GENERAL STUDIES PAPER 2
Topic: Health and Welfare
First ever National Conference on “Mission Mode to address Under-Nutrition” to be held in New Delhi tomorrow
Context:
Three States to be awarded for reducing prevalence of stunting in population.These States are Chattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat.
Objective:
“Malnutrition Free India-2022”.
Keypoints:
- The Ministry of Women and Child Development will hold the first ever National Conference in New Delhi on Mission Mode to address Under-Nutrition in the country.
- Ministry of Women and Child Development has identified 113 districts across the States/UTs based on the composite index of NITI Ayong and prevalence of stunting from NFHS-4 data.
- This National Conference, first of its kind, aims at bringing convergence at District/Block levels of the three key Departments (Health & Family Welfare, ICDS/Social Welfare and Drinking Water and Sanitation) wherein a road map would be drawn to evolve an appropriate strategy in tackling the problem of stunting, under-nutrition and wasting comprehensively and conclusively.
- The conference would be sensitizing the District Collectors/Deputy Commissioners/District Magistrates as well as the District-level officers of Health & Family Welfare, Nutrition (ICDS/SW), Drinking Water & Sanitation Departments in the 113 High Burden Districts along with the Principal Secretaries/Secretaries, in-charge of these three Departments of all States/UTs on a multitude of topics relating to stunting, under-nutrition and wasting and the key strategic interventions which are urgently required.
- The District Magistrates/District Collectors/Deputy Commissioners in these 113 high burden districts, will regularly monitor and review the schemes covering the aspects of nutrition across the line departments within their jurisdiction at least once in a three month period.
- The problem of malnutrition is inter-generational and is dependent on multiple factors which inter-alia, include proper Infant & Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices, Immunization, Institutional Delivery, Early Childhood Development, Food Fortification, Deworming, access to safe drinking water & proper sanitation (WASH), Dietary diversification, full ANC checkup, early initiation of breast feeding, ICT enabled real time monitoring and implementation of Anganwadi Services, Improving infrastructure of Anganwadi Centres along with training of Anganwadi workers and other related factors.
- These factors can also be Area specific or dependent on particular geographical conditions.
- Further, it requires a convergent approach among all the three departments i.e. Health & Family Welfare, ICDS/Social Welfare and Drinking Water and Sanitation to tackle the issue of malnutrition comprehensively and conclusively.
GENERAL STUDIES PAPER 3
Topic: Infrastructure
Airports Authority of India to take up development work at Lucknow, Deoghar, Rajkot and Allahabad airports
Context:
- The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will undertake new development works at Lucknow, Deoghar, Rajkot and Allahabad airports.
Objective:
- The objective is to improve and develop airport infrastructure to meet growing traffic demands.
Keypoints:
- AAI plans to construct new integrated passenger terminal building at ChaudharyCharan Singh International Airport, Lucknow.
- Passenger traffic at this airport has grown steadily during the last 5 years. The new terminal will be able to handle 4000 passengers during peak hour and 6.35 million passengers per annum.
- At Deoghar in Jharkhand, AAI will develop the airport to facilitate joint use for civil operation up to Airbus-320 and DRDO operation up to C-130 type of aircraft.
- To meet the demand of increasing air travel in Allahabad, a new civil enclave at will be developed by AAI.
- AAI will also take up the work of development of greenfield airport at Hirasar, Rajkot in Gujrat on Build, Operate and Maintain basis.
- Govt of Gujarat has provided the land free of cost and proposed the construction of the greenfield airport to meet the traffic potential of Saurashtra region, as indicated by its high level of economic growth.
Topic: Security
Union Home Minister operationalises the New Intelligence Set-up of SSB
Keypoints:
- Union Home Minister operationalised the New Intelligence Set-up of the SashastraSeemaBal (SSB).
- SSB has been declared as the Lead Intelligence Agency (LIA) for both the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders.
- It was felt that a well knit intelligence network of the highest capabilities that can function and deliver would be the prime requirement of comprehensive Border Management.
- This was quite essential as the operations of SSB have to be Intelligence based so as to prevent criminals and smugglers from taking advantage of the friendly borders with Nepal and Bhutan.
- ArchanaRamasundaram, who is the first woman to head any CAPF, the Union Home Minister said she has proved her mettle by leading a paramilitary force with exemplary skills.
- Union Home Minister launched the Welfare and Rehabilitation Board (WARB) Mobile App for CAPF personnel.
- SSB Wives’ Welfare Association “SANDIKSHA” has taken up the task to help out wards of such martyrs under the ‘Sanrakshan’ scheme.
- “SANDIKSHA” is providing financial help to children of martyrs who are still studying in school, colleges and universities to continue their studies.
- The Force has undertaken Modernization programme and the SSB has acquired two UAVs while the MHA has approved three Bomb Detection and Disposal squads for the SSB.
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