Context: The Prime Minister paid tributes to Savitribai Phule and Rani Velu Nachiyar on their Jayanti.

Savitribai Phule

Savitribai Phule was a Maharashtra-based social reformer and educator who, along with her husband Jyotirao Phule, played a significant role in promoting women's rights in India. Here are some key points about her life and work:

- Born on January 3, 1831, in Naigaon, Maharashtra.

- Married to Jyotirao Phule at the age of 9.

- Became the first female teacher in India, opening the first school for girls in Pune in 1848.

- Started the first school for girls at Bhide Wada in Pune in 1848.

- Established the Society for Promoting the Education of Mahars, Mangs, and others.

- In 1852, the British government honored the Phule family for their contributions to education.

- In 1855, the couple started the first-ever infanticide prohibition home in India called Balhatya.

- Authored two books: Kavya Phule (1854) and Bavan Kashi Subodh Ratnakar (1892).

- Fought against dowry and other social evils that obstruct women's empowerment.

- Started teaching women and children from downtrodden castes, including Mang and Mahar.

Savitribai Phule's work has had a lasting impact on women's education and social reform in India. In 2015, the University of Pune was renamed Savitribai Phule Pune University in her honor.

Rani Velu Nachiyar

- Rani Velu Nachiyar was the 18th-century queen from Sivagangai district in Tamil Nadu, known for her fight against British rule to recapture her kingdom.

- She was born on January 3, 1730, in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu, and died on December 25, 1796, in Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu

- Velu Nachiyar was the princess of Ramanathapuram and the only child of King Chellamuthu Nachiyar. She was trained in various combat methods, including war match weapons usage, martial arts like Valari, Silambam, horse riding, and archery.

- She was a scholar in many languages and was proficient in languages like French, English, and Urdu.

- Velu Nachiyar married the king of Sivagangai, with whom she had a daughter. When her husband, Muthu Vaduganatha Periyavudaya Thevar, was killed in a battle with EIC soldiers in 1780, she was drawn into the conflict.

- Velu Nachiyar was the first Indian queen to wage war with the East India Company in India. She is known by Tamils as Veeramangai, which means "brave woman".

- She was the first queen to fight against the British colonial power in India and is regarded as a significant figure in the Indian independence movement.

- Velu Nachiyar is also credited as the first person to apply a human bomb.

- She is remembered for her bravery and her contributions to the fight against British colonial rule in India.

Context: The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) along with National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) has launched 'SMART 2.0' (Scope for Mainstreaming Ayurveda Research among Teaching professionals) program to promote robust clinical studies in priority areas of Ayurveda with Ayurveda academic institutions/hospitals across the country through mutual collaboration.

About:

• The objective of ‘SMART 2.0’ is to generate a tangible evidence to demonstrate efficacy and safety of Ayurveda interventions using interdisciplinary research methods and translating it into public health care.
• Under the ‘SMART 1.0’, around 10 diseases were covered with the active participation of teaching professionals from 38 colleges.

SMART program

The SMART (Scope for Mainstreaming Ayurveda Research in Teaching Professionals) program is an initiative launched by the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) and the Central Council for Research in Ayurveda Science (CCRAS) under the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India The program aims to boost scientific research through Ayurveda colleges and hospitals

Key aspects of the SMART program include:

• Identifying and supporting innovative research ideas in healthcare research areas such as Osteoarthritis, Iron Deficiency Anaemia, Chronic Bronchitis, Dyslipidemia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Obesity, Diabetes Mellitus, Psoriasis, Generalised Anxiety Disorder, and Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
• Motivating Ayurveda teachers to take up projects in designated areas of healthcare research
• Creating a large database for research purposes The SMART program is expected to have a deep, long-term rejuvenating impact on research in the field of Ayurveda and will serve as a great service to the nation

CCRAS

It is an apex organization for the formulation, co-ordination, development and promotion of research on scientific lines in Ayurveda, functioning under the Ministry of Ayush.

Context: Roll-out schedule of 3 new criminal codes will be notified by January 26
About:
The three new criminal laws introduced in 2023 are:
1. Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Bill, 2023: This bill replaces the Indian Penal Code (IPC) of 1860 and aims to overhaul the criminal justice system in India
2. Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill, 2023 (BSS): This bill replaces the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) of 1973 and introduces several changes to the criminal justice system, including the addition of 24 new sections and the repeal of six sections. One of the new sections is related to mob lynching, which has been termed a hate crime, and capital punishment has been introduced for such offenses.
3. Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Bill, 2023 (BNSSS): This bill replaces the Indian Evidence Act of 1872 and has 170 sections, with 24 new sections added and six sections repealed. The bill aims to improve the criminal justice system and provide justice to the accused.

