DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

29^th January 2022

No.	Topic Name	Prelims/Mains
1.	ABOUT THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK	Prelims & Mains
2.	ABOUT THE AYUSHMAN BHARAT HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE MISSION	Prelims & Mains
3.	ABOUT THE SABARMATI ASHRAM	Prelims & Mains
4.	ABOUT THE WORLD GOLD COUNCIL	Prelims Specific
5.	THE INTEGRATED TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM	Prelims Specific

 

1. ABOUT THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK:

GS II

Topic – International Relations & Health related issues:

• Why in the News:
• The Indian government has applied for a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to purchase up to $ 667 million of the COVID-19 vaccines.
• The Manila-based ADB and the Beijing-based AIIB, where China and India are the largest shareholders, are in the process of processing the loan.
• Background:
• The vaccine will be purchased by the Government of India through a competitive process and the ADB will regulate the procurement process and process it under ADB’s APVAX, or the Asia-Pacific Vaccine Access Facility.
• About ADB:
• It is a Regional Development Bank.
• It was established on 19 December 1966.
• It has headquarters – Manila, Philippines.
• It is an Official Observer of the United Nations.
• Who can be its members:
• The bank welcomes members of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP, former Asia and the Middle East Economic Commission or ECAFE) and non-regional countries also.
• The ADB now has 68 members, 49 of them from within Asia.
• Voting rights in ADB:
• It is modelled close to the World Bank, and has a voting system based the ‘same weight’ mechanism where votes are distributed proportionally to members’ financial contributions.
• As of 31 December 2019, the five largest ADB shareholders are Japan and the United States (each with 15.6% shares), the People’s Republic of China (6.4%), India (6.3%), and Australia (5.8%).
• Roles and responsibilities:
• It contributes to poverty alleviation in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, sustainable environmental growth, and regional integration.
• This is done through investments – in the form of loans, grants and information sharing – in infrastructure, health care services, financial and public administration programs, helping countries prepare for the impact of climate change or better management of their natural resources, and other areas.
• Source – The Hindu

2. ABOUT THE AYUSHMAN BHARAT HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE MISSION:

GS II

Topic – Government Policies and Interventions:

• Why in the News:
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently launched the Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, one of India’s largest pan-strengthening programs to strengthen health care infrastructure, in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi.
• About the program:
• The program aims to strengthen health care infrastructure across the country.
• Its purpose is to fill gaps in public health infrastructure, especially in critical care and primary care facilities in urban and rural areas.
• In this regard, critical care services will be available in all regions of the country with more than five lakh people in blocks of intensive care units, and the remaining districts will be covered with referral assistance.
• People will be able to access the full range of diagnostic resources in the public health care system through a network of laboratories across the country, and integrated community health laboratories will be built in all regions.
• Integrated community health labs will also be established in all districts, giving people access to “a variety of diagnostic services” through a network of laboratories across the country.
• An IT-based diagnostic system will be established through a network of surveillance laboratories at the blockchain level, regionally, regionally and nationally.
• All public health labs will be connected via the Integrated Health Information Portal, which will be extended to all provinces and UTs.
• Institutions to be established under the program:
• Under this program, one national health centre will be established, four new national virology centres, the WHO South East Asia Region regional research forum, nine biosafety level-III laboratories, and five new regional disease control centres will also be established.
• Benefits and importance of this program:
• It will provide support to 17,788 rural health and wellness centres in 10 highly focused provinces. In addition, 11,024 urban health and health centres will be established in all provinces.
• Source – Press Information Bureau

3. ABOUT THE SABARMATI ASHRAM:

GS I

Topic – Modern Indian History:

• Why in the News:
• Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson, Tushar Gandhi, had recently filed a lawsuit in Gujarat High Court against Gujarat Government’s ₹ 1,200-crore rehabilitation program in Ahmedabad.
• Problems with the project:
• The redevelopment plan includes expanding its area from 5 to 55 hectares by relocating residents to nearby areas.
• According to Tushar Gandhi, the plan completely contradicts Mahatma Gandhi’s wishes.
• Stand of the government:
• The Gujarat government is adamant that it will not alter or transform any building into an ashram facility.
• All precious buildings will be restored according to Gandhian morals.
• About Sabarmati Ashram:
• Mahatma Gandhi founded this ashram and lived there from 1917 to 1930.
• It was from this place that Gandhi led the Dandi march also known as the Salt Satyagraha on 12 March 1930.
• Originally known as the Satyagraha Ashram, which depicts the Mahatma’s movement, rhis Ashram became the home of many liberating ideals that finally liberated India.
• Source – The Hindu

4. About the World Gold Council:

Prelims Specific Topic:

• It is an organization to develop the market for the gold industry.
• It applies to all sectors of the industry, from gold mining to investment, and its purpose is to promote and sustain the demand for gold.
• It is an organization whose members include the world’s leading gold mining companies.
• It is headquartered in the UK, they have offices in India, China, Singapore, Japan and the United States.
• Source – Indian Express

5. THE INTEGRATED TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM:

Prelims Specific Topic:

• The Department of Education on Wednesday announced a four-year Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP), which provides two major qualifications that will be required for the employment of school teachers by 2030, according to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
• As a pilot project in 2022-23, the program will initially be offered at 50 selected multidisciplinary institutions across the country.
• Admission to the program will be done by the National Testing Agency through the National Common Entrance Test (NET).
• Source – Indian Express