Ministry of Commerce and Industry has recently announced setting up of National Medical Devices Promotion Council during WHO Global Forum on Medical Devices.
It will be under the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).
The council will be headed by Secretary of DIPP.
It aims to give fillip to the medical device sector which is a sunrise sector.
It will act as a facilitating and promotion & developmental body for the Indian Medical Devices Industry (MDI).
ECO Niwas Samhita 2018
Ministry of Power has recently launched the ECO Niwas Samhita 2018 which is an Energy Conservation Building Code for Residential Buildings (ECBC-R).
ECBC for commercial buildings is already in place since 2017.
ECBC-R aims to benefit the occupants and the environment by promoting energy efficiency in design and construction of homes, apartments and townships.
It will assist architects and builders who are involved in design and construction of new residential complexes.
Implementation of this code will have potential for energy savings to the tune of 125 Billion units of electricity per year by 2030, which is equivalent to about 100 million ton of Co2 emission.
National Energy Conservation Day
It is celebrated every year on 14th December by Ministry of Power in association with Bureau of Energy Efficiency.
It is organized every year to recognize the efforts of industry and other establishments towards promoting energy efficiency.
BEE is a statutory body under Ministry of Power, set up under the provisions of Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
Its mission is to assist in developing policies with the primary objective of reducing energy intensity of the Indian Economy.
Energy Conservation Act provides for regulatory and promotional functions of BEE.
It is mandated to implement policy and programmes in the area of energy efficiency and conservation.
India has committed to reduction of 33-35% GHG emission by 2030 as part of the document submitted to UNFCCC.
Vaccine to Protect Bees
Scientists have recently developed world's first vaccine to protect bees against disease.
It aims to tackle the drastic decline in insect numbers which could cause a global food crisis.
The vaccine works by giving bees resistance to fight off severe microbial diseases that can be fatal for pollinator communities.
UN-led research in 2016 found that more than 40 percent of invertebrate pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies, are facing extinction.
Bees are vital for growing the world's food as they help fertilise crops around the globe, by transferring pollen from male to female flowers.
Diseases are believed to be just one of a number of reasons for the loss of pollinators, alongside pesticides and intensive farming, which reduces the diversity of insects' nutrition.
Law Against the Offence of Sextortion
Sextortion refers to sexual exploitation of women by those in positions of authority, having a fiduciary relationship, or a public servant.
Jammu & Kashmir has become the first State in the country to bring a law to prevent people in power from exploiting subordinates sexually.
J&K Governor has approved an amendment to Jammu and Kashmir Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018, to incorporate the new Section.
He also approved Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2018 to amend the definition of misconduct and to provide that demand for sexual favours would also constitute misconduct within the meaning of Section 5.
Dhubri-Phulbari Bridge
It is the new bridge going to be constructed across Brahmaputra between Dhubri on North bank and Phulbari on South bank.
It will connect Assam and Meghalaya with the rest of the country.
The implementing agency is the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL), a fully owned company of Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.
This project is being funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
At present, the 9.15-km-long Dhola-Sadiya bridge (Bhupen Hazarika Setu) over the Brahmaputra (Lohit river) is the longest one in the country.
Once completed, Dhubri-Phulbari will be the longest bridge in the country beating the length of Dhola-Sadiya Bridge.
