NATIONAL

‘Ayushman Bharat digital mission’ launched

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Ayushman Bharat digital mission’ through video conferencing, the launch was coinsided with celebrations of third year anniversary of Ayushman Barat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM JAY).
• It has been implemented in a pilot phase is six Union teritories.

Key Features about the scheme:

1. It includes a health ID for every citizen which will also work as their health account, to which personal health records can be linked and viewed with the help of a mobile application.
2. A Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR) and Healthcare Facilities Registries (HFR) that will act as a repository of all healthcare providers across both modern and traditional systems of medicine.
3. Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission Sandbox, created as a part of the Mission, will act as a framework for technology and product testing that will help organizations, including private players, willing to be a part of National Digital Health Ecosystem become a Health Information Provider or Health Information User or efficiently link with building blocks of AB PM JAY

All-India Quarterly Establishment-based Employment Survey (AQEES) released its report

• The labour and Employment Minister Bhupendra Yadav released its All-India Quarterly Establishment-based Employment Survey (AQEES), Which covers 10,593 Firms having more than 10 employees.
• The Survey was conducted over nine sectors, That accounts for 85% of the total employments in such establishments.
• The report mentioned an increase in employment which stood at 3.08 crore compared with the Sixth economic census(2013-2014) that reported 2.37 crore, which reflects a growth rate of 29%.
• Among the nine key sectors, Manufacturing sector accounted for 41% , followed by Education with 22%, and Health with 8% of the total employments.
• The most impressive growth of 152% has been recorded in the IT/BPO sector, while growth rates in Health is 77%
• , in Education it is 39%, in Manufacturing it is 22 percent, in Transport it is 68 percent and in Construction it is 42 percent.
• Employment in Trade came down by 25 percent and in Accommodation & Restaurant the decline was by 13 percent. Financial services saw a growth rate in employment of 48%.
• The over-all participation of female workers stood at 29 %, slightly lower than 31% reported during 6th Economic comission.

Akash Prime missile successfully

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation DRDO successfully tested the Akash Prime missile from the  Integrated test range at Chandipur, Odisha.
• It is the updated version of Akash missile, equipped with an indigenous active Radio Frequency (RF) to improve accuracy.
• Additionally, improvements have been done to ensure reliable performance under low temperature environment at higher altitudes.

About Akash Missile: It a medium range Surface to Air (SAM) misssile having a range of 30km, and capable of carrying a pay load of 60kg. It uses a ramjet rocket engine capable to attain a speed of 2.5Mach.

Centre gives a nod to defence industrialcoridors in Tamil Nadu  

• Tamil Nadu Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu proposed a plan of building 6 defence industrial corridors in Tamil Nadu with the Union defence minister Rajnath Singh.
• The Union gave its sanction for 5 Defence industrial corridor.

1. Testing Infrastructure for unmanned aircraft systems, Ulundhurpet
2. A mechanical and material testing facility, Tiruchy
3. Electromagnetic interference and electromagnetic compatibility tests,Chennai
4. Communication systems and RF antenna, Chennai
5. Testing Infrastructure for ammunitions,Tiruchi.

• The propsed funding for the corridor may be shared between Centre and State in a ratio of 75:25, under the Defence Testing infrastructure scheme.

GI tag to Naga Sweet Cucumber

• Nagalands Sweet Cucumber was given Geographical identification GI tag as an agricultural product under The geographical Identification of goods(Regidtration and Protection) act, 1999.
• Naga Cucumbers are juicy, soft, sweet and is grown completely organic.
• This is primarily grown as a cash crop along with paddy and however, now the ‘off-season’ cucumbers from different districts of the Nagaland especially from Mokokchung district have gained much popularity within the state and now it has become a trend amongst the farmers in the district.
• Some tribes like Konyak are found to grow cucumber all throughout the year by seed to seed method depending upon the soil type.