National
Rashtriya Arogya Mela in New Delhi
⇒ Union Minister of Ayush and Shipping, Port Waterways Shri Sarbanand Sonowal inaugurated the National Arogya Fair organized by Shri Puran Chandra Gupta Smarak Trust in association with Ministry of Ayush.
The Union Minister said that the National Arogya Mela showcases the Rich legacy of Indian Traditional Medicine Systems of diversity, innovation and healthcare delivery in Ayush Sector. National Arogya Fair is important and contributes in making Ayush sector surge forward and ‘Har din Har Ghar Ayush’ campaign is built to impart the benefits of Indian traditional medicine systems to the people.
About National Arogya Mela:
» National Arogya Mela was organized from 1st February to 4th February, 2024 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi in collaboration with Ministry of AYUSH.
- The Mela was a dynamic convergence of India’s rich healing traditions, encompassing Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy.
Objective:
The objective of the event was to showcase the benefits and principals of Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy, creating awareness and encourage the adoption of holistic health and wellness practices, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing among practitioners, experts and enthusiasts, providing space to business and vendors to promote products and services related to Ayush systems.
Key Points:
- This four-day event served as the vibrant testament to the nation’s diverse culture and historical legacy in healthcare.
- It served as a platform to celebrate and showcase traditional system of medicine, emphasizing holistic well-being.
- Some of the major highlights in the event were like ‘Wellness Workshops and Seminars, Ayurveda, Yoga, Yunani, Siddha, Naturopathy and Homeopathy exhibitions, free health consultations, cultural programmes.
Union Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi launches Web Portal of CMPFO
⇒ Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Shri Pralhad Joshi launched a web portal of CMPFO namely C- CARES developed and designed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), an R&D organization under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on 31st January 2024.
- This marks a significant leap in the digitization journey of CMPFO aiming to address the long-standing issue of digitizing its records and work processes.
Background:
» Coal Mines Provident Fund Organization (CMPFO) is an autonomous organization under the aegis of Ministry of Coal established in the year 1948 for administering Provident Fund and Pension schemes for the purpose of providing social security to the coal sector workers.
- The Organization is presently rendering services to about 3.3 lakh Provident Fund subscribers and 6.1 lakh pensioners of coal sector.
» At present, CMPFO process settlement claims of Provident Fund subscribers and pensioners manually.
- With launch of the portal, settlement of PF and pension claims will now be processed and settled online. It will facilitate faster processing, transparency in operations, better record management and monitoring. It will also instil confidence in the subscribers and pensioners.
- The portal being a public service platform is intended to benefit the CMPF subscribers who are working in the coal sector as well as its pensioners.
INS Sandhayak (Y-3025), first Survey Vessel Large ship
⇒ INS Sandhayak (Yard 3025), the first Survey Vessel Large (SVL) ship, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in the presence of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh at an impressive ceremony held at the Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam on February 03, 2024.
Role of the ship:
- The primary role of the ship is to carry out full scale hydrographic surveys of ports, harbours, navigational channels/routes, coastal areas and deep seas, towards enabling safe marine navigation.
- In its secondary role, the ship will be capable of undertaking a range of naval operations.
Key Points:
- The event marks the formal induction into the Navy of the first of four Survey Vessel (Large) ships under construction at M/s Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata. The project has been steered by the Warship Design Bureau of the Indian Navy.
- Sandhayak was delivered to the Indian Navy on 04 Dec 2023 after completing a rigorous and comprehensive trial programme both in the harbour and at sea.
- A significant addition to the naval fleet, Sandhayak is equipped with state-of-the-art hydrographic equipment including Deep & Shallow Water Multi-Beam Echo-Sounders, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, Remotely Operated Vehicle, Side Scan Sonars, Data Acquisition and Processing System, satellite-based positioning systems and terrestrial survey equipment.
- The ship, re-incarnated in its present avatar from erstwhile Sandhayak which was decommissioned on 04 June 2021, is propelled by two Diesel Engines and is capable of achieving speeds in excess of 18 knots.
- Measuring 110 meters in length, displacing 3400 tons and with 80% indigenous content, Sandhayak is a true testament of India’s growing shipbuilding prowess in pursuit of the national vision of AatmaNirbharBharat.
Important Day
48th Raising Day of Indian Coast Guard (ICG)
⇒ The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) celebrated its 48th Raising Day on February 1, 2024, in New Delhi, commemorating its remarkable journey from a modest beginning in 1977 to becoming a formidable force in maritime security.
- With 152 ships and 78 aircraft in its arsenal, the ICG is on track to achieve its targeted force levels of 200 surface platforms and 100 aircraft by 2030.
- Under the motto “Vayam Rakshamah” (We Protect), the ICG has saved over 11,554 lives since its inception, including 200 lives in the year 2023.
History:
- The Indian Coast Guard was established on February 1, 1977, to prevent the sea-borne smuggling of goods that hampered the economy.
- According to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, the ICG department is ranked as the fourth largest Coast Guard in the world.
- The responsibilities of the Coast Guard include offshore security, marine safety, and coastal security as well as safeguarding India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
- On August 18, 1978, the Parliament announced that the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Day would be celebrated on February 1.