DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: July 29, 2024

MoHFW Launches U-WIN Portal for Digital Vaccine Tracking

Tags: Science and Technology

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) launched the U-WIN online vaccine management portal.

An Overview of the News

• The objective of this portal is to create an electronic registry of routine immunization for pregnant women and children up to 6 years of age under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP).

UIP Details:

• UIP is a major global public health initiative offering free vaccinations to pregnant women and children.

• The U-WIN portal is modeled after the Co-WIN system used for COVID-19 vaccine management.

• It will be integrated with the existing eVIN platform for inventory management.

Features of U-WIN Portal:

• Covers 12 Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (VPDs) under UIP:

• Nationally: Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Measles, Rubella, severe childhood Tuberculosis, Rotavirus Diarrhea, Hepatitis B, Meningitis, Pneumonia (Hemophilus Influenza Type B and Pneumococcal Pneumonia).

• Sub-nationally: Japanese Encephalitis (JE) (only in endemic districts).

• Provides age-appropriate immunization as per the National Immunization Schedule (NIS).

Contains 5 main modules:

• Registration and scheduling (for beneficiaries).

• Administrator module and session planning (for program managers).

• Vaccinator module (for vaccinators).

• Delivery point module (for healthcare workers at the delivery point).

• Mobiliser module (for frontline workers).

Target Audience:

• Aims to reach 2.9 crore pregnant women and 2.6 crore infants (0-1 years) annually.

• Provides 11 vaccines against 12 VPDs through over 1.2 crore vaccination sessions across the country.

Related Recent News:

• MoHFW plans to launch the National Health Claim Exchange (NHCX) portal to streamline health insurance claims.

• NHCX, developed by the National Health Authority (NHA), is part of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).

MoHFW Leadership:

• Union Minister: J.P. Nadda (Rajya Sabha - Gujarat).

• Ministers of State: Anupriya Patel (Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh), Prataprao Ganpatrao Jadhav (Independent Charge - Bulthana, Maharashtra).

IN-SPACE Authorizes Azista BST to Establish Satellite Tracking Facility in Hyderabad

Tags: Science and Technology

On 26th July 2024, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACE) granted authorization to Azista BST Aerospace Private Limited to set up a ground station in Hyderabad, Telangana.

An Overview of the News

• The facility will support Azista BST’s own satellites and offer Ground Station as a Service (GSaaS) for Telemetry, Tracking, and Command (TT&C) operations.

• It will also handle data reception from remote sensing satellites for both Indian and international customers.

Operational Details

• The ground station will operate in the Ultra High-Frequency (UHF) band ranging from 300 MegaHertz (MHz) to 3 GigaHertz (GHz).

• This frequency band is utilized for satellite communications, including data relay, telemetry, and satellite control.

Applications and Support

• The facility will support various applications such as weather forecasting, environmental monitoring, scientific research, and military operations.

Joint Venture Background

• Azista BST Aerospace is a joint venture between Azista Industries and Berlin Space Technologies, based in Hyderabad, Telangana.

Dr. Jaishankar Strengthens Ties in Lao PDR and Brunei During 3-Day Visit

Tags: International News

Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Union Minister for External Affairs, Government of India, undertook a 3-day official visit to Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic from 25th to 27th July 2024.

An Overview of the News

• 25th July 2024: Dr. Jaishankar attended the 57th ASEAN-Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM), chaired by Lao PDR, with the theme "ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience."

• 26th July 2024: Dr. Jaishankar and Dato Haji, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei, jointly launched a logo commemorating 40 years of diplomatic relations between India and Brunei.

• 27th July 2024: Dr. Jaishankar held a bilateral meeting with Saleumxay Kommasith, Foreign Minister of Lao PDR, and jointly released a special commemorative postage stamp set featuring Lord Ram Lalla of Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh).

About Lao PDR:

• Prime Minister: Sonexay Siphandone

• Capital: Vientiane

• Currency: Lao kip

CWC Wins 'Water Department of the Year' at Global Water Tech Summit

Tags: Science and Technology

Central Water Commission (CWC) received the GEEF Global WaterTech Award for 'Water Department of the Year' at the Global Water Tech Summit 2024.

