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  • Current Affairs 21st September 2017

    Updated : 21-Sep-2017

    Current Affairs 21st September 2017  - Important Points

    • The world is running out of antibiotics, stated by - WHO Report
    • Commemorative Coin on MS Subbulakshmi released by - Vice President
    • Revamped Khelo India Program approved by - Union Cabinet
    • Union Cabinet approves introduction of the Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2017 on - 20th September 2017
    • Five rounds of Quiz, ‘Prakriti Khoj’, across the Country to be conducted by - Environment Ministry
    • Merger of 17 Government Presses into 5 units approved by - Union Cabinet
    • International Day of Peace 2017 observed across the world on - 21st September 2017
    • Additional investment towards supplementary nutrition for Anganwadi children approved by - Cabinet

    Current Affairs 21st September 2017 - Details

    The world is running out of antibiotics, stated by - WHO Report

    The World Health Organisation has released a report titled 'Antibacterial agents in clinical development – an analysis of the antibacterial clinical development pipeline, including tuberculosis' on 20th September 2017. The report has shown a serious lack of new antibiotics which are under development to combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.

    Highlights of the Report

    • Most of the drugs currently in the clinical pipeline are modifications of the existing classes of antibiotics and hence are only short-term solutions.
    • There are very few potential treatment options for the antibiotic-resistant infections which are posing the greatest threat to health, including drug-resistant Tuberculosis which kills around 250 thousand people every year.
    • It has identified 12 classes of priority pathogens. Some of them cause common infections like pneumonia or UTI (urinary tract infections) that are resistant to existing antibiotics.
    • This WHO report has recently identified 51 new biological and clinical antibiotics that are capable to treat antibiotic-resistant pathogens, tuberculosis and diarrhoeal infection Clostridium difficile.
    • Among all of these medicines, only 8 are classed by WHO as innovative treatments that will be adding value to the current antibiotic treatment arsenal. 
    • There are also very less oral antibiotics under development and which are crucial formulations to treat infections outside hospitals.
    • New treatments alone won't be sufficient to combat the threat of antimicrobial resistance.
    • WHO is developing guidance for the responsible use of antibiotics in human beings, animals and agricultural sectors.

    Commemorative Coin on MS Subbulakshmi released by - Vice President

    Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu released a Commemorative Coin on Bharat Ratna Dr. MS
    Subbulakshmi on the occasion of Birth Centenary Commemoration of M.S. Subbulakshmi on 19th September 2017.

    She was a legendary and iconic figure who said what defines India is this rich heritage of music and its unifying role to bring people together. Subbulakshmi was not only a singer but also an encyclopaedia of singing.

    She said that Indian music roots can be traced to Vedic literature, in Sama Veda particularly. She was the first musician to be awarded Bharat Ratna which is the country’s highest civilian honour and first Indian musician to have performed at the United Nations General Assembly on the United Nation's 50th anniversary. 

    Revamped Khelo India Program approved by - Union Cabinet

    The Union Cabinet approved the revamped Khelo India programme on 20th September 2017 at a cost of Rs 1756 crore for the period 2017-18 to 2019-20. This revamped programme is aiming at mainstreaming sport as a tool for its individual development,economic development,
    community development and national development. It will be impacting the entire sports ecosystem including  infrastructure, coaching, community sports and sports economy.

    Key Highlights of the revamped Khelo India Program

    • It is an unprecedented Pan Indian Sports Scholarship scheme which will be covering 1000 most talented young athletes each year across select sports disciplines.
    • In this scheme, whosoever the athlete will be selected, gets an annual scholarship worth Rs 5 lakh for 8 consecutive years.
    • This is the first time ever that a long-term athlete development pathway will be made available to youngsters to excel in the various competitive sports.
    • It is aiming to promote 20 universities across the country as hubs of sporting excellence.
    • It is also aiming to create an active population with healthy life-style.
    • It will be covering about 200 million children in the age group of 10-18 under a massive national physical fitness drive.
    • It will be engaging youth living in disturbed and deprived areas in sporting activities to mainstream them in the nation-building process.
    • It will raise the standards of competition both at school and college level to have maximum access to organized sports competitions.
    • It is included the use of latest technology in all aspects of sports promotion such as, mobile apps use; National Sports Talent Search portal; interactive website; GIS based information system, etc.
    • It has striven to promote “Sports for All” and “Sports for Excellence".

