New strategies to tackle malnutrition

         Highlights:

• The Vice President referred to the difficulty in bringing about a change in age-old dietary habits of the people and suggested the involvement of local community at the grass roots to effectively convey the message for consumption of nutritious food.
• Calling upon the nutrition scientists to accord the highest priority to eliminating the triple burden of malnutrition comprising under-nutrition, over-nutrition and micronutrients deficiencies (hidden hunger), the Vice President wanted National Institute of Nutrition(NIN) to align its research with the National Nutrition Mission, which seeks to improve the nutritional indicators of children, pregnant women and lactating women.
• He recalled renowned scientist Prof. M.S. Swaminathan’s suggestion that India needs to shift its focus from food security to nutrition security and eradicate three kinds of hunger - protein hunger (caused by protein deficiency), calorie hunger (caused by calories deficiency) and hidden hunger (caused by deficiency of micronutrients).
• The Vice President urged the scientists and practitioners working in the fields of health, agriculture and nutrition to interact with each other regularly and exchange information and knowledge. He said that a holistic strategy and concerted effort was required to tackle the menace of malnutrition.

         Present Problems:

• Despite a rapid economic development, modernization and urbanization it is indeed paradoxical that we are facing lifestyle disorders, including obesity, on the one hand and malnutrition on the other.
• NIN’s Urban report indicate our changing food habits with disproportionate instant and junk food components and our sedentary life style for the rising incidence of lifestyle diseases.
• Over 33 per cent of men and 44 per cent of women in urban areas (16 States) were overweight or obese. Similarly, about 20 per cent of urban population was suffering from diabetes mellitus and more than 25 per cent was hypertensive.
• India was ranked 103 among 119 countries in the Global Hunger Index of 2018.

         About National Nutrition Mission:

• Government is implementing several schemes and programs under the Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services Scheme as direct targeted interventions to address the problem of malnutrition in the country.
• All these schemes address one or other aspects related to nutrition and have the potential to improve nutritional outcomes in the country.
• POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission) is a flagship programme of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), Government of India, which ensures convergence with various programmes i.e., Anganwadi Services, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) of MWCD Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), National Health Mission (NHM), Swachh-Bharat Mission, Public Distribution System (PDS), Department Food & Public Distribution, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation.
• The goals of NNM are to achieve improvement in nutritional status of Children from 0-6 years, Adolescent Girls, Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers in a time bound manner during the next three years beginning 2017-18.
• The NNM is a comprehensive approach towards raising nutrition level in the country on a war footing. It will comprise mapping of various Schemes contributing towards addressing malnutrition, including
• a very robust convergence mechanism.
• ICT based Real Time Monitoring system, incentivizing States/UTs for meeting the targets.
• incentivizing Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) for using IT based tools.
• eliminating registers used by AWWs, introducing measurement of height of children at the Anganwadi Centres (AWCs).
• Social Audits.
• setting-up Nutrition Resource Centres, involving masses through Jan Andolan for their participation on nutrition through various activities, among others.

Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana

        About Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana:

• Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana is a government-backed accident insurance scheme in India. It was originally mentioned in the 2015 Budget speech by Finance Minister in February 2015.
• It was formally launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9 May in Kolkata.
• As of May 2015, only 20% of India's population has any kind of insurance, this scheme aims to increase the coverage.
• Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana is available to people between 18 and 70 years of age with bank accounts. It has an annual premium of Rs.12 exclusive of taxes.
• The GST is exempted on Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana. The amount will be automatically debited from the account. The accident insurance scheme will have one year cover from june 1 to May 31 and would be offered through banks and administered through public sector general insurance companies.
• In case of accidental death or full disability, the payment to the nominee will be 2 lakh and in case of partial Permanent disability Rs.1 lakh. Full disability has been defined as loss of use in both eyes, hands or feet. Partial Permanent disability has been defined as loss of use in one eye, hand or foot.
• This scheme will be linked to the bank accounts opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana scheme. Most of these account had zero balance initially.
• The government aims to reduce the number of such zero balance accounts by using this and related schemes. Now all Bank account holders can avail this facility through their net-banking service facility at any time of the year.
• Eligibility: Bank Account holders between 18 years (completed) and 70 years (age nearer birthday) who give their consent to join / enable auto-debit, as per the modality, will be enrolled into the scheme.
• Policy period: The cover shall be for one year starting from June 1 to May 31 of next year. For the Saving Account holder joining on or after June 1, the cover shall commence from the date of premium debit and end on May 31 of next year.
• Premium: Rs. 12 per annum.
• Payment Mode: The premium will be directly auto-debited by the Bank from the subscribers savings account held with the Bank. This is the only mode available. For renewal of the policy, it will be auto debited between May 25 and May 31, unless the customer has given a cancellation request to the Bank for the policy.
• Risk Coverage: Total coverage (sum-insured) under the scheme is Rs. 2 Lakh.

Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme

         About PMEGP:

• Government of India has approved the introduction of a new credit linked subsidy programme called Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) by merging the two schemes-  Prime Minister's Rojgar Yojana (PMRY) and Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP) for generation of employment opportunities through establishment of micro enterprises in rural as well as urban areas.
• PMEGP is a central sector scheme administered by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MoMSME).
• At the national level, the Scheme is being implemented by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), a statutory organization under the administrative control of the Ministry of MSME as the single nodal agency.
• At the State level, the Scheme will be implemented through State KVIC Directorates, State Khadi and Village Ind ustries Boards (KVIBs) and District Industries Centres (DICs) and banks.
• The Government subsidy under the Scheme will be routed by KVIC through the identified Banks for eventual distribution to the beneficiaries / entrepreneurs in their Bank accounts.
• The Implementing Agencies, namely KVIC, KVIBs and DICs will associate reputed Non Government Organization (NGOs)/reputed autonomous institutions/Self Help Groups (SHGs) / National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) / Udyami Mitras empanelled under Rajiv Gandhi Udyami Mitra Yojana (RGUMY), Panchayati Raj institutions and other relevant bodies in the implementation of the Scheme, especially in the area of identification of beneficiaries, of area specific viable projects, and providing training in entrepreneurship development.

         Objectives:

• To generate continuous and sustainable employment opportunities in Rural and Urban areas of the country
• To provide continuous and sustainable employment to a large segment of traditional and prospective artisans, rural and urban unemployed youth in the country through setting up of micro enterprises.
• To facilitate participation of financial institutions for higher credit flow to micro sector.

         Salient features of the scheme:

• The Scheme is implemented through KVIC and State/UT Khadi & V.I. Boards in Rural areas and through District Industries Centres in Urban and Rural areas in ratio of 30:30:40 between KVIC / KVIB / DIC respectively.
• No income ceiling for setting up of projects.
• Assistance under the Scheme is available only to new units to be established.
• Existing units or units already availed any Govt. Subsidy either under State/Central Govt. Schemes are not eligible.
• Any industry including Coir Based projects excluding those mentioned in the negative list.
• Per capita investment should not exceed Rs. 1.00 lakhs in plain areas and Rs. 1.50 lakhs in Hilly areas.
• Maximum project cost of Rs. 25.00 lakhs in manufacturing sector and Rs. 10.00 lakhs in Service Sector.

Leading with Emotional Intelligence

         Highlights:

• The pursuit of emotionally intelligent leadership is one of the leadership strategies for dramatic turnaround of Railways that would stay in a cultural transformation to achieve aspirational goals.
• Workshops were arranged for top level leaderships — General Managers and Divisional Railway Managers using MHS EQI 2.0 as the anchor instrument for driving emotionally intelligent leadership in measurable and replicable way.
• General Managers have also been empowered to organize these Workshops for the junior officers working in the Divisions, for a qualitative impact on productivity and well being of the large workforce that Indian Railways have with an intention to improve the overall work environment.
• Indian Railways also plans to train its trainers for conducting similar courses for the young officers joining Railways and at various levels of career development.

        BACKGROUND:

• Emotional Intelligence refers to the capability of a person to manage his or her emotions and possess the capability to control the emotions of others as well.
• MHS EQI 2.0 has been developed by Multi Health Systems, Canada based on rigorous research and validation.  World’s first scientifically validated Emotional Intelligence assessment test was created by Dr. Renven Bar-on and has been in use since 1997.
• Indian Railways also plans to train its trainers for conducting similar courses for the young officers joining Railways and at various levels of career development.
• EQI as a tool, helps in change management for helping mitigate stress, increase learning agility, promote employee recognition, make better decisions, take proactive actions and recover from adversity.