An Overview of the News

• The award was presented by the Global Energy and Environment Foundation (GEEF) in New Delhi.

Award Categories

• Focus Areas: Recognizes achievements in water, wastewater, and desalination sectors.

• Criteria: Awards emphasize innovation, technology, conservation, and sustainable development.

CWC’s Contributions

• Hydro-meteorological data collection

• Flood forecasting

• Reservoir storage monitoring

• Water quality monitoring

• Coastal area management

• Appraisal and monitoring of water resources projects

• Resolving inter-state water issues

New Initiatives

• Enhanced Collaboration:

  • Interaction with State/UT Water Resources/Irrigation/Jal Shakti Departments to improve synergy.

• Capacity Building:

  • Development in Urban Hydrology and Extended Hydrological Prediction (EHP).

• Public Engagement:

  • Launch of the mobile app ‘Floodwatch India’ for flood information dissemination.

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Unveils Humayun’s Tomb World Heritage Site Museum

Tags: National News

Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, inaugurated the Humayun’s Tomb World Heritage Site Museum in New Delhi on July 29, 2024.

An Overview of the News

• The inauguration was attended by Prince Rahim Aga Khan, dignitaries from the Ministry of Culture, the Archaeological Survey of India, and other notable guests.

Museum Details:

• Size: 100,000 square feet

• Design: Underground, inspired by ancient 'Baolis' (stepped wells)

• Purpose: To enhance understanding of the World Heritage Site and provide cultural context.

Collaborators:

• Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)

• Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC)

Exhibits:

• Over 500 artefacts including Mughal miniatures, manuscripts, coins, astrolabes, and architectural elements from Humayun’s Mausoleum.

• Architectural models and historical artefacts illustrating 700 years of history.

Key Galleries:

• ‘Where the Emperor Rests’: Focuses on Humayun’s Mausoleum and Emperor Humayun’s life.

• ‘Icons of a Sacred Landscape’: Highlights cultural figures like Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, Amir Khusrau, Rahim, and Dara Shukoh.

Visitor Experience:

• Stone ramps and a 40-feet wide 3D illustration at the entrance.

• Includes a map showing Delhi’s seven cities and stories of dynasties.

Funding:

• Total cost: Rs 250 Crore

• Initial grant: Rs 49 Crore from the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.

• Additional funding from Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Havells India, US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, Tata Trusts, and others.

Management:

• Managed by AKTC for 10 years, in collaboration with ASI.

• Expected to increase visitor engagement, especially for school children.

Department of Atomic Energy Launches 'One DAE One Subscription

Tags: Science and Technology

The inaugural ceremony for ‘One DAE One Subscription’ (ODOS) took place at Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai.

An Overview of the News

• ODOS is an initiative by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) designed to consolidate access to research papers and scientific journals across all DAE units under a single umbrella.

• Consortium agreements have been signed with M/s. Wiley India Private Limited and M/s. Springer Nature Group to provide extensive access to their journals and support for open access publishing.

• The agreements include perpetual rights to journals for 2024, access to historical archives, and coverage of Article Processing Charges (APC) for publishing in open access journals.

ODOS Agreements:

Agreement with M/s Wiley India Private Limited:

• Provides access to 1,353 Wiley journals, including archives from 1997.

• Covers the entire DAE community, expanding from 166 unique journals for 12 units.

• Perpetual rights granted for all 2024 journals.

• Includes Article Processing Charges (APC) for publishing more articles in open access journals.

Agreement with M/s. Springer Nature Group:

• Grants access to 2,686 Springer Nature titles, including 553 Fully Open Access (FOA) journals.

• Expands access from 1,752 unique journals for 14 units.

• Perpetual rights for all 2024 journals.

• Archives accessible from 1997 for Springer titles and from 2012 for Nature titles.

• Enables DAE to publish 281 articles in Springer Hybrid journals as open access without APC.

Dr. A.K. Mohanty: Secretary of DAE and Chairman of AEC.

A.K. Nayak: Head of NCPW, DAE.

Dr. Sudeep Gupta: Director of TMC.