Tag Archives: Bharat First

WORLD RECORD: SPORTS / CRICKET: Maharashtra Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad’s Unprecedented Feat of smashing Seven Sixes in an Over to Script a World Record in the Vijay Hazare Trophy

Maharashtra captain Ruturaj Gaikwad sets a List A world record in the Vijay Hazare Trophy after smashing seven sixes in an over.

In an unprecedented feat, Maharashtra captain Ruturaj Gaikwad smashed seven sixes in an over to set a List A world record in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in Ahmedabad on Monday.

The over, the 49th of the innings, fetched him 43 runs, matching the joint effort of Brett Hampton and Joe Carter off Willem Ludick for Northern Districts against Central Districts in a Ford Trophy game from 2018.

Gaikwad rewrote the record in the penultimate over of his team’s Vijay Hazare Trophy quarterfinal match against Uttar Pradesh in Ahmedabad, with Shiva Singh being the bowler. It was a seven ball over because of a no ball.

The record for most sixes in an over (overall) is held by Lee Germon of New Zealand, who clubbed eight maximums during a Shell Trophy match in Wellington.

Left-arm spinner Shiva Singh conceded a no ball in the fifth delivery of the over which was also hit over the boundary ropes at the Narendra Modi Stadium B Ground here.

Gaikwad carried his bat through for a sensational knock of 220 runs in 159 balls, which contained 10 boundaries and 16 maximums. Thanks to Gaikwad’s knock, Maharashtra posted 330 for five after batting first, with his colleagues aggregating only 96 runs.

The first ball was a low full-toss and Gaikwad smoked it over deep midwicket for the first six. The second one was hit straight down the ground, while he cleared deep square leg for his third maximum. The fourth delivery was tonked over long-off, the fifth, a no ball, was played almost in the same direction, and the batter took full advantage of the free hit by hammering it over long-on and reach his double century.

The seventh and final ball was smashed over deep midwicket.

The batter, thus, joined an illustrious list of cricketers who have smashed at least six consecutive sixes in an over, including Sir Garfield Sobers, Ravi Shastri, Herschelle Gibbs, Yuvraj Singh, Ross Whiteley, Haztratullah Zazai, Leo Carter, Kieron Pollard and Thisara Perera.

As far as the bowler on this occasion is concerned, he went for 88 runs in nine overs.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ASIA PACIFIC: MUSEUM AWARD: Restoration of Mumbai’s Century-Old Museum, the ‘Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya’, Wins UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award of Excellence for Cultural Heritage Conservation’

The jury hailed it as a project that ‘sets a standard’ for the conservation of world heritage monuments.

The restoration of the 100-year-old Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya in Mumbai has won the Award of Excellence in this year’s UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation, which was announced on Saturday.

The museum is a part of the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai’s world heritage property. It was established as the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India in 1922.

UNESCO Bangkok, in a statement, said the jury hailed it as a project that “sets a standard” for the conservation of world heritage monuments. “The jury applauded the museum project for restoring ‘a major civic institution in the historic city of Mumbai’,” it said.

“Impressive in its scale, the project addressed extensive deterioration through well-informed architectural and engineering solutions, overcoming major challenges during the pandemic,” the statement added.

Thirteen projects from six countries – Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Nepal and Thailand – have been acknowledged for awards by the jury this year.

Jury deliberations were carried out in November when members reviewed 50 entries from 11 countries from the Asia-Pacific region.

Other awards

The Domakonda Fort of Telangana and Byculla Station of Mumbai are among the winners in the ‘Award of Merit’ category, while the stepwells of Golconda in Hyderabad has won an award in the ‘Award of Distinction’ category.

Topdara Stupa, Charikar, Afghanistan, and Nantian Buddhist Temple, Fujian, China, have also received the ‘Award of Merit’, the statement said.

“The awards give people a sense of pride and sense of ownership of their own heritage,” Feng Jing, the Chief of the Culture Unit at UNESCO Bangkok, was quoted as saying in the statement.

Since 2000, the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation programme has been recognising the efforts of private individuals and organisations in restoring, conserving and transforming structures and buildings of heritage value in the region.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: SPORT/ STADIUM WORLD RECORD: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad Awarded Guinness World Record for ‘Highest Spectator Attendance during 2022 IPL T20 Cricket Final’

The Narendra Modi Stadium has a capacity of 1,10,000 which is nearly 10,000 more than Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad has entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the maximum spectator attendance during the 2022 IPL final, BCCI secretary Jay Shah said on November 27.

