India celebrates National Energy Conservation Day on December 14 every year. The day is dedicated to advocating initiatives to conserve energy resources and raising public awareness of global warming and climate change.

The need for energy resources is expanding along with the world’s population. However, for sustainable growth, we need to come up with ways that could cut down energy consumption.

 

National Energy Conservation Day History : The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), established under the Union Ministry of Power, has been organising the National Energy Conservation Day since 1991. BEE aids in the creation and execution of strategies and programmes to reduce excessive energy usage. In 2001, the committee also signed “The Energy Conservation Act."

 

On this day, additional strategies are also considered, with the primary objective of reducing climate change impact through holistic development. Numerous activities, including conferences, discussions, workshops, and competitions, are held all around the country to commemorate the day.

 

National Energy Conservation Day Significance : National Energy Conservation Day is commemorated to raise awareness of the value of energy and the need to conserve it by using less of it. Utilising less energy by avoiding wasteful uses of energy is the precise definition of energy conservation. To store energy for later use, it is crucial to use it wisely now. To have a greater impact on the energy conservation plan, energy conservation should become ingrained in every individual’s habits.

 

Eminent Indian dignitaries present the country’s major economic sectors with the annual energy conservation awards to honour their remarkable efforts in promoting energy saving. The awards are given across 17 industries and 5 categories, including industry, buildings, transportation, institutions, and appliances.

 

The awards honour inventiveness and energy-saving feats by businesses, and producers of appliances with the BEE star label. They also spread awareness of how important energy conservation is to India’s effort to combat global warming by using less energy. The accolades also honour their steadfast dedication to energy efficiency and conservation. The programme has inspired businesses and other institutions to implement energy-saving practices..

Source : News18

The Karnataka Health Minister, Dr K Sudhakar has inaugurated 14th Dec 2022 at 11 AM, 114  Namma clinics in all the districts of Karnataka.

* Namma clinics Aim : To provide elderly care, emergency medical services, health check-ups and medicines to urban poor

* In the initial phase, 114 clinics has launched simultaneously across the state.

* The government is working to operationalise all 438 Namma clinics across the state soon and all the remaining ones will be operational by January 2023..

Source : The Print

WHO announced that Dr Jeremy Farrar will become its new Chief Scientist. Currently, Director of the Wellcome Trust, Dr Farrar will join WHO in the second quarter of 2023.

 

Dr Amelia Latu Afuhaamango Tuipulotu will become WHO's Chief Nursing Officer. Previously Minister for Health of the Kingdom of Tonga, and before that Tonga’s Chief Nursing Officer, Dr Tuipulotu will join WHO in the first quarter of 2023.

 

As WHO’s Chief Scientist, Dr Farrar will oversee the Science Division, bringing together the best brains in science and innovation from around the world to develop and deliver high quality health services to the people who need them most, no matter who they are and where they live.

 

Dr Farrar is a clinician scientist who, before joining Wellcome in 2013, spent 17 years as Director of the Clinical Research Unit at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Viet Nam where his research interests were in global health with a focus on emerging infectious diseases..

Source : WHO

India and Finland on Tuesday(13th Dec 2022) signed a joint declaration of intent to work towards developing a common framework to make it easier for people to study, do research and work in each other's country.

 

The declaration was signed by Minister of State for External Affairs "V Muraleedharan" and Finland's Minster of Employment "Tuula Haatainen" primarily to arrive at a mutually beneficial arrangement on migration and mobility.

"The declaration underlines the resolve of both countries to work jointly towards developing a common framework of arrangement and cooperation to facilitate mobility of students, academics, researchers, business people and professionals and to combat irregular migration," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

 

Haatainen is on a visit to India. "India and Finland share warm and friendly relations underpinned by common values of democracy, freedom, rule of law and respect for human rights," the MEA said in a statement. Ritva Koukku-Ronde, Ambassador of Finland to India, and other senior officials from the government of India and Finland were present on the occasion of signing the declaration..

Source : Outlook India

 

New Zealand has introduced a steadily rising smoking age to stop those aged 14 and under from ever being able to legally buy cigarettes in world-first legislation to outlaw smoking for the next generation.

 

Associate health minister Ayesha Verrall said at the law’s passing on Tuesday(13th Dec 2022) : “Thousands of people will live longer, healthier lives and the health system will be $5bn better off from not needing to treat the illnesses caused by smoking, such as numerous types of cancer, heart attacks, strokes, amputations.”

 

New Zealand is believed to be the first country in the world to implement the annually rising smoking age, ensuring tobacco cannot be sold to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009.

 

It will be accompanied by a slew of other measures to make smoking less affordable and accessible, including dramatically reducing the legal amount of nicotine in tobacco products and forcing them to be sold only through specialty tobacco stores, rather than corner stores and supermarkets.

 

The country has also increased funding for health services and campaigns, and rolled out quitting services specifically for Māori and Pacific communities.

 

The number of stores legally allowed to sell cigarettes will be reduced to a tenth of their existing levels – from 6,000 to just 600 nationwide. The laws passed their final reading on Tuesday evening, and will come into force in 2023, as New Zealand attempts to reach its goal of making the country “smoke-free” by 2025..

