UPSC 2017-18: PIB Summary and Analysis Sept 06

UPSC 2017-18: PIB Summary and Analysis Sept 06 for IAS Exam Preparation.

GENERAL STUDIES PAPER 2

Ministry of DoNER to organise “North East Calling” on 09th-10th September 

Key Points

• The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Government of India is organising an event “North East Calling” under its Destination North East series of this year.

Objectives

• To promote the art, culture, heritage, cuisine, handicrafts, business and tourism of North East India.
• The event will include Music Festival for bands of North-East, Cultural Night for Dances of North-East, Handloom Demo Show presenting the clothes of North-East, Exhibitions of activities being undertaken in NE, stalls by various Central Government ministries showcasing the works being undertaken by them in the region, stalls by State Governments offering opportunities in their states, stalls for Sale of products of NERAMAC and NEHHDC, variety of food stalls including sale of delicacies of NE, contests for all sections of young population to expose them to NE, B2B Summits on Food Processing, Tourism and Start-up opportunities in the North-East.

Health Ministry launches two new contraceptives

Keypoints:

• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched two new contraceptives, an injectable contraceptive MPA under the ‘Antara’ programme and a contraceptive pill, ‘Chhaya’, in the public health system to expand the basket of contraceptive choices to meet the emerging needs of couples.
• These contraceptives will be available for free in Medical Colleges and District Hospitals.
• The contraceptives are safe and highly effective, the ‘Antara’ injectable being effective for three months and the ‘Chayya’ pill for one week, and will help meet the changing needs of couples and help women plan and space their pregnancies.
• To help improve the supply and distribution of contraceptives, the Ministry had recently launched a new software, Family Planning Logistics Management Information System (FP-LMIS), designed to provide robust information on the demand and distribution of contraceptives to health facilities and ASHAs.
• In addition, Mission Parivar Vikas, a central family planning initiative has also been launched by the Ministry.
• The key strategic focus of this initiative is on improving access to contraceptives through delivering assured services, ensuring commodity security and accelerating access to high quality family planning services.
• The main objective of the Mission Parivar Vikas family planning initiative is to bring down the Total Fertility Rate to 2.1 by the year 2025.
• The Ministry’s focus remains on increasing awareness and demand through a holistic communications campaign.

The Code on Wages Bill 2017

Key Points

• Government has undertaken the exercise of streamlining the 38 Labour Acts by framing 4 labour codes (Code on Wages, Code on Industrial Relations, Code on Social Security and Code on occupational safety, health and working conditions.)
• The Code on Wages Bill 2017 that is introduced in Lok Sabha subsumes 4 existing Laws, viz. the Minimum Wages Act, 1948; the Payment of Wages Act, 1936; the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965; and the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976.
• The Codification of the Labour Laws will remove the multiplicity of definitions and authorities leading to ease of compliance without compromising wage security and social security to the workers.
• At present, the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act and the Payment of Wages Act do not cover substantial number of workers, as the applicability of both these Acts is restricted to the Scheduled Employments / Establishments.
• However, the new Code on Wages will ensure minimum and timely payment of wages to one and all irrespective of the sector of employment without any wage ceiling.
• Statutory National Minimum Wage for different geographical areas has been introduced. It will ensure that no State Government fixes the minimum wage below the National Minimum Wages for that particular area as notified by the Central Government.
• The proposed payment of wages through cheque or digital/ electronic mode would not only promote digitization but also extend wage and social security to the worker.
• Penalties for different types of violations under this Code have been rationalized with the amount of fines varying as per the gravity of violations and repeat of the offences.

