New Scheme for Life Saving Drugs

The Pharmaceutical Policy as amended from time to time also envisages making available quality medicines at affordable price to the masses. For fulfilment of this goal, a Campaign in the name of ‘Jan Aushadhi’ has been launched in 2008. The aim of this campaign is to make available quality medicines at affordable prices for all, especially the poor and the disadvantaged. Under this campaign, less priced quality unbranded generic medicines will be made available through Jan Aushadhi stores which inherently are less priced but are of same and equivalent quality, efficacy and safety as compared to branded generic medicines. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has informed that they have taken the initiative for Free Supply of Essential Medicines in Public Health Facilities in the country. Some of the salient features of this scheme is as under:

• Government proposes to start an Initiative for Free Supply of Essential Medicines in Public Health Facilities in the country aiming to provide affordable health care to the people by reducing out of pocket expenses of medicines.

• The initiative aims to increase share of public health in health care from a current level of 25-30% to around 50%.

• This initiative will promote rational use of medicines and reduce the consumption of inessential, unscientific and hazardous medicines.

• The initiative is based on the Tamil Nadu model where free medicines procured in bulk by the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC), in generic name, directly from the manufacturers is supplied through an IT enabled supply chain management system to the public.

• An MoU would be signed with the States which will involve the following:-

o State would be encouraged to set up TNMSC like institutions or use any existing institution with sufficient autonomy for bulk procurement of essential drugs in generic names directly from the manufacturers in generic names. Strict instructions shall be issued to Medical Officers in Public Health facilities to prescribe generic medicines.

o The drugs would be supplied by the district ware houses through an IT enabled supply chain management system.

o States will involve Rogi Kalyan Samitis to ensure that free supply of medicines in public health facilities is properly and effectively implemented.

Installation of American Nuclear Reactor in India

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and a confidentiality agreement between Westinghouse Electric Company (WEC), USA and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) was initially signed in 2009. An amendment to extend the term of the earlier signed MoU till May, 2014 was signed on June 12, 2012. The amendment also includes a clause ot sign an Early Works Agreement.

The review of safety provisions in design of AP – 1000 systems to withstand extreme natural events like earthquakes and Tsunamis, post Fukushima incident, has been carried out in the vendor country. Westinghouse Electric Company has made a presentation on the same to the Indian side. The Design Certification of the AP – 1000 reactor was issued by United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) in December 2011, after the Fukushima accident.

Implementation of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Yojana

The Minister of Panchayati Raj Shri V. Kishore Chandra Deo has said that the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Yojana (RGSY), implemented in districts not covered by the Scheme of Backward Regions Grants Fund (BRGF), focuses primarily on providing financial assistance to the States / UTs for Training & Capacity Building of elected representatives (ERs) and functionaries of Panchayats so that they can perform the functions devolved upon them and the schemes entrusted to them effectively.  Replying to a question in Rajya Sabha today, he said that assistance is also provided for Satellite based training infrastructure for Distance Learning for the ERs and Functionaries of the Panchayats and, in respect of the Hill States and States in the North Eastern Region, for capital expenditure on establishment of Panchayat Resource Centers / Training Institutes at Divisional / District level. There is a small component of Infrastructure Development under which assistance is provided to States / UTs for construction of Panchayat Ghars at Gram Panchayat level. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has already proposed higher allocations for capacity building during Twelfth Five Year Plan.

Interlinking of Rivers

The Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) (erstwhile Ministry of Irrigation) had formulated a National Perspective Plan (NPP) for Water Resources Development as early as 1980 envisaging inter-basin transfer of water from surplus basins to deficit basins/areas which comprises  two components, namely, Himalayan Rivers Development Component and Peninsular Rivers Development Component. The National Water Development Agency (NWDA) was set up under the Ministry of Irrigation in 1982 for carrying out various technical studies to establish the feasibility of the proposals of NPP and to give concrete shape to it. NWDA has already identified 14 links under Himalayan Component and 16 links under Peninsular Rivers Component.  Out of these, Feasibility Reports of 14 links under Peninsular Component and 2 links under Himalayan Component (Indian portion) has been prepared. The  present status of links identified for preparation of Feasibility Reports is given below:-

