Current Affair 1:

National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction and Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan

Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India is the nodal Ministry for drug demand reduction in the country.

To tackle the issue of substance use, this Department formulated and is implementing National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR), a centrally sponsored scheme under which financial assistance is provided to:

1. State Governments/ Union Territory (UT) Administrations for Preventive Education and Awareness Generation, Capacity Building, Programmes for Drug Demand Reduction by States/UTs etc.
2. NGOs/VOs for running and maintenance of Integrated Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts (IRCAs), Community based peer Led Intervention (CPLI) for early Drug Use Prevention among Adolescents, Outreach and Drop In Centres (ODIC) and District De-Addiction Centres (DDACs); and
3. Government Hospitals for Addiction Treatment Facilities (ATFs)

Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA)

 

 

 

NMBA was launched on 15th August, 2020 by Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment in 272 identified most vulnerable districts and now it has been extended to all districts across the country.

Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan intends to reach out to the masses and spread awareness about substance use with focus on higher educational Institutions, university campuses & schools, reaching out & identifying dependent population, focus on counselling & treatment facilities in hospitals & rehabilitation centres and Capacity building programmes for service providers.

Current Affair 2:

International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)

News:

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the establishment of International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)with a one-time budgetary support of Rs.150 crore for a period of five years from 2023-24 to 2027-28.

Seven big cats include Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Puma, Jaguar and the Cheetah out of these five big cats viz. Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard and Cheetah are found in India.

There is currently a gap in many ‘big cat’ countries in availing resources, and in the optimal use of practices and processes. There is no international body addressing the conservation challenges of big cats across their range of habitats. So far, 16 countries have given their written consent to be part of the IBCA.

IBCA governance consists of Assembly of Members, Standing Committee and a Secretariat with its Head Quarter in India.

The Alliance ensures sustainable use of natural resources and mitigates challenges emanating from climate change. By safeguarding big cats and their habitats, the IBCA contributes to natural climate adaptation, water and food security and well-being of thousands of communities reliant on these ecosystems.

Current Affair 3:

The “Eat Right Station” certification process

News:

The Eat Right Railway Station is one of the initiatives under the Eat Right India movement led by FSSAI.

The “Eat Right Station” certification process involves rigorous audits of food vendors, training of food handlers, adherence to strict hygiene and sanitation protocols and efforts to raise awareness among individuals to make informed food choices. Stations that meet these stringent criteria are awarded the "Eat Right Station" certification.

To be certified under this initiative, all the food handlers at the designated railway station are required to be trained under FSSAI’s FoSTaC program, followed by a third-party audit as well as certification based on a pre-defined checklist.

Some of the prominent stations that have been certified as “Eat Right stations” are the railway stations in New Delhi, Varanasi, Kolkata, Ujjain, Ayodhya Cantt, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Kozhikode, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Vadodra, Mysuru City, Bhopal, Igatpuri, Delhi’s Anand Vihar Terminal and Chennai’s Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station, among many others from different states.

This initiative not only benefits passengers but also empowers food vendors at railway stations.

Six pioneering metro stations across the country have also joined the effort and have been accredited as Eat Right Stations. Among these are Metro Stations at Noida Sector 51, Esplanade (Kolkata), IIT Kanpur, Botanical Garden (Noida) and Noida Electronic City Metro Station.

Current Affair 4:

1st ‘Blue Talks’ meeting on Ocean Health and Governance

News:

The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), hosted the 1st ‘Blue Talks’ meeting in New Delhi recently.

This meeting is a forerunner to the upcoming High-Level Event on Ocean Action (HLEOA) event ‘Immersed in Change’ scheduled to be held on 7th-8th June, 2024 in San Jose, Costa Rica. On a larger perspective, ‘HLEOA’ is a precursor event to gather recommendations and visions for the upcoming United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3).

The core aim of the 1st Blue Talks meeting was to

1. to exchange good practices and successful experiences on topics related to the governance and health of the ocean,
2.  to seek recommendations and inputs from various stakeholders, both governmental and non-governmental,
3. to reflect and to feed into the preparation of UNOC3 and iv) to seek specific implementation actions in order to address the concerns over the ocean’s health.

India plays a pivotal role in the field of ocean science and maritime development, through aligning its programmes and policies with the global commitment to ensure sustainable harnessing of marine resources. Further, MoES, India has been recognized as a lead partner for the upcoming Ocean Conference in Nice, in 2025.

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