Daily PIB Analysis For UPSC/IAS | 9th Feb 19

Table of Contents

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting

Dedicated 24×7 Doordarshan Satellite channel for Arunachal Pradesh – DD Arunprabha – set to be launched by PM tomorrow Foundation Stone of Permanent Campus of FTI at Arunachal Pradesh to be laid by PM Posted On: 08 FEB 2019 4:41PM by PIB Delhi Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will launch
DD Arunprabha, a dedicated 24×7 Doordarshan satellite channel for Arunachal Pradesh and lay the foundation stone of a permanent campus of Film and Television Institute (FTI) at Arunachal Pradesh on 9.2.2019. DD Arunprabha, set to become the 24th satellite channel operated by Doordarshan, will be launched by the Prime Minister at IG Park, Itanagar. It will be equipped with state of the art facilities, including a Digital Satellite News Gathering unit to provide live coverage from remote locations, for 24×7 telecast. The playout facility and the earth stations established at DDK Itanagar will ensure seamless transmission of DD Arunprabha.
The channel will showcase the rich tradition and diversity of local culture. Not only will it help integrate North-East with the country, but will also bring alive the magnificence of North-East by airing content sensitive to the needs and aspirations of local population including news, travelogues, mythological shows, documentaries, magazines, telefilms, reality shows, daily shows etc.
The foundation stone of the permanent campus of FTI will be laid by the Prime Minister at Jollang-Rakap (Jote), Papum Pare, Arunachal Pradesh. This is the third Film and Television Institute of Ministry of I&B, the first two being FTII Pune and SRFTI Kolkata. It is the first Film and Television Institute of entire North-East.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Ranking of Hospitals

Government has not conducted any survey for ranking of Hospitals in the country. However, there is one IT based ‘Mera Aspataal application’ to collect patients’ feedback about their experiences in public health facilities including AIIMS Delhi.
As per patient feedback results analyzed in Mera Aspataal Application in December 2018, AIIMS Delhi is ranked 14th among 22 Central Govt. of Hospitals integrated with Mera Aspataal application in the country.
The ranking in the Mera Aspataal Application for the facilities is done on the basis of Patient Satisfaction Score (PSS). The PSS is calculated as weighted average of number of satisfied and dissatisfied patients based on the feedback collected in a particular facility. The ranking keeps changing every month based on the feedback received from the patients.
However, as per National Institute Ranking Framework of Ministry of Human Resource Development, AIIMS, Delhi has been ranked as number one institute.
The Mera Aspataal Initiative was launched precisely to find a mechanism to gauze patient reaction to the services offered in the hospital and help improve the services by taking corrective measures. As per performance analysis report of Mera Aspataal for period Sept-2016 to Jan-2019, 24 per cent of patients were dissatisfied with the services offered at the public health facilities.
Major Reasons for dissatisfaction were staff behavior, cost of treatment & cleanliness issues and other reasons like, long waiting time, overcrowding, inadequate information, lack of amenities, etc.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Health Ministry conducts 8th round of National Deworming Day (NDD) campaign 24.44 Crore Children & Adolescents to be covered in this NDD round This key program initiative is implemented with an objective to reduce the prevalence of Soil Transmitted Helminths (STH) or parasitic intestinal worms so that they are no longer a public health problem. As per WHO, 64% of the Indian population less than 14 years are at risk of STH infections. Launched in 2015 through a single fixed day approach, the NDD program in this round, targets to reach 24.44 crore children and adolescents in 30 states/UTs, in the age group of 1-19 years. The program is implemented with the Ministries of Women and Child Development and Human Resource Development, where the anganwadi workers and teachers administer the deworming medicine to children and adolescents at the anganwadis and schools. ASHA workers support the efforts through community mobilization and sensitization of communities about the ill effects of worm infestations.
The NDD program is a cost-effective program at scale that continues to reach crores of children and adolescents with deworming benefits through a safe medicine Albendazole. Deworming has shown to reduce absenteeism in schools; improve health, nutritional, and learning outcomes for children; and increase the likelihood of higher-wage jobs later in life as per global evidence. Using Albendazole tablet for deworming is an evidence-based, globally-accepted, and effective solution used to control worm infections in all children, regardless of socio-economic background.
NDD is observed bi-annually on 10th February and 10th August in all states and UTs followed by mop-up activities. This year the NDD is being conducted on 8th February and mop up day on the 14th February.
NDD falls under the purview of the Extended Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, and is also committed to improving the nutritional uptake in all children and adolescents and has immensely contributed to the cause of Anemia Mukt Bharat and Poshan Abhiyaan, under the National Nutrition Strategy, formulated by Niti Aayog in December 2017, with a vision towards anemia and malnutrition reduction by 2022. The convergence of NDD with the Swachh Bharat Mission is another step towards ensuring cleanliness and hygiene in our surroundings and towards prevention and control of worm infestation. Awareness generation activities have also been undertaken under this program to sensitize the public about the harmful effects of worm infestation due to open defecation and to promote healthy habits to keep worm infections under control.