Significance:

• The significance of the implementation of the new criminal laws lies in their potential to modernize and streamline the criminal justice system in India.
• These laws are expected to bring about significant changes in the investigation, trial, and sentencing processes, ultimately enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice system in the country

Criticisms:

• Critics of these new laws argue that they are felonious and instead of preventing crimes, they provide legal cover to the government's crimes.
• They also claim that these laws are an attempt to give legal cover to the government's crimes and that the people facing charges of terrorism are also defining terrorism.
• Some critics have compared these laws to the Rowlatt Act, a British legislation that was widely criticized for its use of "preventive detention" and "protective custody" during World War I.
• These new laws have been criticized for potentially threatening fundamental rights to privacy and free speech, attempting to digitize many aspects of criminal procedure without outlining procedural safeguards, and being passed without proper review by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs.

The new laws aim to overhaul the colonial-era criminal laws and make punishments more stringent for crimes such as terrorism, lynching, and offenses endangering national security. However, critics argue that these laws could lead to further violations of human rights and civil liberties in India.

Context: The Union government is all set to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the Myanmar border. People living in border areas, who could cross over to India, will soon require visas, the official added.
About:
Free Movement Regime

• The Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the India-Myanmar border is a mutually agreed pact between India and Myanmar that allows tribes residing on either side of the border to travel up to 16 km into each other's territory without visa restrictions.
• The FMR has been in place for several decades and has facilitated cultural and economic exchanges between the border communities.

Significance:

• Cultural and Economic Exchanges: The FMR allows tribes residing on either side to travel up to 16 km into each other's territory without visa restrictions, fostering cultural and economic exchanges between the border communities.
• Historical Ties: The FMR has been in place for several decades and has maintained age-old ties between the border communities
• Peaceful Coexistence: The FMR has contributed to peaceful coexistence between the border communities, promoting mutual respect and understanding
• Tourism: The FMR has also facilitated tourism in the region, with people from both sides visiting each other's countries for leisure and religious purposes

Challenges

• Insurgency and Border Crimes: The FMR has been associated with promoting insurgency across and inside the border, as well as illicit and informal trade, including drug trafficking and arms smuggling
• Illicit Activities: The changing socio-politico-economic conditions in Myanmar and the dynamic demographic profile have led to an increase in illicit activities and border crimes, posing a significant challenge to the security and stability of the region
• Ethnic Violence: The FMR has contributed to the internal security challenge of ethnic violence in states like Manipur, where the movement of insurgent groups and the influx of illegal arms and substances have been facilitated by the FMR
• Influx of Illegal Immigrants: The FMR has also been linked to the influx of illegal immigrants, posing challenges related to border security and the management of cross-border movements
• Local Aspirations and Ancestral Lands: The FMR's impact on local communities and their ancestral lands has been a point of contention, with concerns about the potential impact of its suspension or revision on the livelihoods and traditional practices of the border communities

The way forward involves finding a balance between preserving the social and economic benefits of the FMR while addressing security concerns. This may include implementing alternative mechanisms to facilitate legitimate cross-border activities and trade, while strengthening border security to prevent illegal movements and activities.

Context: The recent report highlights the challenges faced by judiciary
The key highlights of the State of the Judiciary report are:

• Nearly one-fifth of the district court complexes in the country lack separate toilets for women, according to a report published by the Centre for Research and Planning of the Supreme Court recently
• The report underscores the necessity of women-friendly toilets, stating that sanitary napkin vending machines have been provided at only 6.7% of the toilets meant for women
• The report cites data from the National Judicial Data Grid, which shows that while 19.7% of district courts did not have separate toilets for women as of September 25, 2023, the condition of the existing washrooms painted a grim picture
• The report highlights the need to ensure equality, dignity, and the right to menstrual health and sanitation facilities for women in institutions of justice
• The report also emphasizes the importance of digitizing the criminal justice system and introducing procedural safeguards to protect fundamental rights to privacy and free speech

Context: With the government refusing to extend the deadline for Aadhaar details of workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to  be seeded to their job cards beyond December 31, 2023, to enable payments through an Aadhaar-based payment system (ABPS), the system has now become mandatory.