Peninsular  Rivers Development Component

1.         Mahanadi (Manibhadra) - Godavari (Dowlaiswaram) link    - FR completed

2.         Godavari (Polavaram) - Krishna (Vijayawada) link *       -FR completed     (Taken         by  the  state as per   their own proposal)

3.         Godavari (Inchampalli) - Krishna ( Pulichintala)link                 - FR completed

4.         Godavari (Inchampalli ) - Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) link         - FR completed

5.         Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) - Pennar (Somasila ) link                - FR completed

6.         Krishna (Srisailam) - Pennar  link                                                            - FR completed

7.         Krishna (Almatti) - Pennar link                                                      - FR completed

8.         Pennar (Somasila) - Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link                     - FR completed

9.         Cauvery (Kattalai) – Vaigai – Gundar link                                   - FR completed

10.       Parbati – Kalisindh – Chambal link*                                            - FR completed

11.       Damanganga – Pinjal  link*                                               - FR com­pleted & DPR started

12.       Par – Tapi – Narmada link*                                             - FR completed & DPR started

13.       Ken – Betwa link*                                                                                     - DPR (Phase-I) Completed                                                                                                            

14.       Pamba – Achankovil – Vaippar link                                             - FR completed.

15.       Netravati - Hemavati Link                                                               - PFR completed

16.       Bedti - Varda link                                                                             - FR work taken up

Himalayan  Rivers Development Component

1.        Kosi-Mechi link                                                                    - Entirely lies in Nepal

2.        Kosi-Ghaghra link                                                               - S&I works taken up

3.        Gandak-Ganga link                                                             - S&I works completed

4.        Ghaghra-Yamuna link                                                        - FR completed (for

                                                                                                              Indian portion)

5.        Sarda-Yamuna link                                                             - FR completed (for

                                                                                                              Indian portion)

6.        Yamuna-Rajasthan link                                                     - S&I works completed

7.        Rajasthan-Sabarmati link                                                   - S&I works completed

8.        Chunar(at Ganga)-Sone Barrage link                             - S&I works completed

 9.        Sone Dam - Southern Tributaries of Ganga link                       - S&I works taken up

10.      Manas-Sankosh-Tista-Ganga (M-S-T-G) link                 - S&I works taken up

11.      Jogighopa(at Brahmaputra)-Tista-Ganga at Farakka

         (Alternate to M-S-T-G) link                                                    - S&I works taken up

12.            Ganga (Farakka)-Sunderbans link                                   - S&I works completed

13.            Ganga-Damodar-Subernarekha link                               - S&I works completed

14.      Subernarekha-Mahanadi link                                           - S&I works completed

   

*    Priority links

PFR- Pre-Feasibility Report; FR- Feasibility Report; DPR- Detailed Project Report

S&I - Survey & Investigation in Indian portion

The Implementation of Inter Linking   of   Rivers   (ILR)  involves various steps such as  preparation  of   FRs   of  links, negotiation and consensus among concerned States, agreement with neighbouring countries if link involve area lying in other countries, preparation of DPRs of the projects and structures identified for the link, clearance from appraisal agencies which include clearance by Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF), clearance by Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), techno-economic clearance by Technical Advisory Committee of MoWR, investment clearance by Planning Commission and funding of the project

The  initial cost of the Inter Linking projects as per PFR/FR was 5.60 Lakh crore at 2002 Price Level.

      Costs of individual project have not yet been finalized. The present cost including the cost of land required to be acquired for the project can be estimated only after the completion of DPR of the projects.

   The State Government of Bihar  has submitted six Intra state link proposals

1.         Kosi – Mechi [entirely lie in India] 2.         Barh – Nawada   3.  Kohra – Chandravat (now Kohra-Lalbegi)  4.    Burhi Gandak – None – Baya – Ganga  5.         Burhi Gandak – Bagmati [Belwadhar] 6.            Kosi – Ganga

         The PFRs of all six links have been completed and sent to State Government of Bihar. On the request of Bihar Government the preparation of DPR of two links i.e. 1. Kosi – Mechi, 2. Burhi Gandak – None – Baya – Ganga is under preparation.

          As desired by Govt. of Bihar, NWDA has completed the Preliminary Project Report (PPR) of Burhi Gandak-None-Baya –Ganga link and sent the same to Govt. of Bihar and CWC on 31.05.2012.