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

India to host 13th Conference of Parties(COP) of the Convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild animals(CMS)
an environmental treaty under the aegis of United Nations Environment Programme, is going to be hosted by India during 15th to 22nd February, 2020 at Gandhinagar in Gujarat. Representatives from 129 Parties and eminent conservationists and international NGOs working in the field of wildlife conservation are expected to attend the COP.
India has been a Party to the CMS since 1983.
The Conference of Parties (COP) is the decision-making organ of this convention.
Inaugurating the Logo and Mascot (GIBI) along with website for the international event, in New Delhi, Union Environment Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that hosting of 13th COP would give India an opportunity to showcase its conservation initiatives for wildlife species. “It will provide a global platform for deliberations on the conservation and sustainable use of migratory wild animals and their habitat.” said Dr. Vardhan.
Migratory species are those animals that move from one habitat to another during different times of the year, due to various factors such as food, sunlight, temperature, climate, etc. The movement between habitats, can sometimes exceed thousands of miles/kilometres for some migratory birds and mammals. A migratory route can involve nesting and also requires the availability of habitats before and after each migration.
In order to protect the migratory species throughout their range countries, a Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS), has been in force, under the aegis of United Nations Environment Programme.
Also referred to as the Bonn Convention, it provides a global platform for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitats and brings together the States through which migratory animals pass, the Range States, and lays the legal foundation for internationally coordinated conservation measures throughout a migratory range.
The convention complements and co-operates with a number of other international organizations, NGOs and partners in the media as well as in the corporate sector. Under this convention, migratory species threatened with extinction are listed on Appendix I and Parties strive towards strictly protecting these animals, conserving or restoring the places where they live, mitigating obstacles to migration and controlling other factors that might endanger them. Migratory species that need or would significantly benefit from international co-operation are listed in Appendix II of the Convention.
India has also signed non legally binding MOU with CMS on the conservation and management of Siberian Cranes (1998), Marine Turtles (2007), Dugongs (2008) and Raptors (2016).
India is temporary home to several migratory animals and birds. The important among these include Amur Falcons, Bar headed Gheese, Black necked cranes, Marine turtles, Dugongs, Humpbacked Whales, etc. The Indian sub-continent is also part of the major bird flyway network, i.e, the Central Asian Flyway (CAF) that covers areas between the Arctic and Indian Oceans, and covers at least 279 populations of 182 migratory water bird species, including 29 globally threatened species. India has also launched the National Action Plan for conservation of migratory species under the Central Asian Flyway.

Ministry of Defence

INS Trikand participates in exercise Cutlass Express 2019
INS Trikand, a front-line warship of the Indian Navy, participated in a multinational training exercise ‘CUTLASS EXPRESS – 19’ held from 27 Jan to 06 Feb 19.
The aim of the exercise was to improve law enforcement capacity, promote regional security and progress interoperability between the armed forces of the participating nations for the purpose of interdicting illegal maritime activity in the Western Indian Ocean.
During the exercise, Naval, Coast Guard and Marine Police personnel from a number of East African countries were jointly trained by mentors from USA, India, and Netherlands, with support of international organisations like the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Combined Maritime Force (CMF) and European Naval Forces (EUNAVFOR).
The Indian Navy played a significant role in ‘CUTLASS EXPRESS – 19’, being involved in planning, coordination and execution. Through INS Trikand, the IN provided a platform for live Visit Board Search Seizure (VBSS) drills, which proved to be of immense training value to the participating nations.