The Daily Brief – 22nd August 2018

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On the occasion of 74th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, Former West Bengal Governor, was conferred with 2018 Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award in New Delhi. He was 22nd Governor of West Bengal serving from 2004 to 2009. As former IAS officer, he had served as Secretary to President of India (1987-1992). He had served as India’s High Commissioner to South Africa and Sri Lanka and also held other important administrative and diplomatic posts. Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award, instituted in 1992 is awarded every year on persons for outstanding contribution towards promotion of communal harmony, national integration and peace.
Union Home Ministry has issued new Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) for cash refilling of automated teller machines (ATMs) after certain time period. It comes in view of rising incidents of attacks on cash vans, cash vaults, ATM frauds and other internal frauds leading to increased sense of insecurity It will come into effect from 8 February 2019. There are over 8,000 privately owned cash vans operating across country, operated by non-bank private agencies, and they handle over Rs. 15,000 crore daily on behalf of banks.
Five northern states Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Union territories of Delhi and Chandigarh have decided to set up centralised secretariat at Panchkula (Haryana) to tackle the drug menace. It was decided at in inter-State regional conference of Chief Ministers organised in Chandigarh by Haryana government on issue of “Drug menace, challenges and strategies”. The conference was was attended by Chief Ministers Manohar Lal Khattar (Haryana), Amarinder Singh (Punjab) and Trivendra Singh Rawat (Uttarakhand).
Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has notified new sets of specified health warnings for all tobacco product packs. In this regard, it has made amendments in Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labeling) Rules, 2008. The amended rules will be applicable from 1st September 2018. Study conducted by National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) had found that about 46% of illiterate men smoke, whereas only 16% of college.
Indian Instituted of Technology (IIT)-Kharagpur has decided to set up Re-Water Research Centre to replenish and rejuvenate water resources. It will be seed-funded by two alumni members – Aneesh Reddy & Aditya Choubey and named after them as Aditya Choubey Centre for Re-Water Research. The purpose of this centre will be to tackle challenge of resolving– sewage disposal and access to clean potable water. IIT-Kharagpur will set up an on-campus plant which will convert 1.35 million litre of sewage water from the hostels to 1.2 million litre of potable water on daily basis.
General Dalbir Singh Suhag (Retired) of Indian Army has been awarded Legion of Merit (Degree of Commander) by United States Government for his exceptionally meritorious service as Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) from August 2014 to December 2016. With this, he becomes second Indian to get this award, first being General Rajendrasinghji Jadeja in 1946. Legion of Merit is awarded in four degrees; Degree of Chief Commander; Degree of Commander; Degree of Officer; and Degree of Legionnaire.
Union Ministry of Women and Child Development has announced to observe September 2018 as the National Nutrition Month to mark the country’s fight against malnutrition. The month-long intensive campaign will be undertaken with an aim of reaching every household with message of nutrition — ‘har ghar poshan tyohar’ (every house a celebration of nutrition). National Nutrition Month will promote antenatal care, breastfeeding, fight anemia, convey messages about importance of nutrition for girls and right age of marriage, deliver messages about importance of growth monitoring and also promote hygiene and sanitation. According to National Family Health Survey-4 (NFHS-4), 38% of India’s children aged less than 5 years are stunted (less height for their age), 21% are wasted (less weight for their height) and 35.7% are underweight.
Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Massachusetts General Hospital in the United States have developed a wireless ‘in-body GPS’ system that can track tumours and pinpoint the location of ingestible implants inside the body. In tests conducted on animals, the system called ‘ReMix’ was found to be able to easily track the implants with centimetre-level accuracy. Similar implants could be used to deliver drugs to specific regions in the body. According to the researchers, ReMix can be potentially used in proton therapy, a type of cancer treatment that involves attacking tumours with beams of magnet-controlled protons.
Saurabh Choudhary and Abhishek Verma
Asian Games 2018:
The 16-year-old Indian shooter, Saurabh Choudhary won gold in 10m Air Pistol event with Asiad record, while Abhishek Verma bagged bronze. India’s Sanjeev Rajput, on the other hand, claimed the silver by finishing second in the finals of the 50m rifle 3 positions men’s event. With this India’s medal account reached the total medal tally to 8, comprising 3 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals.