development for sustainable development and preserving the planet. While celebrating the birth anniversary of great Sir MV is an opportunity to get inspired to contribute to well-being.
Literacy is the most valuable aspect of human life. 775 million adults, two-thirds of them women – remain illiterate. International Literacy Day on 8 September was founded by UNESCO “to remind the public of the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights”. There is a clear connection between illiteracy and poverty, and prejudice against women. In India, reflecting the efforts made by various governments, the literacy rate has risen from 16.1% before Independence to 74% (as per the 2011 census). Kerala has the highest literacy rate, with Bihar being the least literate state. However, Bihar has shown significant improvement as per the latest census. During COVID-19, schools were closed, disrupting the education of the students. In many countries, adult literacy programmes have come to a standstill. Distance learning assisted by technology has been adopted as a temporary solution. It brought to the fore the digital divide. The focus for this year’s observation is “Literacy for a human-centred recovery: Narrowing the digital divide”. While the struggle continues to make the world literate, the more daunting task is to provide purposeful education and making the youth employable, a challenge that the developing countries need to address on priority. Equally challenging is to adopt inclusive policies to address the needs of the tribal communities and adopt measures that would preserve their nativity.
India is the land of the Guru Shishya Parampara, a tradition that leads to an inseparable bond between the teacher and the taught. On the Guru Purnima (Poornima) day, tributes are paid to all the spiritual and academic Gurus. India was lucky to have Gurus like Gautam Buddha, Chanakya (Kautilya), Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Savitribai Phule, Abdul Kalam, to name a few. Swami Vivekananda propagated the Gurukul system in the country. Rabindranath Tagore established a school and reinvented the concept of ‘Gurukul’. The institute evolved into well-reputed Vishwa Bharati. The recently adopted National Education Policy would usher in reforms, and teachers would play a vital part in bringing the benefit of the new policy to the students. India celebrates Teachers’ Day every year on September 5 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a great scholar and exemplary teacher. Teachers’ day is a day when students express their gratitude to the teachers. Our scriptures highlighted the importance of the teacher, and in celebrating “Teachers Day”, let us pay tribute to all those selfless, committed. Dedicated souls who gave everything they must nurture and mentor to realise their potential and make their dreams a reality.
Humanity’s journey to achieve progress and enhance the quality of life has resulted in imbalance, overexploitation of resources, and the planet’s very survival is being challenged. It is crucial to be conscious that everything we do depend on Nature and impact it. Conservation of Nature is of utmost priority for all human beings and their life on this planet. World Nature Conservation Day is observed on July 28 to raise awareness about the importance of preserving natural resources and protecting them. Humans derive essential ingredients like water, air, food, minerals, etc., from Nature. Hence, it is the responsibility to draw these resources sustainably. Nature is threatened by many of our actions, deforestation, pollution, use of chemicals, loss of wildlife. Humans’ responsibility is to protect Nature and create a healthy environment in the present to leave something behind for future generations. Natural resources are limited and took millions of years to form minerals. Humans are exploiting them at a pace challenging to sustain the resources. Human beings have become a threat to natural resources leading to a state of self-destruction. The three R’s of conservation: Reuse, Recycle and Restore. We can add one more R to it, which is to Reduce consumption. While Governments and big corporates contribute to preserving Nature, we, the people, and our participation make it successful.
In 2014, the World Federation of Neurology proposed 22 July to be celebrated as “World Brain Day”. The day was chosen as it was the foundation day of the federation. The main objective behind the celebration of this day is to increase public awareness and promote advocacy related to brain health. Every five minutes, someone receives the life-altering diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. This neurological disease affects more than 2.8 million people of all ages worldwide. World Brain Day this year is dedicated to raising awareness for “Multiple Sclerosis”. The cause of multiple sclerosis is unknown. It is not clear why multiple sclerosis develops in some people and not others. A combination of genetics and environmental factors appears to be responsible. In India, it is rare (<10 lakh cases per year in India). What must you do to nurture your brain? Feed it well with good thoughts, boost it by continuous learning. The difference between brain and mind has been a subject of debate since ancient times. It is said that the “Brain” is considered a physical manifestation of the “Mind”. The mind referred to as Chitta, Manas and Vijnana, is not so easy to control. Humanity was fortunate to have great minds who worked for the wellbeing of humankind. COVID pandemic has disturbed the lifestyles of people across the world. Prolonged restrictions and living with constraints of movement and missing social interactions would have a long-term impact, especially on the brain’s health. Only time would tell what the magnitude of the problem is and its impact.
