Daily Current Capsules 25^th March 2021

Parliament proceedings
Parliament passes National Commission for Allied, Healthcare Professions Bill
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professionals Bill, 2021) + Mains ( GS II Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health,Education, Human Resources)
What's the NEWS

• The Lok Sabha cleared the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professionals Bill, 2021, which seeks to set up a commission to regulate the allied healthcare sector, standardise training and qualifications across the country. The Rajya Sabha passed the Bill on March 16.

National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professionals Bill, 2021

• The legislation is aimed at fulfilling long-pending demands of the sector, and enhance employment opportunities for professionals.
• The paramedics and allied healthcare workers are critical part of the medical profession and their contribution is similar to doctors, if not more.
• The group of allied professionals is large and the bill is trying to regulate this field by providing dignity to their roles
• The role played by paramedics and allied healthcare workers lab technicians, radiographers, dieticians during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Bill will set up a regulatory structure for 50 categories of allied healthcare and try and shift the treatment of patients from being doctor centric to team centric.
• The Bill aims to establish a statutory body or commission that frames policies and standards, regulate professional conduct and qualifications for allied healthcare professionals, besides providing uniformity of service standards across institutions.
• The chairman and vice-chairman of the body will be selected for two years and they would be eligible for renomination for further two terms.
• State governments will be represented in the commission, 12 seats have been set aside for them, and State-level commissions are also to be set up under the Bill.
• The standards for regulation, training, eligibility and service have been coded by international yardsticks and according to International Labour Code (ILO) codes.
• The Bill had been pored over by the standing committee on health which had suggested 110 amendments of which 102 have been incorporated into the Bill, one of the reasons for bipartisan support for it.

India conducts first-ever joint patrol in Madagascar EEZ
Relevance IN - Prelims (about first-ever joint patrol between India - Madagascar)
What's the NEWS

• In a first, the navies of India and Madagascar undertook joint patrolling of Madagascar's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and also conducted a Passage Exercise (PASSEX).
• The first-ever joint patrol between the navies reflects the growing defence ties between the two Indian Ocean neighbours aimed at the common objective of ensuring maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR)
• The INS Shardul and Malagasy Naval Ship Trozona undertook the patrol.

Passage Exercise (PASSEX)

• The exercise is aimed at enhancing interoperability, improving understanding and imbibing best practices between both the friendly navies,
• PASSEXs are conducted regularly by IN with units of friendly foreign navies, whilst visiting each other's ports or during a rendezvous at sea.

Prelims Factoids
PM expresses gratitude to UNITAR

Relevance IN - Prelims (about UN Institute for Training & Research (UNITAR).
What's the NEWS

• The Prime Minister has expressed gratitude to UN Institute for Training & Research (UNITAR).
• UNITAR has commended India's remarkable progress in reducing the premature mortality from Non Communicable Diseases.

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)

• The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is a dedicated training arm of the United Nations system.
• It provides innovative learning solutions to individuals, organizations and institutions to enhance global decision-making and support country-level action for shaping a better future.
• UNITAR was created in 1963 to train and equip young diplomats from newly-independent UN Member States with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate through the diplomatic environment.
• Over the years, UNITAR has acquired unique expertise and experience in designing and delivering a variety of training activities.
• UNITAR became the leading institute in the provision of customized and creative learning solutions to institutions and individuals from both public and private sectors.
• With a strategy fully focused on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UNITAR supports Governments to implement the 2030 Agenda.
• UNITAR launched a new four-year strategic framework, covering 2018-2021, which is aligned with the 2030 Agenda and uses the Sustainable Development Goals as the guiding principle for our work with the strategic objectives organized around four out of five thematic pillars of the 2030 Agenda (Peace, People, Planet and Prosperity).
• UNITAR provides training and capacity development activities to assist mainly developing countries with special attention to Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other groups and communities who are most vulnerable, including those in conflict situations.
• The Institute is a project-based organization and does not receive any funds from the regular United Nations budget.
• UNITAR is financed entirely from voluntary contributions derived mainly from UN Member States, other UN agencies, international and intergovernmental organizations, foundations NGOs and the private sector.

Education
CBSE Competency Based Education Project

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about CBSE Assessment Framework for Science, Maths and English classes as part of CBSE Competency Based Education Project) + Mains ( GS II Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources)
What's the NEWS

• Union Education Minister launched CBSE Assessment Framework for Science, Maths and English classes as part of CBSE Competency Based Education Project in New Delhi
• The core objective of the NEP is to guide the transition to an education system that enables our youth to have a better future.

