UTTARAKHAND
Union Govt approves Rs 700 Cr NHM Budget for U’khand
The Union government has approved a budget of Rs 699.7 Crore under the National Health Mission (NHM) for Uttarakhand. This approval was given in a meeting of the senior officers of the Union health and family affairs ministry in New Delhi.
A team of officials from Uttarakhand headed by secretary in charge, Pankaj Kumar Pandey presented the case of the state in the meeting. Terming the approval of Programme Implementation Plan (PIP) of NHM as a big achievement for the state, the director NHM, Dr Saroj Naithani said that the proposal of the state to appoint 500 new community health officers was approved in the meeting.
The proposal for contractual appointment of 400 ANM and 158 staff nurses was also approved. The state health department would depute nine new teams under Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) and set up dialysis units in Bageshwar, Chamoli, Champawat, Tehri and Uttarkashi districts. A budget of Rs 18.50 Crore would be provided for operation and maintenance of the recently purchased new fleet of 132 ambulances for 108 emergency service. Similarly one cardiac care unit each would be set up in Garhwal and Kumaon division.
INTERNATIONAL
Defence Acquisition Councils Plans-US
The Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) will undertake multi-billion dollar deals for armed drones from the United States and advanced submarines under the Project-75I. Highlights:
India has been seeking to purchase 30 armed drones from the United States, each serving 10, but this process has been repeatedly delayed in the past few years.
Although the Navy has urgent requirements for High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) drones, in view of the high cost of the platform, its practicality in the Army and Air Force is still in doubt.
The Navy has introduced two MQ-9B Sea Guardian unarmed drones purchased from the United States. Project-75I:
The 75I-class submarine is the successor to the 75-class Kalvari-class submarine of the Indian Navy.
This project is being processed through the Strategic Partnership (SP) model of the Defense Procurement Procedure.
This project is part of a 30-year plan for the construction of indigenous submarines and was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security in 1999. About Defence Acquisition Council:
The Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) is the highest decision-making body in the Ministry of Defense, responsible for determining new policies and new capital acquisitions for the three services (Army, Navy and Air Force) and the Indian Coast Guard.
The Minister of Defence is the chairman of the Defense Acquisition Council.
It was established in 2001 after the recommendations of the Group of Ministers on “Reforming the National Security System”, that is, after the Kargil War (1999).
NATIONAL
GI Tag for Pochampally Ikkat
Pochampally Ikkat has been granted Geographical Indiaction (GI) Status. Pochampally Ikkat: Pochampally Ikat or resist dyeing involves a sequence of tying and dyeing the bundled yarn parts into a predetermined color scheme before weaving. During the Nizam era, they were exported to Myanmar (Burma), West Asia and East Africa, where they are called Asian rumors. The word “Ikat” is derived from the Malay-Indonesian mangikat, which means to bind, tie or entangle.
DRDO conducted Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) Test
DRDO conducted a successful flight test of the Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet. Highlights:
The Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet is a missile propulsion technology jointly developed by India and Russia.
DRDO successfully conducted a flight demonstration of SFDR technology from Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, on the coast of Odisha.
The successful test of SFDR technology has provided Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) with technical advantages, enabling it to enhance long-range air-to-air missiles.
Currently, this type of technology is only available in a few countries in the world.
Establishment of Techbharat
The Union Health Minister announces the establishment of Techbharat in 2021 Highlights:
This is an e-conference center that brings together stakeholders from the HealthTech and Edutech departments.
This is the second e-conference organized by Laghu Udyog Bharati and the IMS Foundation.
Techbharat promotes interaction and discussion among thousands of domestic and foreign participants, including policy makers, government representatives, industry members, investors, and start-ups to build resource-rich partnerships and boost growth in the sectors.
Ease of Living Index released by MoHUA
Recently, Ease of Living Index (EoLI) 2020 was released. Ministry: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Highlights:
Aim of EoLI: To measure the well-being of Indian citizens in 111 cities under the pillars of Quality of Life, Economic capacity and Sustainability
“Ease of Living Index (EoLI) 2020” also added a “Citizen Perception Survey” to the index, with a weight of 30%.
Published rankings of cities with a population of more than one million and cities with a population of less than one million.
Bangalore placed in the Best performer in the “Million+” category.
Shimla placed in the Best performer in the “Less than a Million” category.