IASbaba Press Information Bureau 16th to 22nd

September, 2018

ARCHIVES

GS-2

India signs Financing Loan Agreement with the World Bank for US$ 74 Million for Uttarakhand Workforce Development Project (UKWDP)

(Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation)

The Project objective is to improve the quality and relevance of training at priority Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and to increase the number of labor-market-relevant workers through short term training in Uttrakhand.

The Project has three components:

• Improving the quality and relevance of ITI Training
• Increasing the number of skilled workers certified under National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQE) – Compliant Short Term Training
• Policy and Institutional Development and Project Management

Cabinet approves

• Enhancement of Honorarium to Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs) and Performance Linked Incentive to AWHs under Anganwadi Services (Umbrella ICDS Scheme):

Nearly 27 lakh AWWs/AWHs will be benefitted by the approval. Anganwadi Services (Umbrella ICDS) is a universal scheme and beneficiaries are spread all over the country at AWC/village level.

The programme through targeted interventions will

• Strive to reduce the level of malnutrition, anaemia and low birth weight babies
• Ensure empowerment of adolescent girls
• Provide protection to the children who are in conflict with law
• Provide safe place for day-care to  children of working mothers
• Create synergy
• Ensure better monitoring
• Issue negative alerts for timely action
• Encourage States/UTs to perform, guide and supervise line Ministries and States/UTs to achieve the targeted goals and bring more transparency

• ASHA Benefit Package

Approval with two components as under: –

• ASHAs and ASHA facilitators meeting the eligibility criteria to be enrolled in social security schemes implemented by Government of India namely, the Pradhan MantriJeevanJyotiBimaYojana and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha BimaYojana.
• An increase in the amount of routine and recurring incentives under National Health Mission for ASHAs under NHM from Rs. 1000/- per month to Rs. 2000/-per month.

• Revised Cost Estimate of Dam rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP)

At the revised cost of Rs 3466 crore with the financial assistance of the World Bank to improve safety and operational performance of 198 Dams, along with institutional strengthening with system wide management approach.

DRIP envisages following objectives: –
Component-I: – Rehabilitation of Dam and its Appurtenant Structures,

Component-II: – Institutional Strengthening and

Component-Ill: – Project Management.

Impact:

• Improve the safety and operational performance of selected existing dams and mitigate risks to ensure safety of downstream population and property.  
• The primary beneficiaries are both urban and rural communities dependent on reservoir and downstream communities, who are prone to risk associated with dam failure or operational failure.  
• Further, through institutional strengthening component, effectiveness of Dam Safety Organisations will be increased to take the lead to make dams safe from structural and operational point of view through capacity building of staff and officials.

GS-3

India Cooling Action Plan

(Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment)

Objectives

• Assessment of cooling requirements across sectors in next 20 years and the associated refrigerant demand and energy use
• Map the technologies available to cater the cooling requirement including passive interventions, refrigerant-based technologies and alternative technologies such as not-in-kind technologies
• Suggest interventions in each sector to provide for sustainable cooling and thermal comfort for all
• Focus on skilling of RAC service technicians
• Develop an R&D innovation ecosystem for indigenous development of alternative technologies.  

“Keep Cool and Carry on”: The Montreal Protocol is the theme of 24th World Ozone Day celebrations

• The Montreal Protocol is the only environmental treaty which enjoys universal ratification of 197 UN numbers countries.
• The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer has been recognized as the most successful international environment treaty in history.  
• Its implementation has not only led to the phase-out of around 98% of ozone depleting chemicals, but also averted more than 135 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.
• Nearly 2 million cases of skin cancer per year have been averted globally.

First country in the world to develop document on Cooling Action Plan: India

• Cooling has been recognized as an important development need due to cross-sectoral nature and considerable use of cooling and air conditioning in different Sectors of the economy such as industries, residential and commercial buildings, cold chain, transport (personal, commercial, metro and railways, ships).
• The integration of topics on HCFC phase out and energy efficiency in architectural curriculum will help the future architects to introduce energy efficiency and use ozone friendly materials in new construction of buildings. This will help not only in the protection of Ozone layer, but also reduce energy consumption in building sector, which is one of the significant consumers of electricity in urban areas.

Please Note

Exercise Aviaindra-18: An Air Force level exercise between India and the Russian Federation

Exercise KAZIND: Between Indian Army and Kazakhstan Army

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award: Mirabai Chanu (Indian weightlifter) and Virat Kohli

Union Home Minister launches two portals to strengthen Women Safety:

• The portal “cybercrime.gov.in” will receive complaints from citizens on objectionable online content related to child pornography, child sexual abuse material, sexually explicit material such as rape and gang rape.
• The National Database on Sexual Offenders (NDSO), which is accessible only to law enforcement agencies, will assist in effectively tracking and investigating cases of sexual offences.

Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojna: This scheme is a relief payable in cash directly to a person’s Bank Account in case of unemployment and while they search for new engagement.  

Health Ministry launches sputum sample transportation through Dept. of Post: A pilot for utilizing services of Department of Post for transport of sputum specimen for TB Diagnosis

• A significant proportion of patients are not tested because the specimen does not reach the laboratory due to non-availability of specimen transport mechanisms.
• Transport of collected specimen also spares the patient’s from travelling to the reference laboratory. Prompt transport of specimen followed by efficacious testing will enable appropriate management of the TB patients and reduced disease transmission.
• The learning from Delhi Pilot experience will be useful for adaptation of specimen transport mechanism throughthe Postal Department across the country.

