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• Government of India (GoI) has launched U-WIN, a platform to digitize India’s Universal Immunization Program (UIP) in a pilot mode in two districts from each
State and Union Territory (UT).
• The GoI initiated this move due to the effectiveness of the Co-WIN platform, and replicated it in establishing this digital registration for routine vaccinations.
• The U-WIN platform is a replica of Co-WIN, which was introduced in January 2021 in 65 districts and has been the “digital backbone” for India’s COVID-19 immunization programme.
• The UIP was first introduced as an ‘Expanded Programme of Immunization’ (EPI) by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW) in 1978.
• It was renamed as ‘Universal Immunization Programme’ (UIP), when it got upgraded beyond the urban regions in 1985. It is fully funded by the GoI.
Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), Ministry of Tourism to collaborate on the promotion of Medical Value Travel (MVT) in Ayurveda and other traditional medical
systems.
• Under this MoU, the Ministry of AYUSH will train ITDC officials on the MVT in Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine.
• The Ministry will identify tourist circuits with immense scope to promote MVT in Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine and will provide ITDC with all technical know-how as needed.
• ITDC, on the suggestion of the AYUSH, will include historical heritage sites of Indian systems of medicine in tourist destinations under “Knowledge Tourism,” and may create films & literature that tourists will find useful.
• It will explore establishing Ayurveda and Yoga centres in ITDC-run hotels and will organise sensitization workshops in collaboration.
• JWG will identify the best practices adopted by Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand etc. to promote themselves as a preferred MVT destination.
• Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYAS) has formed an Oversight Committee headed by Khel Ratna Awardee(Boxing) MC Mary Kom, Chairperson of the Athletes Commission of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), to enquire into the allegations of sexual misconduct, harassment and financial irregularities in the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), levelled by prominent sportspersons.
• Members: Khel Ratna Awardee Yogeshwar Dutt(wrestler), executive council member, IOA , Dhyan Chand awardee Trupti Murgunde(badminton), member Mission Olympic Cell, Radhica Sreeman, Ex-Executive Director, TEAMS, Sports Authority of India(SAI), Crd (Retd) Rajesh Rajagopalan, former-CEO, Target Olympic Podium Scheme..
• The oversight committee will complete the enquiry within 4 weeks and during the course of the enquiry, the Committee will also undertake the day-to-day administration of WFI.
• Of the world’s total 74.9 MH under organic farming, Australia has the highest at 35.7 MH, whereas India has 2.8 MH.
• Out of total 34 lakh organic producers in the world, 16 lakh farmers in India are into certified organic farming.
• It should be noted that the Union Cabinet is yet to approve the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare’s proposal Rs 2,481crore proposal to launch the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF).
• NSFTPL is a special purpose vehicle jointly owned by J M Baxi Ports and Logistics Limited (JMBPL) and CMA Terminals.
• The funds will be used to upgrade existing berths and yards and install additional energy efficient equipment such as electric quay cranes, which shall increase the terminal’s container handling capacity and attract vessels operating on important international shipping lanes.
• Tata Motors has tied up with ICICI Bank to offer financing solutions to its authorized passenger Electric Vehicle (EV) dealers. Under this, the bank will provide inventory funding to the authorized passenger EV dealers in addition to the bank’s funding to dealers for diesel and petrol models.
• This partnership envisages making EVs and their purchase process more accessible and seamless.
• The EV dealers can also avail flexible repayment tenures.
• President of India, Droupadi Murmu, conferred Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar for 2023 to 11 children for their exceptional achievement at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, Delhi.
• The 2023 awardees are from 11 states and Union territories (UTs) include 6 boys and 5 girls.
• Each awardee will receive a certificate, a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh, and a medal.
• The exercise AMPHEX 2023 took place amid growing concerns over China’s increasing military forays into the Indian Ocean, a region considered as the backyard of the Indian Navy.
• The exercise included complex activities in all domains that demonstrated and validated the high level of preparedness and excellent coordination between the tri-services to undertake a full spectrum of amphibious operations.
• Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Naval Group France have signed an agreement that would greatly improve the endurance of the Indian Navy’s Scorpene-class conventional submarines.
• According to the agreement, the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kalvari will soon be equipped with the fuel cell-based Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system of Naval Materials Research Laboratory (NMRL), giving a significant boost to “Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.
• NMRL is an Indian defence laboratory of the DRDO.
• With this agreement, cooperation will be enhanced to include the design process for integrating indigenous AIP into Kalvari-class submarines.
• Kalvari class submarines have been built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• Naval Group France will certify the AIP design for integration into the submarines as part of the agreement.
• Pierre Eric Pommellet is the Chairman and CEO of Naval Group France.
• National Girl Child Day was established in 2008 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD).
• The 1st ever National Girl Child Day was observed on 24th January 2008.
• Various initiatives and campaigns have been implemented to improve the lives of girls, including Save the Girl Child, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, subsided or free education for girls, and so on.
• United Nations (UN)’s International Day of Education (IDE) is annually observed across the globe on January 24 to celebrate the role of education in peace and development.
• 24th January 2023 marks the 5th observation of International Day of Education.
• The theme of International Day of Education 2023 is “to invest in people, prioritize education”.
• The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations agency for education, facilitates the annual observance of the Day in close collaboration with main education actors.