Aadhaar seeding

• It is the process of linking the 12-digit Aadhaar number of individuals with their personal identification documents, such as bank account numbers, pension IDs, scholarships, and other government-issued identification.
•  It is a mechanism to integrate Aadhaar numbers into the service delivery databases of various service providers, enabling the use of Aadhaar for authentication and facilitating the transfer of Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) provided by various government schemes.
• Aadhaar seeding is also essential for receiving subsidies and benefits, and it is a part of the account opening process for customers with Aadhaar numbers, enabling them to operate their accounts through Aadhaar Enabled Payment Systems (AEPS) and to receive various subsidies.
• The process involves linking the Aadhaar number to the customer's account and in the NPCI mapper, and it is facilitated through various channels, including bank branches, ATMs, internet banking, and SMS banking.
• Aadhaar seeding is also a prerequisite for the authentication of accounts, and it is a means to ensure the interoperability of Aadhaar numbers across different service providers.

Benefits of Aadhaar Seeding:

•  Proper Identification: Aadhaar seeding leads to better targeting of development schemes provided by the government, public sector, and private sector, ensuring that all fake, duplicate, and ghost records are weeded out from databases so that leakages resulting from such records can be prevented
• Ease of Identification: Linking Aadhaar with various government schemes makes it easier to identify fake accounts, pensions, etc., and ensures that the benefits reach the right and deserving people
• Simpler and Faster Flow of Information and Funds: Aadhaar seeding is a part of the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme, which aims to provide subsidies and benefits directly to the beneficiaries' bank accounts, eliminating intermediaries and ensuring that the benefits reach the intended recipients
• Interoperability: Aadhaar seeding ensures the interoperability of Aadhaar numbers across different service providers, enabling the use of Aadhaar for authentication and facilitating the transfer of DBT provided by various government schemes
• Convenience: Aadhaar seeding is a prerequisite for the authentication of accounts, and it is a means to ensure the convenience of operating accounts through Aadhaar Enabled Payment Systems (AEPS) and to receive various subsidies

Concerns of Aadhaar Seeding:

• Security Concerns: Security remains a significant concern with Aadhaar seeding, as the concentration of sensitive information with specific entities increases the risk of data breaches and identity theft
• Privacy Concerns: The use of Aadhaar for authentication and the collection of biometric data raises concerns about privacy and the potential misuse of personal information
• Reliability of Biometric Authentication: The reliability of biometric authentication is another concern, as it may not work correctly for everyone, leading to exclusion and denial of benefits
•  Risk of Disastrous Results: The fact that Aadhaar is linked to so many things makes it difficult not to have disastrous results, and the potential for errors and misuse of data is a significant concern
• Exclusion of Vulnerable Populations: The mandatory linking of Aadhaar with various services and schemes may exclude vulnerable populations who do not have Aadhaar numbers or face difficulties in obtaining them

The Ministry is charged with health policy in India, which is also responsible for all government programs relating to family planning in India.

Departments

• Department of Health and Family Welfare
• Department of Health Research

Union Minister- Mansukh L. Mandaviya

Health Missions

• National Health Mission (NHM) – It was launched in 2005 to provide accessible, affordable and quality health care to the rural population, especially to the vulnerable groups.

Components

• Health System Strengthening
• Reproductive- Maternal- Neonatal - Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A)
• Control of Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases

Ayushman Bharat- It is a flagship scheme recommended by National Health Policy 2017 to achieve the vision of Universal Health Coverage. It has two components

• Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs)
• Pradhan Mandri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM- JAY)

• Ayushman Arogya Mandir- The Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centre is renamed as Ayushman Arogya Mandir by upgrading the Sub Health Centres (SHCs) and rural and urban Primary Health Centres (PHCs), in both urban and rural areas.
• Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission- Launched in 2021, it is the largest pan-India Centrally Sponsored Scheme for strengthening healthcare infrastructure across the country.
• Swachh Swasth Sarvatra- It is a joint initiative along with Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation in 2016 to achieve better health outcomes through improved sanitation and increased awareness on healthy lifestyle.
• Kayakalp programme- It was launched in 2015 under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan to maintain cleanliness in the public health sector by rewarding their performances.
• Rogi Kalyan Samiti- It is a patient welfare committee which is a registered society that acts as a group of trustees for the hospital to manage the affairs of the hospital.
• SaQushal: Safety and Quality, Self-Assessment tool for Health Facilities- Launched in 2022 to implement patient safety framework.

