16th MARCH CURRENT AFFAIRS

1. India ranks 78th on WEF energy transition index

India has been ranked at 78th, lower than its emerging market peers like Brazil and China, among 114 countries on the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) energy transition index.

• The report titled Fostering Effective Energy Transition, ranks countries on how well they are able to balance energy security and access with environmental sustainability and affordability.
• The overall list was topped by Sweden, followed by Norway at the 2nd position and Switzerland at the 3rd rank.

2. 17th World Conference on Tobacco held in South Africa 

The 17th World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH) was held in Cape Town, South Africa from 7-9 March 2018.

• It united researchers, academics, non-governmental organisations, civil society, scientists, healthcare professionals and public officials working on all aspects of tobacco control from more than 100 countries.

3. LaQshya program for pregnant woman

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has recently announced the launch of program ‘LaQshya’, aimed at improving quality of care in labour room and maternity Operation Theatre (OT).

• The Program will improve quality of care for pregnant women in labour room, maternity Operation Theatre and Obstetrics Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and High Dependency Units (HDUs).
• The LaQshya program is being implemented at all Medical College Hospitals, District Hospitals and First Referral Unit (FRU), and Community Health Center (CHCs) and will benefit every pregnant woman and new-born delivering in public health institutions.
• ‘LaQshya’ will reduce maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality, improve quality of care during delivery and immediate post-partum period and enhance satisfaction of beneficiaries and provide Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) to all pregnant women attending public health facilities.

4. KUSUM Scheme – harnessing solar power for rural India

The Government of India is in the process of formulating a Scheme ‘Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM)’ which, inter alia, provides for:

• Installation of grid-connected solar power plants each of capacity up to 2 MW in the rural areas;
• Installation of standalone off-grid solar water pumps to fulfill irrigation needs of farmers not connected to grid;
• Solarization of existing grid-connected agriculture pumps to make farmers independent of grid supply and also enable them to sell surplus solar power generated to DISCOM and get extra income; and
• Solarization of tube-wells and lift irrigation projects of Government sector.

5. Atal Bhujal Yojana

The Government has proposed Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY) aimed at sustainable ground water management with community participation in select over-exploited and ground water stressed areas in seven States (Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh). 

• ABHY is designed as a Central Sector Scheme with a total outlay of Rs. 6,000 Crore and is proposed to be implemented with World Bank assistance.

6. Modi to inaugurate Science Congress

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inauguratethe 105th edition of the Indian Science Congress in Imphal on March 16.

• The Science Congress will see congregation of about 5000 delegations including three Noble laureates, scientists, scholars and researchers from all across the country.

7. Karnataka Bank’s all-woman branch

 

Karnataka Bank opened its first all-woman branch at Bull Temple Road in Bengaluru. This is the 800th branch of the bank.

• Speaking on the occasion, Mahabaleshwara MS, Managing Director and CEO, said the bank opened 36 branches during 2017-18.
• The bank has registered a business turnover of Rs 1.06-lakh crore.

8. Fitch forecasts 7.3% growth for India next year

Fitch has projected India’s economic growth to rise to 7.3 per cent next fiscal and further to 7.5 per cent in 2019-20.

• In its Global Economic Outlook report, the US-based agency forecast Indian economy to clock a growth rate of 6.5 per cent this fiscal.
• The economy grew 7.1 per cent in 2016-17.

9. MDWS Bags Award for best implementation of E-office

The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh, presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation for implementation of e-office software.

• The award was received by Shri SatyabrataSahu, Joint Secretary and Mrs Seemantinee Sengupta, Senior Technical Director, HOD, NIC-MDWS, on behalf of the Ministry at a function heldat the Ministry of Personnel, Grievances and Pension.
• E-Office is one of the Mission-mode Projects under the Digital India programme.
• The e-Office solution enables core operations of the Government at all levels to be performed in a ‘paper-less’ environment, including the E-leave,E-tour,Knowledge Management, Notice Board, Download Forms, Inventory Control etc.
• The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has the distinction of making 100 percent use of e-Office.