- 9th Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival
- The Festival was held in Arunachal Pradesh. It focused on wildlife conservation, particularly hornbills found in the Pakke Tiger Reserve.
- The festival highlights the role of indigenous Nyishi tribes in protecting hornbills, fostering connections between forests, wildlife, and local communities.
- The festival aims to generate livelihood streams for locals and raise awareness about the unique biodiversity found in the reserve.
- Activities include bird watching tours, literary competitions, panel discussions, tribal music/dance performances, river walks, and local cuisine.
2. Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI)
e-SAKSHI Application
- It was launched for revised fund flow procedure under Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLAD) Scheme.
- It will bring forth a myriad of benefits, revolutionising the way Members of Parliament engage with and manage development projects in their constituencies.
- It would offer convenience and accessibility, allowing MPs to propose, track, and oversee the projects at their fingertips.
- This real-time access enhances decision-making processes, enabling swift responses to emerging needs or issues.
- The application will streamline the communication between MPs and relevant authorities, facilitating a more efficient exchange of information.
- It will promote transparency by providing MPs with instant updates on the status and progress of their proposed projects.
- It has the features for budget management, ensuring MPs can monitor expenditures.
3. Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
SHRESHTA Scheme
- The scheme aims to provide access to the best private residential schools for meritorious students from Scheduled Caste (SC) communities.
- It will provide scholarships to meritorious students from SC communities to study in private and NGO-run residential schools for Classes 9-12.
- The scheme is expected to provide admissions to around 3,000 students in Classes 9 and 11 each year.
- The core objectives of the scheme are to enhance the reach of the development initiatives of the government and fill in the gap in service-deprived SC dominant areas in the education sector.
- The scheme will collaborate with voluntary organisations to provide an environment that can help create conditions for socio-economic upliftment and the overall development of the SC communities.
4. 12th General Assembly of the Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace held in New Delhi
- It was founded in 1970 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, as a voluntary movement of followers of Buddhism with both monastic (monks) and lay members.
- Its aim is to bring together the efforts of Buddhists in support of consolidating universal peace, harmony, and cooperation among people in Asia.
- It is currently headquartered at the Ganden Tegchenling Monastery in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and the Supreme Head of Mongolian Buddhists is the ABCP President.
5. Human Pappilomavirus
- Cervical cancer is the second-most common cancer among Indian women. It is predominantly caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV).
- The World Health Organization (WHO) aims to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem. Its 2022 strategy includes three key goals: vaccinating 90% of girls with the HPV vaccine by 2030 (by age 15), screening 70% of women with high-performance tests between ages 35 and 45, and ensuring 90% of women with cervical disease receive treatment.
- Sikkim was the first Indian state to introduce the HPV vaccine for free. India’s National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) recommended introducing the HPV vaccine into the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).
TamilNadu
- Tamil Nadu’s IMR has dropped significantly from 13 per 1,000 live births in 2020 to 8.2 per 1,000 live births during April-December 2023. This is a 36% reduction in just two years.
- 5th Edition of Khelo India Games are to be conducted in 4 districts(Chennai, Madurai, Trichy, Coimbatore) across Tamil Nadu in between 19th to 31th January 2024. Mascot : Veeramangai Velunaachiyar
