National
India’s first dedicated OPD for Transgenders
⇒ On the start of Sewa Pakhwada, the Centre-run Dr Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital in Delhi inaugurated India’s first dedicated Outpatient Department (OPD) for the Transgender community on 17 September 2023.
- The initiative is started with understanding of the difficulties encountered by transgender community to access healthcare services, largely due to discomfort and the fear of discrimination and social apathy.
At India’s first dedicated OPD for transgenders, they will be provided with following facilities in the speciality OPD clinic:
- Free Treatment, investigations and sex change surgery.
- Speciality OPD clinic for transgenders will be every Friday 2 to 4 p.m.
- Separate OPD registration counter for these clinics to facilitate smooth process.
- Endocrinology facility with Clinico-psychological assessment.
- Plastic surgery facility for various related surgeries.
- Dermatology facility for related issues.
- Medicine (Physician) facility for various diseases. etc.
‘Skills on Wheels’ initiative with NSDC and IndusInd Bank to promote skilling
⇒ Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan and Speaker, Lok Sabha, Shri Om Birla launched ‘Skills on Wheels’ initiative with NSDC and IndusInd Bank with a flagging off ceremony on 17 September 2023.
- Under the partnership, 60,000 youth will be empowered over a period of five years with the objective of improving livelihood of rural households by providing relevant skills training to its youth population.
» Under the collaboration, a customized bus with retrofitted tools will promote the ‘Skill India Mission’ initiative through ‘Skills on Wheels’ and will travel across the length and breadth of aspirational and backward districts.
- The initiative is aimed at spreading awareness at grass root level about free skill training programs enabling youth to profoundly change the trajectory of their lives through robust skill training.
- Aligned with this mission, this partnership with IndusInd Bank is aimed at empowering the youth of the nation through the ‘Skills on Wheels’ project.
Objective:
- The objective of Skills on Wheels is to enable a large number of youth to take up industry-relevant skill training that will improve their theoretical as well as practical knowledge and help them in securing a better livelihood by bringing necessary synergy, oversight, and effective coordination.
- It aims to bridge the gap between the skilled people required in the industry and the unemployed youth by ensuring that the right candidate with a passion for a particular job chooses the right course according to his/her academic background, aptitude, and skill set.
Important Day
29th World Ozone Day or International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer 2023
⇒ World Ozone Day or International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is celebrated every year on 16 September.
- World Ozone Day is celebrated every year to spread awareness among people about the depletion of Ozone Layer and the measures taken/ to be taken to preserve it.
- World Ozone Day reminds us that not only is ozone crucial for life on Earth, but that we must continue to protect the ozone layer for future generations.
Theme:
The theme for World Ozone Day 2023 was “Montreal Protocol: fixing the ozone layer and reducing climate change”.
History:
- World Ozone Day is celebrated to commemorate the signing of the Montreal Protocol, an international environmental treaty for phasing out of production and consumption of Ozone Depleting Substances, that came into force on this day in 1987.
- In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 16 September the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, commemorating the date of the signing, in 1987, of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (resolution 49/114).
About Montreal Protocol:
Ozone Layer:
» Ozone Layer exists in the Stratosphere, between 10 KM and 40 KM above the Earth’s surface and protects us from UV radiation from the Sun. Ozone formed in the stratosphere called stratospheric ozone or good Ozone.
- Without the Ozone layer, radiation from the sun would reach earth directly, having ill effects on human health, i.e., eye cataract, skin cancer, etc., and adverse impacts on agriculture, forestry and marine life.
- Manmade chemicals containing chlorine and bromine reach the stratosphere and undergo a complex series of catalytic reactions, leading to destruction of ozone. These chemicals are called Ozone Depleting Substances.
Convention:
» The Vienna Convention, an international treaty on the protection of the Ozone Layer, came into force in 1985. Under this convention, the Montreal Protocol’s came into force in 1987 to repair the ozone layer to protect the earth’s Ozone Layer by phasing out production and consumption of Ozone Depleting Substances for end applications.
- The Montreal Protocol provides a set of practical, actionable tasks to phase out ozone- depleting substances and is one of the most successful and effective environmental treaties ever negotiated and implemented, due to the unprecedented level of cooperation and commitment shown by the international community.
World Ozone Day in India
» Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), celebrated the 29th World Ozone Day on 16 September 2023.
- The Ozone Cell, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India has been celebrating the World Ozone Day since 1995 at the National and State levels.
India’s achievements in implementation of Montreal Protocol
» India, as Party to the Montreal Protocol since June 1992, has been successfully implementing the Montreal Protocol and its ozone depleting substances phase out projects and activities in line with the phase out schedule of the Protocol.
- India has phased out Chlorofluorocarbons, Carbon tetrachloride, Halons, Methyl Bromide and Methyl Chloroform for controlled uses as on 1 January 2010, in line with the Montreal Protocol phase out schedule.
Currently Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are being phased out as per the accelerated schedule of the Montreal Protocol.
- Hydrochlorofluorocarbons Phase out Management Plan (HPMP) Stage-I has been successfully implemented from 2012 to 2016 and Hydrochlorofluorocarbons Phase out Management Plan (HPMP) Stage- II is currently under implementation from 2017 and will be completed by the end of 2024.
- During HPMP Stage-II implementation, India completely phased out the use of HCFC- 141b in manufacturing of rigid foam, the first among the developing countries to achieve the milestone.
- As against target of 35% reduction from the baseline as on 1 January 2020, India achieved a reduction of 44%, highlighting India’s efforts in protection of the stratospheric ozone layer.
Stage-III:
» As part of HPMP Stage-III implementation from 2023-2030, phase out of HCFCs in manufacturing of new equipment will be phased out by 31 December 2024.
- Implementation of HPMP Stage-III will enable India to achieve compliance with the control targets of HCFCs for the years 2025 and 2030 under the Montreal Protocol.
- In addition, HPMP Stage-III will result in net direct emission reductions of 19,239,929 tonne CO2 equivalent from 2030 onwards.
Kigali Amendment:
- The phase out of Ozone Depleting Substances led to the growth of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), used as alternatives to the ODSs, particularly in the refrigeration and air- conditioning sector. While HFCs do not deplete the Ozone Layer, they have high global warming potential ranging from 12 to 14000, which have adverse impact on climate. The decision to add HFCs to the list of controlled substances under the Montreal Protocol during 2016 led to the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, under which all Parties shall gradually reduce the consumption and production of HFCs.
- As per the Kigali Amendment, India will complete its phase down of production and consumption of HFCs for controlled uses in 4 steps from 2032 onwards with cumulative reduction of 10% in 2032, 20% in 2037, 30% in 2042 and 85% in 2047.
- India has ratified the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol during September 2021 National Strategy for phase down of HFCs in close cooperation with the industry stakeholders shall be developed by 2023.