Earlier known as Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) Stadium, Motera the stadium has a capacity of 1,10,000 which is nearly 10,000 more than Melbourne Cricket Ground with an official capacity of 1,00,024.

“Extremely delighted & proud to receive the Guinness World Record for the largest attendance at a T20 match when 101,566 people witnessed the epic IPL final at @GCAMotera’s magnificent Narendra Modi Stadium on 29 May 2022. A big thanks to our fans for making this possible,” Mr. Shah tweeted.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: Constitutional Day of India – November 26th, 1949. Also known as Samvidhan Divas or National Law Day

Constitution Day, also known as Samvidhan Divas or National Law Day, is celebrated in India on November 26 every year.

Why is the Constitution Day celebrated?

On November 26, 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India formally adopted the Constitution of India. It came into force on January 26, 1950. Constitution Day aims to bring awareness about the importance of the Constitution and Dr B R Ambedkar.

Who started the Constitution Day?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked November 26 as the Constitution Day of India in 2015.

What is the Constitution of India?

The Constitution is a set of written principles and precedents of the Government of India. It frames fundamental political principles, procedures, rights, directive principles, restrictions and duties of the government and the citizens of the country. The Constitution of India declares the country a sovereign, secular, socialist and democratic republic. It assures its citizens equality, liberty and justice.

Who wrote the Constitution of India?

B R Ambedkar, chairman of the drafting committee, is considered to be the chief architect of the Constitution of India. He is also called the Father of the Indian Constitution. The Constitution of India was drafted by the members of the Constituent Assembly.

What is the preamble to the Constitution of India?

Preamble is a brief statement which records the aims and aspirations of the people of India. The preamble to the Constitution of India reads:

“We, the people of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, republic, and to secure to all its citizens:

Justice, social, economic and political; liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; equality of status and of opportunity, and to promote among them all — fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;

In our Constituent Assembly this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do hereby adopt, enact and give to ourselves this constitution.”

How did Constitution of India come into being?

From 1947 to 1950, India continued to use the legislation implemented when it was a dominion of Britain. In the meantime, the Constituent Assembly drafted the Constitution of India, which would replace the Government of India Act, 1935, as the country’s fundamental governing document. The Constitution was drawn from a number of sources, while India’s needs and conditions were given paramount importance. B R Ambedkar studied the Constitutions of over 60 countries before drafting the Constitution of India.

A brief timeline:

On December 6, 1949 the Constitution Assembly was formed and its first meeting was held on December 9. Rajendra Prasad was appointed its President and H C Mukherjee its vice-chairman. On August 29, 1947, the drafting committee appointed Ambedkar as its chairman and six other members — Munshi N Gopalaswami Ayyangar, Khaitan, Mitter, Muhammed Sadulla, Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer. The members of the Constituent Assembly signed two hand-written copies of the document (one each in Hindi and English) on January 24, 1950. On November 26, 1949, the Constitution of India was adopted by the Assembly. On January 26, 1950, the Constitution was enforced.

It took almost three years to write the constitution.

source/content: business-standard.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: INDIAN COMPANY OVERSEAS: TVS Motor Company Expands its Global Footprint; Launches its first TVS Experience Centre in Singapore

TVS Motor Company, a reputed manufacturer of two-wheelers with sales of over three million units globally, today inaugurated its first state-of-the-art TVS Experience Centre in Singapore.

This launch is in line with the company’s global expansion plans. The new TVS Experience Centre will offer a range of TVS Motor’s premium motorcycles including the flagship model, TVS Apache RR310 for racing enthusiasts, and the TVS Apache RTR range for the performance seekers.

The company will introduce diverse products offerings, catering to both personal commuting as well as the delivery premium segment in Singapore. This centre will additionally have vehicle servicing facility, spare parts, and the full range of merchandise to choose from.

The TVS Apache series was born on the racetrack, incorporating learnings from more than 40 years of TVS Racing experience-the factory racing team of TVS Motor Company with a history of 40 years in motorsports. Offering superior products into the market that connect with customers who are also racing enthusiasts, TVS Apache series have always been at the forefront of technology and innovation since its launch in 2005. Through the years, the brand has introduced first-in-segment features & technology to the customers, recording strong year on year export volumes across 80 countries.

TVS Apache has redefined the sports segment by focusing on race performance, making it a highly desirable product for sports enthusiasts. This has resulted in creating a customer base of over 4.8 million across the globe.

