Integrated Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY cards will be issued soon
Why is it in news?
The Health Ministry has recently informed that soon the Ayushman card
will be co-branded with the state logo and name of state-specific health
schemes as well as the flagship health scheme of the Centre.
Highlights
• This step has been taken by the government to reduce the confusion
among the citizens so that they can know which schemes are applicable for them.
According to the Health Ministry, at present about 20 schemes are being run in
many states.
• At present, except Delhi, Odisha and West Bengal, all other states and
union territories have agreed to co-brand the cards. After this co-branding,
their joint name will be changed to 'Ayushman Card'.
• This card will be bilingual in English and local language.
• Under the new arrangement, eligible beneficiaries of any government
insurance scheme will be able to avail this coverage in any of the 25,000
hospitals empaneled under the central scheme. The central government will
provide a cover of ₹5 lakh, and beyond that individual states are free to add
to the insurance package.
• According to the Ministry of Health, about 188.1 million persons have
been verified under this scheme till August 17, 2022, out of which updated
Ayushman cards have been issued to 141.2 million people.
PM inaugurates and lays foundation stones of projects worth about Rs 4400 crore in Bhuj
Why is it in news?
Recently, Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of projects worth about
Rs 4400 crore in Bhuj today. Earlier, he also inaugurated Smriti Van Memorial
in Bhuj district.
Highlights
• Significantly, while addressing the
gathering, the Prime Minister said that the Smriti Van Memorial in Bhuj and the
Veer Bal Smarak in Anjar are symbols of the shared pain of Kutch district of
Gujarat and the entire country. He recalled the moment when the concept of
Anjar Memorial came to the fore and it was resolved to complete the memorial
through voluntary work 'Kar Seva'.
• He said that these monuments are being
dedicated with a heavy heart in the memory of those killed in the devastating
earthquake. He also thanked the people for their warm welcome today.
• He recalled the many feelings that went
down in his heart today and said with all humility that in memory of the
departed souls, the Memorial Forest Memorial is on par with the 9/11 Memorial
and the Hiroshima Memorial.
• He asked the people and school children to
keep visiting the memorial so that the balance and behavior of nature remains
clean for all.
• The Prime Minister recalled the eve of the
devastating earthquake. He said, "I remember when the earthquake struck, I
reached here on the second day itself. I was not the chief minister then. I was
a simple worker. I didn't know how and how many people I would be able to help.
But I did it," he said. Decided that in this hour of grief, I will be here
amongst you all. And when I became the Chief Minister, my experience of service
helped me a lot.
• He recalled his deep and long association
with the region, and remembered and paid tribute to those he worked with during
the crisis.
• The Prime Minister further said,
"There has always been a specialty of Kutch, which I often discuss. Here
on the way, even if a person sows a dream, then the whole Kutch gets involved
in making it a banyan tree. These sanskars proved every apprehension, every
assessment wrong. There were many who said that now Kutch will never be able to
stand on its feet.
• Significantly, while addressing the
gathering, the Prime Minister said that the Smriti Van Memorial in Bhuj and the
Veer Bal Smarak in Anjar are symbols of the shared pain of Kutch district of
Gujarat and the entire country. He recalled the moment when the concept of
Anjar Memorial came to the fore and it was resolved to complete the memorial
through voluntary work 'Kar Seva'.
• He said that these monuments are being
dedicated with a heavy heart in the memory of those killed in the devastating
earthquake. He also thanked the people for their warm welcome today.
• He recalled the many feelings that went
down in his heart today and said with all humility that in memory of the
departed souls, the Memorial Forest Memorial is on par with the 9/11 Memorial
and the Hiroshima Memorial.
• He asked the people and school children to
keep visiting the memorial so that the balance and behavior of nature remains
clean for all.
• The Prime Minister recalled the eve of the
devastating earthquake. He said, "I remember when the earthquake struck, I
reached here on the second day itself. I was not the chief minister then. I was
a simple worker. I didn't know how and how many people I would be able to help.
But I did it," he said. Decided that in this hour of grief, I will be here
amongst you all. And when I became the Chief Minister, my experience of service
helped me a lot.
• He recalled his deep and long association
with the region, and remembered and paid tribute to those he worked with during
the crisis.
• The Prime Minister further said,
"There has always been a specialty of Kutch, which I often discuss. Here
on the way, even if a person sows a dream, then the whole Kutch gets involved
in making it a banyan tree. These sanskars proved every apprehension, every
assessment wrong.There were many who said that now Kutch will never be able to
stand on its feet.
