1. Centre identifies 75 tribal districts for focused TB interventions
Tags: National National News
Ministry of Tribal Affairs and TB Division of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare organised a National Conference to publicise the features of 100 Day Assurance Campaign under 'Tribal TB Initiative' on 24th August at National Tribal Research Institute (NTRI), New Delhi.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- On the occasion of 75 years of India's independence, 75 overburdened tribal districts have been selected to focus on TV in the coming months.
Three tier strategy for 75 districts :
Creating demand for TB services through community mobilisation, increasing awareness of TB symptoms, prevalence and treatment procedures, and continuing engagement with community influencers involved in the recovery process.
Improving the delivery of TB services by provision of customised solutions by leveraging PIPs and other sources of funding to bridge implementation gaps by augmenting TB testing and diagnostics infrastructure.
Reducing the risk of spreading the disease through active case detection campaigns.
Tribal TB Initiative :
It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the Central TB Division of the Ministry of Health, supported by USAID as a technical partner and by Piramal Health as an implementation partner.
Through this initiative, the Assurance Campaign was launched on 7 January 2022 to detect active cases of TB in 174 tribal districts of India.
The initiative was flagged off in Nandurbar district of Maharashtra.
Under this, door-to-door screening of TB was done in 68,019 villages.
Based on oral test of 1,03,07,200 persons during the campaign, 3,82,811 people were identified as having TB.
Of these, 2,79,329 (73 per cent) samples were tested for TB and 9,971 people tested positive for TB.
All of them were treated as per the protocol of the Government of India.
What is Tuberculosis (TB) ?
It is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
The bacteria generally attack the lungs, but TB bacteria can attack any part of the body, such as the kidneys, spine, and brain.
Tuberculosis infections began increasing in 1985 because of the emergence of HIV.
HIV weakens a person's immune system, so it can't fight the TB germs.
Transmission :
Its bacteria spread from person to person through the air.
When people with pulmonary (Lung) TB cough, sneeze or spit, they spread TB germs into the air.
Symptoms of TB :
cough for three or more weeks
coughing up bloody sputum
Chest pain, pain with breathing and coughing
weight loss, Fatigue, Fever and Night sweats etc.
Government Initiatives to Combat TB :
National Strategic Plan (NSP) for Tuberculosis (TB) Elimination (2017-2025)
Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY- financial support)
TB Harega Desh Jeetega Campaign
Universal Immunisation Programme
The government of India aims to have a TB-free India by 2025.
Revised National TB Control Program under National Health Mission
Ending the TB epidemic by 2030 under United Nations SDG target 3.3.
Every year World TB Day is celebrated on 24 March.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -
TB Burden :
Every year one crore people fall ill with TB and 1.5 million people die from TB every year.
About half of all people with TB are found in eight countries – Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and South Africa.
It is one of the top 10 leading causes of death worldwide.
India accounts for 30 percent of the world's TB cases, the highest in the world, followed by Indonesia and China.
2. Thailand constitutional court suspends PM Prayuth Chan-ocha
Tags: Person in news International News
The constitution court of Thailand on 25 August temporarily suspended prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha over allegations that he has continued in the post after the expiry of his term.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- The court ruled that the PM would remain suspended until the allegations were investigated.
According to the Constitution of Thailand, the prime minister cannot hold office for more than eight years.
Prayuth Chan-ocha became prime minister after a coup in 2014, and eight years have passed since then.
As military leader, Prayuth seized power after a coup in May 2014 and, in August 2014, appointed himself prime minister of the new military government.
Hence the opposition argues that his term as prime minister began in August 2014 and ended this week.
The court considered the petition and supporting documents and gave this decision on the basis of factual doubts.
The court, with a majority of four out of five judges, with effect from 24 August 2022, said that Prayuth be suspended as prime minister until the court issues a final decision.
Deputy Prime Minister Pravit Wongsuwan will currently be the interim head of government.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -
About Thailand :
Capital - Bangkok
Official Language - Thai
3. Bangladesh-born Fahmida Azim wins 2022 Pulitzer prize
Tags: Awards International News
Bangladesh-born illustrator and story writer Fahmida Azeem, who works for America's online magazine 'Insider', has been selected for the Pulitzer Prize for the year 2022.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- He will be given this award for the category of Illustrated, Interpretive Reporting and Commentary.
Fahmida Azeem has been selected to work on the persecution of Uighurs in China.
Four journalists of Insider magazine including Fahmida Azeem have been selected for the award –
fahmida azeem
Anthony Dale Colonel
Josh Adams
Walt Hickey
Fahmida Azeem was born in Bangladesh and later settled in America.
His work has focused on themes of identity, culture and autonomy.
