Daily News Notes: 14th & 15th August, 2012

· Independence Day is being celebrated across the country and outside with patriotic fervor. >>>>Happy 66th Independence Day<<<<
· The Agriculture Ministry has prepared contingency plans for 320 districts across the country to overcome severe drought conditions. The concerned States have been advised to prepare location-specific alternatives based on these plans. They have also been asked to be in touch with the agricultural Universities and arrange seeds of alternate crops to implement the plans. Minister of State for Agriculture stated that due to deficient rainfall this year, Kharif crops could be sown only in 802 lakh hectares as against the normal area of nearly 855 lakh hectares till date. Besides deficient rainfall, there has also been a shortage of green and dry fodder, further aggravating the situation. In addition, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Rajasthan are facing scarcity of drinking water as well, the Minister said. The Government says, monsoon rain has been 17 per cent deficient so far in the country.
· Health Minister has informed that the Maternal Mortality Rate, MMR has come down to 212 in 2010 from 600 in 1990. He said that the World Health Organisations has put countries in four groups. India has been put in the group of countries who are progressing in this regard. Mr Azad said that Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Gujarat have already achieved the target set up by the UNICEF in the Millennium Development Goal, MDG. The Minister said that Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand Rajasthan Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand are included in those States which are lagging behind in this regard. He said, the government has started many new schemes during the last 6- 7 years including National Rural Health Mission, NRHM and Janani Suraksha Yojana, JSY.
· Food and PDS Minister has requested to all States/UTs to undertake end-to-end Computerization of Public Distribution System (PDS), which includes Fair Price Shop (FPS) Automation, Computerisation of Supply –Chain, Digitization of Ration Card database, SMS/E-mail alerts on dispatch and delivery of foodgrains, setting up of Transparency Portal, Toll-free number for grievance redressal etc. The Minister said that under the guidelines, States/ UTs are encouraged to include PDS related fields in the data collection exercise being undertaken by various UIDAI appointed Registrars as part of the UID (Aadhaar) enrolment. This would help in streamlining the process of biometric collection as well as authentication of beneficiary at the time of commodity issuance at FPS. Subsequent to digitization of ration card database in States/UTs, bogus/ineligible cards are expected to be eliminated during the process of de-duplication. Hence, computerization of PDS will ensure proper identification of beneficiaries and distribution of foodgrains only to the intended beneficiaries, the Minister added.
· Heath Minister has informed that it is proposed to set up the National Commission for Human Resources for Health (NCHRH) under the his Ministry as an overarching regulatory body for medical education and allied health sciences with a dual purpose of reforming the current regulatory framework and enhancing the supply of skilled manpower in the health sector. The Commission would subsume all the existing councils regulating the education in medicine and allied sciences viz., Medical Council of India, Dental Council of India, Nursing Council of India and Pharmacy Council of India and replace them with corresponding new Councils. The NCHRH Bill has already been introduced in the Rajya Sabha and has been referred Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health & Family Welfare for examination.
· Aggriculture Minister has informed that the per capita availability of foodgrains and pulses has increased from 436 Grams per day in 2008 to about 463 Grams per day in 2011 (provisional). Further, as per provisions of the National Food Security Bill, 2011 introduced in the Lok Sabha last year, the annual requirement of the foodgrains for targeted public distribution system and other food based welfare schemes is estimated at 60.74 million tonnes. The Minister said that the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) was implemented in 11th Plan (2007-2012) to increase the foodgrains production to meet the demand of growing population and the highest ever foodgrain production of 257.44 million tonnes is estimated during 2011-12. Thus making a huge gap between demand and supply.
· Minister of State for Urban Development has informed that under JNNURM, Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) projects have been approved in 10 cities, namely Vijayawada, Vishakhapatnam, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat, Bhopal, Indore, Pune, Jaipur and Kolkata. Out of these 10, BRTS have become operational in Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Pune.
