PIB 8th April 2021

WORLD HEALTH DAY

Focus: GS II- Health

Why in news?

April 7 of each year marks the celebration of World Health Day.

Background:

• From its inception at the First Health Assembly in 1948 and since taking effect in 1950, the celebration has aimed to create awareness of a specific health theme to highlight a priority area of concern for the World Health Organization.
• Over the past 50 years this has brought to light important health issues such as mental health, maternal and child care, and climate change. The celebration is marked by activities which extend beyond the day itself and serves as an opportunity to focus worldwide attention on these important aspects of global health.

World Health Day 2021: Theme

• The theme of World Health Day 2021 is “Building a fairer, healthier world for everyone”.

• The theme focuses to eliminate health inequities to bring people together to build a fairer, healthier world.
• It highlights the WHO’s constitutional principle “the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.”

PRODUCTION LINKED INCENTIVE (PLI) SCHEME FOR WHITE GOODS

Focus: GS III- Indian Economy

Why in news?

Taking another important step towards the vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, the Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for White Goods (Air Conditioners and LED Lights).

Key points:

• The prime objective of the PLI scheme is to make manufacturing in India globally competitive by removing sectoral disabilities, creating economies of scale and ensuring efficiencies.
• It is designed to create complete component ecosystem in India and make India an integral part of the global supply chains.
• The scheme is expected to attract global investments, generate large scale employment opportunities and enhance exports substantially.
• The PLI Scheme for White Goods shall extend an incentive of 4% to 6% on incremental sales of goods manufactured in India for a period of five years to companies engaged in manufacturing of Air Conditioners and LED Lights.
• Different segments have been earmarked for different types of components separately to specifically target global investments into desired areas.
• Selection of companies for the Scheme shall be done so as to incentivize manufacturing of components or sub-assemblies which are not manufactured in India presently with sufficient capacity. Mere assembly of finished goods shall not be incentivized.
•  Incentives shall be open to companies making brown field or green field Investments.
• An entity availing benefits under any other PLI Scheme of Govt. India will not be eligible under this scheme for the same products but the entity may take benefits under other applicable schemes of Govt. of India or schemes of State governments.
• The Scheme will be implemented as a pan India scheme and is not specific to any location, area or segment of population.
• The Scheme is expected to be instrumental in achieving growth rates that are much higher than existing ones for AC and LED industries, develop complete component eco-systems in India and create global champions manufacturing in India.
• They will have to meet the compulsory BIS and BEE Quality standards for sales into domestic market and applicable standards for global markets.
•  It will also lead to investments in innovation and research and development and upgradation of technology.

MOU BETWEEN INDIA AND JAPAN FOR ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH COOPERATION AND EXCHANGE

Focus: GS II- International Relations

Why in news?

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, is apprised of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (NARL), Dept of Space, Government of India and Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere (RISH), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan for Academic and Research Cooperation and Exchange. 

Objectives

• This MoU shall enable NARL and RISH to continue their cooperation in areas of atmospheric science and technology, collaborative scientific experiments/campaigns and related modelling studies utilising the research facilities of RISH and NARL, exchange of scientific materials, publications and information, joint research meetings and workshops, exchange of faculty members, students and researchers.
• This MoU would lead to mutual utilization of facilities such as the Middle and Upper atmosphere (MU) radar in Shigaraki, Japan, the Equatorial Atmosphere Radar (EAR) in Kototabang, Indonesia and complementary instruments available from RISH, and the Mesosphere-Stratosphere-Troposphere (MST) radar and complementary instruments available at NARL.

G20

Focus: GS II- International groupings

Why in news?

Finance Minister attends Second Virtual G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting.

Key points:

• The G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors discussed Updates of the G20 Action Plan in response to COVID-19.
• They also discussed supporting the financing needs of the most vulnerable economies, the progress on the international taxation agenda, promoting greener transitions and the pandemic related financial regulation issues.

About G20:

• The G20 is an informal group of 19 countries and the European Union, with representatives of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
• The G20 membership comprises a mix of the world’s largest advanced and emerging economies, representing about two-thirds of the world’s population, 85% of global gross domestic product, 80% of global investment and over 75% of global trade.
• The members of the G20 are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union.

ANAMAYA

Focus: GS II- Government Policies and Interventions.

Why in news?

Tribal Health Collaborative ‘Anamaya’: A Multi Stakeholder Initiative to enhance Tribal Health and Nutrition was launched recently.

About Anamaya:

• It is a Tribal Health Collaborative launched by Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Union Minister of Tribal Affairs.
• The Collaborative is a multi-stakeholder initiative of Tribal Affairs Ministry supported by Piramal Foundation and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
• It will converge efforts of various Government agencies and organisations to enhance the health and nutrition status of the tribal communities of India.
• This Collaborative is a unique initiative bringing together governments, philanthropists, national and international foundations, NGOs/CBOs to end all preventable deaths among the tribal communities of India.
• It aims to build a sustainable, high-performing health eco-system to address the key health challenges faced by the tribal population of India. It will begin its operations with 50 tribal, Aspirational Districts (with more than 20% ST population) across 6 high tribal population states.