10 Oct 2023: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Digital India
2. A-HELP
3. Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission
4. World Mental Health Day 2023
5. Bharat NCX 2023

1. Digital India

Syllabus: GS-2, Govt Schemes

Prelims: Digital India Initiatives

Context:

NeGD launches State Capacity Building Workshops under the Digital India programme.

Details:

• State Capacity Building Workshops are being offered by the National e-Governance Division, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, under its Capacity Building Scheme in collaboration with their knowledge partners. 
• The aim of these workshops is to demystify the potential of emerging technologies in improving service delivery and how to shape the policies and strategies to accommodate new digital landscapes.
• The first workshop is being conducted in Maharashtra in October 2023.
• The inaugural commenced a series of sessions, which would be helpful for senior government officials to decide which of these emerging technologies will help to implement the right solution for the requirements that they have for their departments.
• The workshop is bringing together an array of subject matter experts from the industry and the government for interactive sessions on real-life case studies, demonstrations of tools and a vision for turning ideas into proof of concepts, pilots or projects.

Also read: Digital India Mission

2. A-HELP

Syllabus: GS-3, Agriculture

Prelims: A-HELP Programme

Context:

The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India launched the ‘A-HELP’ programme at Jharkhand.

About the ‘A-HELP’ Programme:

• A-HELP stands for ‘Accredited Agent for Health and Extension of Livestock Production’.
• The programme aims to empower women by engaging them as Accredited Agents who contribute significantly to disease control, animal tagging, and livestock insurance. 
• The Accredited Agents are ​​expected to fill the void between local veterinary institutions and livestock owners and provide primary services.
• The programme is expected to meet the health care needs of the livestock population in the village.

3. Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission

Syllabus: GS-3, Economy

Prelims: Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, Pharmacopoeial Discussion Group

Context:

Pharmacopoeial Discussion Group (PDG) welcomes the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) as a member.

Details:

• The IPC formally joined the PDG as a member at the PDG’s Annual Meeting which was held on October 3-4, 2023 in Hyderabad.

About Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission: 

• IPC is an autonomous Institution of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GoI. 
• IPC was created to set the standards for drugs in the country. 
• Its basic function is to regularly update the standards of drugs commonly required for the treatment of diseases prevailing in the region. 
• It publishes official documents for improving the quality of medicines by way of adding new and updating existing monographs in the form of Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP).

Pharmacopoeial Discussion Group (PDG):

• The Pharmacopeial Discussion Group (PDG) was formed in 1989 with representatives from the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines in the Council of Europe (the European Pharmacopoeia), the Ministry of Health and Welfare—now the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) the Japanese Pharmacopoeia, and the United States Pharmacopeial Convention, Inc., (the U.S. Pharmacopeia). 
• In May 2001, PDG welcomed the World Health Organization as an observer. PDG generally meets twice a year and holds monthly status and technical teleconferences to advance harmonization work. 
• The purpose of PDG is to harmonize pharmacopeial standards (excipient monographs and selected general chapters) in three major regions of the world. 
• Harmonization reduces manufacturers’ burden of having to perform analytical procedures in different ways, using different acceptance criteria, in order to satisfy pharmacopeial requirements that vary across regions.

Global Impact of IPC as a PDG Member:

• It will increase the visibility of Indian Pharmacopoeia on the international platform. It will help establish the reputation of Indian pharmacopoeia at the global level paving the way towards its recognition by other countries.
• It will help IPC to collaborate and harmonize pharmacopoeial standards with other major regulatory/standard-setting authorities which in turn will help in ensuring the quality and safety of pharmaceuticals at a global level.
• This also has the potential to improve the acceptance of Indian pharmaceutical products in global markets, as they adhere to internationally recognized quality standards.
• This will aid in the improved regulatory compliance of the Indian pharmaceutical industry with global standards.
• This will facilitate enhanced export of Indian pharmaceutical products to other member countries. 
• The harmonization of pharmacopoeial standards among PDG members will contribute to the global effort to ensure the safety and efficacy of marketed pharmaceutical products.

4. World Mental Health Day 2023

Syllabus: GS-2, Health

Prelims: World Mental Health Day 2023

Context:

World Mental Health Day 2023 observed on 10 October.

World Mental Health Day 2023:

• It is observed every year on 10 October for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma.
• The World Federation for Mental Health started its observance in 1992.
• The theme for 2023 is “Mental Health is a universal human right”.

5. Bharat NCX 2023

Syllabus: GS-3, IT

Prelims: Bharat NCX 2023, National Security Council

Context:

National Security Council Secretariat organized the 2nd edition of the National Cyber Security Exercise ‘Bharat NCX 2023’ for government organizations and public and private sectors.

Details:

• The 2nd edition of the National Cyber Security Exercise 2023 ‘Bharat NCX 2023’ will be conducted as a hybrid exercise over a period of twelve days in October 2023 with the aim to train senior management and technical personnel of Government/Critical Sector organizations and Public and Private agencies on contemporary cyber threats and handling cyber incidents and response.
• The program is being conducted by the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), Govt. of India in strategic partnership with Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU).
• The participants will be trained in various key cyber security areas such as Intrusion Detection Techniques, Malware Information Sharing Platform (MISP), Vulnerability Handling & Penetration Testing, Network Protocols & Data Flows, Digital Forensics, etc.
• Bharat NCX India will help strategic leaders to better understand cyber threats, assess readiness, and develop skills for cyber crisis management and cooperation. This will also help develop and test cybersecurity skills, teamwork, planning, communication, critical thinking, and decision-making.

Read the previous PIB articles here.