Speaking at the occasion, Vimal Sumbly, Head Business-Premium at TVS Motor Company said, “The TVS Apache Series have always been at the forefront of technology & innovation since its launch in 2005 and continue to set a benchmark in the performance segment. The vehicles under the stable of TVS Apache series have offered multiple first-in-segment & best-in-class features & technology to the customers, starting from Fuel injection, ABS, Dual Channel ABS, Slipper Clutch, to the most recent SmartXonnectTM, Ride Modes, LED Headlamp, and democraticing racing. Our expansion into Singapore, with the launch of the TVS Apache series, is instrumental in our premiumisation story and we are confident of widening our community of Apache owners in the country.”

Commenting on the Singapore launch, Rahul Nayak, Vice President-International Business, TVS Motor Company, said, “With many years of commitment to building the international business portfolio, TVS Motor Company has set the benchmark in catering to diverse needs of buyers across the globe. Our launch in Singapore is one step further in expanding globally in achieving our global ambitions.”

Commenting on the showroom launch, J Thangarajan, President Director-PT TVS Motor Company, said, “We are delighted to expand our presence in the ASEAN region, with our new TVS Experience Centre in Singapore with Motorsport Pte Ltd. They have a rich experience in the region and share our values of keeping customers at the core of our offerings. This state-of-the-art experience centre inaugurated here in Singapore will further consolidate our presence in the region. It will pave the way for us to explore newer opportunities in the world of mobility, as we introduce our premium range of two-wheelers: the flagship model TVS Apache RR310 and the TVS Apache RTR series along with a slew of other experiences for the auto enthusiasts in Singapore.”

Herbert Teh, Director- Motorsport Pte Ltd. said, “We will be representing TVS Motor Company with great pride to cater to the Singapore customers. With the product technology and quality of TVS Motor products, combined with our market presence and reach, we are confident that we will meet the customer expectation in the country.”

TVS Motor Company has partnered with ‘Motorsport Pte Ltd (part of the Chong Aik Group)’ who will be the distributors for Singapore Market. Motorsport has strong presence in the region with 6 retail outlets and 8 warehouses. Established in 1994, they currently have exclusive distributorship for more than 40 brands, whilst also being the stockiest for genuine parts, apparels, and motorcycle accessories.

TVS Motor Company is a reputed two and three-wheeler manufacturer globally, championing progress through Sustainable Mobility with four state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Hosur, Mysuru and Nalagarh in India and Karawang in Indonesia. Rooted in our 119-year legacy of Trust, Value, and Passion for Customers and Exactness, we take pride in making internationally aspirational products of the highest quality through innovative and sustainable processes.

We are the only two-wheeler company to have received the prestigious Deming Prize. Our products lead in their respective categories in the J.D. Power IQS and APEAL surveys. We have been ranked No. 1 Company in /the J.D. Power Customer Service Satisfaction Survey for consecutive four years. Our group company Norton Motorcycles, based in the United Kingdom, is one of the most emotive motorcycle brands in the world. Our subsidiaries in the personal e-mobility space, Swiss E-Mobility Group (SEMG) and EGO Movement have a leading position in the e-bike market in Switzerland. TVS Motor Company endeavours to deliver the most superior customer experience across 80 countries in which we operate.

For more information, please visit www.tvsmotor.com.

This story has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)

source/content: theprint.in (headline edited)

GLOBAL & NATIONAL RECORDS: TRANSPORT / RAILWAYS: Prototypes of India’s First Underwater (subaqueous tunnel) Rail System & the World’s Highest Railway Arch Bridge, built across the Chenab Bridge in J&K displayed at Indian International Trade Fair

India’s first underwater (subaqueous tunnel) rail system and the world’s highest railway arch bridge, built across the Chenab Bridge in J&K has sparked curiosity among the public.

The ongoing Indian International Trade Fair (IITF) at Delhi’s Pragati Maidan, witnessed the Ministry of Railway setting up a sprawling pavilion showcasing all of the railway’s technical advancements on the ironic rail bridge over Chenab and water tunnels. The ministry has highlighted many first-of-its-kind and marvellous facets of Indian Railways, which are attracting crowds of curious visitors.

Exhibiting prototypes of various mega projects, the railway has also exhibited the prototype of the re-developed ‘Ayodhya city railway station, of which the designs are inspired by the Ram Janambhoomi temple’s design.