         Preparation of Preliminary Project Report (PPR) of Kosi – Mechi link is under progress.

         Further 3 additional proposals ,viz. i) Development of Bagmati Irrigation & Drainage Project – Phase-II (Barrage near Kataunjha in Muzaffarpur District) and Adhwara Multipurpose Project with Kosi-Adhwara-Bagmati link, ii) Transfer of Ganga water to South Bihar through Pump Canal Scheme at Buxer & iii) Development of Badua-Chandan Basin, from Bihar have also been received. These are being examined for their suitability for further studies.

         The State Government of  Rajasthan has submitted two Intra state link proposals i.e. 1. Mahi – Luni link 2. Wakal – Sabarmati – Sei – West Banas – Kameri link.

         PFR of Intra-State link of Rajasthan viz. Wakal – Sabarmati – Sei – West Banas – Kameri link have been prepared and sent to Govt. of Rajasthan. The PFR of Mahi-Luni is in progress.        

            The report on interlinking of rivers was submitted by National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) in April, 2008.  The conclusions/recommendations given by NCAER in its report mention various benefits of Interlinking of river programme such as additional benefits of Irrigation & Power, increase in growth rate of agriculture, growth of direct & indirect employment, improvement in the quality of life of people in rural areas and mitigation of floods & drought. The recommendations also include certain action points like setting up National Commission for Basin Management, improving cost recovery from irrigation projects & formation of Water Users Association. At present, no interlinking project under National Perspective Plan is under implementation.  Therefore, the stage has not come for taking decision on the action points suggested in the report.

Implementation of Water Policy

National Water Policy is finalised and adopted by National Water Resources Council. Several States have formulated their State Water Policies, by and large as per the provisions of National Water Policy. The States implement these policies as per their requirement and priorities.

The third Minor Irrigation Census has counted 5.56 lakh tanks and storages in India. The storage capacity of these tanks and storages was not surveyed.

The average annual water availability for the country has been assessed as 1869 billion cubic meters (BCM). Due to topographic, hydrological and other constraints, the utilizable water has been estimated to be about 1123 BCM comprising 690 BCM of surface water and 433 BCM of replenishable ground water. The National Commission for Integrated Water Resources Development (NCIWRD), in its report in 1999, had assessed that the annual water requirement by the year 2025 and 2050 will be about 843 BCM and 1180 BCM respectively.

APPSC CIVIL ASSISTANT SURGEONS IN A.P. INSURANCE MEDICAL SERVICE EXAM GENERAL STUDIES SOLVED PAPER

APPSC & OTHER EXAMS 2012 CURRENT AFFAIRS PREVIOUS QUESTIONS

TOP-50 LATEST CURRENT AFFAIRS MCQs FOR ALL APPSC EXAMS

1.  The limit of overseas investment in government bonds/securities has been raised
     from $15 billion to _________.
     a) $20 billion
     b) $25 billion
     c) $30 billion
     d) $35 billion
     e) None of the above

2.  According to “World Investment Report 2012″, the total FDI inflow in India in 2011 stood at              ________.
     a) $67 billion
     b) $87 billion
     c) $52 billion
     d) $78 billion
     e) None of the above

3.  According to The Global Competitiveness Report 2011-2012, India ranks at ____.
     a) 42nd
     b) 36th
     c) 56th
     d) 53rd
     e) 62nd

4.  Which country tops the overall rankings in The Global Competitiveness Report 2011-2012?
     a) Sweden
     b) Singapore
     c) Netherland
     d) Switzerland
     e) None of the above

5. The World Bank Group have entered into an agreement with which among the following industrial bodies to establish the India Wildlife Business Council (IWBC)
     to promote tiger and biodiversity conservation for sustainable development?
     a) Industrial Development Bank of India
     b) Indian Industries Association
     c) Confederation of Indian Industry
     d) The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India
     e) None of the above

APPSC PREVIOUS EXAMS 2012 DISASTER MANAGEMENT QUESTION & ANSWERS

MPSC Sales Tax Inspector Preliminery Exam 2012 Solved Paper

Saina wins bronze after Wang retires hurt

Saina Nehwal on August 04 created history by becoming the first Indian to win an Olympic Games bronze medal in badminton, though under fortuitous circumstances, as her world number two Chinese opponent retired from the play-off because of a knee injury.