Competency-based assessment framework

• The competency-based assessment framework to strengthen India's existing school education system for secondary level (classes 6-10) and improve the overall learning outcomes of students across India, mainly covering three subjects: English (reading), Science, and Maths.
• The framework is a part of the CBSE Competency Based Education Project that aims to replace the existing rote learning model with a competency-based framework as directed in the NEP 2020 over the next 2-3 years
• The Framework is aligned with the NEP vision of achieving global standard in assessments.
• The New National Education policy 2020 envisages a significant shift in the education ecosystem in India.
• It aims at preparing students for the 21st century and lays emphasis on competency-based education rather than an education which tests rote learning.
• The framework is the basis for a larger project exercise currently underway where 40 Assessment Designers, 180 Test Item writers and 360 Master Trainer Mentors are being trained in using this framework to create Model Question bank and collection of Ideal Lesson Plans. I
• In the first phase selected Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, UT Chandigarh and private schools across the country will participate in the programme which will be rolled out to all 25,000 CBSE schools in India by 2024.
• The suggested Assessment framework has been put in place to drive improvement in quality of teaching and implementation of changes recommended in the National Education Policy 2020.
• British Council along with AlphaPlus as the UK knowledge partner, designed and developed this framework after extensive research and analysis of the current learning and assessment model in Indian schools.
• British Council has a global track record of supporting governments and education departments in teacher trainings, building institutional capacity, and contributing to long-term systemic change in school ecosystems.
• This project will directly support 15 education leaders, 2,000 school principals; 15 senior govt leaders; 180 test item writers; 360 master trainers which will further impact 25,000 CBSE schools that include 2,000 JNV's and KV's, 132,000 teachers and 20 million learners by 2024.

Written reply to question in the Rajya Sabha
Safe City Project

Know! about the Project

• ‘Police' and ‘Public order' are State subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India.
• The responsibilities to maintain law and order, protection of life and property of the citizens including crime against women are with the respective State Governments.
• However, as part of several initiatives for safety of women by the Government, Safe City Projects have been sanctioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs under the Nirbhaya Fund scheme in 8 cities (Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow & Mumbai).
• These projects involve identification of hot spots for crimes against women and deployment of various components including infrastructure, technology adoption, and capacity building in community through awareness programmes.

• The project implementation is regularly reviewed by the State Level Apex Committee. Specific details are not maintained in the Ministry.

Prelims Factoids
mazar or mausoleum of ‘Bangabandhu' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Relevance IN - Prelims (about mausoleum of ‘Bangabandhu' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman + Matua Hindus) + Mains ( GS II bilateral relations)
What's the NEWS

• In a rare gesture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the mazar or mausoleum of ‘Bangabandhu' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Tungipara of Gopalganj district during his March 26-27 visit to Bangladesh
• The visit comes at a momentous time in our bilateral ties. Bangladesh is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its liberation war.
• India had lent its full support to this noble cause in which Indian soldiers also sacrificed their lives. India was the first country to recognise Bangladesh in December 1971.
• Both countries are celebrating 50 years of establishing diplomatic ties
• The Prime Minister will participate in the centenary celebrations of Sheikh Mujib upon his arrival in Dhaka
• The visit to Gopalganj is symbolically significant as it is the first time that an Indian leader will pay tributes to Bangabandhu at his grave which was neglected during the military rule of the 1980s in Bangladesh.

Events highlights

• A wide range of events were being planned to commemorate the centenary of Sheikh Mujib, the 50th anniversary of the liberation war of 1971 and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Bangladesh.
• The Bangabandhu-Bapu digital exhibition would be taken to 18 countries by India and Bangladesh and the show would also travel to the United Nations.

mazar of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

• The mazar of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has been developed by the Government of Bangladesh in the last two decades as a major destination for visitors to the country.
• The mausoleum contains the grave of Sheikh Mujib and his parents, Sheikh Lutfar Rahman and Saira Khatun. Sheikh Mujib was buried at his ancestral estate at Tungipara near Dhaka after he was assassinated on August 15, 1975 in a military takeover.

Matua Hindus

• Gopalganj will be in focus also for the visit by Mr. Modi to the Thakurbari at Orakandi, the heartland of the Matua Hindus who constitute a sizeable community in both Bangladesh and West Bengal, where they are expected to play an important role in the coming Assembly elections.
• Matua is a sect of folk Hinduism who are Namasudras, a Scheduled Caste group.
• The movement was launched as a reformation by the followers of Harichand Thakur.
• After Partition in 1947, many of the Matua migrated to West Bengal in India.

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