Current Affairs 18th November 2017

Current Affairs 18th November 2017 - Important Points

• Union Government launches Saubhagya Web Portal on - 16th November 2017
• Union Health Ministry introduces Daily Drug Regimen for treatment of Tuberculosis on - 17th November 2017
• Union Cabinet approves increase in carpet area of houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana on - 16th November 2017

Current Affairs 18th November 2017 - Details

Union Government launches Saubhagya Web Portal on - 16th November 2017

Union Minister of State for Power and Renewable Energy RK Singh on 16th November 2017 inaugurated the Web Portal for Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana ‘Saubhagya’. The web portal can be accessed at http://saubhagya.gov.in.
The Saubhagya portal will make sure the transparency and will speed-up household electrification in rural as well as urban areas in the Nation.
Highlights of Saubhagya Web portal

• Through Saubhagya portal, every State can fill in the present status of progress of electrification works which will enable accountability for the State utility/ DISCOM.
• It provides a feature on village electrification camps and in line with that, DISCOMs will plan camps in villages for facilitating instant filling up of application forms and to complete requested documentation to expedite issue of electricity connections to households.
• States may declare the schedules of the village camps to be organized on this portal to create awareness among the people about the one-stop solution for getting electricity connections.
• DISCOMs/ State Power Department will be wished to adopt the innovative mechanism for collection of data in electronic form including collection of application form for getting electricity connections.

Saubhagya Scheme-

• Saubhagya scheme was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25th September 2017 with an estimation of Rs 16320 Crores including Budgetary Support of Rs 12320 Crores.
• Under Saubhagya scheme, all willing households in rural areas and poor families in urban areas are provided free electricity connections.
• There are approximate 4 Crore non electrified households in the Nation and they are marked for providing electricity connections by December 2018.

Union Health Ministry introduces Daily Drug Regimen for treatment of Tuberculosis on - 17th November 2017

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfarereleased Daily Drug Regimen for treatment of Tuberculosis across the Nation under The Revised National TB Control Program on 17th November 2017 .
In the past, the Health Ministry was giving the treatment of tuberculosis thrice weekly, now it has decided to change the treatment plan for TB patients from thrice weekly to daily drug course using fixed dose combinations for treatment.
The initiative is aimed at bringing the change in the approach and the intensity to handle this disease which is responsible for about 4.2 lakh deaths every year.

Key Highlights-

• The daily FDC anti-TB drugs will be provide to private pharmacy or at private practitioners to dispense to TB patients who are under treatment in private sector, as per the convenience of patient.
• The Health Ministry will also make availability of anti-TB drugs with all major hospitals, IMA, IAP and other professional medical associations to increase the access to daily FDC to all TB patients.
• In this treatment strategy, Ethambutol will be given in continuation for all patients on daily basis along with fixed dose combination tablets to slash the pill burden, against separate 7 tablets previously given, for children.
• According to WHO Global TB Report 2017, the cases of TB have reduced from 28.2 lakh to 27 lakh over the last one year, which is a evidence of anti TB drive by Union Government.

 Union Cabinet approves increase in carpet area of houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana on - 16th November 2017

The Union Cabinet approved the increase in the ground area of houses on 16th November 2017 for interest subsidy under the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme, which is the part of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).

Key Highlights-

• It approved the increase in the ground area in the MIG-I category of CLSS from the existing 90 square meters to up to 120 square meters.
• It expanded carpet area in respect of MIG II category of CLSS from the existing 110 square meters to up to 150 square meters.
• These alterations will be effective from 1st January 2017, the date the CLSS for MIG became fruitful.
• The Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme for Middle Income class covers 2 income segments in the MIG- Rs 600001 to Rs 1200000 (MIG-I) and Rs 1200001 to Rs 1800000 (MIG-II) annually.
• In the MIG-1, an interest subsidy of 4% is provided for loan amounts up to Rs 9 lakh whereas in MIG-2, an interest subsidy of 3% is provided for loan amount of Rs 12 lakh. Housing loans  for more than 9 lakh and 12 lakh are will be in non-subsidized class.
• The CLSS for MIG is currently effective up to 31st March 2019.
• The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs are executing the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).