The 22-year-old Saina was trailing 18-21, 0-1 in the high-voltage bronze medal play-off match when her second seeded opponent Xin Wang retired hurt, giving India an unexpected medal without having to sweat much.

Saina also became the second Indian woman to win an Olympic medal, after Karnam Malleswari’s weightlifting bronze in 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Vijay Kumar wins Silver medal men's 25m Rapid Fire Pistol event

Army sharp shooter Vijay Kumar on August 03  fought a nerve-wracking battle with five other top marksmen to clinch the silver medal in the men's 25m Rapid Fire Pistol event at the Olympic Games in London.

Kumar beat back the challenge of world champion Alexei Klimov of Russia, Chinese duo of Ding Feng and Zhang Jian and German Christian Reitz in the 40-shot final to finish runner-up in a thrilling finale behind Cuba's Leuris Pupo who shot his way to the gold with a world record equalling score of 34.

The 26-year-old army subedar from Himachal Pradesh found the target 30 times out of 40 attempts in the series comprising eight rounds of five shots each.

This is India's second medal in the ongoing quadrennial extravaganza after fellow marksman Gagan Narang's bronze in the 10m Air Rifle event on July 30. This was also the country's fourth medal in shooting in Olympic history.

The other medal winners are Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (silver in 2004 Athens) , Abhinav Bindra (gold in 2008 Beijing) besides Narang.

APPSC MANAGER (ENGINEERING) IN HYDERABAD METROPOLITAN WATER SUPPLY AND SEWERAGE BOARDS EXAM GENERAL STUDIES KEY (EXAM HELD ON: 29-07-2012)

India is the Second-Largest Mobile Phone user in World

India is the second-largest mobile phone user with over 900 million users in the world. It accounted for over 10% of the world’s online population in 2011. This was stated by Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare in Londonon August 02.
Addressing the seminar on “The Role of Health Informatics - How Health is making difference to ordinary people in India” at Healthcare & Life Sciences Global Business Summit, Shri Azad said that mobile telecommunications have seen tremendous growth in India. This growth has been inclusive with benefits accruing to the poorest households in the remotest regions of the country. In 2011 alone, 142 million mobile-cellular subscriptions were added in India, twice as many as in the whole of Africa, and more than in the Arab States, CIS and Europe put together. The mobile tariffs in India have become among the lowest in the world. A new mobile connection can be activated with a monthly commitment of 15 cents only. 
Recognizing the potential to reach out to people, especially those living in remote areas and adolescents he said that Government of India has recently taken steps to integrate and enhance existing Health related - IT enabled Systems. A name, address and telephone based Mother and Child Tracking System (MCTS) is a new initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and is one of the excellent examples of leveraging Information Technology for ensuring delivery of full spectrum of healthcare and immunization services to pregnant women and children up to 5 years of age. This system is aimed at generating a data bank to validate delivery of services, ensuring ante-natal, intra-natal and post-natal checkups, nursing universal immunization, ensuring quality service delivery, micro planning. These initiatives will have a positive impact on important health indicators like Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR).  

First India - Sri Lanka CEOs Forum Meeting to be held in Colombo on August 4

The first meeting of the India-Sri Lanka CEOs Forum, constituted by the Honourable Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh and the Honourable President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa, will take place on August 4, 2012 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Forum, which has been set up to develop a roadmap for increased cooperation and mutually beneficial economic partnership between the two countries, will deliberate ways and means to enhance trade and investments between the two nations. The Indian Prime Minister has appointed Mr. Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman & Managing Director, Bharti Airtel Ltd. to be the Co-Chair from the Indian side while Mr. Kulathunga Rajpaksa, Executive Director, Samson International Ltd has been appointed to Co-Chair from Sri Lanka.
The bilateral trade between India and Sri Lanka trade was USD 4 billion in 2010-11 and has the potential to double to USD 8 billion within the next three years. It is worth noting that Sri Lanka is India’s largest trade partner in South Asia while India, in turn, is Sri Lanka’s largest trade partner globally. The trade between the two countries grew rapidly particularly after the India-Sri Lanka FTA came into force in March 2000. Between 2000-2008, the bilateral trade multiplied nearly five-fold.