1. Government to celebrate ‘Poshan Pakhwada’ from 8th to 22nd March 2019 across the Country
• The Minister for Women and Child Development, Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi announced that the Government will celebrate the first anniversary of POSHAN Abhiyaan on 8th March, 2019 by organising Poshan Pakhwada across the Country.
• Poshan Pakhwada will be celebrated on lines of ‘Poshan Maah’ held in the month of September, 2018. The Pakhwada will be launched on International Women’s Day, 8th March, 2019.
• The Minister informed that the Ministry of Women & Child Development is the nodal ministry for coordinating activities during the month, accordingly, State/UT WCD/Social Welfare Department will be nodal Department for a similar role.
• The Minister also informed about the key activities which include Poshan Melas, Rally on nutrition at all level, Prabhat Pheree, Session on nutrition at schools, Self help group meetings, anaemia camps, growth monitoring of children, home visits of newborn babies by ASHA/AWW, Village Health, Sanitation and Nutrition Day (VHSND, Community Based Events (CBE) will be carried out .
• Further IEC activities through mass media, mid media and Social Media will be carried out during Poshan Pakhwada. Social Media Campaign Hashtag #PoshanPakhwada through media partners and team of Swasth Bharat Preraks would be carried out for maximum reach.
• During Poshan Pakhwada awareness on nutrition in urban area will also be focused. During the Poshan Pakhwada it is also planned to organise workshop on Agri-Nutrition on 15thMarch 2019.
• The Jan Andolan Dashboard at website http://poshanabhiyaan.gov.in will have a separate tab to reflect aggregated outcomes of the Poshan Pakhwada.
• POSHAN Abhiyaan is a multi-ministerial convergence mission with the vision to ensure attainment of malnutrition free India by 2022.
• The objective of POSHAN Abhiyaan to reduce stunting in identified Districts of India with the highest malnutrition burden by improving utilization of key Anganwadi Services and improving the quality of Anganwadi Services delivery. Its aim to ensure holistic development and adequate nutrition for pregnant women, mothers and children.
• The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) is implementing POSHAN Abhiyaan in 315 Districts in first year, 235 Districts in second year and remaining districts will be covered in the third year.
2. Assam`s Hailakandi district tops among the aspirational districts
• Assam`s Hailakandi district has shot up to number one from the 52nd position, among the aspirational districts of the country, a new report released by the Niti Aayog.
• Hailakandi ranked first among the 112 aspirational districts of India on the basis of its performance during November-December 2018 and January 2019.
• During the June-October 2018 ranking, Hailakandi district was placed at the bottom of the rung of aspirational districts.
• About ‘Transformation of Aspirational Districts’ programme
• Launched by the Hon’ble PM in January, the ‘Transformation of Aspirational Districts’ programme aims to quickly and effectively transform some of the most underdeveloped districts of the country.
• The broad contours of the programme are Convergence (of Central & State Schemes), Collaboration (of Central, State level ‘Prabhari’ Officers & District Collectors), and Competition among districts driven by a Mass Movement or a Jan Andolan. With States as the main drivers, this program will focus on the strength of each district, identify low-hanging fruits for immediate improvement, measure progress, and rank districts.
• The Government is committed to raising the living standards of its citizens and ensuring inclusive growth for all – SabkaSaath, SabkaVikas.
• To enable optimum utilization of their potential, this program focusses closely on improving people’s ability to participate fully in the burgeoning economy. Health & Nutrition, Education, Agriculture & Water Resources, Financial Inclusion & Skill Development, and Basic Infrastructure are this programme’s core areas of focus.
• After several rounds of consultations with various stakeholders, 49 key performance indicators have been chosen to measure progress of the districts. Districts are prodded and encouraged to first catch-up with the best district within their state, and subsequently aspire to become one of the best in the country, by competing with, and learning from others in the spirit of competitive & cooperative federalism.
• NITI Aayog in partnership with the Government of Andhra Pradesh has created a dashboard for monitoring the real-time progress of the districts.
3. 96.5% of households in rural India have access to toilet: NARSS
• The National Annual Rural Sanitation Survey, NARSS 2018-19 has found that 96.5 per cent of the households in rural India have access to a toilet. Drinking Water and Sanitation Ministry in a release said, the survey was conducted by an Independent Verification Agency under the World Bank support project to the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen).
• The survey also re-confirmed the Open Defecation Free (ODF) status of over 90 per cent of villages which were previously declared and verified as ODF by various districts and States.
