PIB Summary- 10th March, 2021 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

National Gestational Diabetes Awareness Day

Context: March 10 is observed as National Gestational Diabetes Awareness Day.

About National Gestational Diabetes Awareness Day

• India held the world’s first national GDM (gestational diabetes mellitus) Awareness Day on March 10, 2019.
• The objective behind this Day is to raise awareness about the link between maternal health and diabetes nationwide, and inviting pregnant women to hospitals and clinics for free screening.
• The idea behind this observance can be traced back to 2016 when the Colombo Declaration was endorsed by more than 300 leaders from South Asian countries.
  • This declaration raised the need to address the link between diabetes and maternal health.
  • It also recommended the creation of an annual day to raise awareness about GDM.
• India’s National Health Mission is the first government ministry to make the day official.
• The day is celebrated by having training for healthcare professionals, press conferences, awareness raising events, seminars for women’s groups, and widespread screening.
• 10 March was chosen as the day since it is the birthday of Dr V Seshiah, a diabetologist who has contributed immensely to gestational diabetes research, policy and implementation.

About Gestational Diabetes

• Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is defined as Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) with the onset or first recognition during pregnancy.
• GDM is also known as Hyperglycemia in Pregnancy (HIP). Gestational diabetes is a condition in which your blood sugar levels become high during pregnancy.
• Of the 3 million women who develop GDM, in 5-10 years after pregnancy, 30 per cent of them have a tendency to develop Type 2 Diabetes, further adding to the number of diabetics in the country.
• The GDM rate in India is 26.3%, which is the highest in the world.

Herath

Context: PM greets people on Herath.

What is Herath?

• The festival of Mahashivaratri, celebrated all over India, is locally known as Herath in Jammu & Kashmir.
• It is a three-day festival and symbolizes the values of devotion and harmony.
• The Kashmiri Pandit community celebrates this festival with religious fervour by offering “Watak Nath Pooja”.
• The festival marks the wedding of Lord Shiva with Goddess Parvati.

Central Industrial Security Forces (CISF)

Context: Raising Day of CISF.

About the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)

• Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) was established in 1969, under an Act of Parliament, “Central Industrial Security Force Act, 1968.”
• It provides integrated security cover to the Public Sector Undertakings, airports and SEZs on a case to case basis.
• It is currently providing security cover to nuclear installations, space establishments, airports, seaports, power plants, sensitive Government buildings, heritage monuments and large special economic zones.
• CISF is also responsible to provide protection to the persons classified as Z Plus, Z, X, Y.
• CISF is the only force with a customized and dedicated fire wing.
• CISF is a compensatory cost force.
• The current Director-General of CISF (2021) is S.K. Jaiswal.

Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Nidhi

Context: Cabinet approves creation of Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Nidhi.

About Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Nidhi

• The Union Cabinet has approved the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Nidhi (PMSSN) as a single non-lapsable reserve fund for share of Health from the proceeds of Health and Education Cess.
• It is a non-lapsable reserve fund for Health in the Public Account.
• Proceeds of share of health in the Health and Education Cess will be credited into PMSSN.
• Accruals into the PMSSN will be utilized for the following flagship schemes of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare:
  • Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY)
  • Ayushman Bharat – Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs)
  • National Health Mission
  • Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY)
  • Emergency & disaster preparedness and responses during health emergencies
  • Any future programme/scheme that targets to achieve progress towards SDGs and the targets set out in the National Health Policy (NHP) 2017.
• The scheme is under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
• The major benefit of the scheme will be enhanced access to universal & affordable health care through the availability of earmarked resources, while ensuring that the amount does not lapse at the end of the financial year.

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)

Context: ICAR receives King Bhumibol World Soil Day – 2020 Award by FAO.

Details

• The international recognition was announced by the FAO, Rome on the eve of World Soil Day – 2020 in view of the ICAR’s excellent contributions in “Soil Health Awareness” on the theme “Stop soil erosion, save our future” during last year.
• The World Soil Day is celebrated on December 5 every year.
• India bagged the award for ICAR’s awareness initiative undertaken in December 2019, involving the participation of more than 13,000 people through a social media campaign.
• Amidst the threat of COVID-19 spread, the Rabi crops are approaching maturity.
• Harvesting and handling of the produce including its movement to the market are inevitable as the agricultural operations are time-bound.
• The ICAR has asked the farmers to follow precautions and safety measures to prevent the disease spread.
  • Simple measures include social distancing, maintaining personal hygiene by washing hands with soap, wearing a face mask, protective clothing, and cleaning implements and machinery.
  • Workers to follow safety measures and social distancing at each and every step in the entire process of field operations.

About ICAR

• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India.
• It was established in 1929 as the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research.
• Headquartered in New Delhi, it is the apex body for coordinating, guiding and managing research and education in agriculture including horticulture, fisheries and animal sciences in the entire country.
• With 101 ICAR institutes and 71 agricultural universities spread across the country, this is one of the largest national agricultural systems in the world.
• The ICAR has played a pioneering role in ushering the Green Revolution and subsequent developments in agriculture in India through its research and technology development that has enabled the country to increase the production of food grains by 5.4 times, horticultural crops by 10.1 times, fish by 15.2 times, milk 9.7 times and eggs 48.1 times since 1951 to 2017, thus making a visible impact on the national food and nutritional security.
• It has played a major role in promoting excellence in higher education in agriculture.
• It is engaged in cutting edge areas of science and technology development and its scientists are internationally acknowledged in their fields.
• ICAR Functions:
  • Plan, undertake, coordinate and promote research and technology development for sustainable agriculture.
  • Aid, impart and coordinate agricultural education to enable quality human resource development.
  • Frontline extension for technology application, adoption, knowledge management and capacity development for agri-based rural development.
• Policy, cooperation, and consultancy in agricultural research, education & extension.

Exercise DUSTLIK II

Context: The India – Uzbekistan joint military exercise “DUSTLIK II” commenced at Ranikhet (Uttarakhand).

About Ex DUSTLIK

• This is the Second Edition of the annual bilateral joint exercise of both armies. The first edition was held in Uzbekistan in 2019.
• Both contingents will be sharing their expertise and skills in the field of counter-terrorist operations in mountainous/rural/urban scenario under UN mandate. The exercise will culminate into a 36 hour-joint validation exercise.
• This joint exercise will provide impetus to the growing military and diplomatic ties between the two nations and also reflects the strong resolve of both nations to counter-terrorism.

INS Karanj

Context: INS Karanj commissioned into the Indian Navy.

About INS Karanj

• It is the third stealth Scorpene class Submarine inducted into the Navy.
• It is the third submarine of the first batch of six Kalvari-class submarines for the Indian Navy.
• INS Karanj would form part of the Western Naval Command’s Submarine fleet and would be another potent part of the Command’s arsenal.
• It is a diesel-electric attack submarine based on the Scorpène class, designed by French naval defence and energy group DCNS and manufactured by Mazagon Dock Limited, an Indian shipyard in Mumbai.
• INS Karanj is part of Project 75.
  • Project 75 is an indigenous project for the construction of 6 attack submarines for the Indian Navy.
  • The $3.75 bn project is supported by the Department of Defence Production, which in turn is part of the Ministry of Defence. The Naval Group of France is lending its technological expertise to the project.