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O F F I C E R S ' P U L S E Issue no. 41 | 7th March to 13th March, 2021 C O V E R A G E . The Hindu The Indian Express PIB A T A G L A N C E Rajya Sabha TV & I N D E P T H . All India Radio Polity and Social Issues Economy International Relations Environment Science and Tech Culture CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEKLY THE PULSE OF UPSC AT YOUR FINGER TIPS 1 News @ a glance POLITY ............................................................................. 3 2) United Nations Security Council ................... 15 1) Ayushman Bharat .................................................. 3 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ............................... 17 2) National Food Security Act, 2013 ................... 3 1) Alzheimer’s Disease ........................................... 17 3) Govt. staff should not be appointed as 2) Neanderthals ......................................................... 17 Election Commissioners ...................................... 4 3) Lunar space station ............................................ 17 4) A Relook at the Mandal Judgment .................. 6 4) ISRO........................................................................... 18 5) Only NRI quota seats based on entrance 5) Indo-Japan Space ties......................................... 19 exams for OCI cardholders ................................. 6 6) Benzene ................................................................... 19 6) Unlawful Activities (Prevention) 7) Supercomputers .................................................. 20 Amendment Act, 2019 .......................................... 7 8) Red Echo ................................................................. 20 ENVIRONMENT ............................................................ 9 ART & CULTURE ........................................................ 22 1) Invasive species prove a tough challenge in 1) Independence Day .............................................. 22 the Nilgiris ................................................................. 9 PIB ANALYSIS ............................................................. 23 2) Wenlock Downs and Adivasis ........................10 1) National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal ..... 23 3) Some sea slugs can shed and regenerate 2) UNESCO World Heritage Site.......................... 23 their whole body: study .....................................11 3) Gestational diabetes ........................................... 24 ECONOMY ..................................................................... 12 4) DUSTLIK-II ............................................................. 24 1) Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Nidhi12 5) Atmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana ............. 25 2) National Social Assistance Programme ......12 6) Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana 25 3) Consumer Price Index (CPI) ............................13 7) SERB-PRISM .......................................................... 26 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS............................. 15 1) Quad grouping ......................................................15 For free learning, visit www.officerspulse.com 2 News in Depth AIR NEWS ..................................................................... 27 6) In need of full-time heads ................................ 35 1) Stand-Up India Scheme .....................................27 7) The new media rules are a tightening 2) Status of tap water supply in schools ..........27 noose ......................................................................... 35 THE HINDU EDITORIALS ....................................... 29 INDIAN EXPRESS EXPLAINED ............................. 37 1) Railways and a question of transparency ..29 1) Why Uttarakhand wants the Centre to 2) Health first, fiscal prudence later ..................30 withdraw ILP from Niti and Nelong valley 37 3) An alarming diktat...............................................31 2) INS Karanj, the Scorpene-class submarine 4) Ensuring trust in the electoral process ......32 inducted into service .......................................... 38 5) Ploughing a new furrow in the agri- 3) What was the significance of Mahatma regulatory system ................................................33 Gandhi’s Dandi March? ...................................... 38 For free learning, visit www.officerspulse.com 3 News @ a glance POLITY 1) Ayushman Bharat . To ensure that nobody is left out About the scheme (especially women, children and elderly) . It is an umbrella of two major health there will be no cap on family size and initiatives, namely Health and Wellness age in the scheme. Centres and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya . The benefit cover will also include pre and Yojana (PM-JAY). post-hospitalisation expenses. Health and Wellness Centres . A defined transport allowance per . Under this 1.5 lakh existing Sub Health hospitalization will also be paid to the Centres (SHC), Primary Health Centres beneficiary. (PHC) and Urban Primary Health Centres . Benefits of the scheme are portable (UPHC) to be transformed as Health across the country and a beneficiary Wellness Centres (HWC) by 2022. covered under the scheme will be allowed . These centres will deliver Comprehensive to take cashless benefits from any Primary Health Care that is universal public/private empanelled hospitals and free to users, with a focus on wellness across the country. and the delivery of an expanded range of Implementation Strategy services closer to the community. At the national level to manage, a National . HWC are envisaged to deliver expanded Health Authority has been set up. It will range services that go beyond Maternal be chaired by the Minister of Health & and child health care services to include Family Welfare which will enable the care for non-communicable diseases, decision making at a faster pace, required palliative and rehabilitative care, Oral, Eye for smooth implementation of the scheme. and ENT care, mental health and first level . States/ UTs are advised to implement the care for emergencies and trauma, including scheme by a dedicated entity called State free essential drugs and diagnostic Health Agency (SHA). services. Why in News? Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana . The National Health Authority is carrying . It is one significant step towards out the “Aap Ke Dwar Ayushman” achievement of Universal Health campaign to create large-scale awareness Coverage (UHC) and Sustainable about the AB PM-JAY health insurance Development Goal - 3 (SDG3: “Ensure scheme especially in rural and interior healthy lives and promote well-being for parts about cashless healthcare benefit of all at all ages”). up to ₹5 lakh per family per year. AB-PMJAY will provide financial protection . The drive is being implemented in Bihar, to 10.74 crore poor, deprived rural families Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and identified occupational categories of Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, urban workers’ families as per the latest Haryana and J&K among other States. Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data (approx. 50 crore beneficiaries). It 2) National Food Security Act, will offer a benefit cover of Rs. 500,000 2013 per family per year. About NFSA . This cover will take care of almost all . The National Food Security Act, 2013 secondary care and most of tertiary (NFSA) provides for food and nutritional care procedures. security in the human life cycle approach, For free learning, visit www.officerspulse.com 4 by ensuring access to adequate quantity of . The eldest women of the household of quality food at affordable prices for people age 18 years or above will be the head of to live a life with dignity and for matters the household for the purpose of issuing connected therewith or incidental thereto. ration cards. The Act is in line with Goal Two of the Implementation Sustainable Development Goals (which . It is operated under the joint seeks sustainable solutions to end hunger responsibility of the Central and the in all its forms by 2030 and to achieve food State/Union Territory (UT) security) set by the United Nations General Governments. Assembly. The Central Government is responsible for . Schemes such as the Mid-Day Meal procurement, allocation and Scheme (MDM), the Public Distribution transportation of food grains up to the System (PDS), and the Integrated Child designated depots of the Food Corporation Development Services (ICDS) are of India. included under the Act. States/UTs hold the operational . The implementation of the scheme comes responsibilities for allocation and under the ambit of the Ministry of distribution of food grains. Consumer Affairs, Food and Public . The NFSA currently covers 81 crore Distribution. people which was determined on the basis Key Features of the 2011 census, and has not been . The Act legally entitled up to 75% of the revised since the law was passed in 2013. rural population and 50% of the urban Why in News? population to receive subsidized . The Government has announced that once foodgrains under the Targeted Public the new census data is available, the Centre Distribution System (TPDS). may consider revising the number of . The eligible persons will be entitled to people who get subsidised food grains receive 5 Kgs of foodgrains per person under the National Food Security Act. per month at subsidised prices of Rs. The government has also launched the 3/2/1 per Kg for rice/wheat/coarse ‘Mera Ration’ mobile app to help ration grains. The existing Antyodaya Anna card holders identify their nearest ration Yojana (AAY) households, which shop, check details of their own constitute the poorest of