Nikshay Version 2.0: The web-based application of RNTCP, with better user interface and data structures

Launch of ‘e-Sahaj’ portal: For grant of Security Clearance

• Will facilitate an applicant to submit application online and also to view the status of his application from time to time
• With the introduction of online portal, the process will become standardized, resulting in a process which will be faster, transparent and easy to monitor.

Note: MHA is the nodal Ministry for security clearances in certain sensitive sectors before issue of licence/permit, permission, contract etc, to companies/ bidders/individuals by the administrative Ministry. The objective of national security clearance is to evaluate potential security threats, including economic threats, and provide risk assessment before clearing investment and project proposals in key sectors. The aim is to strike a healthy balance between meeting the imperatives of national security and facilitating ease of doing business and promoting investment in the country.

Dispensary Cum-Branch Office (DCBO)

• Will be set up in every district
• To make presence of primary care services, irrespective of whether a district has already a State run Dispensary in that area
• Will perform the functions of both dispensary and branch office; these will act as single unit providing Patient Services and cash benefit payments under one roof besides providing medicines to patient attending DCBO

ESIC “Chinta Se Mukti“mobile app

• Is available on UMANG platform of Govt. of India.
• With this app, the Insured Persons can view their contribution history, personal profile, claim status and also their entitlement to benefits.
• Grievances can also be lodged through this app. Besides, Insured Persons can also view knowledge bank on health topics and audio-visuals on benefits under ESI Scheme.

Medical Cyclotron Facility Cyclone-30 Became Operational

• Cyclotrons are used to produce radioisotopes for diagnostic and therapeutic use for cancer care.
• This facility will provide for affordable radio isotopes and related radiopharmaceuticals for the entire country especially, for Eastern India and also have export potential for Germanium-68/Gallium-68 generator for in-situ production of Gallium-68 and Palladium-103 isotopes, used for breast cancer diagnosis and prostate cancer treatment, respectively.

Government paves the way for amalgamated Public Sector Banks with global heft and business synergies for providing wider products & services and enhanced access:

• Banks in discussion: Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank
• The envisaged amalgamation will be the First-ever three-way consolidation of banks in India, with a combined business of Rs. 14.82 lakh crore, making it India’s Third Largest Bank.
• The consolidation will help create a strong globally competitive bank with economies of scale and enable realisation of wide-ranging synergies.
• Leveraging of networks, low-cost deposits and subsidiaries of the three banks has the potential of yielding significant synergies for positioning the consolidated entity for substantial rise in customer base, market reach, operational efficiency, wider bouquet of products and services, and improved access for customers.  

World Health Organisation is developing Benchmark Documents for practice in traditional medicine:

• World Health Organisation is developing Benchmark Documents for practice in Ayurveda, Panckarma and Unani system as part of its global strategy to provide safe, effective and accessible Traditional Medicine to global community.
• The documents are expected to provide minimum requirements for qualified practice by practitioners of Ayurveda, Panchkarma and Unani to provide minimum safety requirement for practicing these and also to serve as a reference to national authorities to establish/ strengthen regulatory standards to ensure qualified practice of such system and patients safety.

India and Malta have signed three Memorandums of Understanding (MoU):

• Maritime Cooperation
• Diplomatic Training
• Tourism Cooperation

BIMSTEC Nations Military Field Training Exercise i.e. MILEX – 2018: At Pune – The Exercise demonstrated the commitment and capabilities of the participating BIMSTEC National armies in working closely with each other to eradicate the menace of terrorism existing in different forms.

MHA signs MoU with ISRO to set up an Integrated Control Room for Emergency Response:

• The ICR-ER will cater to the requirement of Disaster Management as well as Internal Security.
• ICR-ER will address the requirement of receipt of information on near real-time basis, strategic level monitoring, situation awareness, command and control, preparedness and response in the diverse internal security situation and disaster related emergencies.
• Resultantly, it will increase the operational effectiveness and will be helpful in rendering timely response / assistance during various emergency situations.

Successful Flight Test of Prahar: By DRDO

• An indigenously developed surface-to-surface tactical missile
• ‘Prahar’ is a contemporary weapon system capable of carrying multiple types of warheads and neutralizing a wide variety of targets.

Second Flight Test of MPATGM Successful: Indigenously developed Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM), was successfully flight tested for the second time

PSLV-C42 launches 2 foreign satellites

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C42) of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched two satellites — NovaSAR and S1-4– from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota.

• Both satellites were injected into the Sun Synchronous Orbit.
• The satellite applications include forestry mapping, land use and ice cover monitoring, flood and disaster monitoring and maritime missions. It will be operated from SSTL’s Spacecraft Operations Centre in Guildford, UK.
• S1-4 is a high resolution earth observation satellite meant for surveying resources, environment monitoring, urban management and disaster monitoring.
• The PSLV-C42 marks the latest technology and commercial collaboration between India and the UK with the launch of the combination of high resolution optical and radar (SAR) satellite

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY):

• To provide insurance coverage and financial support to the farmers in the event of failure of any of the notified crop as a result of natural calamities, pests & diseases.
• To stabilise the income of farmers to ensure their continuance in farming.
• To encourage farmers to adopt innovative and modern agricultural practices.
• To ensure flow of credit to the agriculture sector.

New Guidelines introduced: Provides add on coverage for crop loss due to attack of wild animals, which will be implemented on a pilot basis.

Essay Topic for practice: Workers are architects of Modern India