Swachh Sujal Shakti Samman 2023 organized by the Ministry of Jal Shakti

Why In News

·         The “Swachh Sujal Shakti Samman 2023”, organized by the Ministry of Jal Shakti to honour the women champions of rural water and sanitation sector.

Key Points

·         The “Swachh Sujal Shakti Samman 2023”, organized by the Ministry of Jal Shakti to honour the women champions of rural water and sanitation sector, was graced by the President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu.

·         This event organized in the run up to the International Women’s Day, was to felicitate the exceptional and exemplary work being done at the grassroots level by women in the implementation of Swachh Bharat Mission – Grameen (SBM-G), Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA-CTR).

·         36 women WASH Champions were conferred with the ‘Swachh Sujal Shakti Samman 2023’ by the President of India and Union Minister of Jal Shakti.

Catch the Rain 2023:

·         The event also saw the launch of Jal Shakti Abhiyan – Catch the Rain 2023 and release of National Water Mission’s(NWM) SoPs on Source Sustainability by Minister of Jal Shakti Sh. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

·         Union Minister also presented President with the first copy of the ‘Swachh Sujal Shakti Ki Abhivyakti’ – a compendium of case stories from SBM (G), JJM and NWM. The theme is ‘Source Sustainability for Drinking Water’.

Significance of This Mission:

·         Nobel laureate Michael Kremer, in his study has reported that 1.36 lakh lives of children under five years of age can be saved every year in rural India by providing safe and adequate drinking water through tap connections and having safe sanitation practices.

‘World’s first’ bamboo crash barrier installed on Maharashtra highway

Why In News

·         The world’s first 200-metre-long bamboo crash barrier has been installed on a highway connecting Chandrapur and Yavatmal districts in Maharashtra.

Key Points

·         The world’s first 200-metre-long bamboo crash barrier has been installed on a highway connecting Chandrapur and Yavatmal districts in Maharashtra.

·         Named ‘Bahu Balli’, the bamboo crash barrier underwent “rigorous testing” at various government-run institutions like the National Automotive Test Tracks (NATRAX) in Pithampur, Indore.

·         This was rated as Class 1 during the Fire Rating Test conducted at the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) in Roorkee and it has also been accredited by the Indian Road Congress, According to Nitin Gadkari-led Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

·         Aatmanirbhar Bharat has been made with the development of the world’s first bamboo-made crash barrier, which has been installed on the Vani-Warora Highway in Vidarbh, Maharashtra. Additionally, it has also been accredited by the Indian Road Congress.

·         The recycling value of the bamboo barrier is 50-70 per cent whereas that of steel barriers is 30-50 per cent.

·         The bamboo species used in the making of this barrier is Bambusa Balcoa, which has been treated with creosote oil and coated with recycled High-Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE).

·         This achievement is remarkable for the bamboo sector and India as a whole, as this crash barrier offers a perfect alternative to steel and addresses environmental concerns and their aftermath.

31 Indian states have implemented ‘PM CARES for Children’ scheme: ILO-UNICEF report

Why In News

·         An ILO-UNICEF report on Social Protection for Children said 31 Indian states have implemented the national ' PM CARES for Children ' scheme launched during the pandemic.

Key Points

·         An ILO-UNICEF report on Social Protection for Children said 31 Indian states have implemented the national ‘ PM CARES for Children ‘ scheme launched during the pandemic with 10,793 full orphans (children who have lost both parents) and 151,322 half-orphans (children who have lost one parent) due to the pandemic taking the benefit of the scheme.

·         2.4 billion Children in this world need adequate social protection.

·         Nearly 1.77 billion children aged 0-18 years lack access to a child or family cash benefit, a fundamental pillar of a social protection system

Regional disparities

·         One billion children live in multidimensional poverty without access to education, health, housing, nutrition, sanitation or water.

Gender disparity

·         Children with disabilities or living in a household with a family member with a disability are more vulnerable to poverty.

ILO-UNICEF report: Stats on India:

·         The report stated that 31 states in India had implemented the national‘PM CARES for Children’ scheme. So far, only 4,302 children have received support from the scheme.

