PERIYAR IAS CURRENT AFFAIRS 23-SEPTEMBER-2017
Topic: Issues relating to
development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health,
Education, Human Resources.
SATH- Sustainable Action for Transforming Human Capital
SATH- Sustainable Action for Transforming Human Capital, a joint initiative of Government of Assam and NITI Aayog, has
been launched.
Aim of the programme: The programme aims to
provide structured support to Assam in identifying key health priorities and
implement the solutions towards transforming the health and improving the
well-being of people of Assam.
Background:
The SATH program embodies the philosophy of co-operative
federalism. NITI Aayog selected the three states through a three stage
challenge-process – expression of interest, presentations by the states and
assessment of commitment to health sector reforms. Finally, three states:
Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka were chosen based on objective assessment
criteria affecting the potential for impact and likelihood of success. A
consortium of reputed technical consultants are closely working with NITI Aayog
and the states to conceptualize the initiatives and provide support in the
implementation process.
About SATH programme:
Furthering the agenda for cooperative federalism, NITI Aayog has launched SATH, a program providing ‘Sustainable Action for Transforming Human
capital’ with the State Governments. The vision of the program is to initiate
transformation in the education and health sectors. The program addresses the
need expressed by many states for technical support from NITI.
§ SATH aims to identify and build three future ‘role model’ states
for health systems.
§ NITI will work in close collaboration with their state machinery
to design a robust roadmap of intervention, develop a program governance
structure, set up monitoring and tracking mechanisms, hand-hold state
institutions through the execution stage and provide support on a range of
institutional measures to achieve the end objectives.
§ The program will be implemented by NITI along with McKinsey &
Company and IPE Global consortium, who were selected through a competitive
bidding process.
Sources: pib.
Topic: Issues relating to
development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health,
Education, Human Resources.
Deendayal Hastkala Sankul
Deendayal Hastkala Sankul – a trade facilitation centre for
handicrafts – was recently
inaugurated at Varanasi.
About deendayal Hastkala Sankul:
The Sankul will facilitate the weavers/artisans/exporters in
promotion of handlooms/handicrafts in both domestic and international markets.
The Crafts Museum in the Sankul will preserve the traditional
handloom/handicrafts products of Varanasi and showcase the handloom &
handicraft products, which will be an inspiration for the new generation,
scholars, designers and tourists.
Background:
The Finance Minister in the Budget 2014-15 had announced setting
up of a Trade Facilitation Centre and a Crafts Museum to develop and promote
handlooms, handicrafts and silk products of Varanasi and to provide necessary
help to weavers, artisans and entrepreneurs of Varanasi in strengthening their
marketing activities in domestic as well as international markets and in
carrying forward the rich tradition of handlooms at Varanasi.
Benefits of this move:
§ Promotes rich traditional craft of ancient Varanasi.
§ Provides enabling platform and environment to showcase Indian
handloom and handicrafts.
§ Provides supply chain linkages to domestic and foreign buyers.
§ Give thrust to domestic and international tourism.
§ Give boost to trade and economic development of Varanasi as well
as eastern parts of the country.
Sources: pib.
Topic: Bilateral, regional and
global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s
interests.
Govt to strengthen ‘Korea Plus’ cell to strengthen FDI from S.Korea
The government is planning to facilitate greater investments from
South Korea and would strengthen the ‘Korea Plus” cell in this regard.
About Korea Plus:
“Korea Plus” is a strategic initiative between the Governments of
India and South Korea “to promote, facilitate and retain Korean investments in
India.”
Details:
§ The mandate of Korea Plus covers the entire investment spectrum
including supporting Korean enterprises entering the Indian market for the
first time, looking into issues faced by Korean companies doing business in
India and policy advocacy to the Indian government on their behalf.
§ Korea Plus will act as a mediator in arranging meetings, assisting
in public relations and research, evaluation and provide information and
counselling in regard to Korean companies’ investing in India.
