24 June 2024 PIB
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Centre imposes stock limit on wheat 2. MoU Between DSSC and DSCSC 3. Campaign on Tobacco Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) 4. Pilot Project for Underground Coal Gasification in Jharkhand 5. India Africa Postal Leaders Meet 6. 64th ISO Council Meeting 7. National STOP Diarrhoea Campaign 2024
1. Centre imposes stock limit on wheat
Syllabus: GS-3, Economy
Mains: Measures taken for food security
Context:
Centre imposes stock limit on Wheat until 31st March 2025 in all States and UTs.
Details:
- To manage overall food security and prevent hoarding and unscrupulous speculation, the Government of India has imposed stock limits on Wheat applicable to Traders/wholesalers, Retailers, Big Chain Retailers and Processors for all States and Union Territories.
- The Removal of Licensing Requirements, Stock Limits and Movement Restrictions on Specified Foodstuffs (Amendment) Order, 2024 has been issued with immediate effect from 24th June 2024.
- It will be applicable until 31st March 2025 for all States and Union Territories.
- The stock limits applicable are as follows:
- Traders/Wholesalers – 3000 MT
- Retailer – 10 MT for each retail outlet
- Big Chain Retailer – 10 MT for each outlet and 3000 MT at all their depots
- Processors – 70% of Monthly Installed Capacity (MIC) multiplied by the remaining months of FY 2024-25.
- If the stock held by them is higher than the prescribed limit, they have to bring the same to the prescribed stock limits within 30 days of the issue of the notification.
2. MoU Between DSSC and DSCSC
Syllabus: GS-3, Defence & Security
Prelims: DSSC, DSCSC
Mains: India – Bangladesh Relations
Context:
Defence Services Staff College, Wellington & Defence Services Command and Staff College, Dhaka collaborate in Strategic and Operational Studies.
Details:
- This MoU will assist in enhancing professional acumen, provide deep insight into strategic affairs, assist in sharing best practices and expertise as well as augment the academic capabilities of student officers and faculty members.
- It will facilitate the conduct of training packages, joint seminars, faculty exchanges, and reciprocal instructor visits to name a few.
- Both the colleges impart training to officers of tri-services, preparing them for higher staff and command responsibilities.
- They share a common ethos, training curriculum and methodology and face similar challenges. Accordingly, they have decided to sign the MoU for further enhancing bilateral engagements.
About the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC):
- DSSC is a defence service training institution of the Ministry of Defence, Government of India located in Wellington, Tamil Nadu.
- It trains officers of all three services of the Indian Armed Forces, selected officers from the Paramilitary forces and the Civil Services and officers from friendly foreign countries for command and staff appointments.
- It was founded in 1905 as the Army Staff College in Deolali, Maharashtra. It moved to Quetta (now in Pakistan) in 1907. In 1947 after independence, the Indian elements of the Staff College, Quetta moved to India.
- Its motto is “Yuddham Pragya” or “To War With Wisdom”.
3. Campaign on Tobacco Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI)
Syllabus: GS-1, Social Issues; GS-2, Health
Prelims: Campaign on Tobacco Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI)
Mains: Tobacco use and its effects, campaigns for a tobacco-free society
Context:
The Ministry of Education rolled out a nationwide campaign on Tobacco Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI).
Background:
- Tobacco use is one of the major causes of preventable deaths and diseases in India and accounts for nearly 1.35 million deaths every year in the country.
- India is also the second largest consumer and producer of tobacco.
- According to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) 2019, 8.5 percent of school students in the age group of 13 to 15 consume tobacco in different forms across the country.
- Easy access to tobacco products in their different forms around our school buildings and campuses is believed to be one of the major contributing factors causing the above situation.
Tobacco Free Educational Institution (ToFEI) Guidelines:
- As part of the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP), the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has issued the Tobacco Free Educational Institution (ToFEI) Guidelines for safeguarding minors and youth from tobacco use.
- The Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education has developed a “ToFEI Implementation Manual” for schools and launched it on World No Tobacco Day (WNTD – 31st May 2024).
- The objective is to make educational institutions across the nation comply with the ToFEI guidelines and become #Tobacco Free Area.
- The guidelines are as follows:
- Display ‘Tobacco Free Area’ Signage inside the premises of the Educational Institution with the information of the designated person.
- Display “Tobacco Free Education Institution” signage at the entrance/boundary wall of the Educational Institution with the information of the designated person.
- There should not be any evidence of tobacco use inside the premise like cigarette/beedi butts or discarded gutka/tobacco pouches or spitting spots.
- Display of posters & other awareness materials on the harms of tobacco within the premise of educational institutions.
- Organizing at least one tobacco control activity every 6 months in educational institutions.
- Nomination of ‘Tobacco Monitors’ and their names, designation, and contact numbers are to be mentioned on the signage.
- Inclusion of “No Tobacco Use” Guidelines in the Educational Institutions code of conduct.
- Marking of 100 yards area from the outer limit of the boundary wall/fence of the educational institute.
- Shops within 100 yards of the Educational Institute shall not sell any kind of tobacco products.
- Take a pledge against Tobacco use as per Annexure-III of the Implementation Manual of ToFEI.
