Sunday, January 15th, 2012

HEADLINES

• Gilani reaches out to army
• Political speeches banned for 26^th January republic day celebrations.
• India – China to hold border talks

NATIONAL NEWS

• Nod for proposal to ban portable ultrasound machines
  • The Central Supervisory board, set up under the pre conception and pre natal diagnostic techniques act, approved the proposal to ban the portable ultrasound sonography machines to prevent their misuse for sex determination, except in hospitals where they would be used for diagnostic purposes in critically ill patients
  • All qualified doctors would have to undergo a six month certification programme of the medical council of India before they used an ultrasound machine, run by institutes accredited and recognized by the state government.
  • The radiologists will now be allowed to register only in two places.

• India – UK collaboration in health care
  • The first symposium conducted by the Indo-British health initiative started off in Chennai
  • The IBHI will bring together both the nations,facilitate structured partnerships, and discuss new areas of collaboration – in scientific discussion, new technologies or commercial opportunities.
    
    
• India – Srilanka to work on faster repatriation of fishermen
  • India has agreed to work on faster repatriation of Srilankan fishermen who get stranded in Indian waters.
  • States led by tamil nadu have formed their own mechanism to repatriate the fishermen. Andhra Pradesh, odisha and Andaman and Nicobar Islands too have set in motion the process to create such mechanisms
  • The two sides agreed to enhance cooperation that would allow both the countries to pursue their fishing activities in a safe, secure and stable manner, including discouraging fishermen from using destructive methods
  • The fishermen community of both the countries would regularly meet each other
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• Mainstream jarawas would be a disaster says survival international, a tribal rights body saying that the tribal also have the right to self determination and though they are poor in monetory terms they their quality of life is higher than the great Andamanese tribes
  
  
• Decision on new BPL cap only after caste census
  • The union government and the planning commission will take a decision on the new below poverty line(BPL) cap only after the report is submitted by the parliamentary committee on the food security bill and the completion of the socio economic and caste census(SECC)
  • After rejecting the Tendulkar committee cap on BPL, the centre decided to set up a committee under Mr.Sen to take a fresh look at the issue in the wake of the heat generated over the exclusion of those with a daily expenditure of Rs.32/- in the urban areas and Rs.26/- in the rural areas.
    
    
• Poll system in India impresses Norwegion minister in charge of the elections in the country and wants the world's largest democracy to influence the election system in Norway
  • Norway has started a development project in India to promote political leadership by women. The Indian government has been involved in the project with public partners in five states that are working with UN women
    
    
• IMA concerned at the spread of new TB strain.
  • The total drug resistant cases of TB(TDR-TB) has increased and this is a major cause of concern as these patients are highly infectious and can transmit this deadly non treatable disease to others.
  • The IMA the largest non government association of doctors has demanded setting up of more accredited laboratories for testing the second line of anti TB drugs, creating awareness among the public on the need for regular treatment for TB patients for a minimum of 6-9 months and the review of policy for early diagnosis of TB
    
    
• Telecom towers asked to shift to hybrid power.
  • The government has directed all telecom providers to ensure that 20% of all urban towers must use hybrid powers by 2015 and by 2020, the share of hybrid power(mix of renewable energy technologies and grid power) be increased to 75% and 33% in the Urban and the rural areas respectively.
  • Currently most of the telecom towers use diesel generators making the industry the second largest user of diesel in the country.
  • The service providers should declare the footprint of the network operations to TRAI twice a year.
  • The telecom products, equipments and services should be certified with a “green passport” by the telecommunication engineering centre by 2015.

• Delayed post mortem on murdered man's body a violation of human rights'
  • The National Human Rights Commission(NHRC) observed that the delay in performing the last rites was a violation of the right to dignity of the deceased and constituted a serious violation of human rights

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• Taiwan's president Ma ying – Jeou has been reelected for a second term, a verdict which is seen as giving his ruling Kuomintang (KMT) party the mandate to continue the policies aimed at boosting economic ties and relations with China