UPSC 2017: Best of PIB 15th March

Health Insurance for all 

Schemes introduced by the ministry of health and family welfare

• Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY)
  • Is a centrally sponsored health insurance scheme
  • It covers BPL families (a unit of five) and 11 other defined categories namely Building & Other Construction Workers, licensed Railway porters, Street Vendors, MGNREGA workers (who have worked for more than fifteen days during preceding financial year), Beedi workers, Domestic workers, Sanitation Workers, Mine Workers, Rickshaw pullers, Rag pickers and Auto/Taxi drivers, who are enrolled under RSBY.
  • They are entitled for cashless health insurance coverage of ₹30,000 per annum per family 
• Senior Citizen’s Health Insurance Scheme (SCHIS)
  • It is for Senior Citizens of age 60 years and above, belonging to above said categories
  • It has been implemented w.e.f. 01.04.2016 on top of RSBY
  • The health coverage is up to ₹30,000 per annum per senior citizen for treatment packages, over and above RSBY entitlement. 
• As per World Health Organization (WHO), Out of Pocket expenditure as percentage of total expenditure on health in India was 62% in 2014. India ranked 182 out of 192 countries in terms of Out of Pocket expenditure as percentage of total health expenditure

Legal Framework for E-Pharmacy Business

• Any sale of medicine in the country continues to be regulated as per provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945
• Currently, e-pharmacies which do not meet the requirements of Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 including those relating to sale from a licensed premises and maintaining necessary records, are not permitted
• The sub-committee was set up to examine the issue of sale of drugs on internet. The recommendations of the committee are
  • Creation of a National Portal to act as the nodal platform for transacting and monitoring online sale of drugs
  • Necessity of evolving a mechanism to register e-pharmacies
  • Geographical restrictions for operation of e-pharmacies
  • Mechanism for verification of authenticity through a link to the National Portal
  • Existing licensees carrying out retail sale of drugs would also be able to register on the National Portal for carrying out online sale of drugs
  • As certain categories of drugs viz. the Narcotic and Psychotropic drugs, tranquilizers, habit forming drugs and Schedule X drugs that are prone to being abused or misused to be excluded from sale through e-pharmacies
  • Amendment of Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, 1945 for effective monitoring and proper enforcement of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 for achieving its aims and objectives

Launch of Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES) 

• Background – the government had introduced ASIDE scheme (Assistance to States for Development of Export Infrastructure and Allied Activities) in 2002. This was delinked from the central support in 2015. Since then the state governments have been demanding financial assistance from the centre
• The TIES is focussed on addressing the needs of the exporters. The focus under the scheme will not only be to create infrastructure but to make sure it is professionally run and sustained.
• There will be an Empowered Committee to periodically review the progress of the approved projects in the Scheme and will take necessary steps to ensure achievement of the objectives of the Scheme
• The scheme would provide assistance for setting up and up-gradation of infrastructure projects with overwhelming export linkages like the Border Haats, Land customs stations, quality testing and certification labs, cold chains, trade promotion centres, dry ports, export warehousing and packaging, SEZs and ports/airports cargo terminuses
• The Central and State Agencies, including Export Promotion Councils, Commodities Boards, SEZ Authorities and Apex Trade Bodies recognised under the EXIM policy of Government of India; are eligible for financial support under this scheme
• The Central Government funding will be in the form of grant-in-aid; normally not more than the equity being put in by the implementing agency or 50% of the total equity in the project. (In case of projects located in North Eastern States and Himalayan States including J&K, this grant can be up to 80% of the total equity)
• The grant in aid shall, normally, be subject to a ceiling of ₹20 Cr for each infrastructure project