Current Affairs 23rd August 2018

Current Affairs 23rd August 2018 - Important Points

• Engineering colleges to improve quality of engineering education will be mentored by - IITs
• Madras HC ordered CBSE to publicise 'no homework, no bag' rule for Class I & II on - 20th August 2018
• 5 Thematic Reports on Sustainable Development in Indian Himalayan Region launched by - NITI Aayog
• e-Filing, e-Pay, and NSTEP applications to facilitate litigants and lawyers launched by - CJI
• Government permits Oxytocin sale through private chemists on - 21st August 2018

Current Affairs 23rd August 2018  - Details

Engineering colleges to improve quality of engineering education will be mentored by - IITs

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) will be mentoring at least five engineering colleges located in its vicinity, in order to improve the quality and standard of engineering education in the country.

During the 52nd Meeting of the IITs Council, the same decision was taken, it was held under the Chairmanship of Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar on 20th August, 2018 in New Delhi.

Important decisions of the Council

• The council decided that the IIT – PAL, which has been designed to help the students to prepare for the JEE Advanced Exam, would be further extended and made available along with handholding support through the SWAYAM portal.
• It decided that the IIT will be mentoring at least 5 engineering colleges located in its vicinity in order to improve the quality and standard of engineering education in the country.
• It was also decided during the meeting that there will be no revision in the tuition fee being charged from the undergraduate students in IITs.
• The council also did not consider any further changes in the JEE (Advanced) system.
• Further, it was decided that the IITs will be organising an annual ‘Tech-Fest’ to demonstrate their various innovations and technologies developed by them, at any suitable  venue with participation from CEOs from leading public or private sector organisations.
• Other than this, the boards of Governors of the individual IITs have been empowered in deciding the fee for international students.

Madras HC ordered CBSE to publicise 'no homework, no bag' rule for Class I & II on - 20th August 2018

The Madras High Court on ordered the CBSE to publicise in media 20th August 2018 that stringent action would be taken against institutes not following the board's 'no homework' rule for class I and II students.

Justice N Kirubakaran passed these orders on a plea by advocate M Purushothaman seeking direction to the CBSE to follow only those books and syllabus, which have been  prescribed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training.

Important Details

• The CBSE produced a copy of the circular during the hearing, which read that it had issued similar circulars on 15th September, 2004, and on 12th September, 2016, stating that no homework should be assigned to students studying in classes I and II.
• The CBSE affiliation bylaws also mentioned that the schools affiliated to the board must satisfy its advisory of no school bag and homework for students up to second class.
• On the same matter, the board also stated that in compliance of the directions of the high court, it has once again reiterated that schools may ensure that no homework is  given in class III.
• It also reiterated that since NCERT is an academic authority for classes I to VIII, all schools need to ensure that CBSE circular dated 17th April, 2007, to reduce the school bag load and homework for children, is religiously followed.

5 Thematic Reports on Sustainable Development in Indian Himalayan Region launched by - NITI Aayog

 The NITI Aayog released the five Thematic Reports on Sustainable Development in e Indian Himalayan Region (IHR),  listing the challenges in all the defined 5 thematic areas on 23rd August, 2018.

Nearly 30 percent of springs, crucial to water security of people, are drying and 50 percent have reported reduction in discharge.  In phased manner, spring Mapping and Revival by using 8 steps protocol taken up across Himalayan States.

e-Filing, e-Pay, and NSTEP applications to facilitate litigants and lawyers launched by - CJI

Justice Dipak Misra, the Chief Justice of India launched three applications on August 23rd, 2018 for the benefit of the litigants and lawyers at the Supreme Court of India during an event.

These applications are - e-Pay, e-Filing and NSTEP (National Service and Tracking of Electronic Processes). These applications have been created under the eCourts project Phase II and developed under the leadership of Justice MB Lokur, Judge-in-charge of eCommittee of Supreme Court.

The Union Minister of Law and Justice, Ravi Shankar Prasad released the brochures to increase awareness about eCourt initiatives and to enable litigants, lawyers and other stake holders to avail the services of all these initiatives on the same occasion.

Government permits Oxytocin sale through private chemists on - 21st August 2018

The Union Government permitted private retail chemists on 21st August, 2018 to sell Oxytocin with effect from 1st September 2018.

Earlier, through a notification dated 27th April, 2018, the government stated that the sale of Oxytocin through private retail chemists would be banned from 1st July, 2018. However, fearing shortage of Oxytocin in the market, the government deleted the provisions of its 27th April notification stating that the Oxytocin would be sold through  government chemists only.

More about Oxytocin

• Oxytocin which is a hormone produced in the human body naturally and is manufactured as a drug that is usually administered to a woman during pregnancy in the third stage of labour to prevent excessive bleeding.
• Oxytocin is administered to “prevent and treat” PPH(Postpartum Haemorrhage), which is the leading cause of maternal mortality globally according to World  Health Organization (WHO).
• Overall, this PPH accounts for about 35 percent of all maternal deaths.
• The hormone stimulates the uterus muscles to contract, so that the labour starts. Synthetic oxytocin (pitocin) is sometimes used to induce a woman to begin labour, if she isn't able to start naturally.
• Once the baby is born, oxytocin promotes lactation, causing the milk to release so that the baby can feed.

Did you know?
Pfizer and Mylan are two leading producers of Oxytocin in India currently.