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www.thehindu.com 2018-06-11 8 States to implement Ayushman Bharat Eight States and four Union Territories have signed MoUs with the Union Health Ministry to implement the government s ambitious national health protection mission Ayushman Bharat which aims to provide a cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family annually to 10 crore vulnerable families, an official said on Saturday. Four States Delhi, Odisha, Punjab and West Bengal were yet to give a positive response, the Health Ministry official said. Discussions with these States are on, he said. The eight States which signed the MoUs to implement the Ayushman Bharat: National Health Protection Mission include Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand. The Union Territory of Chandigarh is among the four UTs. Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Tamil Nadu would sign the agreement soon, the official said. Launch on August 15 Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to roll out the programme on August 15. Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda had said the initiative would eventually become the world s largest healthcare programme because of the size of India s population. The scheme will ensure cashless and paperless access to services, costing up to Rs. 5 lakh per year per family, and will be available at the point of service in public and private empanelled hospitals across India. END Downloaded from Zuccess App by

www.pib.nic.in 2018-06-21 Male child victims of Sexual abuse should be included in the States/UTs Victim Compensation Scheme/Fund Ministry of Women and Child Development Male child victims of Sexual abuse should be included in the States/UTs Victim Compensation Scheme/Fund Timely interim relief should be provided to the Victims: Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi Posted On: 30 MAY 2018 3:00PM by PIB Delhi In a letter addressed to the Chief Ministers of all States/UTs, Minister for Women and Child Development, Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, has urged the States/UTs to issue necessary directions to the concerned departments to take necessary steps for including male child victims of sexual abuse in the Victim Compensation Scheme/Fund. The letter also requests that compensation including interim compensation may be given to the victim on time. The Minister also highlighted that POCSO Act is gender neutral and safeguards the interest of not only the girl child but also the male child. The letter also mentions that as per NCPCR data, though 31 State Governments have notified their Victim Compensation Scheme under Rule 7, POCSO Rules, 2012, the disbursements of compensation has not been uniform or satisfactory. The Minister has also drawn attention that in some of the States the interim compensation to child victims of sexual abuse is not being awarded to meet the immediate medical and other needs of the child for relief or rehabilitation. The letter stresses that male child who is the most neglected victim of child sexual abuse is being ignored for award of compensation and needs to be included. Background on POSCO Rules,2012 : POCSO Rules, 2012 (Rule 7) envisages the following: 1. The Special Court may, in appropriate cases, on its own or on an application filled by or on behalf of the child, pass an order for interim compensation to meet the immediate needs of the child for relief or rehabilitation at any stage after registration of the First Information Report. Such interim compensation paid to the child shall be adjusted against the final compensation, if any. 2. The Special Court may, on its own or on an application filled by or on behalf of the victim, recommend the award of compensation where the accused is convicted, or where the case ends in acquittal or discharge, or the accused is not traced or identified, and in the opinion of the Special Court the child has suffered loss or injury as a result of that offence. 3. Where the Special Court, under sub-section (8) of section 33 of the Act read with subsections (2) and (3) of section 357A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, makes a direction for the award of compensation to the victim, it shall take into account all relevant factors relating

to the loss or injury caused to the victim, including the following: - i. Type of abuse, gravity of the offence and the severity of the mental or physical harm or injury suffered by the child; ii. The expenditure incurred or likely to be incurred on his medical treatment for physical and/or mental health; iii. Loss of educational opportunity as a consequence of the offence, including absence from school due to mental trauma, bodily injury, medical treatment, investigation and trial of the offence, or any other reason; iv. Loss of employment as a result of the offence, including absence from place of employment due to mental trauma, bodily injury, medical treatment, investigation and trial of the offence, or any other reason; v. The relationship of the child to the offender, if any; vi. Whether the abuse was a single isolated incidence or whether the abuse took place over a period of time; vii. Whether the child became pregnant as a result of the offence; viii. Whether the child contracted a sexually transmitted disease (STD) as a result of the offence; ix. Whether the child contracted human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as a result of the offence; x. Any disability suffered by the child as a result of the offence; xi. Financial condition of the child against whom the offence has been committed so as to determine his need for rehabilitation; xii. Any other factor that the Special Court may consider to be relevant. 1. The compensation awarded by the Special Court is to be paid by the State Government from the Victims Compensation Fund or other scheme or fund established by it for the purposes of compensating and rehabilitating victims under section 357A of the Code of Criminal Procedure or any other laws for the time being in force, or, where such fund or scheme does not exist, by the State Government. 2. The State Government shall pay the compensation ordered by the Special Court within 30 days of receipt of such order. 3. Nothing in these rules shall prevent a child or his parent or guardian or any other person in whom the child has trust and confidence from submitting an application for seeking relief under any other rules or scheme of the Central Government or State Government. AKR/NG/SKK *** (Release ID: 1533850) Visitor Counter : 522 Read this release in: Marathi, Bengali END Downloaded from

