National
President of India virtually launches Ayushman Bhav Campaign
⇒ The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu virtually launched the Ayushman Bhav Campaign from Raj Bhavan, Gandhinagar on September 13, 2023.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said the goal of ‘Ayushman Bhav Campaign – no person should be left behind and no village should be left behind – would make our country successful in achieving the objective of Universal Health Coverage.
About Ayushman Bhav Campaign:
» The ‘Ayushman Bhav’ campaign, initiated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, was a comprehensive nationwide healthcare initiative that aimed to provide saturation coverage of healthcare services, reaching every village and town in the country.
- This groundbreaking initiative was based on the success of the Ayushman Bharat program and marked a paradigm shift in healthcare services.
- The campaign, which was implemented during the ‘Seva Pakhwada’ from September 17th to October 2nd, 2023, embodied a whole-of-nation and whole-of-society approach.
- It united government sectors, civil society organizations and communities under a common mission to ensure that every individual receives essential health services without any disparity or exclusion.
Key Points:
- The Ayushman Bhav campaign was a collaborative effort spearheaded by Gram Panchayats in coordination with the Department of Health, other government departments, and local elected bodies in the rural and urban areas. Its core objective was to extend comprehensive healthcare coverage to every village and town, transcending geographical barriers and ensuring that no one is left behind.
- This synergistic approach was aimed at saturating the coverage of health services through its three components Ayushman – Apke Dwar 3.0, Ayushman Melas at Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Ayushman Sabhas in every village and panchayat.
- The Ayushman Bhav campaign was aligned with the vision of creating ‘Healthy Villages’ and ‘Healthy Gram Panchayats,’ laying the foundation for achieving Universal Health Coverage in the country.
- Panchayats that successfully saturate the health schemes earned the prestigious title of ‘Ayushman Gram Panchayat’ or ‘Ayushman Urban Ward,’ symbolizing their dedication to equitable healthcare provision.
President of India inaugurates 'National e-Vidhan Application' in Gujarat Legislative Assembly
⇒ The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu inaugurated ‘National e-Vidhan Application’ (NeVA) and addressed the Gujarat Legislative Assembly at Gandhinagar on September 13, 2023.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that since the formation of Gujarat state in the year 1960, Gujarat Legislative Assembly has always worked in the interest of the society.
She further said that inauguration of E-Assembly today is an important step which would transform this House into a Digital House.
- Through the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) members of this House can learn and adopt the best practices of the Parliament and other Legislative Assemblies of the country.
- This initiative, inspired by the goal of “one nation one application”, would bring more speed and transparency in the functioning of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly and the entire process of the House being paperless would also protect the environment.
Background:
» In the age of digitization, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (MoPA) is making the functioning of Legislatures paperless through National e-Vidhan Application, a Mission Mode Project, also a part of Digital India Programme of Government of India.
- Ministry is making its best effort to roll out National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) covering 40 Houses of Legislature including two Houses of Parliament.
- In this direction, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs has developed the web as well as mobile application “National e-Vidhan Application”. mNeVA is a user-friendly Mobile App of NeVA.
- NeVA aims to assist the Members of the Legislatures to use the latest ICT tools for preparing themselves for participation in the Legislative debates and law-making process.
- The project involves backend computerization of all branches of the Secretariats, Business Process Re-engineering of identified services, capacity building and training of the Members of the Legislatures and respective Officers and other officers of the Government Departments, setting up of e-facilitation centres to assist the Members, delivery of public services through public portals.
Director (Finance) of Solar Energy Corporation of India
⇒ Shri Joshit Ranjan Sikidar has joined Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) as Director (Finance) on 12th September, 2023.
- Shri Sikidar is Chartered Accountant, Company Secretary, Cost Accountant and MBA (Finance), with total post-qualification experience of more than 30 years.
- Before his appointment as Director (Finance), Shri Sikidar was working as Group General Manager (Finance) and Company Secretary of RITES Limited.
About SECI:
- Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited is a Miniratna Category-I CPSU under the administrative control of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India.
- In the present scenario, SECI has a major role to play in the development of the renewable energy sector. The company is a nodal agency for implementation of a number of schemes of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
Union Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launches Skill India Digital
⇒ To ensure that every Indian has access to quality skill development, relevant opportunities and entrepreneurial support, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship launched Skill India Digital (SID), a comprehensive digital platform on 13 September 2023.
- Skill India Digital (SID) aimed at synergizing and transforming the skills, education, employment, and entrepreneurship landscape of India.
- The platform embodies the aspirations and dreams of millions of Indians who seek better opportunities and a brighter future as it extends industry-relevant skill courses, job opportunities, and entrepreneurship support.
» SID is the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for skilling, education, employment, and entrepreneurship ecosystem of India.
- Driven by the vision to make skill development more innovative, accessible, and personalized in its embodiment, focusing on digital technology and Industry 4.0 skills, the state-of the- art platform will be a breakthrough in accelerating skilled talent hiring, facilitating lifelong learning and career advancement.
- The platform aligns perfectly with the vision articulated in the G20 framework for building DPI and the digital economy to promote digital skills and digital literacy.
- It is also a comprehensive information gateway for all government skilling and entrepreneurship initiatives – a go-to hub for citizens in pursuit of career advancement and lifelong learning.
Following elements will enhance SID platform and provide numerous benefits:
- Aadhaar/ AI based Facial Authentication
- Digital Verifiable Credentials (DVC)
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) Recommendations
- Aadhaar based eKYC
- Digital Learning
- Citizen-Centric Approach
- Mobile-First Approach
- Scale and Speed
- Security Measures
- Interoperability
- WhatsApp Chatbot
- Ease of Doing Business
Key Points:
- Skill India Digital started its journey with a commitment of being user-friendly. It aims to remove existing obstacles by offering an easy-to-use interface which is adaptable to various devices.
- This is ensuring that people from diverse backgrounds could access the platform effortlessly, regardless of the technology they had. In a country with many languages, Skill India Digital is bridging the gaps by supporting multiple Indian Languages, fostering inclusivity and a diverse learning environment for all the users.
- A major breakthrough for secure access came with Aadhaar-based eKYC. This robust verification process is the foundation of Skill India Digital, ensuring only genuine participants benefit from its offerings.
- The platform’s mobile-first approach adapted to the modern era’s reliance on smartphones which ensures uninterrupted learning experiences through handheld devices, transforming traditional learning methods and allowing users to engage with the platform’s resources anytime and anywhere.
- Furthermore, Skill India Digital has extended this transformative concept through the introduction of Digital CVs via personalized QR Codes.
The implementation of these features within a Skill India Digital skilling platform will revolutionize the skilling landscape in India, offering enhanced accessibility, personalized learning experiences, streamlined verification processes, and improved career guidance. It will enable learners to acquire relevant skills, stay updated with industry trends, and contribute to India’s workforce development effectively.