Daily Current Affairs for State Exams: 28 December 2021

Daily Current Affairs 28/12/2021

Important News: India

NITI Aayog releases Fourth Edition of State Health Index
Why in News

NITI Aayog released the fourth edition of the State Health Index for 2019–20.
The report, titled “Healthy States, Progressive India”, ranks states and Union Territories on their year-on-year incremental performance in health outcomes as well as their overall status.
Round IV of the report focuses on measuring and highlighting the overall performance and incremental improvement of states and UTs over the period 2018–19 to 2019–20.
The report has been developed by NITI Aayog, with technical assistance from the World Bank, and in close consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

Key Points

The Findings:

The State Health Index is an annual tool to assess the performance of states and UTs.
It is a weighted composite index based on 24 indicators grouped under the domains of ‘Health Outcomes’, ‘Governance and Information’, and ‘Key Inputs/Processes’.
Each domain has been assigned weights based on its importance with higher score for outcome indicators.
To ensure comparison among similar entities, the ranking is categorized as ‘Larger States’, ‘Smaller States’ and ‘Union Territories’.

Among the ‘Larger States’, in terms of annual incremental performance, Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Telangana are the top three ranking states.

Among ‘Smaller States’, Mizoram and Meghalaya registered the maximum annual incremental progress.

Among UTs, Delhi, followed by Jammu and Kashmir, showed the best incremental performance.

On overall ranking based on the composite index score in 2019–20, the top-ranking states were Kerala and Tamil Nadu among the ‘Larger States’, Mizoram and Tripura among the ‘Smaller States’, and DH&DD (Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu) and Chandigarh among the UTs.

Note:

The index is being compiled and published since 2017.
The importance of this annual tool is reemphasized by MoHFW’s decision to link the index to incentives under the National Health Mission.

Source: PIB

Important News: State

PM Modi inaugurates & lays foundation stone of hydropower projects in Himachal Pradesh

Why in News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of hydropower projects worth over Rs 11,000 crore in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh.

Key Points

Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of:

Luhri Stage- I HEP (210 MW), River: Satluj, Location: Near Nirath Village, Distt. Shimla and Kullu (HP)
Dhaulasidh HEP (66 MW), River: Beas, Location: Dhaulasidh, Distt. Hamirpur (HP)
He also laid the foundation stone of Renukaji Dam project (40 MW) and inaugurated Sawra-Kuddu Hydro Power Project (111 MW).
He mentioned that ‘In 2016, India had set a target to meet 40 percent of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil energy sources by 2030’.

Note: The first edition of the three-day Kashi Indian International Film Festival commenced in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi on 27^th December 2021.

Source: PIB

Important News: Economy

Centre declares ‘Soya Meal’ as an Essential Commodity up to 30th June, 2022

Why in News

Central Government has notified an Order under the Essential Commodities Act to declare ‘Soya Meal’ as an Essential Commodities up to 30th June, 2022 by amending the Schedule of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

Key Points

Government of India has issued a landmark Order where it has mentioned that in the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, in the Schedule, after serial No. (8), the following item shall be added, “(9) Soya Meal”.
It will stop unfair market practices and enhance the availability for consumers like Poultry farm and Cattle feed manufacturers.
About Soybean Meal: Soybean meal is the most important protein source used to feed farm animals. Soybean meal is the by-product of the extraction of soybean oil.
About Essential Commodities Act 1955: It was legislated at a time when the country was facing a scarcity of foodstuffs due to persistent low levels of food grains production. To prevent hoarding and black marketing of foodstuffs, the Essential Commodities Act was enacted in 1955.

Source: PIB

Important News: Defence

Defence Minister lays foundation stone for Defence Technology & Test Centre and BRAHMOS Manufacturing Centre in Lucknow

Why in News

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stone for Defence Technology & Test Centre and BRAHMOS Manufacturing Centre, established by Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

Key Points

A first of its kind Defence Technologies & Test Centre (DTTC), over approximately 22 acres is being set up to accelerate the growth of the defence and aerospace manufacturing clusters in Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UP DIC).
The BRAHMOS Manufacturing Centre, announced by BrahMos Aerospace, is a modern, state-of-art facility in the Lucknow node of UP DIC.
It will cover over 200 acres and produce the new BRAHMOS-NG (Next Generation) variant, which carries forward the lineage of the BRAHMOS weapons system.
India has undertaken jointly in partnership with its closest strategic ally Russia.
Designed and developed by India-Russia JV entity BrahMos Aerospace, supersonic cruise missile BRAHMOS has continued to evolve as the most versatile weapon in its genre.

Source: PIB

Important News: Science

NASA launches world’s most powerful space telescope ‘James Webb Space Telescope’

Why in News

World’s largest and most powerful space telescope ‘James Webb Space Telescope’ has been launched successfully into orbit to make breakthrough discoveries on the origins of the Universe and Earth-like planets beyond our solar system.

Key Points

The James Webb Space Telescope, NASA's premier space observatory of the next decade, launched in an Ariane rocket from the European Space Agency's base in French Guiana.
Webb, named after one of the architects of the Apollo Moon landings, is the successor to the Hubble telescope. Jointly built by NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency, the new observatory is, however, 100 times more powerful.

Source: newsonair

Important News: Sports

Uttar Pradesh wins 11th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2021 title

In Hockey, Uttar Pradesh won the 11th India Junior Men National Championship 2021 title following a 3-1 victory over Chandigarh in the final at Kovilpatti, Tamil Nadu.

Source: newsonair

Important News: Persons

Desmond Tutu, anti-apartheid icon who won the Nobel Prize, passes away

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his opposition to racial discrimination in South Africa, has passed away at 90.
As South Africa’s first Black Anglican archbishop, Tutu used his international profile to lobby for sanctions against the White-minority government.
From 1996 to 1998, he led the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, aimed at exposing the injustices of the past.

Source: HT

Seven-term Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Prasad passes away

Rajya Sabha MP from the Janata Dal (United) and industrialist Mahendra Prasad passed away.
Estimated to be one of the richest members of Parliament, the founder of Aristo Pharmaceuticals was a seven-term Rajya Sabha MP from Bihar and was also elected to the Lok Sabha once.
Prasad was first elected to the Lok Sabha on a Congress ticket in 1980.

Source: Indian Express

Important News: Important Days

December 27, International Day of Epidemic Preparedness

Why in News

International Day of Epidemic Preparedness is celebrated every year on 27^th

Key Points

The United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared December 27 as International Day for Epidemic Preparedness in an effort to prepare for future outbreaks and raise public awareness about epidemics on all levels.
The day was first commemorated on December 27, 2020, when the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) emphasised the significance of advocating for epidemic preparedness, prevention, and collaboration against epidemics.

Source: un.org