07 Jan 2024: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Country’s 1st Healthy & Hygienic Food Street, 'PRASADAM
2. India signs Bilateral Haj Agreement 2024 with Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)

1. Country’s 1st Healthy & Hygienic Food Street, ‘PRASADAM

Syllabus: GS-2, Social issues

Prelims: PRASADAM

Context: Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare inaugurated the country’s 1st Healthy & Hygienic Food Street, ‘PRASADAM,’ at Neelkanth Van, Mahakal Lok, in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.

Details:

• PRASADAM will connect common citizens in every corner of the country with pure and safe local and traditional food. 
• This endeavour will align common people and tourists to safe and healthy eating habits.
• To achieve the vision of Viksit Bharat, it is imperative that the citizens of the nation must be healthy. 
• Apart from substantive health infrastructure, healthy food that is hygienic forms a necessary component for good health for a citizen. In the coming days, every city will have its own food street ensuring healthy food reaches to all across the nation.
• To empower consumers to tackle adulteration, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has released “The DART Book” to check common food adulterations at home with simple tests. 
• Additionally, a mobile food testing van called Food Safety on Wheels (FSW) was launched to reach remote areas and conduct training and awareness activities, traveling from city to village to promote awareness campaigns and adulteration testing.

2. India signs Bilateral Haj Agreement 2024 with Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)

Syllabus: GS-2, International relations

Prelims: Bilateral Haj Agreement 2024

Context: India signs Bilateral Haj Agreement 2024 with Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)

Details:

• 35,005 pilgrims would be permitted to proceed through Haj Group Operators.
• A total quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims from India has been finalised for Haj 2024 with 1,40,020 seats being reserved for pilgrims to proceed through Haj Committee of India which will greatly benefit the common first time pilgrims intending to undertake the Haj pilgrimage in 2024.
• During the meeting with the Minister of Hajj and Umrah, KSA, the digital initiatives of the Government of India in facilitating and promoting ease and convenience for the Indian Haj pilgrims by providing last mile information to the pilgrims were greatly appreciated by the KSA side and KSA offered to extend all possible help in this regard. 
• The initiative of the Government of India towards encouraging participation under the Ladies without Mehram (LWM) category was discussed, deeply appreciated and lauded.