Sharing details with the media on Tuesday, the Ministry of Railway claimed that various themes have been exhibited with their technological and structural advances through photos, translates and models.

“The model showing the world’s highest rail bridge on Chenab and India’s first underwater rail system, which is being built as part of the East-West Metro corridor of the metro railway in Kolkata, has been drawing huge crowds of curious visitors”, said a senior railway official.

The sports gallery exhibits awards won by the railway teams and an earmarked space showing the historic march of Indian Railways from the old days to the days of manufacturing and running high-speed Vande Bharat trains to the working of bullet trains, has also gathered a lot of onlookers.

“Another most interesting part of the railway’s pavilion is that it has made side walls based on the theme of ‘Azadi Ki Rail Gadi aur Station’ which throws light on the strong connection between freedom struggle and association of railways”, said a railway official. They also added adding that the redeveloped Ayodhya railway station with the design inspired by Lord Rama Janambhoomi temple has proved to be one of the huge crowd-pulling parts at the pavilion.

Besides this, the Ministry of Railways has also displayed the prototypes of its mega Sabarmati multimodal passenger hub and the casting yard of India’s first Bullet train project as part of the Mumbai-Ahmadabad high-speed rail corridor.

Not only this but the country’s first-of-its-kind solar plant at Bina in MP that generates solar power directly to 25 kV overhead electrical equipment to haul trains was displayed apart from the country’s first indigenous semi-high speed Vande Bharat train.

To make the visit of people at the railway pavilion memorable, the Ministry has created a special selfie booth titled ‘I am at Railway station’ for people to click pictures.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: ENVIRONMENT: Wildlife Biologist Dr. Purnima Devi Barman Honoured with the UN’s Highest Environmental Award, ‘The Champions of the Earth Award 2022’

Dr Purnima Devi Barman leads the “Hargila Army”, an all-female grassroots conservation movement dedicated to protecting the Greater Adjutant Stork from extinction.

UNITED NATIONS: Indian wildlife biologist Dr Purnima Devi Barman is among the honourees of this year’s Champions of the Earth award, the UN’s highest environmental honour, accorded for their transformative action to prevent, halt and reverse ecosystem degradation.

Barman has been honoured with the UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) 2022 Champions of the Earth award in the Entrepreneurial Vision category.

A wildlife biologist, Barman leads the “Hargila Army”, an all-female grassroots conservation movement dedicated to protecting the Greater Adjutant Stork from extinction.

The women create and sell textiles with motifs of the bird, helping to raise awareness about the species while building their own financial independence.

Barman is also Senior Project Manager of the Avifauna Research and Conservation Division, Aaranyak.

The UNEP website said that at the age of five, Barman was sent to live with her grandmother on the banks of the Brahmaputra River in Assam.

“Separated from her parents and siblings, the girl became inconsolable. To distract her, Barman’s grandmother, a farmer, started taking her to nearby paddy fields and wetlands to teach her about the birds there. I saw storks and many other species. She taught me bird songs. She asked me to sing for the egrets and the storks. I fell in love with the birds,” said Barman, who has devoted much of her career to saving the endangered greater adjutant stork, the second-rarest stork species in the world.

“Barman’s pioneering conservation work has empowered thousands of women, creating entrepreneurs and improving livelihoods while bringing the greater adjutant stork back from the brink of extinction,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.

“Dr Barman’s work has shown that conflict between humans and wildlife can be resolved to the benefit of all. By highlighting the damaging impact that the loss of wetlands has had on the species who feed and breed on them, she reminds us of the importance of protecting and restoring ecosystems.”

According to information on the UNEP website, to protect the stork, Barman knew she had to change perceptions of the bird, known locally as “hargila” in Assamese (meaning “bone swallower”) and mobilised a group of village women to help her.

Today the “Hargila Army” consists of over 10,000 women.

They protect nesting sites, rehabilitate injured storks which have fallen from their nests and arrange “baby showers” to celebrate the arrival of newborn chicks.

The greater adjutant stork regularly features in folk songs, poems, festivals and plays.

Since Barman started her conservation programme, the number of nests in the villages of Dadara, Pachariya, and Singimari in Kamrup District have risen from 28 to more than 250, making this the largest breeding colony of greater adjutant storks in the world, UNEP said.

“In 2017, Barman began building tall bamboo nesting platforms for the endangered birds to hatch their eggs. Her efforts were rewarded a couple of years later when the first greater adjutant stork chicks were hatched on these experimental platforms,” it added.