Maternal and Adolescent Health Care

Maternal Mortality Ratio of India has registered a decline from 130 per 1 lakh live birth in Sample Registration System (SRS) 2014-16 to 97 per 1 lakh live birth in SRS 2018-19.

• Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN)- To provide quality healthcare at no cost and zero tolerance for denial of services for every woman and newborn visiting the public health facility to end all preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
• Maternal Perinatal Child Death Surveillance Response- It is a software launched in 2021 which measures and track all the maternal and perinatal deaths in real time.
• Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan- It was launched in 2016 which provides fixed day assured, comprehensive and quality antenatal care by gynaecology specialists to pregnant women on 9^th of every month at government health facilities.
•  LaQshya- It aims to improve the quality of care in Labour Room and Maternity Operation Theatres.
• Janani Suraksha Yojana- It provides Direct Benefit Transfer to pregnant women for institutional deliveries in order to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality.
• Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram- It entitles all pregnant women delivering in public health institutions to absolutely free and no expense delivery including C-section.
• Midwifery Initiative- It is a program aimed at creating a dedicated cadre of Nurse Practitioners in Midwifery (NPMs) in India.
• Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram- It was launched in 2014, with the key principles of adolescent participation and leadership, equity and inclusion, gender equity and strategic partnerships with other sectors and stakeholders.
• Ayushman Bharat School Health and Wellness Program- It is a school based health promotion activities that combines health education, health promotion, disease prevention and improved access in an integrated manner at the school level.

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1843841#:~:text=Janani%20Shishu%20Suraksha%20Karyakaram%20(JSSK,other%20consumables%2C%20diet%20and%20blood.

Child Health Program

• Rasthriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram- It aims at early identification and intervention for children from birth to 18 years to cover 4 ‘D’s namely
  • Defects at birth
  • Deficiencies
  • Diseases
  • Developmental delays including disability

• SAANS- It was launched in 2019, which is a Social Awareness and Actions to Neutralize Pneumonia Successfully initiative to reduce deaths due to childhood pneumonia for rural and urban areas.
• IDCF campaign- The goal of Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight campaign is to attain zero child death due to childhood diarrhoea.
• Anaemia Mukt Bharat- It was launched in 2018 in a 6x6x6 strategy to reduce anaemia prevalence among children, adolescents and women in reproductive age group.
• Mother’s Absolute Affection program- It attempts for the promotion of breastfeeding and provision of counselling services for supporting breastfeeding through health systems.

Immunization

Universal Immunization Program- It is one of the largest public health programs in the world launched in 1978, to provide vaccination at free of cost against 12 preventable diseases.

Mission Indradhanush- It is a targeted approach focused to reach all left-out and dropped out children in pockets of low immunization coverage.

• Mission Indradhanush 5.0- It is a catch-up vaccination campaign rolled out for children upto 5 years of age and pregnant women in 2023, who were left out of routine immunization with the special focus on Measles Rubella Elimination goal.
• Measles Rubella Elimination- India is committed to Measles Rubella Elimination by 2023.
• Pulse Polio Immunization- It was launched in 1995 with an objective of achieving 100% coverage in Oral polio Vaccine.

India was declared Polio free country in 2014.

• U-Win digital platform- Launched in 2023, it is a pilot project and an online case-based tracking and reporting system for the universal immunization program for children and pregnant women.

Family planning

As per NFHS-5(2019-21) India has achieved replacement fertility rate (Total Fertility Rate (TFR) =2.0)

• Mission Parivar Vikas- It was launched in 2016 for increasing access to contraceptives and family planning services in 146 high fertility districts with TFR of 3 and above in 7 high focus states.
• ASHA Schemes- Ensuring spacing at birth, home delivery of contraceptives and pregnancy testing kits would promote family planning.
• New Contraceptive Choices- New contraceptives such as Injectable contraceptive and Centchroman have been added to the existing basket of choices.
• Family Planning Logistic Management and Information System- A dedicated software to ensure smooth forecasting, procurement and distribution of family planning commodities across all the levels of health facilities.
• National Family Planning Indemnity Scheme- The clients are insured in the eventualities of death, complication and failure following sterilization.

