National
Rashtriya Poshan Maah 2022
⇒ Under the POSHAN Abhiyaan, ‘Rashtriya Poshan Maah’ or the ‘National Nutrition Month’ is celebrated each year in September with the aim to create awareness about nutrition and healthy food across the country.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development celebrated 5th Rashtriya Poshan Maah 2022 across the nation from September 01 to September 30, 2022.
- The objective was to trigger Poshan Maah through Gram Panchayats as Poshan Panchayats with a key focus on “Mahila aur Swasthya” and “Bacha aur Shiksha”.
Theme:
The broader themes for Poshan Maah 2022 were Mahila aur Swasthya, Bachcha aur Shiksha, Gender Sensitive Water Management and Traditional Food for Women & Child.
- The other key theme, Bachcha aur Shiksha– Poshan Bhi, Padhai Bhi, that called for focus on quality pre-school education for children under 6 years also gained momentum during Maah 2022.
- Under this theme close to 81 lakh activities were conducted focussing on early childhood care and education.
» The 5th Rashtriya Poshan Maah culminated with a Poshan Utsav at Kartavyapath, New Delhi from 30th September to 2nd October 2022.
- The Poshan Utsav served as a platform for disseminating to the people at large, the critical messages on the importance of correct nutrition, particularly for young children and women, and sensitizing them on age-appropriate good health practices to address the challenges of malnutrition in the country.
Background:
- POSHAN (Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition) Abhiyaan is a Multi-Ministerial Convergence Mission with the vision to ensure the attainment of Malnutrition Free India by 2022.
- The Government launched the POSHAN Abhiyaan, earlier known as National Nutrition Mission, on March 08, 2018, to address the problem of malnutrition in the country.
- POSHAN Abhiyaan is Government of India’s flagship programme to improve nutritional outcomes for children under 6 years of age, pregnant women and lactating mothers. The Abhiyan aims to reduce malnutrition in the country in a phased manner through a life cycle approach.
» Focusing on the aims of POSHAN Abhiyaan, Mission Poshan 2.0 (Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0) has been launched as an integrated nutrition support program.
- Mission Poshan 2.0 was announced in the Union Budget 2021-2022 for all States/UTs.
- Mission Poshan 2.0 has been launched to strengthen nutritional content, delivery, outreach and outcomes with focus on developing practices that nurture health, wellness and immunity to disease and malnutrition.
National Logistics Policy 2022
⇒ The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi launched the National Logistics Policy (NLP) at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 17 September 2022.
- The National Logistics Policy will provide a comprehensive agenda for development of entire logistics ecosystem.
The Policy will be implemented through a Comprehensive Logistics Action Plan (CLAP).
The interventions proposed under the CLAP are divided into eight key action areas:
- Integrated Digital Logistics Systems
- Standardisation of physical assets and benchmarking service quality standards
- Logistics Human Resources Development and Capacity Building
- State Engagement
- EXIM (Export-Import) Logistics
- Service Improvement framework
- Sectoral Plan for Efficient Logistics
- Facilitation of Development of Logistics Parks.
The Policy sets targets and includes a detailed action plan to achieve them.
The targets are:
- to reduce cost of logistics in India to be comparable to global benchmarks by 2030,
- improve the Logistics Performance Index ranking, to be among top 25 countries by 2030, and
- create data driven decision support mechanism for an efficient logistics ecosystem.
Key Points:
- The Policy lays down an overarching interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral, multi-jurisdictional and comprehensive policy framework for the logistics sector.
- The vision of the policy is to develop a technologically enabled, integrated, cost-efficient, resilient, sustainable and trusted logistics ecosystem in the country for accelerated and inclusive growth.
- The policy aspires to reduce cost of logistics in India to be comparable to global benchmarks by 2030, endeavour to be among top 25 countries by 2030 in the Logistics Performance Index ranking, and create data driven decision support mechanism for an efficient logistics ecosystem.
- This policy paves way for reduction in logistics cost in the country. Focus will be on enabling adequate development of warehouses with optimal spatial planning, promotion of standards, digitization and automation across the logistics value chain and better track and trace mechanisms.
- Further measures to facilitate seamless coordination between different stakeholders and speedy issue resolution, streamlined EXIM processes, human resource development to create an employable pool of skilled manpower, are also laid out in the policy.
- This policy supports enhancing competitiveness of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and other sectors such as agriculture and allied sectors, fast moving consumer goods and electronics. With greater predictability, transparency and reliability, wastages in supply chain and need for huge inventory will reduce.
» The policy also clearly lays down an action agenda for immediate on ground implementation of various initiatives.
- In fact, to ensure that the benefits of this policy have maximum possible outreach, important initiatives under the policy including the Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP), the Ease of Logistics Services platform, e-handbook on Warehousing, training courses on PM GatiShakti and logistics on i-Got platform, were launched along with the launch of the National Logistics Policy.
Background:
- The need for a national logistics policy was felt since the logistics cost in India is high as compared to other developed economies. It is imperative to reduce the logistics cost in India for improving the competitiveness of Indian goods both in domestic as well as export markets. Reduced logistics cost improves efficiency cutting across various sectors of the economy, encouraging value addition and enterprise.
- Since 2014, the government has put significant emphasis on improving both, Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Living.
- National Logistics Policy, a comprehensive effort to address issues of high cost and inefficiency by laying down an overarching interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral and multi-jurisdictional framework for the development of the entire logistics ecosystem, is yet another step in this direction. The policy is an endeavour to improve the competitiveness of Indian goods, enhance economic growth and increase employment opportunities.
» The National Logistics Policy complements the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan.
- The PM GatiShakti – National Master Plan for muti-modal connectivity – launched by the Prime Minister last year, was a pioneering step in this direction. PM GatiShakti will get further boost and complementarity with the launch of the National Logistics Policy.
- PM GatiShakti National Master Plan is aimed at integrated infrastructure development, the National Logistics Policy is envisaged to bring efficiency in logistics services, and human resources through streamlining processes, regulatory framework, skill development, mainstreaming logistics in higher education and adoption of suitable technologies.
National Rajbhasha Kirti Award to CSIR’s popular Science Magazine
⇒ CSIR’s popular science magazine “Vigyan Pragati” has created a new history. This magazine has received the National Rajbhasha Kirti Award (First position).
- This award was given at the Second All India Rajbhasha Sammelan held during 14-15 September 2022 in the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Indoor Stadium, Surat.
About ‘Vigyan Pragati’:
- ‘Vigyan Pragati’ (a popular science magazine in Hindi) is one of India’s best popular science magazines.
- It is popular among children, teachers, researchers, and the public across India as well as the world.
- Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) started publishing this magazine in 1952.
- This monthly Hindi publication imparts the knowledge of the recent national-international S&T related developments, discoveries, inventions, technological advancements in the form of article, feature, science fiction, science poetry, quiz, scientoon (science cartoon) and docudrama.
- Vigyan Pragati aims at communicating S&T to the masses in simple language. The magazine contents aim at igniting curiosity about science among the young and strive to develop an interest in them to pursue science.