National
Puri-Gangasagar Divya Kashi Yatra by Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train
⇒ Shri Raosaheb Dadarao Patil Danve, Minister of State for Railways, Coal and Mines, Government of India in the august presence of other dignitaries flagged off the Puri-Gangasagar Divya Kashi Yatra Bharat Gaurav Train from Pune station on 28 April 2023.
About tour:
- Indian Railways launched the Puri – Gangasagar Divya Kashi Yatra for the pilgrims of Sanatan Dharma ex Pune.
- A 9 night/10 day tour was offered to the tourists. The tour covered important religious destinations of Puri, Kolkata, Gaya, Varanasi and Prayagraj.
- Tourists visited the most famous temples and other pilgrimage places such as Jangannath Puri Temple, Konark Temple, Lingraj Temple at Puri, Kali Bari at Kolkata and Ganga Sagar, Vishnu Pad Temple and Bodh Gaya at Gaya, Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Ganga Ghaat at Varanasi and Triveni Sangam at Prayagraj.
Background:
- With the aim of promoting the noble tourism concepts of Dekho Apna Desh and Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat as envisioned by Government of India, Ministry of Railways has been operating Bharat Gaurav Tourist Trains from different parts of the country to showcase India as a destination in the international as well as domestic arena.
- These theme-based trains have been conceptualized to showcase the rich cultural and religious heritage of Bharat to the domestic tourists as well as to the international tourists.
Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration 2022
⇒ The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi conferred the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration 2022 on the occasion of 16th Civil Services Day, 2023 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on 21 April 2023.
The Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration have been instituted with a view to recognize the extraordinary and innovative work done by districts & organizations of the Central and State Governments for the welfare of common citizens.
The Awards were given for exemplary work done in four identified priority programmes: Promoting Swachh Jal through Har Ghar Jal Yojana; Promoting Swasth Bharat through Health & Wellness Centres; Promoting quality education with an equitable and inclusive classroom environment through Samagra Shiksha; Holistic Development through Aspirational District Programme – overall progress with special focus on saturation approach.
- Eight awards were given for the above four identified programs while seven awards were given for innovations.
Important Winners: Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration, 2022
Under the Innovation Central category:
- The Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration, 2022, in the category ‘Innovation-Central’ was conferred to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) for the successful implementation of the prestigious ‘PM GatiShakti National Master Plan’ programme.
- The National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme of the Union Health Ministry received the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2022 under the innovation category. Shri Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Ministry received the award.
Under the Innovation State Category:
- The “State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (SOTTO)” of the Government of Gujarat was given the award for innovative initiatives in the organ donation sector. Shahmeena Husain, Principal Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Gujarat, received the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration under the Innovation State category.
Under the Innovation District Category:
- Changlang district has been awarded Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2022 for implementation of New Age Learning Center (NALC) being conceptualized by young and energetic Deputy Commissioner Sunny K. Singh (IAS). DC Changlang Sunny K. Singh received the award under Innovation district category.
- Rampur district magistrate Shri Ravindra Kumar Mander received the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration under the Innovative initiative of the ‘Samvardhan’ (vocal for local). The award was given for the ‘Samvardhana’ initiative to help malnourished children with nutritional kits made from local food products to eradicate malnutrition in the district.
International
Asia-Pacific Leaders’ Conclave on Malaria Elimination
⇒ Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Government of India organized the Asia Pacific Leaders’ Conclave on Malaria Elimination in New Delhi on April 24, 2023, in partnership with the Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA).
- The aim of the Conclave was to reaffirm political commitment to galvanise action for malaria elimination by 2030.
Presided by:
The Conclave was held under the guidance of Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Hon’ble Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare and Chemicals & Fertilizers. The Conclave was presided by Dr V. K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog.
Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya delivered keynote address at the Asia-Pacific Leaders’ Conclave on Malaria Elimination.
About Conclave:
- The Conclave provided a platform for leaders from the Asia Pacific region to discuss ongoing efforts towards malaria elimination and revitalise national and regional momentum towards the goal of an Asia Pacific Free from Malaria by 2030.
- Sessions included tracking regional and national progress, reaching at-risk populations, leveraging research, innovation, and new technologies to accelerate progress, and embracing a whole-of-government approach eliminate the disease.
Other Points:
- India has made remarkable progress towards malaria elimination in recent years.
- Among the 11 countries that are part of the World Health Organization’s ‘High Burden to High Impact’ initiative, only India has reported decline in malaria cases during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Malaria cases and deaths also dropped by 85.1% and 83.6% respectively, from 2015 to 2022.
Important Day
16th Civil Services Day 2023
⇒ The Government of India celebrates April 21 every year as ‘Civil Services day’ as an occasion for the civil servants to rededicate themselves to the cause of citizen and renew their commitments to public service and excellence in work.
- This year the 16th Civil Services Day was celebrated on 21 April 2023.
Theme:
The theme for the 2-day Civil Services Day 2023 was titled “Viksit Bharat: Empowering Citizens and Reaching the Last Mile”.
Background:
- This date is chosen to commemorate the day when first Home Minister of Independent India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel addressed the probationers of Administrative Services Officers in 1947 at Metcalf House, Delhi, he referred to civil servants as the ‘steel frame of India’.
- The first such function was held in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 21 April 2006.
Events:
» The Ministry of Education, Department of School Education and Literacy organised the breakaway session (BS-III) based on the theme, “Improving Quality of Education- Improving Outcome Through Vidya Samiksha Kendras”. The programme was organised at Vigyan Bhawan, Delhi on the occasion of Civil Services Day on 20th April, 2023.
» The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed Civil Servants on the occasion of 16th Civil Services Day, 2023 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on 21 April 2023.
- The Prime Minister also conferred the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration and released the e-books ‘Viksit Bharat – Empowering Citizens & Reaching the last mile Volume I and II.