· Health Minister has said that Millennium Development Goals (which are 8 international development goals set by the UN which member countries have agreed to achieve by the year 2015) are directly pertaining to Health Sector. The progress made by India is as under: [1.] Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality: Target is to reduce Under Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) by two thirds between 1990 & 2015. As per the WHO/UNICEF report, India has made insufficient progress with respect to U5MR. However, as per the latest available estimates from the office of Registrar General of India (RGI), the U5MR was 59 per 1000 live births in 2010; [2.] Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health: Reduce Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) by three quarters between 1990 & 2015. As per WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA and the World Bank reports, India is “making progress” to achieve MDG-5 which was required to reduce MMR from 600 in 1990 to 150 per 100,000 live births in 2015; [3.] Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases: Target is to halt by 2015 and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS and the incidence of malaria and other major diseases. In case of HIV/AIDS, new annual HIV infections have declined by 56% during the last decade from 2.7 lakhs in 2000 to 1.2 lakhs in 2009. In case of Malaria, Annual Parasitic Incidence has been brought down from 2.57 cases per 1000 population in 1990 to 1.10 cases per 1000 population in 2011. In case of Tuberculosis, prevalence in India has come down by 57.5% from 586 per 100,000 population in 1990 to 249 per 100,000 population in 2009; [4.] For reducing child mortality, the steps taken include Integrated Management of Neo-natal & childhood illness, training of ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activist) in Home based new born care, Navajat Shishu Suraksha Karyakram, setting up of sick new born care units at district hospitals, promoting exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding, strengthening routine immunisation programme, focussing on reduction in morbidity and mortality due to Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) and Diarrhoeal Diseases, name based tracking of pregnant women and children, etc; [5.] For improving maternal health, the steps taken include promoting institutional deliveries, strengthening of infrastructure, Strengthening of Essential and Emergency Obstetric Care services, Strengthening Referral Systems, launching of Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram, Maternal Death Review, organising village health and nutrition days, engagement of ASHA at community level, introduction of integrated mother and child health card, etc; [6.] The steps taken to control diseases like HIV / AIDs, Malaria and Tuberculosis include early diagnosis and treatment, improving monitoring and evaluation, strengthening human resources, involvement of NGOs, Private sector and community, providing services near to the doorstep of community, etc.
· Minister of State of Home Affairs has informed that as per the information received from National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), only one execution has been carried out since year 2000. Presently 12 mercy petition cases of 17 death convicts are pending under Article 72 of the Constitution of India. Three mercy petition cases of five death convicts have been rejected recently and they have approached the courts against the rejection of mercy petitions and are thus sub-judice. The cases of mercy petitions are processed expeditiously in consultation with the concerned Governments/Departments and President’s Secretariat for a final decision of the President of India under Article 72 of the Constitution. However, the power under Article 72 of the Constitution does not contain any limitation as to the time, in which the power conferred might be exercised.
· Minister of State of Home Affairs has also informed that about 5000 Bru (Reang Tribes) families were displaced from Mizoram to Tripura during 1997-98 due to ethnic violence in Mizoram. Approximately 800 Bru (Reang) families have since been repatriated to Mizoram. Recently, Government of Mizoram prepared 4th Phase of movement plan for repatriation of about 669 Bru (Reang) families in May, 2012. However, due to resistance and misinformation campaign by a section of Bru leaders, only 7 Bru families could be repatriated.
· Minister of State of Home Affairs has further informed that a Task Force has been constituted last year for review of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 under the Chairmanship of Dr. P.K. Mishra. The Task Force is expected to finalize and submit its report to the Government by 30th September, 2012 for appropriate action.
· Minister for Law & Justice has informed that the Lok Adalats are organised from time to time for settlement of cases and pre-litigation disputes as per the provisions of Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) through the State Legal Services Committee, District Legal Services Authorities and Taluk Legal Services Committee, has been organising Lok Adalats in the courts all over the country since the year 1995. During the last three years about 2.91 lakh Lok Adalats have been organised and about 94.40 lakh cases have been settled. The Minister said that the said statistics will show the extent to which pendency of cases in the courts have come down by organizing Lok Adalats and thereby settling the cases pending before various courts. It is proposed to make people aware about Lok Adalat by conducting more and more publicity programmes.
