Daily News Notes

· The government has provided funds through several plans and schemes for the National System of Standardization to enhance participation of experts representing techniques and scientific organizations. Addressing the 20th meeting of Bureau of Indian Standards the Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution K.V Thomas said that BIS is the National standards body of the country, which has taken a number of steps to meet the emerging challenges threw its manifold activities in the field of standardization and quality certification of goods and services.
· All India Institute of Medical Science, AIIMS, will soon provide free treatment to Below Poverty Level patients. AIIMS has been asked to prepare a proposal and submit it to the Union Health Ministry for sanction of funds under the plan for the next financial year. Currently poor patients can avail free treatment at AIIMS only if they apply for funding from the National Illness Fund.
· According to the latest Annual Status of Education Report for the year 2011, the number of girl students enrolled in schools in the age group of 11 to 14 years improved significantly in 2011 and nearly 97 percent of the children aged between 6 to 14 years were enrolled in schools in rural areas. It however highlights that the basic arithmetic level in school students has registered a decline. The decline in average attendance is maximum in MP, BR and UP. The report notes that over the years, parents prefer to send their children to private schools and the enrollment in these schools has increased significantly.
· Under Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY) meant to address issues of employment, skill training and community development of the urban poor, the funding for North-Eastern States including Sikkim is shared between the Centre and the States in the ratio of 90:10, considering the lack of financial resources with the States in the region. Community market, Slum re-development, multipurpose resource centres, community sanitation works, etc. are some of the areas which are covered under the scheme.
· The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have sent a central team of doctors to Mumbai to ascertain facts about the reported cases of Drug Resistant Tuberculosis cases. Any type of Drug Resistant TB can only be diagnosed by Laboratory Test and not by clinical examination alone. As of now, the Revised National TB Control Programme has accredited only following three labs for conducting quality-assured second-line anti-TB drug susceptibility testing of flour quinolones and injectable, viz (1) National TB Institute (NTI), Bangalore; (2) LRS Institute of TB and Chest Disease, New Delhi, and (3) National Institute of Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai. The term “totally drug resistant” tuberculosis is neither recognized by the WHO nor by Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP). For now these cases are defined as Extensively Drug Resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB), according to WHO definitions, and accordingly can be managed by national XDR-TB treatment guidelines.
· A two-day National Consultation Meeting for drafting first Country Report of India on United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) was held. India was one of the first countries to sign and ratify the UNCRPD which emphasized the need for special focus on women and children with disabilities. The task of drafting India’s first Country Report has been assigned to NALSAR Law University, Hyderabad. Several well-known initiatives (such as constitution of the Sudha Kaul Committee to formulate a new disability rights law; XII Plan exercise for empowerment of persons with disabilities) have been taken in close consultation with persons with disabilities and their organizations to fulfill the obligations under UNCRPD.
· In order to implement the Government’s Policy for Acquisition of Raw Material Assets Abroad by Central Public Sector Enterprises (to ensure availability of adequate quantities of raw material, crucial for the growth of manufacturing sector and for the economy as a whole) an integrated mechanism is being put in place by Constituting Coordination Committee of Secretaries. The Committee shall consider the following issues: (i) Avoiding competition among Indian companies;(ii) Reconciling interests of the nation viz-a-viz those of the CPSE(s) in the event of a conflict;(iii) Providing forum for sharing of available experience;(iv) Facilitating quick, coordinated decision making;(v) Exploring the possibility of infrastructure development in the target country;(vi) Coordinating grant of concessional credit to foreign enterprise/Government in return for long term commitment for the supply of natural resources;(vii) Recommending government funding, and its nature (grant, loan or equity), for the overseas investment proposal.
· Senior officials of 49 countries are holding hectic discussions to prepare a strategy to counter the threats of nuclear terrorism. The two day deliberations which began in New Delhi yesterday will prepare a draft communique for the Nuclear Security Summit to be held in Seoul, South Korea in March this year. The officials are expected to come out with a blueprint for nuclear security and safety amid persistent concerns about clandestine proliferation and the danger of weapons falling into the hands of terrorists and radicals.
· External Affairs Minister S M Krishna met Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in morning at the 'Temple Trees', the official residence of the President. He assured Mr.Krishna that the 13 Amendment plus approach will be followed for a meaningful devolution package for the ethnic minority, Tamils in Sri Lanka. Mr. Krishna said that some of the positive recommendations by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), if implemented will mark a step forward in genuine national reconciliation.
· On the sidelines of the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, the Union Minister for Renewable Energy Dr. Farooq Abdullah said that the green and clean technologies are the vehicles of sustainable development and thus India’s Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Energy Mission will achieve its target to add 20,000 Megawatts of power by 2022. He also said that 10 year tax concessions on renewable energy has been provided for tech solutions, Land is being made available at cheaper rates and connectivity to smart grid has been planned.
· In Yemen, Over 1000 Al-Qaeda gunmen invaded Rada (about 130 kilometers from the Capital Sanaa) and have taken over the city. They have taken over the police and intelligence headquarters, and seized the central prison and released over 100 prisoners including many hardcore Al Qaeda terrorists. The Tribesmen accused the government of complacency and said that despite repeated warnings, the government did little to prevent the fall of Rada.
· The statistics bureau data of Chinese economy showed that growth for 2011 was 9.2 per cent, down from 10.3 per cent in 2010, thus China's economy grew at its slowest pace in more than two years.
· The visiting Yemenese Prime Minister Mohammad Salem Basindwa called on the UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi for financial co-operation from the UAE Government in rebuilding the nation. Basindawa is on a tour to Gulf nations seeking financial assistance to rebuild a strife torn Yemen which has been witnessing violence for over a year.