UPSC: PIB Summary and Analysis Jan 02

Perform Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme

• It is in line with the energy conservation and efficiency policies of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under the Ministry of Power
• Perform Achieve and Trade Scheme (PAT) is a component of the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE) which is one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
• It is a market based mechanism to further accelerate as well as incentivize energy efficiency in the large energy-intensive industries.
• The scheme imposes mandatory specific energy consumption targets on the covered facilities with less energy efficient facilities having a greater reduction target than the more energy efficient ones.
• The scheme provides the option to trade any additional certified energy savings with other designated consumers to comply with the Specific Energy Consumption reduction targets. The Energy Savings Certificates (ESCerts) so issued will be tradable on special trading platforms to be created in the two power exchanges — Indian Energy Exchange and Power Exchange India.

Neem Coated Urea (NCU)

• The Union government’s decision making it mandatory for domestic manufacturers to produce 100 per cent NCU has come as a relief to them. Urea from now on will be coated with neem oil. The move will not only benefit the environment and improve farmers’ lives, but curb illegal urea diversion for industrial use.
• The normal urea is a highly soluble and volatile material and is up to 40 per cent less efficient than NCU. NCU, on the other hand, acts as a physical barrier, slowing down the process of solubility and volatility.
• Its anti-bacterial process slows down the melting process. This means it stays in the soil for longer periods strengthening its effectiveness
• NCU also reduces the amount of nitrogen released from the soil.
• NCU destroys the Roundworm parasite found in the soil and kills the bacteria which de-nitrifies and produces nitrogen in the atmosphere
• Reduced consumption and curbing diversion will lead to subsidy savings of Rs 6,400 crore annually. As the government plans to increase production, imports too will decrease—about 10 million tonnes is imported annually as domestic production is unable to meet demand

Is it tough to procure Neem?

• Procuring neem oil for NCU also isn’t a problem. According to Neem Foundation, India has 22.2 million neem trees, and one tree can produce a minimum of six litres of neem oil. It takes nearly four litres of neem oil to coat one tonne of urea.

Advantages

• Improvement in soil health;
• Reduction in costs with respect to plant protection chemicals;
• Reduction in pest and disease attack;
• An increase in yield of paddy, sugarcane, maize, soybean and tur/red gram to an extent of 5.79%, 17.5%, 7.14%, 7.4% and 16.88% respectively;
• Diversion of highly subsidized urea towards non-agricultural purposes negligible among farmers after the introduction of the mandatory policy of production and distribution of only Neem coated urea.

Steps Taken for reducing Financial Load on Poor Diabetic Patients

• Public health and hospitals being a State subject, the primary responsibility of providing accessible, affordable and quality healthcare lies with the respective State Governments.
• Under National Health Mission, to reduce out of pocket expenditure on healthcare, support is being provided to States/UTs for strengthening of their healthcare system based on the requirements posed by them in their Programme Implementation Plans.
• Government of India is implementing National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) under the National Health Mission.
• Quality generic medicines are being made available at affordable prices to all, under ‘Jan Aushadhi Scheme’, in collaboration with the State Governments.
• Under National Health Mission Free Drugs and Free Diagnostic initiative, essential drugs and diagnostics are provided free of cost in public health facilities.

Reducing MMR

• As per the latest Registrar General of India- Sample Registration System (RGI-SRS) Report the Maternal Mortality ratio(MMR) of India is 167 per 100,000 live births.

The key steps taken under the National Health Mission (NHM) are:

• Promotion of institutional deliveries through Janani Suraksha Yojana.
• Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK) has been launched on 1st June, 2011, which entitles all pregnant women delivering in public health institutions to absolutely free and no expense delivery including Caesarean section.
• The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) has been launched by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India to provide fixed-day assured, comprehensive and quality antenatal care universally to all pregnant women on the 9th of every month.
• Universal screening of pregnant women for anaemia is a part of ante-natal care and all pregnant women are provided iron and folic acid tablets during their ante-natal visits through the existing network of sub-centers and primary health centres and other health facilities as well as through outreach activities at Village Health & Nutrition Days (VHNDs).
• To strengthen the quality of training, a new initiative has been taken for setting up of Skill Labs with earmarked skill stations for different training programs in the states for which necessary allocation of funds is made under NHM.
• Operationalization of adequate number of Primary Health Centres for providing 24 x7 basic emergency obstetric care services.
• Name Based Web enabled Tracking of Pregnant Women and New born babies so that provision of regular and complete services to them can be ensured.
• Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child Health + Adolescent (RMNCH+A) interventions for achieving improved maternal and child health outcomes through continuum of care across life cycle.

Schemes for Children Born With Low Birth Weight

Under the National Health Mission (NHM) and within its umbrella the Reproductive & Child Health Programme, following interventions are provided to the pregnant mothers for addressing malnutrition:

• Universal screening of pregnant women for anaemia and Iron Folic Acid (IFA) supplementation
• Calcium Supplementation in Pregnancy.
• Deworming in pregnancy.
• Weight gain monitoring.
• Counselling on nutrition, family planning and prevention of diseases.
• Under Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK), Government of India is providing food to pregnant women during their stay at public health facility for delivery.
• Under the National Iron plus Initiative (NIPI), iron-folic supplementation for prevention and treatment of anaemia in a life cycle approach is provided to children, adolescents, women of reproductive age groups, pregnant women and lactating mothers.
• Health and nutrition education through IEC & BCC to promote dietary diversification, inclusion of iron folate rich food as well as food items that promotes iron absorption. 

Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi inaugurates online portal ‘NARI’ for women empowerment 

In a path breaking initiative to empower women, the Minister of Women & Child Development, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi inaugurated an online portal NARI in New Delhi today. Developed by the Ministry of Women & Child Development, the portal will provide women citizens with easy access to information on government schemes and initiatives for women. Further to provide a platform for NGOs and Civil Societies to interact with the Ministry of Women & Child Development, e-Samvad portal has also been developed which was inaugurated by the WCD Minister today.