NITI Aayog calls renewed focus on Nutrition, launches the National Nutrition Strategy

Key Points

• M.S Swaminathan and Padma Shri Dr. H Sudarshan, launched the National Nutrition Strategy.
  The recently published NFHS-4 results reflect some progress, with a decline in the overall levels of under nutrition in both women and children.
• However, the pace of decline is far below what numerous countries with similar growth trajectories to India have achieved.
• India pays an income penalty of 9% to 10% due to a workforce that was stunted during their childhood. 
  Thus to address this and to bring nutrition to the centre-stage ofthe National DevelopmentAgenda, NITI Aayog has drafted the National Nutrition Strategy.
• This Strategy lays down a roadmap for effective action, among both implementers and practitioners, in achieving our nutrition objectives. 
  This strategy envisages a framework where the four proximate determinants of nutrition – uptake of health services, food, drinking water & sanitation and income & livelihoods – work together to accelerate decline of under nutrition in India.
• Supply side challenges often overshadow the need to address behavioural change efforts to generate demand for nutrition services.
  The Nutrition Strategy framework envisages a Kuposhan Mukt Bharat – linked to Swachh Bharat and Swasth Bharat.
• The aim is to ensure that States create customized State/ District Action Plans to address local needs and challenges.
  The strategy enables states to make strategic choices, through decentralized planning and local innovation, with accountability for nutrition outcomes. 

GENERAL STUDIES PAPER 3

“Implement 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; Building Broader Partnerships for Development” – Intervention by Prime Minister at the BRICS Emerging Markets and Developing Countries Dialogue, Xiamen (September 05, 2017)

Key Points

• In the month of July, India accomplished its first voluntary nationwide assessment of SDGs.
• The bedrock of our development agenda lies in the notion of “SabkaSaath,SabkaVikaas” – that is: Collective Effort, Inclusive Growth.
• India has mapped each of the SDGs to development programs and scheme; both at the federal and state level and also these programs are geared to accomplish these priority goals in a time-bound manner.
• India has a long tradition of partnerships with fellow developing countries, while pursuing our own aspirations for growth
• Hence PM Narendra Modi ji, requested for similar domestic efforts buttressed by strong international partnerships.
• Recently the launch of the South Asia Satellite is to benefit willing regional partners in meeting their developmental goals in education, healthcare, communication, and disaster management.
• For over half a century, India’s flagship initiative – Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation, ITEC – has offered training and skill development to 161 partner countries from Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Caribbean and Pacific Island states.
• At the Third India-Africa Forum Summit in 2015, with participation of all 54 African countries, we decided to double the number of ITEC scholarships to 50,000 over a period of only 5 years.
• The “Solar Mamas” of Africa, trained in India, are lighting up thousands of homes across the African continent.
• India’s growing engagement with Africa has led to the African Development Bank holding its Annual Meeting outside Africa for the first time, in India earlier this year.
• Our development partnerships projects are providing water, electricity, roads, healthcare, tele-medicine, and basic infrastructure to people in dozens of countries across the world.
• And, in all of this, our “no strings attached” model of cooperation is driven purely by the requirements and priorities of our partner countries.
  PM Modi ji had spoken about the BRICS driving the global transformation in the next ten years for it to be a Golden Decade. Hence suggested the following ten Noble Commitments:
  1. Creating a Safer World: by organized and coordinated action on at least three issues: Counter Terrorism, Cyber Security and Disaster Management;
  2. Creating a Greener World: by taking concerted action on countering Climate Change, through initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance;
  3. Creating an Enabled World: by sharing and deploying suitable technologies to enhance efficiency, economy and effectiveness;
  4. Creating an Inclusive World: by economic mainstreaming of our people including in the banking and financial system;
  5. Creating a Digital World: by bridging the digital divide within and outside our economies;
  6. Creating a Skilled World: by giving future-ready skills to millions of our youth;
  7. Creating a Healthier World: by cooperating in research and development to eradicate diseases, and enabling affordable healthcare for all;
  8. Creating an Equitable World: by providing equality of opportunity to all, particularly through gender equality;
  9. Creating a Connected World: by enabling free flow of goods, persons and services; and,
  10. Creating a Harmonious World: by promoting ideologies, practices, and heritage that are centered on peaceful coexistence and living in harmony with nature.

Through these agenda points, and action on them, India promised to contribute directly to the welfare of the Global Community in addition to welfare of our own people.