His works are published in many international magazines like Glamour, Scientific American, The Intercept, Vice, The New York Times.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -
About Pulitzer Prize :
The award was established in the year 1917 by provisions written in the will of Joseph Pulitzer.
Columbia University administers the award.
The Pulitzer Prize is considered America's most prestigious honour in the field of journalism.
The award is given in a total of 22 categories. In which 15 categories of journalism and 7 categories of book, drama, music etc. are included.
In 21 categories, each winner receives USD 15,000 and a certificate. A gold medal is awarded to the winner in the Public Service category of the award.
Govind Bihari Lal was the first Indian to receive the Pulitzer Prize in 1937.
4. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky to be awarded the 'Liberty Medal' award for the year 2022
Tags: Awards International News
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has been nominated for the 'Liberty Medal' for the year 2022 by the 'National Constitution Centre'.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- He has been chosen for this honour for his heroic defence of freedom in the face of Russian tyranny.
He will be honoured in October 2022 at the National Constitution Centre (NCC), Philadelphia, USA.
Other awards given to Volodymyr Zelensky :
Ronald Reagan Freedom Award 2022 - It is given to those who have made a great contribution to the cause of freedom.
John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award 2022
About Liberty Medal Award :
The 'Liberty Medal' award is an annual award given by the NCC of the United States of America.
It was founded by the Philadelphia Foundation.
The major winners of this award are Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan, Malala Yousafzai and Colin Powell.
This award is given to a person of courage and conviction who has fought to protect the cause of freedom of the people.
5. Smart India Hackathon 2022
Tags: National National News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the Grand Finale of Smart India Hackathon 2022 through video conferencing on 25 August.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- The grand finale of the software edition of Smart India Hackathon-2022 is being held from August 25-26 at JSS Science and Technology University, Mysuru.
It aims to inculcate a culture of product innovation, problem-solving and out-of-the-box thinking among the students.
The hardware edition of Smart India Hackathon (SIH) will be held from August 25 to 29.
Smart India Hackathon is gaining in popularity as this fifth edition has witnessed a four-fold increase in the number of teams registered for the Hackathon.
Around 15,000 students from a total of 2,033 winning teams of the Campus-Level Hackathon organised under SIH 2022 are participating in this national level Grand Finale.
One lakh rupees will be awarded to the winner of each problem description in the Smart India Hackathon.
Students will get prizes of Rs 1 lakh, Rs 75,000 and Rs 50,000 under the innovation category.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -
About Smart India Hackathon (SIH) :
It is a nationwide initiative by the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell.
It provides students a platform to solve the pressing problems of the government, ministries, departments, industries, and other organisations.
It has been acclaimed as one of the "world's largest open innovation models" and is held every year since 2017.
It is organised in two formats, software and hardware editions for higher education students.
6. National Conference of Labour Ministers of all States and Union Territories
Tags: National Summits National News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the National Conference of Labour Ministers of all States and Union Territories on 25 August via video conferencing.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- The two-day conference is being organised by the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment on August 25-26 at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.
The conference was presided over by Union Labour Minister Bhupendra Yadav.
It has been named Vision Shramev Jayate @2047.
The last session of the conference was held in July 2015 under the chairmanship of the then Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya.
This is the first Labour Ministers' Conference in the eight years of the Narendra Modi government's tenure.
It is being organised in the spirit of cooperative federalism to discuss various important labour related issues.
This conference will help in creating more synergy between the Central and State Governments in making better policies and ensuring effective implementation of schemes for the welfare of the workers.
Four Thematic Sessions of the Conference :
Integration of e-Shram portal for on-boarding social security schemes to make social security universal
'Swasthya se Samriddhi' for improving medical care through ESI hospitals run by state governments and integration with PMJAY
Formulation of rules under the four labour codes and the modalities of implementation of those rules
Vision 'Shramev Jayate @ 2047' To focus on equitable and equal working conditions, social security to all workers and other issues
7. 8th India-Brazil Joint Commission Meeting
Tags: Summits International News
External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar who is on his first ever visit to South America, co-chaired the 8th India-Brazil Joint Commission Meeting on 24 August with his Brazilian counterpart, Carlos Franca.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- The two leaders held wide-ranging discussions on trade, investment and other consular domains.
The two ministers signed agreements in the field of broadcasting and taxation, exchanging views on BRICS, IBSA, UN, G20 and Ukraine conflict.
The Joint Commission meeting saw wide-ranging discussions on trade and investment, petroleum, biofuels, edible oils and minerals, health, pharma, traditional medicine, science and technology, agriculture and livestock, space, defence, terrorism and consular.
The Brazilian Government released a commemorative stamp on the occasion of India's 75th Independence day.
On 22 August, Jaishankar concluded his first ever official visit to Paraguay where he inaugurated the newly-opened Indian Embassy in the capital city Asuncion.
