11th Dec 2017 – Press Information Bureau (Daily PIB PDF-UPSC)

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Universal Health Coverage Day, 2017
Launched: “LaQshya| लक्ष्य’’ – Labour Room Quality Improvement Initiative, a Safe Delivery Mobile Application.
For health workers who manage normal and complicated deliveries in the peripheral areas
Released: Operational Guidelines for Obstetric High Dependency Units (HDUs) and Intensive Care Units (ICUs).
Shri Nadda stated that this year is significant as the National Health Policy 2017 has been approved which envisages the attainment of the highest possible level of health without anyone having to face financial hardship as a consequence.
The Government has taken concrete steps to reduce the Out Of Pocket Expenditure (OOPE), he added.
In its four phases till date, Mission Indradhanush (MI) has successfully reached over 25 million children in over 528 districts.
one of the largest global public health initiatives was launced in 2014.
The Pradhan Mantri Dialysis Program has also been launched where 1.43 lakhs patients have availed free services from 1,069 Dialysis Units and under Free Drugs and Diagnostics Program
AMRIT outlets nearly 47 Lakh patients have benefitted from AMRIT Pharmacies through purchase of subsidized medicines, he added.
Government has increased the budget of the Health Ministry for 2017-18 by 27.7%

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways

The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways held a meeting last week to review the progress of the India-Nepal road connectivity projects.
Mechi River Bridge project to be implemented at the Indo-Nepal border is on track. LOI is likely to be issued to the contractor shortly.
Piprakothi-Raxaul Road (NH57A) – NHAI has received bids for restoration of this highway. Award of contract for repair is likely to be done by the end of this month.
Mirganj Bridge (NH 57A) – NHAI has done a survey of this bridge and a proposal for temporary bridge strengthening will be formulated in January 2018.
Government is aiming to construct 40 Kilo Metres of road every day in the country by next year.
Centre has approved construction of over 34 thousand kilometres of road network over the next five years under the Bharatmala Pariyojana.
He said, river and port connectivity is very important for boosting trade and investment in India as well as in the ASEAN region.
“Our government has taken a decision to connect 111 rivers into waterways. It’s a great achievement for our government that we have already started the project in Ganga which is from Baranasi to Haldia, 1,608 kilometres.We are making 3 multimodal hub, 40 river points and 9 ferry services, 8 rural services. We have already started work in repair of Farraka water gate.“
Minister of State for External Affairs Gen V K Singh stressed on re-establishing the connectivity between India and ASEAN countries as it was in the past.
Power Conservation
Uttarakhand Government has taken a new initiative for energy conservation.
The State Government has made it compulsory for all Government offices to install LED bulbs.
This will reduce the consumption of electricity in offices and civic areas.
All District Magistrates and Head of Departments have been directed to strictly follow the orders following sanction the State Cabinet.
Purchase of sodium vapour lamps and incandescent lamps by all departments in the state has been banned.
The State Energy Secretary Radhika Jha told that 40 lakh LED bulbs have so far been distributed as against the target of one crore LED bulbs.
She said that, after meeting this target about 39 crore units of electricity worth 98 crore Rupees will be saved every year in the state.

Ministry of Electronics & IT→

“NIC-CERT”, a setup of National Informatics Centre
Objective: Creating a comprehensive framework that integrates world class security components and inbuilt threat intelligence for detection, prevention and incident response.
NIC-CERT will operate in close coordination and collaboration with sectoral CERT’s and more so with Cert-in.
He mentioned that in the recent past there has been an exponential growth in cyber attacks leading to concerns of data theft which led to the Government drafting the Data protection Act.
As Internet with its ever expanding canvas of opportunities is touching the life’s of people, it necessitates the requirement to upscale the existing security infrastructure.