KVS Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Parv was inaugurated in India Gate:
KVS- Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Parv was inaugurated at India Gate, Lawn No. 6, Maharashtra. It was inaugurated by Union Human Resource Development Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank inaugurated the four-day mega cultural event KVS Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Parv.
Aim:
The event aims to celebrate Unity in Diversity of the country and to reconnect and preserve the widespread emotional bonds among the people of the country at India Gate.
Participants:
In the 2019 year event, 2375 participants gathered to participate in the mega event. The unique feature of the mega event is that the students from one part of the country exhibits the cultural diversity of the other part of the country and the world.
Event:
On the first day of Shobha Yatra, a cultural march-past was showcased by the participants. Shobha yatra was accompanied by song, dance, and artefacts in the background. Other competitions like Group Dance of different states and countries, Theatre on pertinent issues, Quiz, Creative Writing, Spell Bee, Painting, Debates, and solo song are conducted for various events. Twenty-eight competitive events are taking place in this mega event.
India to a non TB country in the next five years:
Ashwini Kumar Choubey, the Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, said that India would be a non-TB country by 2025 at a seminar on the eradication of tuberculosis (TB) organized at a Hyderabad-based hospital, Telangana. The hospital has a TB centre where it provides free treatment to patients in the State.
Tuberculosis (TB):
Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) bacteria. It is a potentially serious infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs. The bacteria that cause TB spreads from one person to another through tiny droplets that are released into the air through sneezes and coughs.
Symptom: The symptoms include fever, chills, night sweats, loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, and nail clubbing.
TB in Telangana:
Many people die from TB every year in Telangana. The State has committed itself to eradicating TB before 2025. India fixed a deadline of 2025 to eradicate tuberculosis (TB) against the global deadline of 2030.
India to attain self sufficient in edible oil production:
The commerce ministry suggested agriculture ministry to prepare a roadmap to attain self-sufficiency in edible oil production for India at an inter-ministerial meeting. It aims to help farmers and local industries, apart from reducing the current account deficit.
Highlights:
♦ The Ministers discussed the need for a zero edible oil import plan for the country.
♦ India spends over Rs.70,000 crore on importing about 15 MT edible oil to meet its annual requirement of 25 MT, making it one of the biggest buyers of the cooking medium.
♦ The government is taking serious steps for India to attain self-sufficiency in edible oil production.
♦ The government also constituted a Group of Secretaries (GOS) to launch a nationwide oil seed mission to minimize oil imports. The mission is expected to be rolled out soon.
♦ The government may levy a 2-10% cess on import of crude and refined edible oil to fund the mission. Earlier, the government provided a fund of Rs.10,000 crore to support this mission for five years. Currently, GOS is planning to raise ♦ it through levying cess on the industry.
SCO joint exercise on urban earthquake is to be held from 4 to 7 November:
The Union home minister Amit Shah is to inaugurate the four-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) joint exercise on urban earthquake search and rescue on 4 November. The exercise is hosted by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The exercise will be held from 4 November to 7 November 2019.
Aim:
The exercise is aimed to rehearse disaster response mechanisms and share knowledge, experience, and technology. This exercise will provide an opportunity to enhance coordination and cooperation as it involves multi-agency operations.
SCOJtEx on urban earthquake search and rescue:
♦ The exercise will focus on testing the preparedness of the region to activate intergovernmental interaction for immediate response.
♦ Discussions will be held on the role of the humanitarian system, the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC), emergency response and assessment team, on-site operations coordination centre local emergency management authority and humanitarian civil-military coordination
♦ The exercise will be conducted according to the methodology and guidelines of the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group.
Participants:
Members from all eight SCO member countries China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, will participate in the exercise.
Harsh Vardhan inaugurated MI Face to Face meeting of Innovation Challenges:
The government launched the Mission Innovation (MI) Face to Face meeting of Innovation Challenges (IC) on 4 November 2019. It was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan.
Aim:
MI aims to take stock of the deliverables by MI and its plans until 2020. The main objective of MI is to identify major gap areas in Clean Energy Innovation and how to address the issues beyond 2020 to make MI more impactful.
Participants:
Members and senior representatives including Dr. Renu Swarup, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Dr. Dean Haslip, Chairperson, Analysis and Joint Research Group, and Dr. John Loughhead, Chairperson, Mission Innovation Steering Committee and international agencies participated in the meeting.
Mission Innovation (MI):
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi coined the name Mission Innovation (MI). It was launched on 30 November 2015 by 20 countries during COP-21. MI currently comprises of 24-member countries and the European Commission. The member countries have committed to double Government funding on clean energy research and development over five years. It also aims to enhance international engagement in programmes on clean energy R&D. The mission will accelerate research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) in technology areas that would fight against climate change.
Centre takes measure for the Onion price surge:
The Consumer Affairs Ministry announced that the price of onion has risen to Rs.80 a kg as the supplies are running short. Centre is to act as a facilitator for onion imports to ease the process. It will ensure a quick and healthy supply from other countries. It has been decided in the meeting of the inter-ministerial committee on 5 November. The committee reviewed the prices and availability of onions.
Centre`s measure:
♦ As a measure in this regard, the phytosanitary and fumigation requirements will be suitably liberalized to facilitate imports.
♦ Centre has also said that the Indian missions in Afghanistan, Egypt, Turkey, and Iran have been asked to facilitate the supply of onions to India. This will facilitate the immediate import of 80 containers and diversion of 100 containers to India.
♦ The government is taking efforts to boost supply from Maharashtra and other states.
♦ Centre has directed the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) to supply the maximum possible quantities to the Delhi government, Mother Dairy, and Safal for retailing.
♦ Also, the Centre has facilitated a team led by Additional MD, NAFED, to go to Nashik and take stock of the situation and facilitate the movement of supplies from Maharashtra to consuming regions including Delhi and adjoining area.