WORLD CANCER DAY & MORE ( CURRENT AFFAIRS 5 FEB 2021 )

 WORLD CANCER DAY

India Post, Mumbai Region, in collaboration with the Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai releases a Special Cover on World Cancer Day (February 4).

About:

• Objective: To save millions of preventable deaths each year through raising awareness and by pressing governments to take action against Cancer.
  
  
• Organized by: Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), an International non-governmental organization (NGO) that exists to help the global health community accelerate the fight against cancer. It was founded in 1933 and based in Geneva, Switzerland.
  
  
• Origin: World Cancer Day was established by the Paris Charter adopted at the World Summit Against Cancer for the New Millenium in Paris in 2000.
  
  
• Theme: In 2019, Union for International Cancer Control, launched a new 3-year campaign with the theme: “I Am and I Will.” The campaign is an empowering call-to-action urging for personal commitment and represents the power of individual action taken now to impact the future.
  

NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL

The Ministry of Labour & Employment has appointed Shri S.N. Subrahmanyan, CEO and Managing Director, L&T Ltd, as the Chairman of the National Safety Council for a period of three years.

About:

• National Safety Council is a non-profit, self-financing apex body at the national level in India.
  
  
• Its Objective is to generate, develop and sustain a voluntary movement on Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) at the national level.
  
  
• It is an autonomous body, which was set up by the Government of India, Ministry of Labour and Employment in 1965.
  
  
• It was registered as a Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and subsequently, as a Public Trust under the Bombay Public Trust Act, 1950.

MOU FOR COMPOSITE RAW MATERIALS

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for development and production of composite raw materials during the Aero India 2021 in Bengaluru on February 04, 2021.

About:

• This is the first time that such an MoU has been signed for composite raw materials.
  
  
• Composites raw materials, mainly in the form of prepregs (carbon, aramid, glass types, etc) used in platforms like Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) are currently imported.
  
  
• The usage of composites in the aerospace is going to exist and increase, particularly for fighter aircraft/helicopter because of its inherent advantages over metallic raw materials

RASHTRIYA YUVA SASHAKTIKARAN KARYAKRAM

Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports informed Lok Sabha about Rashtriya Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakram.

About:

• The Scheme Rashtriya Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakram (RYSK) is an ongoing Central Sector Scheme.
  
  
• The budget allocation of the scheme RYSK for the year 2020-21 is Rs.486.48 Crores.
  
  
• It is an umbrella scheme. The 7 sub-schemes under scheme RYSK are:
• Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan.
  
  
• National Youth Corps.
  
  
• National Programme for Youth and Adolescent Development.
  
  
• International Cooperation.
  
  
• Youth Hostels.
  
  
• Assistance to Scouting and Guiding Organisations.
  
  
• National Young Leaders Programme.
  
• ROPEWAYS AND ALTERNATE MOBILITY SOLUTIONS
  The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways will, from now on, also look after the development of Ropeways and Alternate Mobility Solutions.
  

  About:

  • The Ministry will also look after the construction, research, and policy in this area. Formulation of institutional, financial, and regulatory framework for the technology will also fall under the ambit of this move.
    
    
  • The move is expected to give a boost to the sector, by setting up a regulatory regime, and facilitating research and new technology to come into this sector.
    
    
  • An amendment to the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961 has been notified, to enable this step.

  POWER SECTOR REFORMS

  Andhra Pradesh has become the second State to undertake the power sector reforms stipulated by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.

  

  About:

  • As part of the reforms, the State has started Direct Benefit transfer (DBT) of electricity subsisdy to farmers with effect from September, 2020.
    
    
  • Thus, the State has successfully implemented one out of the three stipulated reforms in the power sector.
    
    
  • Besides Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh has also undertaken reforms in the power sector.
    

  KAPILA

  The Government has launched a campaign namely Kalam Program for Intellectual Property Literacy and Awareness Campaign (KAPILA) for Intellectual Property Literacy and creating patent awareness on 15th October, 2020.

  

  About:

  • The objectives of the scheme include
    • creating awareness regarding Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in Higher Education Institutions(HEIs),
      
      
    • enabling of IP protection of inventions originating from faculty and students of HEIs,
      
      
    • development of Credit Course on IPR,
      
      
    • training program on IPR for faculty and students of HEIs and
      
      
    • sensitization and development of vibrant IP filing system.
      
      
    • So far, total 46,556 users have been registered for KAPILA.

  ‘FIVE S’ VISION

  The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) Defence Ministers’ Conclave began with a keynote address from Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh on 4th February on the sidelines of Aero India 2021 in Bengaluru.

  

  • As the largest nation in the IOR region with a vast coast line of 7500 Kms, India has an active role to play for peaceful and prosperous co-existence of all countries.
    
    
  • SAGAR - Security and Growth for All in the Region is the theme of Indian Ocean Policy as outlined by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in 2015.
    
    
  • India’s approach and vision to tackle global challenges was highlighted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dynamic five ‘S’ vision - Samman (Respect), Samvaad (Dialogue), Sahyog (Cooperation), Shanti (Peace) and Samriddhi (Prosperity).
  • DISPUTES ON PROJECTS OF KRISHNA & GODAVARI RIVER
    Both the Governments of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have mutually complained against each other about new projects on Krishna and Godavari rivers without submitting their Detailed Project Reports (DPR) to Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) and Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) respectively for appraisal and clearance.
    

    About:

    • An Apex Council was constituted under the AP Reorganization Act, 2014 for deciding on water relared inter-state matters. The second meeting of the Apex Council was held on 06.10.2020 under the Chairmanship of Minister (Jal Shakti) with CMs of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
      
      
    • In the meeting, it was decided that both the States shall submit the DPRs of new projects to KRMB/ GRMB for appraisal and subsequent sanction by the Apex Council.

    MICRO IRRIGATION

    The Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW) is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of ‘Per Drop More Crop’ component of ‘Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY-PDMC)’ from 2015-16 in all the States of the country.

    

    About:

    • It focuses on enhancing water use efficiency at farm level through Micro Irrigation viz. Drip and Sprinkler irrigation systems.
      
      
    • Besides promoting Micro Irrigation, this component also supports micro level water storage or water conservation/management activities to supplement source creation for Micro Irrigation.
      
      
    • Efforts are being made to converge ‘Per Drop More Crop’ Scheme with Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY), Namami Gange Districts, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Surakshaevem Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM), Water Harvesting Structures through Watershed Development component of PMKSY to propagate micro irrigation intensively
      
      
    • With a view to provide impetus to the Micro Irrigation in the country, The Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF) with a corpus of Rs. 5000 Crore was created with NABARD during 2018-19. The GoI provides 3% interest subvention on loans extended to State Govt. under MIF.