Delhi approves Medical
Oxygen Production Promotion Policy
Delhi Cabinet has approved its policy to promote medical oxygen
production and provide incentives to private sector to invest in production
plants, tankers and storage facilities for medical oxygen.
Highlights
·
Medical Oxygen Production Policy provides several incentives to
private sector in order to set up oxygen production plants, invest in Oxygen
tankers and set up oxygen storage facilities.
·
It will also help in improving oxygen availability in Delhi that
faced a huge challenge in handling second Covid-19 wave.
·
Earlier in July, lieutenant governor Anil Baijal had reviewed the
progress of 160 pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants which were to be
installed in both public sector and private sector hospitals in Delhi.
·
These 160 PSA collectively have a production capacity of about 148
MT medical oxygen per day.
·
34 PSA oxygen plants will be commissioned in different hospitals
by October 31.
·
66 PSA plants, including 17 under PMCARE fund, are being set up in
Delhi government-run hospitals while 10 are being installed in central
government hospitals. 84 will be set up in private hospitals.
·
Out of 66 plants in Delhi government hospitals, 36 have been
commissioned, 3 are ready. Remaining PSA will be set commissioned by August 31.
Background
In April
2021, Delhi witnessed a huge surge in Covid-19 cases. Sudden increase in cases
had left the healthcare infrastructure overwhelmed. Delhi was adding a daily
average of 25,294 new Covid-19 cases in April. This condition got worse with
severe crisis of medical oxygen.
MUDRA Loan target
reduced to Rs 3 trillion in 2021-22
Central government has set loans disbursement target under PM
Mudra Yojana (PMMY) at Rs 3 trillion for financial year 2021-2022.
Key Points
·
In the financial year 2020-2021, loan disbursement target was Rs
3.21 trillion.
·
Experts attribute lower target to increased allocation under
credit guarantee scheme for small businesses.
·
Out of Rs 3.21 trillion loans sanctioned under Pradhan Mantri
Mudra Yojana (PMMY) in financial year 2021, Rs 3.12 trillion were disbursed to
entrepreneurs.
·
In the financial year 2019-2021, this figure was even higher with
total loans of 3.37 trillion. Out of this amount, Rs 3.29 trillion were
disbursed.
How loans are provided
under the scheme?
Under
PMMY, loan up to Rs 10 lakh is provided by banks and non-banking financial
companies to small business units for entrepreneurial activities. Loan is also
provided to units like manufacturing, trading, services and activities allied
to agriculture. Under the scheme, central government allocates annual targets
for sanctioning loans. As of June 25 in Financial year 2022, loans worth Rs
3,804 crore have been sanctioned by 13 public sector banks (PSBs). Mudra
loans are provided to small businesses on the basis of priority sector lending
of banks.
Pradhan Mantri Mudra
Yojana (PMMY)
PMMY was
launched by government in 2015 to provide loans up to Rs. 10 lakhs to
non-corporate, non-farm small or micro-enterprises. Loans are disbursed through
financial institution called MUDRA, that stands for Micro Units Development
& Refinance Agency Ltd. It provides funding to non-corporate small business
sector by means of last-mile financial institutions such as Banks, Micro
Finance Institutions (MFIs) and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs).
However, it does not directly lend to micro-entrepreneurs or individuals.
World Breastfeeding
Week 2021
World Breastfeeding Week is being observed from August 1 to
August 7, 2021.
Key Fact
·
World Breastfeeding week is an annual celebration which is held
every year in over 120 countries.
·
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), breastfeeding is
the most effective ways to ensure child health and survival.
·
This year, week is being observed under the theme
‘Protect Breastfeeding: A Shared Responsibility.’
Why this week is
celebrated?
World
Breastfeeding Week is celebrated to encourage breastfeeding and improve health
of babies across the world.
Background
Background
of the World Breastfeeding week commemoration dates back to the 1990s when WHO
and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)
created ‘Innocenti Declaration’ in order to promote and support breastfeeding.
To execute UNICEF and WHO’s goals, an association called ‘World Association of
Breastfeeding Action’ was established in 1991. In 1992, entire week was
dedicated to promote this campaign.
Why Breastfeeding is
significant?
Breastfeeding,
also called as nursing, is the best way to provide young infants with essential
nutrients that are required for growth and development. According to WHO,
breast milk is the ideal food for infants. It is safe, clean, and acts as first
vaccine for them. It protects them against several common childhood illnesses.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India, breastfeeding
helps in boosting immune system of infant, reduces infant mortality rate,
reduces the risk of developing infections like respiratory tract infections,
allergic diseases, diabetes, and childhood leukaemia. It also enhances
cognitive function infants.
‘AICTE Translation
Automation AI Tool’- Key Facts
Recently,
Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu and Deputy Chairman Rajya
Sabha, Shri Harivansh witnessed a presentation by AICTE officials on a unique
tool which translates English language content into 11 different Indian
languages.
About the AI tool
·
This AI tool translates English language online courses into
eleven different languages namely, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Telugu, Gujarati,
Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Assamese, Punjabi and Odia.
·
Tool is capable of translating English books, complex formulae,
research journals, Government documents and English videos to stated languages.
All India Council for
Technical Education (AICTE)
AICTE
was established in November 1945 as an advisory body. It was given the status
of statutory body by an act of Parliament. It is a national-level council for
technical education. It works under Department of Higher Education. It is responsible
for proper planning and coordinated development of technical education and
management education system across India.
Who assist AICTE?
AICTE
is assisted by 10 Statutory Boards of Studies including- UG Studies in Eng.
& Tech., Management Studies, PG and Research in Eng. and Tech., Vocational
Education, Pharmaceutical Education, Technical Education, Architecture, Hotel
Management & Catering Technology, Information Technology and Town &
Country Planning.
Headquarter of AICTE
AICTE
is headquartered in Delhi where offices of the chairman, vice-chairman and
member secretary has been set up. Apart from it, regional offices have been set
up at Kanpur, Gurgaon, Chandigarh, Bhopal, Mumbai, Vadodara, Kolkata,
Bangalore, Guwahati, Chennai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram.
Functions of AICTE
AICTE is the
statutory authority to plan, formulate and maintain norms & standards,
quality assurance through school accreditation and funding in priority areas.
NITI Aayog -RMI
Release a Report on Power Distribution Sector
NITI
Aayog has released a report on Power Distribution Sector that presents reform
pathways to transform India’s power distribution sector.
Highlights
·
Report was released providing steps to improve policy making in
distribution sector.
·
Report is titled as “Turning Around the Power Distribution
Sector”.
·
It has been jointly authored by NITI Aayog, RMI and RMI India.
What was the need of
report?
In
India, Power distribution companies (DISCOMs) incur losses every year. In
financial year 2021, total estimated losses are as high as Rs 90,000 crore.
Because of these losses, DISCOMs are unable to pay power generators on time,
make investments to ensure high-quality power, or to prepare for use of variable
renewable energy. Thus, this report becomes significant as it presents review
of reform efforts in Indian and global power distribution sector.
About the report
Report
extracts learnings and best practices from wealth of policy experience existing
in India. It examines several important reforms including role of private
sector in distribution, regulatory oversight, power procurement, integration of
renewable energy and upgradation of infrastructure. Report is divided into
chapters that focuses on structural reforms, operational reforms, regulatory
reforms, managerial reforms, and renewable energy integration. It presents
policymakers with several reform options in order to put distribution sector on
the track of efficiency and profitability.
RMI India
It is an
independent non-profit organization working towards accelerating transition to
a clean, prosperous and inclusive energy future. It engages with government,
industry, and civil-society leaders in order to design innovative policy
frameworks and market solutions to extend support to India’s clean energy and
mobility transformation. RMI India collaborates with Rocky Mountain Institute
(RMI) of USA.