Indian Railways Bag the Highest Ever 11 National Energy Conservation Awards for the Year 2012

Indian Railways Bag the Highest Ever 11 National Energy
Conservation Awards for the Year 2012

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, presented the 11
National Energy Conservation Awards – 2012 to Indian Railways, the
highest ever by any Indian industry, for the remarkable achievements by its
Zonal Railways in Energy Conservation initiatives during the year 2012, at a
function here today. In order to intensify the energy conservation
initiatives, Ministry of Power has instituted “National Energy Conservation
Award” which is given on National Energy Conservation Day on December
14 every year. These awards are given to 11 major category (like Railways,
hospitals, office buildings, industry, power plant etc.) covering 35 different
subsectors of large and medium scale industries mainly on the basis of
improvement in specific energy and energy conservation initiatives.
Chairman, Railway Board, Shri Vinay Mittal, Member Electrical, Shri Kul
Bhushan and other Railway officials were present among others on the
occasion.

India's officially submitted stand on ITR's at WCIT 2012 dubai

India has officially
submitted the
following stand on
ITRs at WCIT-2012:
“India supports the
proposed ITRs and the
Resolutions 1,2,4 and
5. We support the
broad thrust of
Resolution Plen/3
regarding an enabling
environment for the
greater growth of the
Internet, particularly
its recognition of the
multi-stakeholder
nature of the Internet
and its wider social
and economic impact
within and across
countries around the
world.
India considers that
this resolution should
reflect the current
and emerging global
realities and the
dynamics of the
Internet. We need to
consider the wider
ramifications of this
Resolution before
taking a decision on
signing of the ITRs.
We would therefore
like to undertake
necessary
consultations at home
before announcing
our final decision.”

Insurance coverage to BPL Aadhar Card Holde aam aadmi bima yojna and janashree bima yozna

Insurance Coverage
to BPL Aadhar Card
Holder
However, the
Government of India
is implementing two
Social Security
Insurance Schemes
for the benefit of
weaker and
vulnerable sections of
the society, through
the Life Insurance
Corporation of India
(LIC). These are Aam
Admi Bima Yojana
(AABY) and Janashree
Bima Yojana (JBY).
Both Schemes provide
insurance cover for a
sum of Rs30,000/- on
natural death,
Rs37,500/- on partial
permanent disability
due to accident and
Rs75,000/- on death
or total permanent
disability due to
accident. Central
Government
contributes 50%
premium as subsidy.

Prime Minister Swasthya Surakshayojana....setting up of 6 AIIMS

Prime Minister
Swasthya
Surakshayojana
Prime Minister
Swasthya Suraksha
Yojana (PMSSY) for
setting up of six All
India Institute of
Medical Sciences
(AIIMS) and
upgrading 19 medical
colleges has been
launched by the
Government of India
with the objective of
correcting regional
imbalances in the
availability of
affordable/reliable
tertiary healthcare
services and also
augmenting facilities
for quality medical
education in the
country.
Under PMSSY, in each
of the AIIMS a
nursing college is
being set up. There is
no proposal to set up
AYUSH college/
institute in the AIIMS
under PMSSY.
Paramedical institutes
are being taken up at
AIIMS, Patna and
AIIMS Bhopal. Under
the upgradation
scheme of PMSSY no
college/institute post
are created.
In each of the AIIMS
under PMSSY 42
specialities are being
taken up. Under each
speciality posts at
different levels such
as Professor,
Additional Professor,
Associate Professor,
Assistant Professor
etc. have been
envisaged.