World Snake Day is celebrated to increase awareness about snakes and the conservation of sometimes dangerous but often misrepresented reptiles. The English word ‘snake’ comes from the Old English word ‘snaca.’ Their prehistoric lineage, snakes, give a glimpse of prehistoric times. Göbekli Tepe in Turkey, estimated to have been built 11-12 thousand years ago, has carvings of snakes’ abstract symbols. From the Bible, ancient Egyptian texts to Puranas, one finds their mention in religion and mythology. Description of Krishna’s Kalinda Mardhanam on a multi-hooded snake in the River Yamuna is cherished by many. Maximum snake bite incidents occur when humans inadvertently step on or otherwise disturb the peaceful creatures. Snake venom has been used for anti-tumour treatments to antibacterial properties. Climate change, habitat loss, and exploitation threaten many snakes. Snakes are an essential part of our community and a vibrant, functioning planet. Fear and negative attitudes about snakes are the most significant barriers to their conservation. There are organisations like ASP, Advocates for Snake Preservation, which are working with dedication to change the way people view and treat snakes. Next time you see a snake, move away, take precautions to be safe but leave it to itself. And snakes need our help.
Youth can be best understood as a period of transition from the dependence of childhood to adulthood’s independence. Today, there are 1.2 billion young people aged 15 to 24 years, accounting for 16% of the global population. In 2014, the UN adopted a resolution to observe 15 July as World Youth Skills Day. It is to bring awareness about the strategic importance of engaging the youth and equip and train them with life skills resulting in them being gainful employment. Societies continue to reel under the COVID pandemic, with education and training systems yet to return to normalcy. UNESCO estimates that schools were either fully or partially closed for more than 30 weeks between March 2020 and May 2021 in half the world’s countries. As it stands now, at least in 19 countries, there are full school closures, affecting millions of learners. People facing significant challenges are young women, youth living with disabilities, youth from disadvantaged backgrounds, and all those in informal or self-employment. The size of its youth population determines a country’s ability and growth potential. India has a relative advantage at present over other countries in terms of the distribution of the youth population. India remains younger than many other countries. Several measures are being taken by the governments in India. The National Youth Policy was launched in 2014, focussing on a holistic ‘vision’ for the youth of India. National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in 2015 It is the duty of all concerned to empower the country’s youth to achieve their full potential. Through them, it enables India to find its rightful place in the community of nations. There is a need to put in place the processes to harness, motivate youth to bring rapid progress to a country. The approach should be to address the issues of Education, Employment, Civic Engagement and Migration. A society without youth is like a society without a future. Skilling youth with the latest information creates opportunities for better employment and leads them to become entrepreneurs. We may not be successful to the extent we want in building the future for our youth, but we can prepare our youth for the future.
World recorded a population of one billion in 1804. It took 123 years to become 2 billion and 33 years to reach 3 billons, 29 years to touch 5 billion, and by the turn of 2000, it was 6 billion and seven billons by 2011. The count continues it stands presently at 7.8 billion. In addition, the world is seeing high levels of urbanisation and accelerating migration. By 2007 we have more people living in urban areas, and it is projected by 2050, it would rise to 66%. Asian giants India and China account for more than 36% of the world population, meaning one in three people living on the planet hail from these two countries. In 1989, the UN passed a resolution to observe July 11 of every year as “World Population Day” to make people aware of the issues related to overpopulation. The trends of population growth have far-reaching implications for the well-being and threatening the very survival of humanity. This overpopulation problem cannot be solved by magic. Requires making long-term plans after considering the circumstances that led to this situation. Educating and bringing awareness is the only option through which this problem can be tackled. The birth of a child is such a joyous occasion. Let the responsibility of nurturing them not take away the pleasure. Balanced growth is what would sustain the planet.
