TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. NABH accreditation
2. BIS Standardisation for Ayush products
3. Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) Ministerial Meeting
4. National Mission for Mentoring
5. Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project (2000 MW)

1. NABH accreditation

Syllabus: GS02-Social Justice

Prelims: Health-related issues; Quality Council of India; NABH

Context: AIIMS Nagpur receives NABH accreditation.

Key Details:  

• AIIMS Nagpur becomes the 1st of all the AIIMS to receive the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) accreditation, which is at par with the world’s leading hospital accreditation standards.

About NABH:

• NABH is a constituent board of the Quality Council of India, set up to establish and operate accreditation programmes for healthcare organizations. 
• It was formed in 2005 and acts as the principal accreditation for hospitals in India.
• The first hospital to be accredited by NABH was B M Birla Heart Research Centre; till date, more than 838 hospitals in India have achieved accreditation by NABH. 
  • Among public hospitals, Gandhinagar General Hospital was the first to get NABH accreditation, which it received in 2009.
• The board is structured to cater to the much-desired needs of the consumers and to set benchmarks for the progress of the health industry. 
• The board, while being supported by all stakeholders including industry, consumers, and government, have full functional autonomy in its operation.
• Its objectives and scope of activities are as follows:
  • Accreditation of healthcare facilities
  • Quality promotion: initiatives like Nursing Excellence, Laboratory certification programs (not limited to these)
  • IEC activities: public lectures, advertisements, workshops/ seminars
  • Education and Training for Quality & Patient Safety
  • Recognition: Endorsement of various healthcare quality courses/workshops

NABH Affiliations: 

• NABH is an Institutional Member of the International Society for Quality in Health Care (lSQua).
• NABH is a member of the Accreditation Council of the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua).
• NABH is on the board of the Asian Society for Quality in Healthcare (ASQua).

2. BIS Standardisation for Ayush products

Syllabus: GS02-Social Justice

Prelims: Bureau of Indian Standards

Context: BIS notifies 31 Indian standards related to Ayush herbs and products.

Key Details: 

• The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) mandated for the development of the activities of standardisation, marking and quality certification has taken an important step in a new push for standardisation in the field of Ayush. 
• BIS has notified 31 Indian standards related to Ayush, which includes 30 herbs and 1 product (stainless steel neti pot). 
• These standards were recently published through a gazette notification. 
• BIS has also created an additional department for enabling a dedicated focus on Ayush at BIS.
• The development of standards and accreditation/certification of Ayush will augment international trade by ensuring the quality of products & services, providing confidence to the manufacturers and bringing benefits to consumers in terms of reducing costs, enhancing performance and improving safety.
• BIS has also taken the initiative to formulate International Standards in collaboration with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). 
• On the advice of BIS, a Working Group (WG–10) on ‘Traditional Medicine’ has been created in the ISO/TC-215 ‘Health Informatics’.
• The Ministry of Ayush has been consistently working to create a vibrant quality ecosystem to facilitate trade and ensure the availability of quality products and services to consumers both at the national and global levels.

3. Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) Ministerial Meeting

Syllabus: GS02-International Relations

Prelims: MSME; Supply chain agreements

Context: The second in-person Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) Ministerial Meeting.

Key Details: 

• Negotiations for the Supply Chains (Pillar-II) Agreement were substantially concluded during the second in-person Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) Ministerial Meeting held in Detroit on 27 May 2023, hosted by the US.
• Once implemented, the Supply Chain Agreement is expected to bring in a number of benefits to India and the other IPEF partner countries. 
• Some of the key benefits expected are: 
  • a potential shift of production centres in key goods/critical sectors to India; 
  • bolstering of domestic manufacturing capacities; 
  • giving a boost to Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Production Linked Initiatives schemes;
  • mobilisation of investments especially in the production of key goods, logistics services and infrastructure; 
  • deeper integration of India in the Global Supply and Value Chains particularly of Indian MSMEs; 
  • enhanced exports from India; 
  • upward mobility in the value chains; 
  • mitigation of risks of economic disruptions to India from supply chain shocks/adverse events; 
  • creation of a seamless regional trade ecosystem facilitating the flow of Indian products; 
  • enhanced trade facilitation including through digital exchange of trade documentation, and quicker port clearances. 
• Under this Agreement, IPEF partner countries are seeking to make supply chains more resilient, robust, and well-integrated through various measures.

4. National Mission for Mentoring

Syllabus: GS02-Governance

Prelims: National Education Policy

Context: Workshop on National Mission for Mentoring

Key Details: 

• The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 aims to flourish a knowledge system by establishing a large pool of outstanding professionals, who would be willing to provide short-and-long-term professional support to school teachers. 
• Working towards the attainment of the goals set by NEP 2020, the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE)  has been assigned to develop and design the modalities for the National Mission for Mentoring (NMM).
• Mentoring is a process for the informal/formal transmission of knowledge and the psychosocial support perceived by the recipient as relevant to work, career, or professional development. 
• Mentoring gives rise to a collaborative agency for stakeholders where the community fosters the spirit of learning, reflection, and sharing toward capacity building. 
• NCTE launched NMM in pilot mode on 29th July 2022 in selected 30 Central Schools across the country.
• A “Bluebook on Mentoring” has been prepared by NCTE for the pilot run.
• For effective implementation of NMM, NCTE conducted a 2-day capacity building workshop for the 60 mentors on 31st May and 1st June 2023 in order to provide quality professional support to teachers along with the essential mentoring skills and techniques.

5. GOBARdhan

Syllabus: GS03-Environment 

Prelims: Biogas; Swachh Bharat Mission

Context: Unified Portal of Gobardhan launched

Key Details: 

• The Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launched the Unified Registration Portal for GOBARdhan which will act as a one-stop repository to assess investment and participation in Biogas/CBG sector at the pan India level and streamline the process of setting up CBG/Biogas plants in India. 
• Any government, cooperative or private entity operating or intending to set up a Biogas/CBG/Bio CNG plant in India can obtain a registration number by enrolling in this unified registration portal.
• The registration number will enable availing of a multitude of benefits and support from the ministries & departments of the Government of India. 
• Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBARdhan) is an umbrella initiative of the Government of India, based on a whole-of-Government approach and aims to convert waste to wealth towards promoting a circular economy. 
• As the nodal department for GOBARdhan, the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti has developed this portal.

Read the previous PIB articles here.

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