1.NITI Aayog’s Discussion Paper ‘Multidimensional Poverty in India since 2005-06’ says 24.82 crore Indians escaped Multidimensional Poverty in the last 9 years.
- The paper credits significant government initiatives to address all dimensions of poverty between 2013-14 to 2022-23 for this achievement.
- Oxford Policy and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have provided technical inputs for this paper.
- India has registered a significant decline in multidimensional poverty in India from 29.17% in 2013-14 to 11.28% in 2022-23 i.e. a reduction of 17.89 percentage points.
- Uttar Pradesh registered the largest decline in the number of poor with 5.94 crore people escaping multidimensional poverty during the last nine years followed by Bihar at 3.77 crore, Madhya Pradesh at 2.30 crore and Rajasthan at 1.87 crore.
- All 12 indicators of MPI have recorded significant improvement during the entire study period.
- As a result, India is likely to achieve its SDG target of halving multidimensional poverty well before 2030.
2. DEPWD and NHRDN Join Forces to Boost Employment for Divyangjans
- The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPWD) and the National Human Resources Development Network (NHRDN) have inked a Memorandum of Understanding on the closing day of the International Purple Fest in Goa.
- This strategic collaboration aims to aggregate employment opportunities for Divyangjans through the innovative PM-DAKSH-DEPWD digital portal.
- This MoU marks a pivotal step in expanding the Department’s outreach and fostering connections with HR professionals nationwide.
- The objective is to amplify efforts in facilitating meaningful employment opportunities for Divyangjans, fostering a more inclusive and diverse workforce.
3. The Chief of the Naval Staff inaugurated a CO2-based Air Conditioning plant at INS Shivaji.
- The AC Plant is the first of its kind and is set to replace HFC (Hydro Fluro Carbons) and HCFC (Hydro Chloro Fluro Carbons) based air conditioning systems onboard ships.
- This step aligns with India’s commitment to the Kigali Agreement 2016 to phase down HFC and HCFC-based synthetic refrigerants from 2028 onwards.
- This technology aligns with the global efforts to combat climate change and supports the Indian Navy’s initiative towards sustainable green alternatives.
- The system has been developed in collaboration with IISc, Bangalore.
4. The Secretary, MeitY launched the “Centre of Excellence in Intelligent Internet of Things Sensors” and the “India Innovation Centre for Graphene” in Kerala.
- Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Intelligent Internet of Things (IIoT) Sensors
- The CoE in IIoT Sensors is a unique facility established at Makers Village, Kochi by MeitY, GoI and Govt. of Kerala to catalyze the development of sensors within the realm of Intelligent IoT systems covering a broad spectrum of applications of intelligent sensors in networks, devices and sensor systems.
India’s first Graphene Centre IICG also has been established at Makers Village Kochi by MeitY, GoI and Govt. of Kerala along with Tata Steel Limited to foster R&D, product innovation and capacity building in the area of Graphene and 2D material systems. - Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms organised in a honeycomb structure.
- It makes a good material for biomedical applications.
- Graphene is highly malleable, biocompatible, transparent, highly conductive, and mechanically robust.
5. National Leprosy Eradication Programme
- The Union government has approved a new treatment regimen for leprosy, aiming at stopping its transmission at the sub-national level by 2027
- Leprosy is a chronic, progressive bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae.
- It primarily affects the nerves of the extremities, the skin, the lining of the nose, and the upper respiratory tract. Leprosy is also known as Hansen’s disease.
- It produces skin ulcers, nerve damage, and muscle weakness. If it isn’t treated, it can cause severe disfigurement and significant disability.
- It is one of the oldest diseases in recorded history. It is common in many countries, especially those with tropical or subtropical climates including India.
ONE LINER
- Odisha to setup a melanistic tiger safari, first of its kind in the world. Odisha is setting up an exclusive melanistic tiger safari near Similipal Tiger Reserve in Mayurbhanj.
- New application launched by Government of India based on Artificial Intelligence. Its motive to provide digital study materials in Indian Languauges.