· The National Human Rights Commission - NHRC will hold a public hearing in Jaipur to deal with grievances of the complaints from Schedules Castes on atrocity committed by a public servant or of negligence by a public servant in prevention of will be heard in the one-day hearing next month. Prior to this, the Commission has held open hearings of complaints on atrocities against Scheduled Castes in Odisha, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.
· Rajasthan government has launched a scheme to provide free veterinary medicines to cattle owners. Rajasthan is the first state which is introducing this unique scheme. Rajasthan has 11% of the total cattle's of country and contributing 13% of countries milk production.
· Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmuks mortal remains have been brought to his native place Babhalgoan in Latur district of Marathwada. It has been kept there for Darshana.
· Minister of Civil Aviation has informed that the trial operation of Data Link Communication for pre-departure clearance of aircraft has been started at Mumbai airport from June, 2012. The aircraft equipped with Aircraft Communication and Addressing System (ACARS) are able to utilize the system for Pre-Departure Clearance (DCL), Automatic Terminal Information Service (D-ATIS) and meteorological information for aircraft in flight (D-VOLMET). The scheduled flights equipped with ACARS system and using data link will be able to get departure clearance and weather information well in advance without using voice channel. This will also reduce congestion on the voice channels thus improving efficiency. Data Link Departure Clearance (DLPC) Systems will be deployed at Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
· In order to focus on the high quality of research study and targets of sports science and medicine for producing sports champions who could spearhead the Indian challenge on the world sporting arena, the Government has proposed to set up a National Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine (NISSM) at New Delhi. The proposed NISSM would cater to all the deficiencies which have been identified for up-gradation of existing sports science and sports medicines in the country. Further a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed between India and China on cooperation in the filed of sports between countries.
· The Union Minister of Shipping (Shri G.K. Vasan) informed that the an Agreement on Maritime Transportation between India and China was earlier signed on November, 1996 for maintaining and developing effective working relationship in maritime affairs between the two countries. Further, during the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister to India in March, 2012, the two countries agreed to establish a Bilateral Maritime Cooperation Dialogue so as to strengthen policy coordination on maritime issues and explore possibilities of maritime cooperation between India and China. Training modules have also been discussed with China Institute of Sports Sciences, Beijing in the filed of sports psychology, training methods, nutritional supplements for sportspersons, bio-chemistry, bio-mechanics, neurophysiology assessment of sportspersons, sports cardiopulmonary adjustments for performance enhancement, sports injuries management and rehabilitation.
· The Rajya Sabha has condoled the death of around 250 people in the two powerful earthquakes in Iran on Saturday. Making a reference in the House today, the Chairman Mohammed Hamid Ansari said, the earthquake which hit several towns had caused extensive damage to houses, property and infrastructure besides destroying several villages.
· In Argentina the trial of former President, Mr. Fernando de la Rua, who is accused of bribing senators to approve a labour reform bill twelve years ago has begun.
· In a recent report the independent Congressional Research Service (CRS) had said that Pakistan is increasing its production of nuclear weapons and improving the delivery mechanism of nukes, which is mainly targeted towards India. Washington has warned that there is a danger of nuclear weapons of Pakistan falling into hands of terrorists if terrorism is not controlled. US also said that it is important for Pakistan to recognize that threat and to act against that threat.
· The United States is launching a new programme under which hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants will become eligible to legalize their status in the country. The programme will allow the young migrants to apply to defer their deportation. Under it, those who came to the US before they were 16 will be able to apply for a two-year deportation deferral. In that period, which may be renewed, they will be able to work or apply for financial assistance to study.
· Nepal’s Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has said that Nepal is firm on One China Policy and will respect the Chinese security concerns. Mr Bhattarai said that Nepal will not allow its territory to be used against any country including China. He made the assurance to visiting Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying who called on him in Kathmandu. Mr Bhattarai reiterated that Nepal can be a bridge between India and China as it is making efforts for balanced relations between the two giant economic powers.
· The Olympic flag reached Rio de Janeiro, which will host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games - a challenge which authorities in Brazil say, the city is prepared to conquer. Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes stepped off a plane carrying the flag, accompanied by Carlos Arthur Nuzman, President of the 2016 Games Organising Committee and Rio Governor Sergio Cabral.