Barman said on the UNEP website that one of her biggest rewards has been the sense of pride that has been instilled in the Hargila Army and she hopes their success will inspire the next generation of conservationists to pursue their dreams.

“Being a woman working in conservation in a male-dominated society is challenging but the Hargila Army has shown how women can make a difference,” she said.

UNEP said that since its inception in 2005, the annual Champions of the Earth award has been awarded to trailblazers at the forefront of efforts to protect our natural world.

It is the UN’s highest environmental honour.

To date, the award has recognised 111 laureates: 26 world leaders, 69 individuals and 16 organisations.

This year a record 2,200 nominations from around the world were received.

The other honourees include Arcenciel (Lebanon); Constantino (Tino) Aucca Chutas (Peru); Sir Partha Dasgupta of the United Kingdom and Cecile Bibiane Ndjebet (Cameroon).

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / DEFENCE / AEROSPACE: ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre carries out Parachute Airdrop test of Gaganyaan Human Spaceflight programme

The Gaganyaan deceleration system consists of three main parachutes, besides the smaller ACS, pilot, and drogue parachutes, to reduce the speed of the crew module to safe levels during its landing.

ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre has conducted the Integrated Main Parachute Airdrop Test (IMAT) of its crew module deceleration system for the much-awaited maiden Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme at the Babina Field Fire Range (BFFR) in Jhansi district of Uttar Pradesh.

The IMAT conducted on Friday marks a significant milestone toward realising the nation’s ambitious Gaganyaan project, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said in a statement.

The Gaganyaan deceleration system consists of three main parachutes, besides the smaller ACS, pilot, and drogue parachutes, to reduce the speed of the crew module to safe levels during its landing, the space agency said.

Two of the three main chutes are sufficient to land the astronauts on earth, and the third is redundant, ISRO said adding that the IMAT test simulated the case when one main chute failed to open.

The IMAT test is the first in a series of integrated parachute airdrop tests planned to simulate different failure conditions of the parachute system before it is deemed qualified to be used in the first human spaceflight mission.

In this test, a five-tonne dummy mass, equivalent to the crew module mass, was taken to an altitude of 2.5 kilometres and dropped using the Indian Air Force’s IL-76 aircraft. Two small pyro-based mortar-deployed pilot parachutes then pulled the main parachutes.

The main parachute sizes were initially restricted to a smaller area to reduce the opening shock. After seven seconds, the pyro-based reefing line cutters cut the area restricting line, allowing the parachutes to inflate fully.

“The fully inflated main parachutes reduced the payload speed to a safe landing speed. The entire sequence lasted about 2-3 minutes as the scientists watched the different phases of the deployment sequence unfold with bated breath. There was loud cheer and applause as the payload mass landed softly on the ground and the gigantic parachutes collapsed,” the statement read.

The design and development of the parachute-based deceleration system is a joint venture of ISRO and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

“The overall system design, analytical simulations of parachute deployment and crew module descent under various conditions, the design and development of ordnance devices for parachute extraction and ejection, assembly, mechanical and electrical integration of deceleration system, it’s instrumentation and avionics for conducting this drop tests are done at ISRO’s leading Research and Development centre, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram,” the space agency explained.

Senior ISRO and DRDO scientists and airforce officers were present when the crucial test was done.

“Besides proving the calibre of the scientists of ISRO and DRDO, the test also demonstrated the active coordination between the country’s premier agencies, namely ISRO, DRDO, the Indian Air Force, and the Indian Army,” ISRO said quoting a senior official.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: CHILDREN’S DAY:10-year-old Shlok Mukherjee from Kolkata wins Google Doodle for 24 hours on November 14th, Children’s Day.

Shlok Mukherjee’s drawing was the Google doodle for 24 hours on November 14, selected from over 1,15000 entries from across 100 cities in India.

A 10-year-old boy’s hope that his country will be at the centre stage of scientific advancement in 25 years and the image he drew to portray it won him the Doodle for Google competition 2022 on Children’s Day.

Shlok Mukherjee’s drawing was the Google doodle for 24 hours on November 14, selected from over 1,15000 entries from across 100 cities in India.

The day started at 4am at their home in Kankurgachhi, when Shlok’s mother woke up to her son’s doodle on Google. A few hours later, phone calls followed and of course, celebration.

