Current Affairs 13th December 2017

Current Affairs 13th December 2017 - Important Points

• New initiatives on Universal Health Coverage Day 2017 launched by - Union Government
•  Priyanka Chopra conferred Mother Teresa Memorial award for social justice
• Rajasthan government to recognise political prisoners as -  ‘Loktantra Sainani’
• Sikh American Gurbir Grewal nominated to be New Jersey Attorney General  on - 12th December 2017
• DCI, NHAI sign MoU to facilitate supply of sand on - 12th December 2017

Current Affairs 13th December 2017 - Details

New initiatives on Universal Health Coverage Day 2017 launched by - Union Government

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda launched various initiatives to observe Universal Health Coverage Day 2017 on 11th December 2017.

Universal Health Coverage Day is observed every year on 12th December to commemorate the first unanimous United Nations resolution calling for countries providing affordable, quality health care to every person, everywhere.

LaQshya Initiative

• Considering the fact that there is a need to improve the quality of care in Labour rooms especially on the day of birth for maternal and neonatal survival, the Ministry launched 'LaQshya' Initiative also called 'Labour Room Quality Improvement Initiative'
• LaQshya was launched as a safe delivery mobile application for health workers who manage normal and complicated deliveries in the peripheral areas.
• It is expected to improve the quality of care provided to the pregnant mother in the Labour Room and Maternity Operation Theatres aiming to prevent undesirable adverse outcomes associated with the childbirth.
• It will be implemented in government Medical Colleges (MCs) other than District Hospitals (DHs), and high delivery load Sub- District Hospitals (SDHs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs).
• It is also planning to conduct quality certification of labour rooms and providing facilities to achieve the outlined targets.
• It is aiming to minimize preventable maternal and new-born mortality, morbidity and stillbirths associated with the care around delivery in Labour room and Maternity OT.

 Priyanka Chopra conferred Mother Teresa Memorial award for social justice

Indian actor, Priyanka Chopra has been awarded with the 2017 Mother Teresa Memorial Award for her
contribution towards lending her support towards social causes like her recent visit to Syria where she met and interacted with refugee children.

She is also UNICEF's Goodwill Ambassador and is known for supporting various philanthropic activities. Her mother Madhu Chopra received the award on her behalf. While speaking on the occasion, her mother said, "I humbly accept the award on her behalf.

She continued by saying that it is justifiable for her to receive this honourable award and that the actor
would be humbled that her efforts have been recognised by the foundation believing to help the needy and support the deprived and to raise funds for those who are impoverished.

More about Mother Teresa Award

• These Awards are conferred to honour individuals and organizations promoting peace, equality and social justice and aim to encourage the cause of justice and peaceful coexistence, while providing an impetus for society to imbibe these values.
• The award is given in honour of Mother Teresa who was one of the greatest social reformers.

Rajasthan government to recognise political prisoners as -  ‘Loktantra Sainani’

The state government of Rajasthan has finalised to recognise political prisoners kept in jails during the
emergency period as ‘Loktantra Sainani’.
The state’s cabinet marked to change the name of Rajasthan MISA and DIR Bandi Pension Rules 2008 to the Rajasthan Loktantra Sainani samman Nidhi 2008 on 12th December 2017.
Key Highlights

• Till date, only those people who were hold under MISA and DIR and put in any of the Rajasthan jails were facilitated with the monthly pension of Rs 12,000 and a monthly allowance of Rs 1200.
• The total number of these people is 1050.
• However, after the cabinet’s conclusion, every Rajasthani¸ who was put in any jail in the nation during emergency time, will also be eligible for the pension.
• Those people will not be required to give the certificate of the respective Jail Superintendent or Superintendent of Police for availing pension.
• Now only self-declaration has to be submitted.
• Apart from this, the state government would be instructing all the district collectors to invite such Loktantra Sainanis to the programs that will be held at district level on the Republic Day and Independence Day occasions. 

Sikh American Gurbir Grewal nominated to be New Jersey Attorney General  on - 12th December 2017

Sikh American Gurbir Grewal on 12th December 2017 became 1st Sikh public prosecutor to be suggested for the post of Attorney General of New Jersey. Grewal was suggested to the post by Democrat Governor-elect Phil Murphy.
If Grewal's suggestion is approved by the State Senate, he will be the 1st Sikh to attain the top state law
enforcement position in the United States. He will also be the 2nd Indian-American after Kamala Harris, who attained the position in California before her election to the US Senate.
More about Gurbir Grewal

• Grewal is the prosecutor of Bergen County, an important district across the river from New York City. He was authorized by current Republican Governor Chris Christie.
• Grewal has earlier worked as an Assistant Federal Prosecutor in New York and New Jersey.
• Earlier to being Bergen County's top law enforcement officer, he served as the former chief of the Economic Crimes Unit at the U.S. Attorney's Office with former federal prosecutor Paul Fishman.
• He also worked as the President of the South Asian Bar Association of New York and a member of the New Jersey Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association. 

DCI, NHAI sign MoU to facilitate supply of sand on - 12th December 2017

The Dredging Corporation of India signed a MoU with the National Highways Authority of India on 12th
December 2017 to authorize the availability of sand for highway construction work.
The Concessionaires working on highways assignments have been facing a scarcity of sand at various sites. Thus, the agreement focuses to fill this gap by smoothing the availability of sand for these concessionaires.
Important Highlights

• The accordance aims to smooth the supply of sand for highways construction work.
• Under the MoU, the business intermediaries will ship and stock the sand at different ports in India and market it across the nation.
• The NHAI will smooth the whole process by showing the availability of sand at different stockyards at the ports.
  Did you know?
  The Dredging Corporation of India intends to manage dredging operations at various locations in South East Asia, generating greater volumes of sand.