TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Rice fortification programme 2. StartUps for Railways 3. Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission
PIB Summary & Analysis: 13-06-2022
Rice fortification programme
Syllabus: GS 2 Governance
Mains: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
Prelims: Economic and Social Development
Context:
The government is planning to cover 291 districts by March 2023 aspirational and heavy burden districts under the rice fortification programme.
Rice fortification programme
- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, in April 2022 has accorded its approval for supply of fortified rice throughout the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman-PM POSHAN [erstwhile Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDM)] and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS) of Government of India in all States and Union Territories (UTs) by 2024 in a phased manner.
- The entire cost of rice fortification (around Rs. 2,700 crore per annum) would be borne by the Govt. of India as part of food subsidy till its full implementation upto June, 2024.
- The following three phases are envisaged for full implementation of the initiative:
- Phase-I: Covering ICDS and PM POSHAN in India all over by March, 2022 which is under implementation.
- Phase-II: Phase I above plus TPDS and OWS in all Aspirational and High Burden Districts on stunting (total 291 districts) by March 2023.
- Phase-Ill: Phase II above plus covering the remaining districts of the country by March 2024.
Fortified rice helps in preventing Cretinism, Goiter, IIH (Thyrotoxicosis), Brain damage; It is a cost-effective and sustainable option, say experts.
StartUps for Railways
Syllabus: GS 3 Infrastructure
Mains: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
Prelims: Economic and Social Development
Context:
Indian Railways, the National transporter has taken an important initiative in the field of innovation through participation of start-ups and other entities. Hon’ble Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw has launched “StartUps for Railways” today in Rail Bhavan, New Delhi.
StartUps for Railways
- This policy will bring scale and efficiency in the field of operation, maintenance, and infrastructure creation through participation of very large and untapped startup ecosystem.
Salient Feature
- Grant up to Rs. 1.5 Crore to innovator on equal sharing basis with provision of milestone-wise payment.
- Complete process from floating of problem statement to development of prototype is online with defined time line to make it transparent and objective.
- Trials of prototypes will be done in Railways. Enhanced funding will be provided to scale up deployment on successful performance of prototypes.
- Selection of Innovator/s will be done by a transparent and fair system which will be dealt through online portal inaugurated today by Minister of Railways.
- Developed Intellectual property rights (IPR) will remain with innovator only.
- Assured developmental order to innovator.
- De-centralization of complete product development process at divisional level to avoid delays.
Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission
Syllabus: GS 2 Welfare Schemes
Mains: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States
Prelims: Economic and Social Development
Context:
The National Health Authority (NHA) and NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Service Companies) jointly organized the NHA-NASSCOM Conclave 2022 on Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission – Revolutionizing Digital Health.
Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission
- Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, will connect the digital health solutions of hospitals across the country with each other.
- Under this, every citizen will now get a digital health ID and their health record will be digitally protected.
- The National Health Authority (NHA) will be the implementing agency of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
- Based on the foundations laid down in the form of Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile (JAM) trinity and other digital initiatives of the government, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) is creating a seamless online platform through the provision of a wide-range of data, information and infrastructure services, duly leveraging open, interoperable, standards-based digital systems while ensuring the security, confidentiality and privacy of health-related personal information.
- Under the ABDM, citizens will be able to create their ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) numbers, to which their digital health records can be linked.
- This will enable creation of longitudinal health records for individuals across various healthcare providers, and improve clinical decision making by healthcare providers.
- The mission will improve equitable access to quality healthcare by encouraging use of technologies such as telemedicine and enabling national portability of health services.
Read previous PIB here.
June 13th, 2022, PIB:- Download PDF Here
Comments