Health Insurance Schemes

• Ayushman Bharat- Prandhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana-It is the largest publicly funded health assurance scheme in the world which provides health cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.
  • Ayushman Bhava- It was launched to ensure the saturation of various healthcare schemes at the village level, ultimately reaching the last mile beneficiaries.
  • Ayushman App- It has been launched by National Health Authority, self-verification feature for beneficiaries has been enabled.
• Central Government Health Schemes- It is mainly for serving or retired Central Government employees and their families.
• Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi- It is a central sector scheme which provides one-time financial assistance to poor patients living below threshold poverty line and suffering from major identified life threatening diseases for medical treatment at government hospitals/institutes. It has 3 components namely
  • Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) - Financial assistance for treatment of life-threatening diseases providing maximum financial assistance up to Rs. 15 lakhs
  • Health Minister’s Cancer Patient  - Financial assistance for treatment of cancer at Regional Cancer Centres / Tertiary Care Cancer Centres and State Cancer Institutes
  • Financial assistance for poor patients suffering from rare diseases - Maximum financial assistance is Rs 20 lakhs.

Disease Control Programmes

• National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme- It is an umbrella programme for prevention and control of vector borne diseases namely Malaria, Japanese Encephalitis, Dengue, Chikungunya, Kala azar, and Lymphatic Filariasis.

• National Leprosy Eradication Programme- It aims to detect cases of leprosy at an early stage and provide complete treatment, free of cost, in order to prevent the occurrence of Grade II Disability (G2D) in affected persons.

The programme has achieved the elimination of leprosy as a public health problem as per WHO criteria of less than 1 case per 10,000 population at the National level in 2005.

• National TB Elimination Program- It is launched with the goal of achieving Sustainable Development Goals related to TB by 2025, five years ahead of the global target of 2030.
• Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan- It was launched in 2021 to provide additional support to TB patients in order to improve treatment outcomes, augment community involvement and leverage Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.
• Nikshay Poshan Yojana- It was launched in 2018 for providing Rs 500/month as Direct Benefit Transfer to support the nutrition of TB patients for the entire duration of treatment.
• National AIDS and STD Control Programme (Phase-V)- It is a Central Sector Scheme with the focus on UN SDG 3.3 of ending HIV/AIDS epidemic as a public health threat through a comprehensive package of prevention, detection, and treatment.

E-Initiatives

• Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission- It was launched to create a seamless online platform through the provision of a wide-range of data and infrastructure services through digital systems.
• National Telemedicine Service (e-sanjeevani)-It provides access to specialized medical healthcare across the country by providing facility for doctor-to- doctor consultation and patient-to-doctor consultation. 
  • e-Sanjeevani AB-HWC- Doctor to doctor tele consultation
  • e-Sanjeevani OPD- Patient to doctor tele consultation
• Global Initiative on Digital Health- It was introduced during G20 India’s presidency in 2023 to create a common platform’to converge global efforts for digital health and bridge the digital divide by promoting equitable access to technological tools.
• Mera Aspataal- It is a patient feedback system launched in 2016 with the mandate to integrate Central Government Hospitals and District Hospitals on the feedback portal.
• Tele-evidence- It is a modality through which doctors can testify in the judicial process utilizing the video conferencing facility without visiting the courts.
• CoWIN- It is a cloud based IT solution for COVID vaccination that allows user to register, verify and monitor their registration status online.
• Tele MANAS- It provides universal access to equitable, accessible, affordable and quality mental health care through 24X7 tele-mental health services.
• National Digital Health Blueprint- It is a policy document launched in 2017 that outlines the vision of creating a national digital health eco-system that supports universal health coverage.

Other key initiatives

• Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra- To raise awareness about the government's policies and schemes among the people and foster an atmosphere of trust and collaboration.
• National COVID 19 Vaccination Programme- It is the world’s largest vaccination programme launched in 2021, initially to cover the adult population in the shortest possible time.
• National Programme for Tobacco Control and Drug Addiction Treatment- To regulate tobacco use depiction on Over-The-Top (OTT) media platforms, it conducts tobacco youth free campaign among other activities.
• Swasthya Nagrik Abhiyaan- To conduct campaign which will lead to generation of demand for health services and promote health seeking behaviour.

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1990674