• But today the people of Kutch have
completely changed the picture here.” He recalled that the first Diwali after
the earthquake, he and his state cabinet colleagues spent in the area to
express solidarity with the people.
• He said that in that hour of challenge, we
announced that we will turn disaster into opportunity ('disaster to
opportunity'). “When I told the Red Fort ramparts that by 2047, India would be
a developed country, you can see that in the midst of death and calamity, we
made some resolutions and made them a reality today. Similarly, the resolution
we will take today will definitely become a reality in 2047.”
• Highlighting the incredible work done after
the utter devastation in 2001, the Prime Minister said that the Krantiguru
Shyamji Krishnavarma University was formed in Kutch in 2003, while more than 35
new colleges have also been established.
• He also talked about earthquake resistant
district hospitals and over 200 clinics working in the area. He said that every
house gets clean water from the holy Narmada, which was a far cry in the days
of water scarcity. He discussed in detail the steps to ensure water security in
the region. He said that with the blessings of the people of Kutch, all the
major areas have been connected with the Narmada waters.
• He said, "The Kutch Bhuj canal will
benefit the people and farmers of the region". He congratulated Kutch for
becoming the number one fruit producing district of entire Gujarat. He lauded
the people for making unprecedented progress in animal husbandry and milk
production. He said, "Kutch has not only raised itself but has taken
entire Gujarat to new heights".
• The Prime Minister recalled the times when
Gujarat was battling one crisis after another. "When Gujarat was dealing
with a natural calamity, the conspiracies started.
• In order to defame Gujarat in the country
and in the world, one after another conspiracy was hatched to stop investment
here. Even in such a situation, on one hand, Gujarat became the first state in
the country to enact a disaster management law.
• This law helped every government in the
country during the pandemic". He continued to ignore all attempts to
defame Gujarat and defying conspiracies, Gujarat took a new industrial route,
making Kutch its most important Got benefit.
• He said that today the world's largest
cement plant is in Kutch. Kutch ranks second in the world in terms of welding
pipe manufacturing. The world's second largest textile plant is in Kutch.
• Asia's first SEZ is built in Kutch. Kandla
and Mundra ports handle 30 per cent of India's cargo and it produces 30 per
cent of the salt for the country. Kutch generates 2500 MW of electricity
generated from solar and wind power and is about to become the largest solar
hybrid park in Kutch.
• The Prime Minister further said that
Gujarat has a big role in the Green House campaign that is going on in the
country today. Similarly, when Gujarat makes its mark as the Green House
Capital of the world, Kutch will have a huge contribution in it.
• Recalling pride in his legacy, one of the
Pancha Prana, which he declared from the ramparts of the Red Fort, the Prime
Minister highlighted the prosperity and prosperity of Kutch. The Prime Minister
commented on Dholavira's building expertise. He said, "Our expertise in
city building is reflected in Dholavira. Dhaulaweera has been given the status
of World Heritage Site only last year. Every brick of Dhaulaweera reflects the
skills, knowledge and science of our ancestors."
• Similarly, honoring long neglected freedom
fighters is also part of being proud of one's legacy. He discussed the facility
to bring back the remains of Shyamji Krishna Varma. He said, the memorial at
Mandvi and the Statue of Unity are also big steps in this regard.
• The Prime Minister emphasized that the
development of Kutch is a perfect example of a meaningful change with 'Sabka
Prayas'. The Prime Minister said, “Kutch is not just a place, but it is a
spirit, a living feeling. It is this spirit which shows us the way to the
fulfillment of the colossal resolutions of the elixir of freedom.
• On this occasion the Chief Minister of
Gujarat, Shri Bhupendra Patel, MP Shri C.R. Patil and Shri Vinod L. Chavda,
Gujarat Assembly Speaker Dr. Nimaben Acharya, Ministers of State Kiritsinh
Vaghela and Jitubhai Choudhary were present.
• Divided into seven sections. The first volume
is based on the theme of the evolution of the earth and the reincarnation
showing the potential of the earth.
• The second section presents the
geographical location of Gujarat and various natural disasters that are
vulnerable to the state. The third section leads anyone to the consequences
immediately after the 2001 earthquake.
• The galleries in this section show large
scale relief efforts by individuals as well as organizations. The fourth volume
showcases Gujarat's reconstruction initiatives and success stories after the
2001 earthquake.
