Chhattisgarh Affairs
Data divide over child health in state
Referring to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2019-21,UnicefinChhattisgarhhas said that around 68% children in the state do not get breast milk within an hour of birth and more than 18,000 babies die every year within 28 days of birth due to lack of proper care.
Less than a week ago, the Chhattisgarh government had cited a Union Government report of 2020-21 to say that neonatal and infant mortality rates have dropped by 23% and 18%.
The Unicef state chief said only 32% mothers in Chhattisgarh are able to breastfeed babies 1 hour after birth because in hospital, babies are often kept under separate supervision from the mother immediately after birth, so breastfeeding is not done at the right time. He pointed out that breastfeeding within an hour of birth is extremely important for proper Nutrition and development of babies. In order to spread awareness on the health significance of breast milk for newborn babies, Unicef has initiated awareness campaigns in rural and urban areas of Chhattisgarh, he said.
Quoting NFHSs data for Chhattisgarh, Unicef says that 13% babies in Chhattisgarh weigh less than 2.5kg at birth. As many as 26,000 children die before their first birthday, out of which 250 children were found to be suffering from heart-related problems since birth, Unicef said. The rest die because of diseases and lack of proper care, it added. According to NFHS, only 10% of children in Chhattisgarh are getting enough food, 30% of children below 5 years of age are underweight and 35% children are dwarfed, plus there are 10 lakh children in the state who are underweight, Unicef said, quoting from the NFHS report.
Quoting the NFHS data of 2020-21, Dr Mishra said that the decline in mortality rate has been reported accurately as 23% in neonatal, 18% in infants and 22% in children below five years of age as compared to NFHS-4 of 2015-16. According to data released by the central government, institutional delivery in Chhattisgarh has increased from 70% in 2015-16 to 86% in 2020-21, the government said. There has been a 25% increase in deliveries in government health institutions.
National and International Affairs
RUSA Scheme Continued By GoI
The Ministry of Education has approved the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) scheme until 31 March 2026.
Highlights
The Ministry of Education has approved the continuation of the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) scheme till 31 March 2026 with an expenditure of 12,929.16 crores.
The new phase of the scheme would support around 1,600 projects. Out of Rs 12,929.16 crores of expenditure, the center will share Rs 8,120.97 crores, and therefore the state will share Rs 4,808.19 crores.
The new phase of the scheme has been designed to implement a number of the recommendations of the New Education Policy (NEP).
Under the new phase of the scheme, State Governments will support Gender inclusion, Initiatives, Enhance employability through vocationalisation and skill upgradation.
Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan:
Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan was launched in 2013. it’s a Centrally.
Sponsored Scheme to supply government universities and colleges funding.
Its main objective is to enhance the standard of state institutions and ensure reform in affiliation, academic, and examination systems.
India’s First Cable-Stayed Rail Bridge in J&K
The Indian Railways has shared new images of the country’s first cable-stayed bridge on the Anji river in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district.
Highlights
The Indian Railways has shared new images of the country’s first cable-stayed bridge on the Anji river in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district.
The under-construction Anji Khad bridge, a part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, will connect Katra and Reasi areas through rail links.
The bridge will stand at 331 meters above the river bed above the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
The bridge’s total length is 473.25 meters, and 96 cables support it.
The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link is one of the foremost challenging projects undertaken within the Indian subcontinent.
Milan Multilateral Naval Exercise
Milan is the name of the multilateral naval exercise which is hosted by the INDIAN NAVY. This is a biennial exercise and features seminars, Sports, social events, and professional exercises among the participating nations.
Along with the Indian Navy, the navies of Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka had participated in the inaugural edition of this exercise.
All editions of Milan were held in the , under the Andaman and Nicobar Command.
The Navy, in 2020, announced that the next edition of Milan will be held at Visakhapatnam, under the Eastern Naval Command.
This exercise is held under various themes like anti-submarine warfare, and other areas.
Capacity building, training, marine domain awareness, technical assistance, hydrography, and operational exercises are among the areas of cooperation for the exercise.
Through professional engagement with friendly navies, the exercise aims to hone operational abilities, instill best practices and procedures, and enable Learning in the maritime Environment.
Blue Economy Roadmap Signed By India and France
India and France have inked a roadmap to reinforce their bilateral exchanges on the blue economy and ocean Governance.
Highlights
India and France have inked a roadmap to reinforce their bilateral exchanges on the blue economy and ocean governance.
Dr. S Jaishankar is on a three-day visit to France, from 20 February to 22, 2022, to attend EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation within the Indo-Pacific scheduled for Washington’s Birthday.
The agreement on ‘Roadmap on Blue Economy and Ocean Governance’ was signed between India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian.
Putin Divided Ukraine into 3 countries
Russian President Putin has recognized the independence of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine Donetsk and Luhansk.
Highlights
Russian President Putin has recognized the independence of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine Donetsk and Luhansk.
Putin’s announcement paved the way for Russia to openly send troops and weapons to the long-running conflict pitting Ukrainian forces against Moscow-backed rebels.
Russian-backed rebels have been fighting Ukrainian troops in Donetsk and Luhansk since 2014, with regular violence despite a ceasefire agreement.
Putin signed decrees recognizing the Donetsk and Luhansk regions’ independence, eight years after fighting erupted between Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces, and called on lawmakers to approve measures paving the way for military support.
Russia has acquired the proper to create military bases in Ukraine’s two breakaway regions under new agreements with their separatist leaders.