• The survey was conducted between November 2018 and February 2019 and covered over 92 thousand households in over six thousand villages across States and Union Territories.
• Since its launch in October 2014, the world’s largest sanitation program, Swachh Bharat Mission has changed the behaviour of crores of people with respect to toilet access and usage.
• 50 crore people have stopped defecating in the open since the mission began. Over nine crore toilets have been built across rural India under the mission.
4. PM-SYM Yojana to provide Rs 3,000 monthly pension to workers of unorganised sector
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Mandhan Yojana, PM-SYM, in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• The national pension scheme for workers and labourers of unorganised sector was announced in the interim budget in February this year.
• It will provide monthly pension of 3000 rupees to the employees of unorganised sector after 60 years of age. Mr Modi also distributed the PM-SYM pension cards to select beneficiaries.
• The Prime Minister said the scheme is an extension of various social security schemes implemented during the last five years.
• He said, 42 crore workers from un-organised sectors are eligible for this scheme by contributing 55 to 200 rupees monthly.
5. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis flagged off Chembur-Wadala-Jacob Circle of Mumbai monorail network
• Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis flagged off the much-delayed 11.28 kilometre second phase of the Chembur-Wadala-Jacob Circle monorail network.
• With this, the entire 19.54 kilometre route of the country`s first monorail system, being implemented by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), is now functional.
• The 8.26 kilometre first phase, built and operated by a consortium of Larsen & Toubro and Malaysian firm Scomi Engineering, was commissioned in February 2014.
• Earlier in the day, Mr Fadnavis inaugurated a new suburban terminus at Central Railway`s Parel station.
• Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, who was present at the monorail inauguration event, said his ministry has given in-principle approval for connecting all monorail stations to ones on the suburban railway network.
• Since taking over the monorail`s operations, MMRDA has said it has reduced daily losses from Rs. 1.8 crore to Rs. 1 crore.
• It plans to operate 120 services with a fleet of seven 4-coach trains between 6 am and 10 pm daily.
• The fare for the entire 17-station route, which has been built at a cost of Rs.3000 crore, has been fixed at Rs. 10, Rs. 20, Rs. 30 and Rs. 40.
6. Prime Minister Modi launches Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Mandhan Yojana in Gandhinagar, Gujarat
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Mandhan (PM-SYM) Yojana at Vastral in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The national pension scheme for workers and labourers of unorganised sector was announced in the interim budget in February this year.
• It will provide monthly pension of 3000 rupees to the employees of unorganised sector after 60 years of age. Mr Modi also distributed the PM-SYM pension cards to select beneficiaries.
• Speaking on this occasion, the Prime Minister said that launching of Shram Yogi Man Dhan Yojana is the extension of various social security schemes implemented during the last five years. He said, 42 crore workers from un-organised sectors are eligible for this pension scheme by contributing 55 rupees to 200 rupees monthly.
• Mr. Modi expressed happiness that religious center like Annapurna Dham is becoming the hub of education and cultural activities.
• He urged the people of Gujarat to work on food processing saying such value addition will help both farmers and industries.
• Referring to the world’s tallest statue of Sardar Patel- the Statue of Unity, the Prime Minister said that the leader like Sardar Patel should not be identified by community or caste as he is the tallest national leader of our country. Mr Modi performed the Pranpratishtha of Annapurna Mata at the temple and also laid the foundation stone for Shikshan Bhavan and Vidhyarthi Bhavan.
• On the first day of his two day Gujarat tour, Mr Modi launched various development projects including, first phase of Ahmedabad Metro Rail project, National Common Mobility Card- NCMC, the new 750 bed annexe of Guru Gobind Singh Hospital and unveiled various SAUNI projects.
• The Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation the new building of 1200 bed ultra modern super specialty hospital Medicity at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital campus. Mr Modi also distributed the Gold Cards to the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana- PMJAY and Ayushman Bharat Yojana.
7. Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute
• The Supreme Court reserved its order on whether the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute can be settled through mediation.
• A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi observed that the court was conscious of the gravity of the dispute and the outcome of mediation on the body politic of the country.
• The apex court also said that the case was not just about property but, also about sentiment and faith.
• The top court had asked the contesting parties to explore the possibility of amicably settling the decades-old dispute through mediation, saying it may help in healing relations.
• Fourteen appeals have been filed in the apex court against the Allahabad High Court`s 2010 judgment, in which it divided the 2.77-acre land in Ayodhya equally among the three parties -- the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.
8. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a slew of development projects
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a slew of development projects in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka
• The Centre is committed to development of textiles sector in Tamil Nadu. He was addressing a public rally at Kancheepuram .
• The government has decided to rename the Chennai Central Station after MG Ramachandran.
• The Prime Minister lashed out at the Opposition, saying their alliance is adulterated with no plan of action to take the nation forward. The attitude of the opposition parties towards national security is guided only by self-interests.
• Mr Modi charged the Congress of dismissing state governments for more than 50 times using Article 356 in the past, for political differences. He charged that they do not prefer a strong India or strong Defence Forces.
• During his Karnataka visit, the Prime Minister dedicated to the nation the ESIC Hospital and Medical College at Bengaluru.
• The Super Specialty Block of Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences at Hublli was also inaugurated by the Prime Minister. Mr Modi also interacted with the beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat at Kalaburagi.
9. One Nation One Card
" style="width: 300px; float: " alt="" />
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the indigenously-developed National Common Mobility Card to enable people to streamline payments of multiple kinds of transport charges.
• Dubbed as ‘One Nation One Card’, the inter-operable transport card would allow the holders to pay for their bus travel, toll, parking, retail shopping and money withdrawal.
• This card runs on RuPay card and it will eliminate all travel related problems.
• The Indigenous Automatic Fare Collection System based on One Nation One Card Model i.e. National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) is the first of its kind in India.
• People can also withdraw money using this Common Mobility Card.
• RuPay card can be used for travelling in metros in any part of the country.
10. National Centre for Good Governance inks pact with Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs
• A Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, was signed between the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) and the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) to ensure better utilisation of infrastructure facilities during training programmes.
• Eapen, who is also the Director General of NCGG said IICA will support the good governance centre for utilization of infrastructure facilities during training programme of NCGG at Delhi, and for academic and intellectual interactions for five years.
• The NCGG has been set up by the government of India under the aegis of DARPG. It aims to promote good governance through capacity building on public policy and governance both at national and international level and carrying out studies research on issues relating to governance.
11. Indore bags cleanest city award for 3rd straight year
• Indore has bagged the cleanest city award for third straight year under Swachh Survekshan, 2019. President Ram Nath Kovind presented Swachh Survekhshan-2019 Awards in New Delhi. New Delhi Municipal Council area got the cleanest small city award.
• Uttarakhand`s Gauchar was adjudged the Best Ganga Town in the survey. Swachh Survekshan 2019 covered all Urban Local Bodies in the country, making it the largest such cleanliness survey in the world.
• He also lauded Indore for winning the first prize in all the four surveys so far, adding that Indore has set an example for other urban centres.
• Mr Kovind said that cleanliness should be integral to the behaviour of every citizen to make it effective and sustainable.
• He stressed that many people pay attention to personal hygiene but remain apathetic to public and community cleanliness. He urged educational institutions to include cleanliness in their curriculum and spread awareness about the importance of sanitation.
• Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said, the urban transformation that is being attempted in the country is the most comprehensive and ambitious framework of planned urbanisation.
12. Government has transferred first instalment of Rs 2000 each to over two crore farmers so far under PM-Kisan scheme
• The Centre has transferred the first instalment of two thousand rupees each to over two crore farmers so far under the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme.
• Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh told media in New Delhi that many states are seriously showing interest to implement the scheme and are sending data on eligible farmers. He said over two crore farmers have benefited so far.
• Mr. Singh said, some states like West Bengal are not keen to roll out the scheme because it is not providing the data. The Minister urged these states to keep politics aside, else the electorate will teach them a lesson.
• In the Interim Budget 2019-20, the central government had announced the PM-Kisan scheme under which 6,000 rupees per year will be given in three instalments to 12 crore small and marginal farmers. The government had promised to give the first instalment of 2,000 rupees by March.
• Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially launched the scheme in Uttar Pradesh by transferring the first tranche amount to over one crore farmers.
13. New 10-kilowatt FM transmitter of All India Radio inaugurated at Meerut
• A new 10-kilowatt FM transmitter of All India Radio was inaugurated at Meerut in Uttar Pradesh.
• The transmitter set up at a cost of 10 crore rupees will have a range of 60 kilometres.
• The transmitted was jointly inaugurated by Lok Sabha member Rajendra Agarwal and Director General of All India Radio F. Sheheryar. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Agarwal said it will provide a platform to the talent in the area. Mr. Sheheryar said Radio is the best medium to reach the last man in the country.