He also unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Paraguay on 21 August and appreciated the Asuncion Municipality’s decision to locate it at the prominent waterfront of the city.
He also visited the historic Casa de la Independencia, from where Paraguay's independence movement began more than two centuries ago.
India-Brazil Relations :
Diplomatic relations were established between India and Brazil in 1948, both countries opened embassies in the same year.
India's strategic partnership with Brazil continues to intensify with several high-level partnerships.
President Bolsonaro was the chief guest at India's Republic Day parade in 2020.
As strategic partners, India and Brazil have several institutional mechanisms to coordinate various aspects of their bilateral relations.
This includes Joint Commission Meeting, Strategic Dialogue, Foreign Office Consultations, Trade Monitoring Mechanism, Economic and Financial Dialogue, Dialogue on Consular and Mobility Issues, Joint Defence Commission, Joint Committee on Science & Technology and India-Brazil Business Leaders Forum.
In Brazil, the Brazil-India Parliamentary Friendship Group has been established.
President - Jair Bolsonaro
Capital - Brasília
Official Language - Portuguese
Currency - Brazilian real
8. Sri Lanka ranks 5th among the 10 countries with highest food price inflation - World Bank
Tags: International News
Sri Lanka ranks 5th among the 10 countries with the highest food price inflation, according to the latest World Bank assessment.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- According to the World Bank assessment, Lebanon, Zimbabwe, Venezuela and Turkey ranked first four countries, while Iran, Argentina, Suriname, Ethiopia and Moldova ranked behind Sri Lanka.
The World Bank said record high food prices have triggered a global crisis that drives millions of people to extreme poverty, hunger and malnutrition.
The Ukraine war, supply chain disruptions, and the COVID-19 pandemic have pushed food prices to an all-time high.
Rising food prices have a greater impact on people in low- and middle-income countries.
These countries spend a larger share of their income on food than people in high-income countries.
Domestic food price inflation at high worldwide :
According to the data, almost all low and middle income countries have high inflation between April and July 2022.
The World Bank says countries should lift trade restrictions or export bans on fertilizers.
The use of fertilizers should be made more efficient by giving proper incentives to the farmers.
Investing in innovation to develop best practices and new technologies can help increase production per kilogram of fertilizer.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -
Top 10 Countries hit hardest by Food Inflation :
Lebanon
Zimbabwe
Venezuela
Turkiye
Sri Lanka
Iran
Argentina
Suriname
Ethiopia
Moldova
9. Defence Minister to attend SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting at Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Tags: International News
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will attend the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting at Tashkent in Uzbekistan on 24 August.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- He will attend the Annual Meeting of the Defence Ministers' of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Member States.
Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe and Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu are also expected to attend the SCO meeting.
Other defence ministers of member countries of the grouping will also attend the meet.
The SCO Defence Ministerial meeting is taking place about three weeks before the annual summit of this grouping.
The annual summit will be held in Samarkand on September 15-16.
During his visit to Tashkent, the Defence Minister will call on the Defence Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Lieutenant General Bakhodir Kurbanov.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -
What is Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) ?
It is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation.
It was founded in 2001.
The SCO Charter was signed in 2002, and came into force in 2003.
It is a Eurasian political, economic and military organisation.
Its aim is to maintain peace, security and stability in the region.
China, Russia and four Central Asian states – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan – were founding members of the SCO.
Official Languages - Russian and Chinese
Chairmanship - On the basis of rotation for a year by Member States
10. IREDA signs MoU with MAHAPREIT to provide loans for Green Energy projects
Tags: National News
Indian Renewable Energy Development Association Limited (IREDA) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mahatma Phule Renewable Energy and Infrastructure Technology Limited (Mahapreet).
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- The MoU was signed by Shri Pradeep Kumar Das, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of IREDA and Shri Bipin Shrimali, CMD, Mahapreet.
As per this MoU, IREDA will provide financial facilities to Mahapreet for the renewable energy projects to be implemented for developing the infrastructure of state utilities, local bodies and renewable energy parks.
Under this partnership, IREDA will also bear the appropriate techno-financial responsibility of renewable energy and energy efficiency and conservation projects for Mahapreet.
Through this partnership, we will be able to assist the Government of India in achieving its target of 50% share of energy from non-fossil fuels by 2030.
This is IREDA's ninth MoU in the last two years to provide consultancy services for the sustainable development of the country.
Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) :
It was incorporated as a Public Limited Company in the year 1987 as a 'Non-Banking Financial Institution'.
It is a Miniratna (Category 1) type company functioning under the administrative control of 'Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India.
Its function is to encourage projects related to new and renewable energy sources and to provide them financial assistance for their development.
It has been notified as a 'Public Financial Institution' under section 4'A' of the 'Companies Act, 1956'.
