Current Affairs 17 August 2020

Current Affairs 17 August 2020 includes :

1. Review the age of marriage
2. Digital Health Mission for citizens

Review the age of marriage

Why in News?

Government thinks to review the age of marriage of women in its bid to fight malnutrition, PM speech on Independence day.

During the budget speech Nirmala Seetharaman also said the same. It aimed at in order to lower maternal mortality
rates and improve nutrition levels.

Need for Review ?

• It will impact the the health of mother and babie when a girl is married too early before the age of 20 years.
• A study conducted by International Food Policy Research Institute and last year have the following findings
  • The children born to adolescent mothers (10-­19 years) were 5 percentage points more likely to be stunted than those born to young adults (20 – ­24 years)
  • Also 11 percentage points more stunted than children born to adult mothers.
  • Children born to adolescent mothers also had 10 percentage points higher prevalence of low weight as adult mothers.
  • Besides issues like  lower education among teenage mothers and their poor economic status, which had the strongest links with a child’s height and weight measurements.

Initiative by the Government and Way Forwrad

•  A 10 ­member panel headed by Jaya Jaitly and comprising Secretaries from the Ministries of Human Resource Development, Women and Child Development, and Health and Family Welfare, among others assigned in June.
• Increase access to education and health, create enabling opportunities and place girl’s empowerment will help in awareness.
• Besides awareness of Sex, health information and campaign will help to tackle this.

Source : The Hindu

Topic : GS II : – Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections

Digital Health Mission for citizens

Why in News ?

As a part of his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM). Every Indian will get a Health ID card. 

What is national health ID system?

The national health ID is am ID for all health-related information of a person.

• Creating a Health ID for every patient those who wishes to have their health records available digitally.
• The ID will be made by using a person’s basic details and mobile or Aadhaar.
• The card will be linked to a health data consent manager.
• Various healthcare providers such as hospitals, laboratories, insurance companies, on the later stage of implementation online pharmacies, telemedicine firms expected to participate in the health ID system.

National Digital Health Mission (NDHM)

• It is a complete Health record in digital form with registry of doctors and facilities of health across the country
• This is not a compulsory each individual can join the mission that means up to individual
• The major features are Health facility registry
  • Personal details related to health
  • Health ID with personal details and mobile or aadhaar
  • Digi Doctor that allow doctors from across the country to enter their details
  • 470 crore budgetary allotment for the Mission

Source : The Hindu

Topic : GS II :- Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources

Arunachal forms panel for autonomy

Why in News ?

Nine-member committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein to meet all community-based organisations.

The Arunachal Pradesh government formed a nine-member committee to discuss and arrive at a possible solution to the issue of creation of two autonomous councils in the State.

What is the issue ?

• Regions under the Autonomous councils of Arunachal Pradesh are currently under the Fifth Schedule of Indian Constitution.
• This does not provide special rights for the indigenous communities as that of the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
• The autonomous councils in the sates are demanding to include Arunachal under the sixth schedule
• They want to make the Arunachal the owners of Natural resources rather than being protectors.
• Also, the Sixth Schedule will enable legitimate ownership making the indigenous communities self sufficient.
• Sixth Schedule status for entire Arunachal Pradesh to ensure equal rights and ownership of resources for all communities.

What is Sixth Schedule?

• The Sixth Schedule includes 10 autonomous district councils in 4 north eastern states.
• They are Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Tripura. It seeks to safeguard the rights of the tribal population by forming Autonomous District Councils.
• It empowers Parliament to establish an autonomous State comprising certain tribal areas of Assam and for local Legislature or Council of Ministers or both can create.
• It provides the power of the enactment of autonomous district councils (ADCs) to protect the rights of tribal populations.
• Article 244A was added to the constitution through the 22nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1969.

Special Power of Governor in the Region

Governor can reorganise the area under the region for the better administration of the the autonomous district councils.

Source : The Hindu 

Topic

GS II : Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections