United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has recently recognized India’s extraordinary progress in advancing Maternal Health and Family Planning.

• United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency.
• UNFPA is a subsidiary organ of the UN General Assembly.
• Its mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.
• It aids to promote gender equality and empower women, girls and young people to take control of their bodies and their futures.
• It leads programmes to prevent, respond to and mitigate gender-based violence in over 153 countries and territories.
• It reports to the UNDP/UNFPA Executive Board of 36 UN Member States and receives overall policy guidance from the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
• Executive Board – It provides intergovernmental support to and supervision of the activities of UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS.
• It ensures that UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS remain responsive to the evolving needs of programme countries.
• It supports the work of UNFPA in delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.
• Resources and Funding – All UNFPA funding is voluntary in nature.
• It is entirely supported by voluntary contributions of donor governments, intergovernmental organizations, the private sector and foundations and individuals, not by the United Nations regular budget. (Statement 2 is incorrect)
• United Nations Population Award – Each year, the Committee for the United Nations Population Award honours an individual and/or institution.
• It is awarded in recognition of outstanding contributions to population and reproductive health questions and to their solutions.
• The Award was established by the General Assembly in 1981, in resolution 36/201, and was first presented in 1983.
• It consists of a gold medal, a diploma and a monetary prize.
• The Committee for the United Nations Population Award is comprised of:
  • 10 UN Member States, with United Nations Secretary-General and
  • UNFPA Executive Director serving as ex-officio members.
• India – UNFPA has recently Honoured India’s Leadership in Maternal Health and Family Planning.
• The programmes implemented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to improve maternal health outcomes toward achieving zero preventable maternal deaths:
  • Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan Yojana (SUMAN),
  • Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) and
  • Midwifery Services Initiative.
• India’s monumental efforts are:
  • Reducing the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) by an impressive 70% between 2000 and 2020 and
  • Positioning the country to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of an MMR below 70 before 2030.
• This remarkable progress has saved the lives of thousands of women across the country, particularly those from marginalized communities.
• UNFPA has played a key role in expanding the basket of contraceptive choices, including the recent inclusion of Subdermal Implants and injectable Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate.

Rice Fortification Initiative

Cabinet has recently approved continuation of supply of free Fortified Rice under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and other welfare schemes from July, 2024 to December, 2028.

• Rice fortification involves the addition of Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) enriched with micronutrients (Iron, Folic Acid, and Vitamin B 12) as per standards prescribed by FSSAI to regular Rice (Custom Milled Rice).
• The initiative will complement the interventions adopted under the Anaemia Mukt Bharat strategy of the Union Government.
• The rice fortification initiative will continue as a central sector initiative with 100% funding by the Union Government. (Statement 3 is incorrect)
• It is a part of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) (Food Subsidy), thus providing a unified institutional mechanism for implementation. (Statement 3 is incorrect)
• It is implemented by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA). (Statement 2 is incorrect)
• Need for the initiative – Food fortification has been used globally as a safe and effective measure to address anaemia and micronutrient malnutrition in the vulnerable population.
• Rice being an ideal vehicle for supplying micronutrients in the Indian Context as 65% of India's population consumes rice as a staple food.
• According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) conducted between 2019 and 2021, anaemia remains a widespread issue in India, affecting children, women and men across various age groups and income levels.

Ayurveda

President of India Graced 8th Foundation Day Celebration of All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi recently.

• Ayurveda is one of the oldest holistic medical systems in the world.
• It focuses on establishing harmony between mind, body and spirit.
• It is a very ancient medical system, it is becoming popular in the world at a very fast pace.
• The initiatives to promote Ayurveda include:
• Ayush Aushadhi Pharmacy Programme – Aims to make quality Ayurvedic medicines accessible to all, enhancing healthcare delivery through Ayurveda.
• Ayush Aushadhi Kendra – To provide authentic and affordable Ayurvedic medicines to rural areas.
• Shashwat Ayush Expo – The exhibition is focused on nature, environment and waste management.

Malabar, Yudh Abhyas and Udara Shakti

Exercise Malabar, 2024

• It is the 28th edition of the multi-national maritime exercise that was held on October, 2024 at Visakhapatnam, India.
• It is a bilateral exercise between India and the USA.
• Key participants include:
  1. Eastern Naval Command (India)
  2. U.S. Pacific Fleet
  3. Self Defence Fleet (Japan)
  4. Joint Force Maritime Component Commander (Australia)
• The exercise includes both harbour and sea phases, featuring live weapon firings, complex surface, anti-air and anti-submarine warfare drills, and joint manoeuvres.
• The exercise aligns with India's vision of Security & Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).

Yudh Abhyas, 2024

• It is the 20th edition of India-USA Joint Military Exercise that was held at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan of India.
• Aim of the Joint Exercise is to enhance joint military capability of both sides to undertake counter terrorism operations in a sub conventional scenario.
• The exercise will focus on operations in the semi-desert environment.
• Tactical drills to be rehearsed during the exercise include joint response to a terrorist action, joint planning and combined field training exercises that simulate real-world counter-terrorism missions.

Udara Shakti, 2024

• It is a bilateral air force exercise between India and Malaysia that aims to improve military cooperation, mutual understanding, and operational expertise.
• The 2024 exercise was held in Kuantan, Malaysia, and was hosted by the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).
• Aimed at bolstering operational efficiency, technical experts of both Air Forces engaged in exchange of their maintenance practices.

ASEAN Plus Three

• ASEAN Plus Three (APT) consist of 10 ASEAN Member States and the People’s Republic of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea.
• The APT Cooperation process began in December 1997 and since than has evolve as the main vehicle to promote East Asian Cooperation towards the long-term goal of building an East Asian Community, with ASEAN as the driving force.
• The APT has become one of the most comprehensive cooperation frameworks in the region.
• It continue to be broadened and deepened in a wide range of areas that include:
  • Political-security, trade and investment, finance, energy, tourism, agriculture and forestry, environment, education, health, culture and arts and so on among others.
• The APT also supports the implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025.