Introduction of New Drug Policy

The government has notified the NationalPharmaceutical Pricing Policy, 2012 (NPPP-2012) where it has also been proposed to regulate and control the prices of National List of Essential Medicines- 2011.

The salient features of National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy, 2012 (NPPP- 2012) are as under:

• The regulation of prices of drugs is on the basis of essentiality of drugs as under National List of Essential Medicines– 2011.

• The regulation ofprices of drugs is on the basis of regulating the prices of formulations only.

• The regulation of prices of drugs is on the basis of fixing the ceiling price of formulations through Market Based Pricing
(MBP).

The provisions under National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Policy- 2012 (NPPP- 2012), are to put in place a regulatory framework for pricing of essential drugs as per the strength and dosages as specified in National List of
Essential Medicines- 2011 which satisfy the priority healthcare needs to majority of the population.

Gender Budgeting

The Government has adopted Gender Budgeting based on the recommendations of the Expert Group on classification system of Government transactions constituted by the Ministry of Finance under the Chairmanship of the Chief Economic Advisor to
Government of India.

December, 2004 to establish a ‘Gender Budgeting Cell (GBC)’. The GBCs have been formed with the objective of influencing and effecting a change in the Ministry’s policies, programmes in a way that could tackle gender imbalances, promote gender equality and development. On 8th March 2007, the Ministry of Finance also issued a Charter for Gender Budget Cells (GBCs) outlining the composition of GBCs and their functions.

The following steps are being taken by the Government in the sphere of Gender Budgeting:

i. Since 2005, the Ministry of Womenand Child Development (MWCD) along with the Ministry of Finance has been pursuing with various Ministries/Departments for setting up of GBC As per information available, so far 56 Central Ministries/Departments set up GBCs.

ii. As part of the Union Budget, every year, since 2005-06, a Gender Budget Statement 20 is prepared by the Ministry of Finance, which reflects 30% and above allocations made for women by different Ministries / Departments. In
2012-13, an allocation of `88,142.80 crores in relation to 29Ministries/ Departments wasreported in the GB Statement.

iii. Further in order to strengthen the process of gender budgeting, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has been undertaking various capacity building measures for officials of Central, State Governments and various stakeholders. A Gender Budgeting Plan Scheme was launched during 2007-08 to this effect. The Ministry has also developed a Gender
Budgeting Handbook for Government of India Ministries &Departments and a Gender Budgeting Manual for Trainers. The Ministry has also undertaken one-to-one sessions with several departments to promote Gender
Budgeting.

Integrated Child Protection Scheme

The Government, in the Ministry of Women and Child Development,
has introduced in 2009-10, the Integrated Child Protection Scheme
(ICPS) for implementation throughout the country with the objective
of creating a protective environment for children, especially those in
difficult circumstances. The Scheme requires signing of Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU) with States/UTs before implementation. All
States and Union Territories, except Jammu & Kashmir, have signed
the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central
Government for implementation of the Scheme. ICPS has not been
introduced in the State of Jammu & Kashmir as the State Government
has to amend its Juvenile Justice Act to bring it in line with the
provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children)
Act, 2000 enacted by the Central Government. The Ministry of
Women and Child Development has taken up the matter with the State
Government of Jammu & Kashmir to amend its JJ Act expeditiously.

NCL Among 50 Most Caring Companies

Northern Coalfields Ltd, a Mini Ratna company and subsidiary of Maha Ratna Company Coal India Ltd, has bagged the award of “50 Most Caring Companies of India” in the World Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) congress 2013 held in
Mumbai on February 18, 2013 on world’s CSR Day.

NCL’s Director (Personnel) Ms Shanti Lata Sahoo received the award on behalf of the company consisting of a trophy and a citation. The award was conferred on NCL for its good corporate citizenship and company’s endeavors to promote partnership between the Business and Social Welfare Sectors.

The World CSR Congress brings over 130 countries under one roof to unite the best and celebrate leadership in building
a better society and making better world.

The theme of Congress was “Possible to Do Well by Doing Good”.

Government Schemes to Fight Malnutrition

The Government has accorded high priority to the issue of malnutrition especially among children and women including young girls and is implementing several schemes/programmes through schemes/programmes

Development Services (ICDS),
National Rural Health Mission (NRHM),
Mid-Day Meal Scheme,
Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls (RGSEAG) namely SABLA,
Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana IGMSY

Indirect targeted as follows-

Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS),
National Horticulture Mission,
National Food Security Mission,
Mahatma Gandhi National Rular Employement Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS),
Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan,
National Rural Drinking Water Programme etc.

schemes have potential to address one or other aspect of Nutrition.

The main schemes/programmes of Ministry of Women and Child Development which have a bearing on the nutritional status includes the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme which provides a package of six services namely supplementary nutrition, pre-school education, nutrition & health education, immunization, health check-up and referrl
universalised with effect from 2008-09.

sanctioned Projects are 7076 and Anganwadi

(including Mini AWCs and Anganwadi on demand) are 13.71 lakhs. Against this there are 7025 operational projects and 13.31 lakh operational AWCs as on January 2013. The services are currently availed by 927.65 lakh beneficiaries which include 746.81 lakh children (6 months to 6 years) and 180.84 lakh pregnant and lactating mothers.

Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls (RGSEAG), or Sabla provides a package of services including health and nutrition to adolescent girls in the age 11- 18 years (with a focus on out-of-school adolescent girls) in 205 districts on a pilot basis. The scheme has two major components i.e. Nutrition and Non Nutrition Component. The beneficiaries in 2011-12 were 100.77 lakhs and during 2012-13 are 88.49 lakhs so far.

Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY), introduced in 2010, is a Conditional Cash Transfer scheme for pregnant and lactating (P&L) women to contribute to better enabling environment by providing cash incentives

health and nutrition to pregnant and nursing mothers.

scheme is being implemented initially on pilot basis in 53 selected districts. The beneficiaries in 2011-12 were 3.05 lakhs and during 2012-13 are 3.76 lakhs so far.

Department

by

scheme

Meal

day

Mid

The

Education and Literacy has a provision for providing hot cooked mid day meal to children studying in class I to VIII in Government, Government aided, local body schools as well as children studying in the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) schools, Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS), Alternative and

and

centres

(AIE)

Education

Innovative

Maqtabs supported under SSA etc. It is a world’s largest school feeding programme and covers more than 11 crore children in 12.63 lakh institutions in the country.

The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and under its umbrella, the Reproductive and Child Health Programme, seeks to improve the availability of and access to quality health care including Maternal and Child Health services particularly to rural population throughout the country. Some of the key steps undertaken through this programme

Promotion of institutional deliveries through Janani Suraksha Yojana ; Capacity building of health care providers in basic

Name Based Tracking of

and comprehensive obstetric care;

Pregnant Women; Antenatal, Intranatal and Postnatal care including Iron and Folic Acid supplementation to pregnant & lactating women for prevention and treatment of anaemia; Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK) ( launched on 1 st June, 2011) which entitles all pregnant women delivering in public health institutions to absolutely free and no expense delivery including Caesarean section ; Village Health and Nutrition Days in rural areas as an outreach activity, for provision of maternal and child health

Operationalisation of sub-centers, Primary Health Centers, Community Health Centres and District

providing 24x7 basic and comprehensive

services. So far, 8.8 lakh Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHAs) have been engaged to interface with the community, more than 5 lakh village health Sanitation and Nutrition Committees (VHSNCs) have been established,

medical units have been provided in 459 districts for delivery of health care.

Recently Government has approved the strengthening and restructuring of ICDS with special focus on pregnant and lactating mothers and children under three. The restructured and strengthened ICDS will be rolled out in three phases with focus on the 200 high burden districts for malnutrition during 2012-13 and additional 200 districts in 2013-14

districts from the special category States and NER and the remaining districts in 2014-15.

Additionally, Government has launched an Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Campaign

malnutrition for generating awareness on key nutrition issues with the pro-bono services of Shri Aamir Khan.

Restructured and Strengthened ICDS

In order to address various programmatic, management and institutional gaps and to meet administrative

operational challenges that had crept the ICDS over the years, Government approved the proposal for Strengthening and Restructuring of ICDS Scheme with an

allocation of Rs. 1,23,580 crore during 12th Five Year Plan. The Administrative Approvals in this regard have since been issued to the States/UTs.

The key features of Strengthened and Restructured ICDS inter-alia include addressing the gaps and challenges with

(a) special focus on children under 3 years and pregnant and lactating mothers;

(b) strengthening and repackaging of services including , care and nutrition counseling services and care of severely underweight children;

(c) a provision for an additional Anganwadi Worker cum Nutrition Counselor for focus on children under 3 years of age and to improve the family contact, care

counseling for P&L Mothers in the selected 200 high-burden districts across the country, besides having provision of link worker, 5% Anganwadi cum crèche centre;

(d) focus on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE);

(e) forging strong institutional and

convergence particularly, at the district, block and village levels;

(f) introduction of Annual Programme Implementation Plan (APIP);

(g) improving Supplementary Nutrition including cost revision; and  construction for  provision

(h) buildings of Anganwadi centres; resources  financial adequate  allocating

(i) components including Monitoring and Information System (MIS) Training and use of Information and communication technology (ICT);

(j) to put ICDS in a mission mode etc., and

(k) revision of some financial norms etc.

Upsc mains 2012 result out civil Services Examination (lAS)

UPSC announced the result of Civil Services (IAS) exam written
(Mains) results today on 22nd February 2013. About 2674 candidates
qualified for the interview which is about 2.5 times the total vacancies
this year, listed as 1037 in the 2012 notification. Personality Test
(Interview) will commence from 4th March 2013. As the number of
vacancies is quite large, candidates have reason to be hopeful. All the
best.

Link for result pdf