HEALTH USE OF COCONUT

Use of Coconut
Coconut has
been traditionally
used in Ayurveda,
Unani and Siddha
systems of medicine
as detailed below:-
(i) Ayurveda -
Coconut has
been used as
medicine in
Ayurveda in
disease
conditions
such as
Burning, Pain,
excess thirst,
dehydration,
bleeding
disorders, Acid
Peptic etc.
(ii) Unani - Use of
coconut is
recommended
in diseases
such as
Alopecia, Hair
loss,
Premature
Greying of
Hair,
Bronchitis,
Dandruff,
Excessive
Thirst, Fevers,
General
Debility.
Coconut Fruit
pulp is used as
appetizer,
astringent,
cooling,
diuretic,
laxative,
nourishing
and tonic.
Coconut oil is
used as hair
tonic,
appetizer,
digestive,
disinfectant,
insecticidal
and nutritive.
(iii) Siddha -
Tender
coconut, leaf,
Tender leaf,
Infloresesence,
Root, coconut
Shell, Nut and
Milk are used
in Siddha for
diseases such
as Psoriasis
and eczema
etc.
Central
Council for Research
in Siddha has
indicated that Clinical
research trials on
coconut/coconut oil
have been conducted
in Siddha system.
Coconut oil is used in
preparation of 777 oil
and Karappan oil
which are beneficial
in treatment of skin
disorders such as
Psoriasis and eczema
respectively.
Further, in a
recent study carried
out by National
Institute of Nutrition
of Indian Council of
Medical Research, no
adverse effects were
observed due to
consumption of
coconut oil at
moderate levels.
There was an
increasing trend in
plasma HDL –
cholesterol (good
cholesterol) levels,
due to consumption
of coconut oil as
against groundnut oil
consumption in over
weight subjects.

Research going in vector borne disease by ICMR

Research on Vector-Borne
Diseases
Indian Council of
Medical Research (ICMR)
supports research on vector
borne diseases (VBDs) through
its extramural and intramural
programmes. The various
Institutes of ICMR which have
been involved in research on
vector borne diseases are
National Institute of Malaria
Research (NIMR), Delhi, Vector
Control Research Centre (VCRC),
Puducherry, Rajendra Memorial
Research Institute (RMRI),
Patna, Centre for Research in
Madical Entomology (CRME),
Madurai, Regional Medical
Research Centres (RMRC) at
Bhubaneshwar, Dibrugarh,
Jabalpur, Portblair and Jodhpur
and Nationl Institute of
Virology (NIV), Pune which has
been designated as the WHO
Collaborating Centre for
Arbovirus and Haemorrhagic
Fever Reference and Research
and Rapid Diagnosis of Viral
Diseases.
There is no separate
Budget earmarked for research
projects relating to
development of vaccines and
affordable drugs for control of
vector borne diseases.
Some of the vaccines and drugs
trials that have been conducted
by ICMR have benefited the
common masses. These
include, inter-alia the
following:
1. Development of an
inactivated tissue
culture vaccine against
Indian strain of
Japanese encephalitis
virus.
2. Introduction of
Artemisinin Based
Combination Therapy
(ACTs) in National Drug
Policy for Malaria.
3. Evaluation of
treatment practices to
know the extent of
irrational use of anti-
malarials which lead to
phasing out of
artemisininmonotherapy
from the country.
4. Clinical trials to assess
the safety and efficacy
of anti Kala-azar drugs.
5. Assessment of
operational feasibility
and impact of co-
administration of DEC
and albendazole and for
DEC alone (2000-2001).
(d) & (e) : No. ICMR has
formulated a Vector Science
Forum to support research on
VBDs with the aim to provide a
platform where vector
biologists, entomologists,
programme people,
researchers/institutes working
on vectors/vector-borne
diseases can interact and share
information on public health
priorities on vector research.
The Forum identifies gap areas
and prioritizes and needs in
vector research of the
programme/policies for the
control of vector-borne diseases
in the country and identifies the
thrust areas to address the
challenges.

Introduction of plastic Currency

Ministry of Finance
Introduction of
Plastic Currency; one
billion pieces of Rs.
10 Banknotes on
Polymer Substrate to
be introduced on A
field Trial basis in
five Cities
With a view to
elongating the life of
banknotes,
particularly in lower
denominations, the
Reserve Bank of India
(RBI), in consultation
with the Government
of India has been
considering various
options including
printing of banknotes
on polymer substrate.
A decision had
accordingly been
taken to introduce
one billion pieces of
Rs. 10 banknotes on
polymer substrate on
a field trial basis in
five cities. The
primary objective of
introduction of
polymer/plastic notes
is to increase its life
and not to combat
counterfeiting.
The polymer
banknotes are made
from a non-fibrous
and non-porous
polymer. The Indian
Banknote paper is
made from long fibres
obtained from cotton
comber and linter.
There is thus no
direct relation
between paper based
currency and cutting
of trees.
The RBI has informed
that the Energy and
Resources Institute
was commissioned by
them to estimate the
environmental
impacts and carbon
footprints of plastic
currency vis-a-viz
paper currency. Their
study has found that
polymer notes would
be more environment
friendly than paper
based currency.