The student of Delhi Public School New Town in his doodle married science with nature. “My doodle has an eco-friendly robot that plants trees and stops them from getting uprooted. I have shown India at the centre stage and the rest of the world applauding our advancement,” the Class IV boy told The Telegraph.

About 10 days back, when Shlok was getting off the school bus one afternoon, his mother told him he was one of the finalists of the competition and he would have to go to Delhi.

“In Delhi, he was one of the 20 finalists from across the country. We were told that the winner’s doodle would be up on Google on November 14. I woke up at 4 am today to check and there it was,” said Shlok’s mother Paromita Chatterjee.

The theme for this year’s competition was “In the next 25 years, my India will…”

The entries were judged on artistic merit, creativity, alignment with the contest theme, uniqueness and novelty of approach, Google said in a video.

“We appreciate his ability to think deeply about the future of the nation and the environment,” said Sonali Sen, principal of the school.

Google said that it was heartening that “advancement of technology and sustainability emerge as common themes across many of the Doodles”.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: POPULATION: With 177 million, India Largest Contributor to the Global Population Milestone of 8 billion: UN. Expected to Surpass China as the World’s Most Populous Nation Next Year.

India is expected to surpass China as the world’s most populous nation by next year.

India’s population 1,414,815,318 as on 14.11.2022

As the world population touched 8 billion on Tuesday, India was the largest contributor to the milestone, having added 177 million people, while China, whose contribution to the next billion in the global population is projected to be in the negative, the UN said.

India is expected to surpass China as the world’s most populous nation by next year.

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA), in a special graphic to mark the global population reaching eight billion, said Asia and Africa has driven much of this growth is expected to drive the next billion by 2037, while Europe’s contribution will be negative due to declining population.

The world added a billion people in the last 12 years. UNFPA said that as the world adds the next billion to its tally of inhabitants, China’s contribution will be negative.

“India, the largest contributor to the 8 billion (177 million) will surpass China, which was the second largest contributor (73 million) and whose contribution to the next billion will be negative, as the world’s most populous nation by 2023,” UNFPA said.

The UN said that it took about 12 years for the world population to grow from 7 to 8 billion, but the next billion is expected to take about 14.5 years (2037), reflecting the slowdown in global growth.

World population is projected to reach a peak of around 10.4 billion people during the 2080s and is expected to remain at that level until 2100.

For the increase from 7 to 8 billion, around 70 per cent of the added population was in low-income and lower-middle-income countries.

For the increase from 8 to 9 billion, these two groups of countries are expected to account for more than 90 per cent of global growth, the UN said.

Between now and 2050, the global increase in the population under the age 65 will occur entirely in low income and lower-middle-income countries, since population growth in high-income and upper-middle income countries will occur only among those aged 65 or more, it said.

The World Population Prospects 2022, released in July this year said that India’s population stands at 1.412 billion in 2022, compared with China’s 1.426 billion.

India is projected to have a population of 1.668 billion in 2050, ahead of China’s 1.317 billion people by the middle of the century.

According to UNFPA estimates, 68 per cent of India’s population is between 15-64 years old in 2022, while people aged 65 and older were seven per cent of the population.

The report had said that the global population is growing at its slowest rate since 1950, having fallen under 1 per cent in 2020.

The world’s population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050.

China is expected to experience an absolute decline in its population as early as 2023, the report had said.

At the launch of the report in July, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Liu Zhenmin had said that countries where population growth has slowed must prepare for an increasing proportion of older persons and, in more extreme cases, a decreasing population size.

“China provides a clear example. With the rapid ageing of its population due to the combined effects of very low fertility and increasing life expectancy, growth of China’s total population is slowing down, a trend that is likely to continue in the coming decades,” Liu said.

The WHO pointed out that China has one of the fastest growing ageing populations in the world.

“The population of people over 60 years in China is projected to reach 28 per cent by 2040, due to longer life expectancy and declining fertility rates,” the WHO said.

In China, by 2019, there were 254 million older people aged 60 and over, and 176 million older people aged 65 and over.

In 2022, the two most populous regions were both in Asia: Eastern and South-Eastern Asia with 2.3 billion people (29 per cent of the global population) and Central and Southern Asia with 2.1 billion (26 per cent).

China and India, with more than 1.4 billion each, accounted for most of the population in these two regions.

More than half of the projected increase in the global population up to 2050 will be concentrated in eight countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and the United Republic of Tanzania.

Countries of sub-Saharan Africa are expected to contribute more than half of the increase anticipated through 2050, the report added.

PTI

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)