4. Pilot Project for Underground Coal Gasification in Jharkhand
Syllabus: GS-3, Economy
Prelims: Goal Gasification
Context:
Ministry of Coal initiates India’s First-Ever Pilot Project for Underground Coal Gasification in Jharkhand.
Details:
- Under the strategic direction of the Ministry of Coal, Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) has embarked on an innovative pilot project for Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) at the Kasta coal block in Jamtara District, Jharkhand.
- This first-ever initiative aims to revolutionize the coal industry by using in-situ coal gasification to convert it into valuable gases such as methane, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide.
- These gases can be utilized to produce synthetic natural gas, chemical feedstocks for fuels, fertilizers, explosives, and other industrial applications.
- Coal gasification projects have the potential to transform coal into various high-value chemical products.
- Underground Coal Gasification offers a significant advantage by providing access to coal resources that are economically unviable through traditional mining methods.
Know more about coal gasification in the linked article.
5. India Africa Postal Leaders Meet
Syllabus: GS-2, Governance, IR
Prelims: India Africa Postal Leaders Meet
Mains: Relations between India and African countries
Context:
India Africa Postal Leaders Meet is being held in India.
About the India Africa Postal Leaders Meet:
- The ‘India Africa Postal Leaders Meet’ is being organized in India from 21st to 25th June 2024, with the objective of further strengthening relationships among the administrations of African countries and India in the postal sector.
- This is an initiative under the “South-South and Triangular Cooperation” programme of the Universal Postal Union, organized with the support of India Post and the United States Postal Service.
- For the meet, postal organizations of 22 African countries in the Global South have sent 42 heads of postal administrations and other senior management personnel as delegates.
Significance:
- Postal services in developing countries face similar challenges and must play a critical role in sustainable development and financial inclusion by ensuring equitable access to communication channels and leveraging their reach to support citizen-centric service delivery.
- Collaboration among postal administrations is crucial to address these challenges effectively.
- The Postal Leaders Meet provided a platform for mutual learning and exploration of new collaborative opportunities.
6. 64th ISO Council Meeting
Syllabus: GS-3, Agriculture, Economy
Prelims: International Sugar Organization (ISO)
Mains: Sugar production in India
Context:
India is hosting the 64th ISO Council Meeting from 25th to 27th June 2024.
Details:
- Delegates from more than 30 countries and representatives of many international organisations are joining to deliberate on critical issues of sugar and the biofuel sector in the ISO Council Meeting.
- As India is the world’s largest consumer and second-largest producer of sugar, the ISO Council nominated India as the Chair of the organisation for 2024.
- India is holding industrial tours and workshops as part of this meeting.
About the International Sugar Organisation (ISO):
- The International Sugar Organisation (ISO) is a UN-affiliated body having HQ in London.
- ISO has about 85 countries as members covering almost 90% of sugar production in the world.
- It is mandated to bring major sugar-producing, consuming and trading nations together to bring mutual understanding and a progressive approach in dealing with issues of the sugar sector.
- ISO has also been working on biofuels, especially, ethanol as sugarcane is the second major feedstock for ethanol production in the world.
7. National STOP Diarrhoea Campaign 2024
Syllabus: GS-2, Government Schemes and Programs, Health
Prelims: National STOP Diarrhoea Campaign 2024
Context:
The Union Health Minister launched the National STOP Diarrhoea Campaign 2024.
About the National STOP Diarrhoea Campaign 2024:
- The goal behind the STOP Diarrhoea Campaign 2024 is to attain zero child deaths due to childhood diarrhoea.
- While the existing diarrhoea strategy entailed a 2-week campaign with pre-positioning of ORS to under-5 children and limited IEC, the new strategy involves a 2-month long campaign with pre-positioning of 2 ORS packets and zinc as a co-packaging to under-5 children.
- It will also involve extensive IEC through different platforms and collaboration across multiple sectors, including health, water and sanitation, education, and rural development.
- Campaign focus areas:
- Strengthening Health Infrastructure: Ensuring the proper maintenance and use of health facilities and the availability of essential medical supplies (ORS, Zinc), particularly in rural areas.
- Improving Access to Clean Water and Sanitation: Implementing rigorous quality control measures and sustainable practices to provide safe drinking water and better sanitation.
- Enhancing Nutritional Programs: Addressing malnutrition, a major contributor to diarrhoeal diseases, through improved nutritional initiatives.
- Promoting Hygiene Education: Equipping schools with necessary facilities and fostering healthy habits among children through comprehensive hygiene education programs.
- These focus areas aim to create a holistic approach to managing and preventing diarrhoea, ultimately reducing child mortality and improving overall public health.
- The campaign was started in 2014 as the Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF).
- It focuses on enhancing the Prevent, Protect, and Treat (PPT) strategy and increasing the use of Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) and Zinc.
- The campaign’s 2024 slogan, “Diarrhoea ki Roktham, Safai aur ORS se rakhen apna dhyaan” (“डायरिया की रोकथाम, सफाई और ओ आर एस से रखें अपना ध्यान”), highlights the significance of prevention, cleanliness, and appropriate treatment.
Read previous PIB articles here.
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