About ‘PM-CARES for Children’ Scheme:

·         The scheme was launched on 29th May, 2021 with the aim to support children who lost both or surviving parent(s), legal guardian/adoptive parents or single adoptive parent to Covid-19.

·         The status of children in need of care and protection included orphans (10,094), lost either parent (1,36,910) and abandoned (488) taking the total to 1,47,492.

·         In the gender-wise break-up, out of the 1,47,492 children, there are 76,508 boys, 70,980 girls and four transgender.

Karnataka end 54-year wait, wins Santosh Trophy

Why In News

·         Karnataka ended their national 54-year wait to win the Santosh Trophy football championship, beating Meghalaya 3-2 in a pulsating final at the King Fahd International Stadium.

Key Points

·         Karnataka ended their 54-year wait to win the Santosh Trophy national football championship, beating Meghalaya 3-2 in a pulsating final at the King Fahd International Stadium in the Saudi Arabia capital.

·         Services beat Punjab 2-0 in the playoff to finish third. PP Shafeel and Christopher Kamei scored in either half. Services, winners of five of the last 10 editions, took the lead in the seventh minute through a strike from distance by Shafeel before Kamei converted a left-footed attempt from outside the box.

·         Karnataka (Sunil Kumar 2′, Bekley Oram 19′, Robin Yadav 42′) 3 – 2 Meghalaya (Brolington Warlarpih 19′, Sheen Stevenson Sphktung 60′)

·         The National Football Championship for Hero Santosh Trophy, due to sponsorship ties with Hero MotoCorp also known as the Hero National Football Championship, or simply Santosh Trophy, is a state-level national football competition contested by the state associations and government institutions under the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the sport’s governing body in India.

·         Before the starting of the first national club league, the National Football League in 1996, the Santosh Trophy was considered the top domestic honour in India. Many players who have represented India internationally, played and gained honour while playing in the Santosh Trophy.

·         The tournament is held every year with eligible teams who are divided into zones, must play in the qualifying round and can progress into the tournament proper.

·         The tournament was started in 1941 by Indian Football Association (IFA), which was the then de facto governing body of football in India.

·         It was named after the former president of the IFA, Sir Manmatha Nath Roy Chowdhury, the Maharaja of Santosh who had died at the age of 61 in 1939.

·         The IFA later donated the Santosh Trophy to the AIFF, soon after its formation as the sport’s official governing body in India, and since then AIFF has been organising the tournament.

·         The trophy for the runner-up, Kamala Gupta Trophy, was also donated by the then president of IFA, Dr. S.K. Gupta, and it was named in honour of his wife.

·         The third-place trophy, Sampangi Cup, was donated by the Karnataka State Football Association (then Mysore Football Association) and was named so in the memory of a renowned footballer, Sampangi, who was from Mysore.

·         Until 2018, the tournament was organised as an individual competition, but since 2021, the AIFF rebranded it as the men’s senior tier of National Football Championship for the regional teams of various age groups.

·         In September 2022, it was announced that the tournament will be organized on zonal basis.

NADA and NCERT sign MoU to strengthen value-based sports education amongst school children and teachers

Why In News

·         The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) signed an MoU to strengthen value-based sports education.

Key Points

·         The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) under the Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry; and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) signed an MoU to strengthen value-based sports education amongst school children and teachers.

·         The key activities that will be undertaken through this MoU include developing e-content in an accessible format on sports values and ethics. The UNESCO Value-Based Sports Education toolkit will also be promoted in every classroom under the MoU.

·         This MoU will amplify NADA’s outreach efforts multi-fold, in collaboration with NCERT. She stressed that the MoU will also help in creating awareness at the grassroots.

·         As a signatory to the UNESCO International Convention Against Doping in Sports, India holds the responsibility to augment clean sports efforts and promote value-based sports education in the country.

About National Anti Doping Agency (NADA):

·         It is under the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports.

·         It was set up as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act of 1860 in 2005 with a mandate for Dope free sports in India.

·         The primary objectives are to implement anti-doping rules as per WADA code, regulate dope control programmes, to promote education and research and create awareness about doping and its ill effects.

·         NADA includes scientists and representatives from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).