    Union Cabinet approves introduction of the Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2017 on - 20th September 2017

    The Union Cabinet approved the introduction of the Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2017 community sports in Parliament subject to modifications of drafting, if any, as may be considered necessary by the Legislative Department. The Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2017 is seeking to amend the Dentists Act, 1948 in order to reduce the redundancy. The clauses being amended in the Act include certain modifications in the provisions of the Dentists Act, 1948 in regards to:

    • The Dental Council membership of India under clause (f) of section 3 of Act
    • State and Joint State Dental Councils membership under clause (b) of section 21 and 23 of the Act

    Five rounds of Quiz, ‘Prakriti Khoj’, across the Country to be conducted by - Environment Ministry

    The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change will be holding a quiz on the environment - ‘Prakriti Khoj’ throughout the country which is expected to begin on 25th September 2017 with the tribute to Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya on his birth anniversary.
    The quiz will be conducted online through MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions).
    The quiz, Prakriti Khoj, will be held round wise and the qualifying round will be continued till 29th September 2017. The second, third, fourth and fifth rounds will  be held subsequently, as per the schedule given as follows:-

    • Second Round: Between 30th October to 3rd November 2017
    • Third round: 20th November -24th November 2017
    • Fourth round: 4th December to 6th December 2017
    • Fifth round:18th December to 20th December 2017
    • Thematic areas chosen for the quiz on environment - ‘Prakriti Khoj’ is including
    • Climate change
    • Biodiversity
    • Natural history
    • Forest and wildlife
    • Pollution
    • Waste management
    • Rivers and lakes

    Merger of 17 Government Presses into 5 units approved by - Union Cabinet

    The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved merger and modernization of 17 Government of India Presses (GIPs) and into 5 units on 20th September 2017. These modernised 5 Government press units will going to be located at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Minto Road and Mayapuri in Delhi;  Nashik, Maharashtra and at Temple Street of Kolkata, West Bengal.

    Key Highlights of the merger of Government Presses

    • These 5 Presses will get redeveloped and modernised by monetisation of their surplus land.
    • Land that measures 468.08 acres accumulatively of the other merged Presses will also be given to Land & Development Office in Ministry of Urban Development.
    • In addition to that  land which measures 56.67 acres  of the Indian Government  Text Books Presses at Chandigarh, Bhubaneswar and Mysuru will be returned to their respective State Governments.
      Presses Modernisation  is a scheme that will be enabled the presses to undertake important confidential, urgent and multi-colour printing work of the Central Government Offices all across the country.
    • This will be carried out at zero cost to the exchequer and withvno any retrenchment.

    International Day of Peace 2017 observed across the world on - 21st September 2017

    The International Day of Peace was observed across the globe on 21st September 2017 with the theme Together for Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity for All. The theme is honouring the spirit of being TOGETHER which is a global initiative to promote safety,  respect  and dignity for each and everyone who is forced to flee their homes in search of a better life.

    Initiated during the United Nations Summit for Refugees and Migrants on 19th September 2016, TOGETHER initiative unites the organizations of the United Nations System, the 193 Member States of the United Nations, civil society and individual citizens in  support of non-discrimination of migrants and refugees. In 2017, the International Day of Peace is aiming especially towards engaging and mobilizing people throughout the world to show support for refugees and migrants. The Day highlights solidarity with refugees and migrants and showed the shared benefits of migration towards economies and nations.

    Additional investment towards supplementary nutrition for Anganwadi children approved by - Cabinet

    The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 20th September 2017 approved the proposal to increase the cost norms for supplementary nutrition provided in Anganwadis and for out of school adolescent girls under ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services). The decision has followed the move by the Government to provide cash benefits to pregnant and lactating mothers under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, and is part of an intensive effort in order to improve the nutritional status of children and women.
    Under the ICDS, children from 6 months to 3 years are entitled to a morning snack and a hot-cooked meal at an Anganwadi center, while pregnant women, lactating mothers and severely malnourished children, who can't walk to the center, are entitled to take home ration.

     The revision of cost norms will be involved an additional investment of Rs.9900 Cr for the beneficiaries of Aanganwadi Services and Rs 2267.18 Cr for beneficiaries of Scheme for Adolescent Girls for a period between 2017 and 18 to 2019 and 2020. The move would be impacting the health and nutritional status of about 11 Crore beneficiaries per year.