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Adolescent Health
Context:
The Partners Forum 2018 was hosted by the Government of India (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare ) in New Delhi. The theme of the Partners Forum 2018 was “Power of Partnership” to bring different constituencies together for cross-sectoral action for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health.
The steps taken to achieve the objectives of the Partners Forum 2018 were:
- Ministerial Conclave was organized during the Partners Forum 2018 with Health Ministers and Head of country delegations for reaffirmations of commitments by countries for accelerating momentum for women, children and adolescent health agenda.
- The 12 success case studies from different countries were disseminated during the Partners Forum 2018 on various themes. From India, Intensified Mission Indradhanush was one of the 12 case studies presented during the event.
- India adaptations of Global Health Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health; and Guidelines on Midwifery services in India were released during the event.
- Partners Forum Communique was released with commitments from different constituencies to work together on issues related to women, children and adolescent health.
- Government of India organized “Market Place” during the event for showcasing innovations and best practices from State governments on the theme of Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent Health.
Steps being taken to improve Maternal and Child Health:-
- Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), a demand promotion and conditional cash transfer scheme to encourage institutional deliveries.
- Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) aims to eliminate out-of-pocket expenses for pregnant women and for treatment of sick neonates.
- Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) to provide fixed-day assured comprehensive and quality antenatal care universally to all pregnant women on 9th of every month.
- LaQshya- Labor room Quality improvement Initiative for improving quality of care around birth and ensure respectful maternity care.
- Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Wings are being established at high caseload facilities to improve quality of care.
- Maternal Death Surveillance and Response (MDSR) at facilities and in community to take corrective action for averting maternal deaths.
- Operationalization of Comprehensive Abortion Care Services and services for Reproductive Tract Infections and Sexually Transmitted Infections (RTI/STI) at health facilities.
- Under Anaemia Mukt Bharat (Intensified National Iron Plus Initiative), iron and folic acid supplementation is provided across life stages for pregnant and lactating women, children and adolescent girls.
- Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) is being supported to provide vaccination to children against various life threatening diseases.
- Government has launched Mission Indradhanush to reach the target of 90% Full Immunization Coverage through covering unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children and pregnant women in pockets of low immunization coverage in hard-to-reach areas.
Steps being taken to improve to improve Adolescent Health:-
The Government is implementing Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakaram(RKSK) under NHM to improve health of adolescents in the country. Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakaram includes following interventions:
- Weekly Iron and Folic acid Supplementation (WIFS)programme to provide weekly Iron and Folic Acid tablets to in-school boys and girls and out-of-school girls and biannual anti-helminthic Albendazole tablets for prevention of iron and folic acid deficiency anaemia covering government, government aided and municipal schools and Anganwadi centres.
- School Health Program under Ayushman Bharat to strengthen health promotion and disease prevention interventions for school children.
- Scheme for Promotion of Menstrual Hygiene for rural adolescent girls to increase awareness and hygienic practices among adolescent girls related to Menstrual Hygiene.
- Adolescent Health Day (AHD) is being organized in community for reaching out to adolescents and their parents/ care givers and community leaders.
Menstrual Hygiene for Adolescent girls Schemes
To address the need of menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls residing primarily in rural areas, Government of India is supporting the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme. Funds are provided to States/UTs through National Health Mission for decentralized procurement of sanitary napkins packs for provision primarily to rural adolescent girls at subsidized rates as per proposals received from the States and UTs in their Programme Implementation Plans.
This scheme encompasses the following:
- Increasing awareness among adolescent girls on Menstrual Hygiene
- Improving access to and use of high quality sanitary napkins by adolescent girls in rural areas.
- Ensuring safe disposal of Sanitary Napkins in an environmentally friendly manner.
- Provision of funds to ASHAs to hold monthly meeting with adolescents to discuss issues related to menstrual hygiene.
The 6th ‘Women of India Organic Festival’
Context:
The Ministry of Women and Child Development will be hosting the 6th annual ‘Women of India Organic Festival’ in Chandigarh, to celebrate and promote women farmers and entrepreneurs in the organic sector from the remotest parts of India.
Objectives:
- The festival aims to encourage Indian women entrepreneurs and farmers to connect with more buyers and thus, empower them through financial inclusion, while promoting organic culture in India.
- Through this festival, the Ministry also aims to educate people about its various initiatives and schemes relating to women and children
Modernisation of Railway Stations
Modernisation/upgradation of railway stations is a continuous and on-going process. At present, upgradation of stations is being undertaken under ‘Adarsh Station Scheme’.
About:
- Since inception, 1253 stations have been identified under this scheme out of which 1065 stations so far have been developed under the Scheme.
- Works for improvement of passenger amenities are undertaken depending upon need, volume of passenger traffic and inter-se priority,
- The expenditure on development of stations under ‘Adarsh’ Station Scheme is generally funded under Plan Head –‘Passenger Amenities’.
- Adarsh stations will have facilities such as toilets, drinking water, catering services and waiting rooms
Children Science Congress
Context:
As a part of the on-going five-day Indian Science Congress, Rashtriya Kishore Vaigyanik Sammelan(Children Science Congress) was inaugurated today in Jalandhar by Nobel Laureates Avram Hershko from Israel and F.Duncan M.Haldane from USA.
About:
- Rashtriya Kishore Vaigyanik Sammelan (RKVS) is an important part of Indian Science Congress as it focuses on raising the bar of research and innovation in science in our country.
- The main objective of the RKVS is to provide a platform to the budding scientists to showcase their research work and projects being developed by them.
- The event will consist of invited talks by renowned scientists and various competitions such as science exhibitions, scientific quizzes. Workshops are being conducted to give the students hands on experience.
National Entrepreneurship Awards 2018
Context:
National Entrepreneurship Awards 2018, aimed at recognizing and honoring outstanding young first-generation entrepreneurs and those who have contributed immensely in building the entrepreneurship ecosystem, were presented by the Minister of Commerce and Industry & Civil Aviation Shri Suresh Prabhu and the Minister of state for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Ananthkumar Hegde.
About:
- The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) continues to promote the economic progress in micro-entrepreneurship across the country by hosting the National Entrepreneurship Awards (NEA). This is the third edition of the National Entrepreneurship Awards (NEA). The awards were instituted in 2016.
- The awards are classified into three investment categories- below Rs 1 Lakh, between Rs 1 Lakh to10 Lakhs and betweenRs10 Lakhs to Rs1 Crore- covering small to big first-generation entrepreneurs below the age of 40 years.
- This is to ensure that entrepreneurs from every socio-economic category take part in the award and they are duly recognised for their meaningful contribution to the economy of the nation.
- The annual honours will recognise the efforts of young first generation entrepreneurs and their Ecosystem Builders for their exceptional impact on entrepreneurship advancement.
Indian Panorama Film Festival
Context:
- Indian Panorama Film Festival, being organized by Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of I&B, was inaugurated in the presence of Shri Shaji N Karun,the director of the opening feature film ‘Olu’,at Siri Fort Auditorium II, New Delhi.
- The bouquet of films being presented in the Festival speaks of the vibrancy and strength of Indian cinema. The movies presented in the festival cover the length and breadth of India, and include movies made by first time filmmakers as well as cinema czars who have excelled in the art of filmmaking.
- The craft of making cinema is no more limited to the big cities but is spreading to all corners of India. like Jharkhand where film promotion policy is being made and implemented.
Paint Your Toilet
Context:
In an effort to promote ownership and sustained usage of toilets and also provide a facelift to the crores of toilets built under the Swachh Bharat Mission, the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has launched a month-long campaign, “Swachh Sundar Shauchalaya”
About:
- The campaign comprises a unique Contest, under which, households are being mobilised to paint and decorate their toilets. It will be spearheaded by Gram Panchayats and coordinated by district administrations.
- The campaign will involve rural communities in the 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats across the country. Individual households, Gram Panchayats and Districts will be awarded on the basis of number of toilets painted and the quality and creativity of their work.
- The campaign has been rolled out across rural India and the Ministry is monitoring the progress through a specially designed portal. This campaign is one more innovative step by the Government to reinforce Swachh Bharat as a Jan Andolan
- The sanitation coverage in rural India has already crossed 98%,with over 9 crore toilets built under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) since its launch.
To ace UPSC current affairs section, read more PIB articles here.
Also see:
| Swachch Bharat Abhiyan |
| Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus |
| 6 Major Women empowerment schemes |
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