1- Union Government releases digital gender atlas for advancing girl education

Empowering Girls

Union Government has released ‘Digital Gender Atlas for Advancing Girls Education’ a web-based tool for advancing girls education.

It was unveiled by the Department of School Education and Literacy in the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development (HRD) in New Delhi.

Key facts

• The web based tool has been developed with the support of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to identify low performing geographical pockets for girls on specific gender related education indicators.
• These pockets particularly have been identified from marginalised groups such as scheduled castes (SC’s), scheduled tribes (ST’s) and Muslim minorities.
• The gender atlas has been developed as hands on management tool that will enable to take critical decisions and actions in order to fill the gaps in the low performing geographical pockets.
• The atlas has a geographical representation and time series data on various levels of education related parameters in the country. The data from atlas will help states in policy-making and implementation.
• It will also help in identifying and ensuring equitable education with a focus on vulnerable girls. It includes girls with disabilities.

The atlas uses current available Government data such as Unified District Information System for Education (2011-14), Census 2011 and District Level Health Survey 2007-08.

2- Haryana Government launches Aapki Beti Humari Beti scheme

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar

Haryana Government on the eve of International Women’s Day i.e. 8 March launched ‘Aapki Beti Humari Beti’ Scheme. It was launched by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar at Panchkula district of state.

Facts about Aapki Beti Humari Beti scheme

• This scheme aims to combat the problem of declining child sex ratio in Haryana.
• It will be implemented in in both rural and urban areas of the state.
• This scheme covers first-born girl child in Scheduled Caste (SC) and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families on or after January 22, 2015. The girl child born in these families is eligible to receive Rs. 21,000.
• It also covers all second girl child born on or after January 22, 2015 of all families. In this case the girl child is eligible to receive Rs. 21,000.
• While, in families where twin girls or multiple girls are born, each girl child will get Rs. 21,000.

Along with this scheme, Haryana Government also launched ‘Haryana Kanya Kosh’ for the welfare and development of girl child and women in the state.

Multi Sectoral Nutrition Programme was also launched to address the maternal and child nutrition in five districts of state. They are Narnaul, Palwal, Mewat, Kaithal and Fatehabad.

3- Rotavac- India’s first indigenously developed rotavirus vaccine launched by Government

Rotavac- India’s first indigenously developed rotavirus vaccine

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9 March 2015 launched the first indigenously developed and manufactured Rotavirus vaccine- Rotavac.

The vaccine will boost India’s efforts to combat infant mortality due to diarrhoea. This is the third such vaccine available globally against Rotavirus.

Development of Rotavac

• Rotavac vaccine was developed under the joint collaboration between India and the United States in the area of medical research.
• It was developed under the public-private partnership (PPP) model that involved Union Ministry of Science and Technology, institutions of the US Government and NGOs in India supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
• Union Government had funded the basic research in educational and scientific along with US’s National Institute of Health. While the Bharat Biotech India Limited (BBIL) and the Gates Foundation had contributed towards vaccine development and testing.
• BBIL was selected for vaccine development by the India-U.S. Vaccine Action Programme (VAP) in 1997-1998 by the standard government procedures.
• BBIL, the manufacturer of vaccine has given undertaking to keep the cost of the vaccine at US$ 1 per dose, thus making it cheapest vaccine available globally.

About Rotavirus

• It is a most common causative agent of moderate-to-severe diarrhoea (MSD) among infants below 11 months age group in India.
• Spreads from person to person due to bacterial and parasiting agents that are primarily transmitted through contaminated food or water.
• In India, diarrhoea caused by rotavirus, kills nearly 80 thousand children under the age of 5 years and up to 10 lakh hospitalizations each year.

4- Pakistan successfully test-fires nuclear capable Shaheen-III ballistic missile

Pakistan on 9 March 2015 successfully conducted the first test of surface-to-surface Shaheen-III ballistic missile off the Arabian Sea.

The missile, also called White Falcon-III in English has been developed by Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) and NESCOM along with its subsidiary NDC.

About Shaheen-III

• Solid-fuelled multi stage ballistic missile.
• Capable of carrying both nuclear as well as conventional warheads.
• Range:2,750 km.

Shaheen-III is going to replace Pakistan’s less advanced liquid-fueled mid-range nuclear capable Ghauri-III ballistic missile.

5- Kerala Tourism’s campaign’ wins silver prize in Golden Gate Award at ITB-Berlin

Kerala Tourism

Kerala Tourism has won silver prize in the prestigious Golden Gate Award at the Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin (ITB-Berlin) – 2015.

Kerala Tourism received the prize in the category of multimedia-campaign for its global multimedia ‘The Great Backwaters campaign’ in the television-commercial medium.

This campaign has been conceptualised by Kerala Tourism’s creative and marketing agency Stark Communications.

Earlier, The Great Backwaters campaign had won the Golden Gate Gold Prize in the Print category at the ITB-Berlin 2014. Kerala Tourism had won the Golden Gate Silver Prize for its hugely successful ad campaign ‘Your Moment is Waiting’ in the print category.

About Golden Gate Award

Golden Gate Award is entitled as Oscar in tourism communication. It is awarded for the ultimate recognition in global tourism communication and presented every year at the ITB-Berlin.

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