World Elephant Day is celebrated every year globally on 12 August. The day is observed to create awareness about elephant conservation and highlight the plight of these majestic creatures. The day also aims to highlight the measures put into place to save elephants from illegal ivory trading to harmful human activities. Elephant Day was first observed on 12 August, 2012.
This year, India is all set to celebrate its 75th Independence Day on 15 August. The Government of India has launched ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ (Tricolour in Every house) campaign from 13 to 15 August, 2022 and Independence Week from 11 to 17 August, 2022, to celebrate 75 years of the country’s independence. On this day, it would be interesting to read stories of unknown freedom fighters, prepare tricolour dishes, watch the flag hoisting ceremony at Red Fort, and anything that makes us proud of the country we belong to.
Raksha Bandhan is celebrated in India on the full moon day of the month of Shravan. The festival is celebrated to cherish the bond between a brother and sister. This year, the festival will be celebrated on 11 August, 2022. On this day, the sister ties a rakhi (sacred thread) on her brother’s wrist, which symbolises love and protection, and the siblings wish each other a long and happy life.
Every year, World Lion Day is celebrated globally on 10 August. The day is observed to celebrate the jungle king and to spread awareness about lion conservation in their natural environment. The day was first observed in 2013. In India, the population of Asiatic lions has increased from 523 to 674, between 2015 and 2022, in Gir forest, Gujarat and the larger Saurashtra protected area.
World Biofuel Day is observed globally every year on 10 August. Biofuel is derived from biomass, like plants, agricultural wastes, crops, algae and many sources. The day is observed to create awareness about the use of non-fossil fuel as an alternative to conventional fossil fuels. The day is also dedicated to honour Sir Rudolf Diesel, who with an experiment, first predicted the use of vegetable oils as an alternative to fossil fuel.
On 8 August, 1942, the Quit India Movement was started by Mahatma Gandhi. The event is commemorated every year to pay tribute to the freedom fighters, who sacrificed their lives for the nation’s freedom. This peaceful civil disobedience movement started with an aim to force the British Government to grant India independence and played a significant role in the country’s freedom struggle.
International Cat Day is celebrated every year globally on 8 August. The day is observed to celebrate cats and their importance as pets and companions. It was established by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) in 2002. The day is also marked to protect many unfortunate kittens from human abuse and extreme weather conditions and to provide comfort to them. The theme for this year is ‘cat friendly resources’.
India added 15 more medals to its tally on 07 August, 2022, the second last day of the Commonwealth Games (CWG), in Birmingham, including the bronze by women’s hockey team. Till now, Indian athletes have won 55 medals – 18 golds, 15 silvers and 22 bronzes, at the event. More medals are expected as Badminton players, P.V. Sindhu, Laskhya Sen, and the duo, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, entered their respective finals.
Fondly known as the ‘Bamboo Lady’, 29-year-old Meenakshi Walke, from Chandrapur, Maharashtra, launched her business, ‘Abhisar Innovatives’, four years ago. Meenakshi makes bamboo products such as baskets, trays along with innovative bamboo rakhis, bamboo QR codes, friendship bands and more. Till now, she has not only sold them all over the nation but also shipped her products to London. For her work, she was awarded the Nari Shakti Award in 2018 and the Woman Hero Award, presented by the Indo-Canadian Art and Culture Society, in 2021.
R. Premila, a traffic constable from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, won three gold medals and a silver medal in World Police and Fire Games 2022 (WPFG) held in Rotterdam, Netherlands. WPFG had over 10,000 athletes, who participated in 63 different events. Premila won gold in 100m dash, 400m, long jump and silver in 200m run. A senior police officer said that Premila has not only made the department proud but also the whole nation.