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www.pib.nic.in 2018-06-27 The Prime Minister Awas Yojana (PMAY) Scheme to hand-over 1 crore homes by December 2018: Says the Union Minister of State for Urban Affairs Minister, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri ; Ministry sanctions about 3-5 lakh homes every month Ministry of Finance The Prime Minister Awas Yojana (PMAY) Scheme to handover 1 crore homes by December 2018: Says the Union Minister of State for Urban Affairs Minister, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri ; Ministry sanctions about 3-5 lakh homes every month Posted On: 25 JUN 2018 10:53PM by PIB Delhi The Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri said that the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs will hand over1 crore homes under the Prime Minister Awas Yojana (PMAY) by December 2018.He said that his Ministry sanctions almost 3-5 lakh home every month. Today my office has sanctioned 318,000 homes taking the tally to 51 lakh houses so far, Shri Puri said at an Interactive Session on Sustainable Development Goals and moving-up the scale with CSR and flagship programs organized jointly by Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) and Forum Indian Development Cooperation. As part of Smart City Initiative, safe transportation, lower environment impact, waste to energy and waste to compost, Universal access for women, children and old people is where intervention is required beyond building homes. Citing an example, Shri Puri pointed-out to Surat in Gujarat where the crime rate dropped by over 20% with the usage of technology like CCTVs. There is no shortage of funds, all one needs is a bankable project, the Union Minister concluded.. Earlier, Prof. Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General, RIS made the Opening Remarks and introduced the subject.shri Ravichandran Natarajan, Head, Partnerships & Corporate Relations, Tata Trusts also spoke on the occasion along with Ms Radhika Kaul Batra, Chief of Staff, UN Resident Coordinators Office, New Delhi. Industries Department, Government of Maharashtra is the nodal Department, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), Government of Maharashtra is the nodal agency, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is the Professional Conference Organiser (PCO), Research and Information Systems for Developing Countries (RIS) is the knowledge partner, for the third Annual Meeting of AIIB being hosted by the Government of India in Mumbai on 25 th and 26 th June, 2018.

For more details on the exhibition, log on to http://aiib-am2018.gov.in/exhibition.php To know more about Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank s Third Annual Meeting log on to: http://aiib-am2018.gov.in/ https://www.aiib.org/ Hashtag: #AIIB2018 Twitter: @AIIB_Official @FinMinIndia @PIBMumbai & @PIB_India In the past, AIIB annual meetings were held at Beijing, China in 2016 and Jeju, Republic of Korea in 2017. About AIIB The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a Multilateral Development Bank with a mission to improve social and economic outcomes in Asia and beyond. Headquartered in Beijing, we commenced operations in January 2016 and have now grown to 86 approved members from around the world. By investing in sustainable infrastructure and other productive sectors today, we will better connect people, services and markets that over time will impact the lives of billions and build a better future. DSM/RM/NW ******************** (Release ID: 1536584) Visitor Counter : 236 Read this release in: Marathi END

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www.thehindu.com 2018-06-28 Ujjwala revolution Last month, the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) completed two years of operation. During this time the number of LPG connections has crossed 4 crore, and LPG penetration in India has risen from 56% in 2014 to 80%. While distributing new connections is no mean feat, the greater challenge for the mission lies in refills. It is worth considering the usage pattern of PMUY customers who have been in the system for a year or more and have been buying four or more cylinders a year. Data from the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), which has given out almost half of the Ujjwala connections, suggest that between May 2016 and April 2017, IOCL enrolled 85.47 lakh Ujjwala customers. From May 2016 to April 2018, the average cylinder consumption of these customers was 4.4 per year, including the installation cylinder. One in five Ujjwala customers who enrolled in May 2016 is using seven cylinders annually, thus matching the national per capita consumption of 6.8 cylinders in 2017-18. A total of 60% of those enrolled in May 2016 are on their eighth cylinder at present, implying an annual usage of four cylinders. A similar trend is also seen for those enrolled in March 2017: 20% using seven or more cylinders annually, and 56% on to their fourth cylinder. Studying the usage of gas by PMUY customers and visiting multiple villages across the country, the following features of the programme are evident. One, interactions with PMUY subscribers suggest that they focus on the value that LPG generates for them and not on its cost. Munesh from Uttar Pradesh says, LPG is neither cheap nor expensive; it is just worth the price I pay for it. She makes enough money through sale of cow dung manure to finance her LPG refills. Narayani from Chhattishgarh is now able to find time to stitch blouses and bags. Reena Rudrapal from Tripura makes idols. We also observe benefits such as customers being able to devote more time towards children, the elderly and sick, along with reduced drudgery and gains in health. Two, the programme has also witnessed the emergence of a peer learning platform: the Pradhan Mantri LPG Panchayat. By sharing the vision of early adopters and ironing out service issues, the LPG Panchayats being held at village levels across India are helping more and more people appreciate the advantages of clean fuel. The adoption of LPG has received a boost with supplies ramping up and service improving. In April 2014, there were 13,896 LPG distributors across India. This number is now 20,227. Another 3,750 distributorships will be commissioned in 2018-19. Similarly, the loan deferment policy, which has allowed the recovery of loan amounts from Ujjwala customers, has been deferred for their next six refills starting April 1, 2018. This allows customers to avail of the subsidy during this period. The writer works as a Senior Social Sector Specialist with PMUY Sign up to receive our newsletter in your inbox every day! Please enter a valid email address. Why India is upset over the UN body s report END Downloaded from Zuccess App by

www.thehindu.com 2018-06-28 50 cr. people have social security: PM Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that social security cover had now been extended to around 50 crore subscribers, an increase of about 10 times since 2014 when his government came to power. Mr. Modi interacted with the beneficiaries of various social security schemes through a video conference. We all know that the one thing which is certain in life is the uncertainty of life. The social security schemes give people the strength to face challenges in life. And this strength has now reached crores of people across the country through schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Suraksha Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana..., he said. Still behind It is always said that India did not have the social security net as those in the developed countries and even after his government came to power, the situation was more or less the same as a large section was devoid of social security, the Prime Minister told the beneficiaries. END Downloaded from Zuccess App by