13TH JULY
Contents
UP GOVT. LAUNCHED TWO CHILD POLICY
NEW DEPARTMENT TO PRESERVE FAITH & CULTURE
ZIKA VIRUS DISEASE FOR THE 1ST TIME DETECTED IN KERALA
ICCR TO SET UP ‘BANGABANDHU CHAIR’ AT DU
THE STRUGGLE WITHIN: A MEMOIR OF THE EMERGENCY
JOURNALIST NN PILLAI BKS LITERARY AWARD 2021
SAMVEDAN 2021: IIT MADRAS & SONY TO TEAM UP
UP GOVT. LAUNCHED TWO CHILD POLICY
- Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has launched a population policy that aims to incentivise couples who do not have more than two babies.
- Stating that population control is related to awareness among masses and poverty, Adityanath said every community has been taken care of in Population Policy 2021-2030.
- The health minister Jai Pratap Singh said Uttar Pradesh is aiming for stability by 2050 and the government is trying to reduce the population growth rate to 2.1 per cent.
- Two-child policy: The UP law commission that has formulated a population control bill said the policy would be voluntary and nobody would be forced to follow any rule.
- However, if any person decides to on his or her own to not have more than two babies, they will be eligible for government schemes., while those who do not follow the policy will face restrictions in government jobs, availing ration, and other benefits.
- UP Governor: Anandiben Patel.
- UP Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath.
(SOURCE: INDIAN EXPRESS)
NEW DEPARTMENT TO PRESERVE FAITH & CULTURE
- The Assam Cabinet has announced the creation of an independent department to protect and preserve the “faith, culture and traditions of tribes and indigenous communities” of the state.
- The new department would ensure that the state’s indigenous population gets to preserve their faith and traditions, while also providing requisite support to them.
- Indigenous tribes such as the Bodos, Rabhas, Mishings, along with others have their own religious beliefs and unique traditions, which so far have not received the support necessary for their preservation.
- The cabinet, during the meeting, agreed that financial and administrative reforms were necessary to ensure speedy implementation of various schemes floated by the government.
- It decided that departmental committees, headed by commissioners, will be entitled to give its nod for projects worth ₹ 2 crores and below.
(SOURCE: HINDUSTAN TIMES)
ZIKA VIRUS DISEASE FOR THE 1ST TIME DETECTED IN KERALA
- For the first time, the Zika Virus Disease (ZVD) was detected in Kerala.
- About Zika Virus: The Zika virus is a flavivirus transmitted by mosquitos that was discovered in monkeys in Uganda in 1947.
- Zika virus was later discovered in humans in Uganda & the United Republic of Tanzania in 1952. ZVD is caused by a virus that is primarily transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes (AM), specifically Aedes aegypti.
- This is the mosquito that spreads dengue, Yellow fever & chikungunya.
- Transmission: During pregnancy, from mother to fetus, through sexual contact, transfusion of blood and blood products, and organ transplantation.
- Symptoms: Fever, muscle & joint pain, rash, conjunctivitis, malaise or headache. The majority of people infected with the Zika virus do not experience symptoms.
- Zika virus infection during pregnancy can result in infants being born with microcephaly (smaller than normal head size) and other congenital malformations, called as the congenital Zika syndrome.
- Treatment: There is no Zika vaccine or treatment available. The emphasis is on symptom relief, which includes rest, rehydration, and acetaminophen for fever and pain.
(SOURCE: THE PRINT)
ICCR TO SET UP ‘BANGABANDHU CHAIR’ AT DU
- Delhi University will have a ‘Bangabandhu Chair’ to foster a better understanding of developments in Bangladesh.
- An MoU was signed between the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Delhi University in Dhaka to set up this Chair at Delhi University.
- The initiative is the outcome of one of the understandings reached during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh in March this year.
- About the chair: The Chair will focus on the common heritage of the two countries and subjects like Anthropology, Buddhist Studies, Geography, History, Modern Indian languages including Bangla, Music, Fine Arts, Political Science, International relations and Sociology.
- The chair will set up to honour Bangladesh’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the country’s Liberation War as well as India’s diplomatic ties with Dhaka.
- Prime Minister of Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina.
- Capital: Dhaka; Currency:
- President of Bangladesh: Abdul Hamid.
(SOURCE: THE ECONOMIC TIMES)
THE STRUGGLE WITHIN: A MEMOIR OF THE EMERGENCY
- A book titled “The Struggle Within: A Memoir of the Emergency” authored by Ashok Chakravarti. He is an economist who has been providing policy advice to countries, mainly in the African region, for the past forty years.
- He is currently Senior Economic Advisor to the Government of Zimbabwe, based in Harare.
- The Book is Published By Harpercollins India. The Struggle Within: A Memoir of the Emergency book deals with one of independent India’s darkest hours during the emergency period.
- The Emergency (1975-1977) was one of independent India’s darkest hours. In that period, Over 150,000 people were imprisoned without trial; as many as eleven million forcibly sterilized, and countless killed in police firings or otherwise eliminated.
(SOURCE: SCROLL.IN)
JOURNALIST NN PILLAI BKS LITERARY AWARD 2021
- Journalist and playwright Omchery N N Pillai has been selected for the Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam (BKS)’s Literary Award for 2021.
- BKS president P V Radhakrishna Pillai, general secretary Varghese Karackal and literary wing secretary Firoz Thiruvathra announced the award.
- The Jury was headed by the novelist M Mukundan. Literary critic Dr K S Ravikumar, writer and Kerala Chief Secretary Dr V P Joy, and Radhakrishna Pillai were part of the jury.
- The award constitutes a cash prize of `50,000 and a citation acknowledging the achievement. The award ceremony will be held later in Delhi. “His enormous contributions as a whole to Malayalam language and literature are remarkable, which ultimately led to this award.
(SOURCE: THE HINDU)
SAMVEDAN 2021: IIT MADRAS & SONY TO TEAM UP
- IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation (IITM-PTF) and Sony India Software Centre Pvt Ltd have joined hands to organise a national-level hackathon named ‘SAMVEDAN 2021 – Sensing Solutions for Bharat’.
- With this hackathon, the foundation aims to inspire citizens to use IoT Sensor Board in order to solve India-specific problems of societal interest.
- It is based on the Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation’s SPRESENSE™ Board, which participants can use for this challenge.
- A team with a maximum of three members can register for the grand challenge, which will be held in three stages.
(SOURCE: FIRSTPOST)