Source : Theguardian

Maruti Suzuki India Limited (Maruti Suzuki) informed the exchanges on 12 December 2022 that it has unveiled the Wagon R Flex Fuel prototype model in Delhi.

The first-of-its-kind mass segment Flex Fuel prototype car was launched in the presence of Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari.

 

Aligned with the government’s clean and green initiatives, the Wagon R Flex Fuel prototype has been designed to run on any ethanol-petrol blend between 20 percent (E20) and 85 percent (E85) fuel. The car is designed and developed locally by engineers of Maruti Suzuki, with necessary support from Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan.

 

The Wagon R Flex Fuel prototype vehicle has an upgraded engine designed specifically to use higher ethanol-blended petrol.

To make the engine compatible with higher ethanol blends (E20-E85), new fuel system technologies like heated fuel rail for cold start assist and ethanol sensor for ethanol percentage detection have been built. Further, components like engine management system, upgraded fuel pump and fuel injector, among others, have been developed along with the upgradation of other mechanical components to ensure engine as well as vehicle durability.

 

To align with the latest regulations, Maruti Suzuki has developed engine management system strategies and emission control systems to comply with the stringent BS6 Phase-II emission norms.

 

“Being the first-time development for such a technology for Indian conditions and being targeted to fully meet the stringent emission norms, Maruti Suzuki plans to do extensive evaluation of this technology in the Indian market with Indian ethanol-blended fuel”..

Source : Moneycontrol

The Meghalaya government, which has adopted a ‘jan andolan’ (people’s movement) against Tuberculosis, on Friday(9th Dec 2022) received an award for best practices in controlling the disease that affects 2.6 million people in India every year..

 

* The award for Best Practice in Advocacy, Communication and Social Mobilisation(ACSM) in Tuberculosis control was presented to representatives of the health department at a national workshop, aimed at ending TB infections, in the national capital.

 

* Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma took to Twitter to congratulate the team that led the relentless drive in the state.

 

* “Meghalaya was awarded for Best Practice in Advocacy, Communication and Social Mobilization in Tuberculosis control at the National Workshop on ACSM to end TB in India,” he stated.

 

* Despite the pandemic impacting service delivery and TB notifications, innovative mitigation strategies were deployed to ensure that notifications were back to pre-pandemic levels, State TB Officer M Mawrie told PTI.

 

* The state registered 4,189 TB cases in 2021 while in the first quarter of 2022, around 1,075 patients have been enrolled for treatment, the officer said.

 

* Prime Minister Narendra Modi had put a national target to eliminate the disease that affects over 26 lakh Indians each year by 2025, five years ahead of WHO’s Sustainable Development Goals, the officer said.

 

* A National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination (2017-25) has also been launched reorienting the programme’s focus to ensure greater community engagement..

Source : The Print

The Kerala Forest department in association with Noolpuzha grama panchayat has launched the ‘Vanikaran’ (afforestation) project to root out invasive plants, especially Senna spectabilis, and restore natural forests.

 

The project was being executed on 30 hectares of forestland under the Sulthan Bathery forest range of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, where exotic invasive plants, including Senna spectabilis, Eupatorium, Mikania micrantha, and Lantana camara, were posing a serious threat to the local species of trees, S. Ranjith Kumar, Assistant Wildlife Warden of the sanctuary.

 

 

* As many as 87 workers of Kadambakkad, Golur and Kalichira tribal hamlets had planted 3,000 bamboo seedlings and 1,000 fruit plant saplings on 3.5 hectares of forestland so far, said Ms. Satheesh.

 

* Apart from planting the saplings, the authorities ensure the protection of plants for the next five years under the project. The workers have also constructed soil bunds and pits for harvesting rainwater to ensure availability of water for the saplings.

 

* The department had proposed the expansion of the project to 200 hectares in Sulthan Bathery, Kurichyad, and Muthanga forest ranges under the sanctuary in the coming years, she said. The panchayat was able to provide 2,756 working days to tribal families under the project..

Source : The Hindu

Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Monday(12th Dec 2022) virtually inaugurated 10 district court digitisation hubs (DCDH) in Odisha.

 

* With Monday's(12th Dec 2022) inauguration, a total of 15 DCDHs have now become functional in the state, with each catering to a neighbouring district, thus covering all 30 district courts.

 

* Appreciating the information and communication technology (ICT) measures adopted by the Orissa High Court under the leadership of its Chief Justice S Muralidhar, he said, "Digitisation should be accompanied by a push for e-filing of cases."

 

* He also said that the Orissa High Court, with its digitisation initiatives, is now a "role model" for all other high courts of the country.

 

* "Very soon, the Orissa High Court would be mentoring the entire judiciary of the nation in the field of digitisation."..

Source : Business Standard

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually participate in a programme commemorating Sri Aurobindo’s 150th birth anniversary on 13 December 2022.

 

The programme, being held in Kamban Kalai Sangam, Puducherry, under the aegis of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, will witness the Prime Minister releasing a commemorative coin and postal stamp in honour of Sri Aurobindo. 

 

Sri Aurobindo, born on 15th August 1872, was a visionary who made lasting contributions to India’s freedom struggle.