Composition:
Korea Plus comprises of a representative each from the Korean
ministry of industry, trade and energy, Korea Trade Investment and Promotion
Agency as well as three representatives from Invest India — the national
investment promotion and facilitation agency of India.
Sources: the hindu.
Paper 3:
Topic: Science and Technology-
developments and their applications and effects in everyday life Achievements
of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and
developing new technology.
Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhayay Vigyan Gram Sankul Pariyojana
The government has launched “Pt Deen Dayal
Upadhayay Vigyan Gram Sankul Pariyojana” which will experiment and
endeavour to formulate and implement appropriate S&T Interventions for
Sustainable Development through cluster approach in Uttarakhand.
Key facts:
§ Under the scheme, the department of science and technology has
conceived to adopt a few clusters of villages in Uttarakhand and transform them
to become self-sustainable in a time bound manner through the tools of Science
and Technology (S&T).
§ The key deliverable in this approach is to utilise local resources
and locally available skill sets and convert them in a manner using science and
technology, that substantial value addition takes place in their local produce
and services which can sustain the rural population locally.
§ Further, the local communities are not compelled to migrate from
their native places in search of jobs and livelihoods.
§ Areas of interventions in these selected clusters would be
processing and value addition of milk, honey, mushroom, herbal tea, forest
produce, horticulture and local crops, medicinal & aromatic plants and
traditional craft and handloom of Uttarakhand.
§ Post-harvest processing of Kiwi, Strawberry, Cherry, Tulsi, Adrak,
Badi Elaichi through solar drying technology, extraction of apricot oil using
cold press technology.
§ Stringent product and process control interventions for energy and
water conservation would also be ensured through this project.
§ Practice of agriculture, agro-based cottage industries and animal
husbandry in an eco-friendly manner will be emphasized during the
implementation of the project.
Benefits of the scheme:
§ About a lakh of people would benefit directly or indirectly
through this project in four identified clusters of 60 villages in Uttarakhand.
§ The adopted strategy would help in creating models that are
appropriate for different altitudes and could then be replicated in other hill
states as well.
§ Sustainable employment and livelihood options within the clusters
such as eco-tourism, naturopathy and yoga, are also planned to be promoted.
Way ahead:
Once this concept is validated in the few selected clusters, it
can be replicated across large number of village clusters in the country.
Sources: pib.
Topic: Security challenges and their
management in border areas; linkages of organized crime with terrorism.
Hasina floats five-point peace plan
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has floated a five-point
proposal at the United Nations to find a permanent solution to the Rohingya
crisis. She also called for immediate steps to end the ‘cleansing’ of the
ethnic Rohingya minority.
Hasina’s five-point proposal says:
§ Myanmar must stop the violence and the practice of ethnic
cleansing in the Rakhine State unconditionally, immediately and forever.
§ The UN Secretary General should immediately send a fact-finding
mission to Myanmar.
§ All civilians, irrespective of religion and ethnicity, must be
protected in Myanmar. For this, ‘safe zones’ could be created inside Myanmar
under UN supervision.
§ Sustainable return of all forcibly displaced Rohingyas in
Bangladesh to their homes in Myanmar must be ensured.
§ The recommendations of the Kofi Annan Commission Report must be
implemented immediately, unconditionally and entirely.
What’s the issue?
Few years ago, religious and ethnic tensions between the Rohingya
Muslims and the Rakhine Buddhists (who make up the majority of the population
in Mayanmar) escalated into widespread, deadly rioting. Hundreds of thousands
were forced to flee. Since then, ongoing violent attacks have forced even more
people to leave their homes.
§ The Myanmar Government says that Rohingya people are not Burmese
citizens – but the Rohingya have been living in Myanmar for generations. Today,
they are a people with no home or citizenship.
§ Rohingya people are being widely abused and exploited. They are
one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.
§ Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya from the Rakhine State are
entering Bangladesh to flee violence. As estimated by IOM (International
Organisation for Migration), in last three weeks, over 430,000 Rohingya entered
Bangladesh. They are fleeing ‘ethnic cleansing’ in their own country where they
have been living for centuries.
Sources: the hindu.
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