• The fifth section prompts the visitor to
think about and learn from different types of disasters and to be prepared for
any type of disaster at any time in the future.
• The sixth section helps us to re-experience
an earthquake with the help of a simulator. The experience is designed in a 5D
simulator and aims to convey to the visitor the ground reality of an event at
this scale. The seventh section provides people with a place where they can pay
homage to departed souls while remembering those lost.
• Prime Minister inaugurated and laid
foundation stones of projects worth about Rs 4400 crore in Bhuj. The Prime
Minister also inaugurated the Kutch branch canal of the Sardar Sarovar Project.
The total length of the canal is about 357 km.
• A part of the canal was inaugurated by the
Prime Minister in 2017 and the remaining part is being inaugurated now. The
canal will help in providing irrigation facilities to Kutch and drinking water
to all 948 villages and 10 towns of Kutch district. The Prime Minister will
also inaugurate several other projects, including Sarhad Dairy's new Automatic
Milk Processing and Packing Plant; Regional Science Centre, Bhuj; Dr. Babasaheb
Ambedkar Convention Center in Gandhidham; Veer Bal Memorial at Anjar;
Nakhtarana includes Bhuj 2 substation etc.
Notification issued to provide more convenience to citizens for issuance of International Driving Permit (IDP) in the country
Why
is it in news?
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
has issued a notification on 26 August 2022 to provide more convenience to the
citizens for issuance of International Driving Permit (IDP) in the country.
Highlights
• India is a signatory to the 1949
International Road Transport Convention (Geneva Convention). Therefore, in
order to accept it on a reciprocal basis with other countries, it is necessary
to issue an IDP in accordance with the terms of this Convention.
• Presently the IDPs being issued in
different states of the country had different format, size, pattern and colour.
Due to this many citizens of the country were facing difficulties due to their
respective IDPs in other countries.
• Now under this amendment the format, size,
color etc. of IDP have been standardized for all India issuance and in
compliance with the Geneva Convention. A provision of QR code has also been
made to link the IDP with the driving license.
• Comparison of vehicle categories has also
been incorporated in various conventions and Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989
for the convenience of regulatory authorities. Helpline numbers and emails are
also provided.
International Day Against Nuclear Testing
Why
is it in news?
International Day against Nuclear Tests is
organized every year on 29 August.
key point
• The event is organized with the aim of
creating awareness about the harmful effects of testing nuclear weapons and
calling for an end to such tests.
• The year 2021 marked the 12th anniversary
of the event.
• The United Nations General Assembly adopted
the International Day against Nuclear Tests on 2 December 2009.
• The proposal was initiated by Kazakhstan in
1991 to mark the 18th anniversary of the completion of the USSR-controlled
Semipalatinsk nuclear test site in Kazakhstan.
• The United States conducted the first
nuclear test called Trinity on July 16, 1945, in a desert site in New Mexico.
• This test enabled the US to drop atomic
bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
• An estimated 200,000 people died as a
result of this incident while survivors suffered from cancer caused by
radiation.
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)
• CTBT was established by UNGA in 1996. It
was signed and ratified by 170 countries.
• Significantly, 15 countries signed the
treaty but did not ratify it. It was not signed by 11 countries.
• The day highlights the urgency to ban the
testing and use of all types of nuclear weapons by any country.
• The signatories to the Non-Proliferation of
Nuclear Weapons Treaty have resolved to safeguard peace from the threat of
nuclear weapons.
India's first commercial space observatory to be set up in Uttarakhand
Why
is it in news?
India's first commercial space observatory
will be set up in the Garhwal division of Uttarakhand. Digantara, a startup
started in the field of space, will build this laboratory.
Highlights
• This observatory will monitor the 10 cm
size fine particles moving in the space around the Earth. This space
situational awareness observatory will help in monitoring space waste and
military satellites hovering in space around the Earth.
• With these data, it will be able to reduce
the risk of collisions between satellites and other spacecraft by more
accurately predicting their location, speed and trajectory.
• This observatory will also give India
indigenous capability to monitor space activity on the subcontinent. For
example, if Chinese satellites are observed over a particular area of India
for a long period of time, it is an advantage for India to have indigenous
capability without relying on countries like the US to monitor these
activities.
• So far, only the US is ahead in keeping
such surveillance. In many places in the world, such observatories are being
operated only by commercial companies of America.