RAJASTHAN

Rajasthan eyes to achieve zero indigenous case of malaria by 2022. Malaria, once a common fever, is still contributing not only to mortality and morbidity but imposes economic burden on the people.
In the state, more than 3,000 cases of malaria have reported till date this year. However, for the past two years, no death due to malaria has reported from the state. In 2016, last death due to malaria was reported. In the same year, five persons tested positive for malaria had died. In 2015, three persons died of malaria, while the toll was four in 2014.

India is targeting to eliminate malaria (zero indigenous cases) throughout the entire country by 2030. Rajasthan is among the 26 low and moderate transmission states/union territories (UTs) and it has been assigned to eliminate malaria by 2022.

The challenging task after eliminating malaria is to prevent the re-establishment of local transmission of malaria in areas where it has been eliminated and maintain malaria-free status by 2030 and beyond.

INTERNATIONAL

· Global education monitoring report 2019 released by UNESCO

The report shows that the number of migrant and refugeeschool-age children around the world today has grown by 26% since 2000 and could fill half a million classrooms.
The literacy levels in rural households of India dip with seasonal migration.
About 80% of seasonal migrant children in seven cities lacked access to education near work sites.

· China unveils the world’s first underground hotel

Shanghai unveiled the world’s first underground hotel, the InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland, buried 90 metresdeep in an old quarry.
Built in the Sheshan Mountain Range, on the hem of Shangai, the ritzy hotel costs $287.9million.
The property was built by British firm Atkins, also behind the Burj Al Arab in Dubai and skyscraper Landmark 81 in Ho Chi Minh City.

The World Health Organisation(WHO) in a report stated that India is the only country to have recorded a substantial decline in malaria cases in 2017 out of the 11 highest burden countries worldwide.
India accounted for 4 percentof global malaria cases in 2017.
As reflected in this year’s World malaria report, India registered a 24 percent reductionin cases over 2016, largely due to substantial declines of the disease in the highly malarious state of Odisha, home to approximately 40 percent of all malaria cases in the country.

NATIONAL

The Environment Ministryapproved a project led by scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpurto induce artificial rain via cloud seeding in Delhi. The objective is to clear smog in Delhi. The success of the project depends on the presence of a minimum quantity of rain-bearing clouds over Delhi.
In the project, an aircraft has been planned to fly into the clouds and injectsilver iodide, which will lead to the formation of ice crystals that will make the clouds denser, cause them to condense into rain and settle atmospheric dust enough to clear the sky.
Researchers at IIT-Kanpur will use an aircraft of the National Remote Sensing Agency, an ISRO-affiliated body for the exercise. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) will provide forecasts on the likelihood of conducive clouds. Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) on 20 November was in thevery poor

MWCD links Sexual Harassment Complaints Portal ‘SHe-Box’ to central/ state ministries & districts for speedy disposal of cases

The Ministry of Women and Child Development has linked SHe-Box, the online portal to report complaints of Sexual Harassment at Workplace, to all the Central Ministries, Departments and 653 districts across 33 States/Union Territories.

SHe-Box, which was launched by WCD Minister Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi last year, offers the facility of making online complaints of sexual harassment at workplace to all women employees in the country including government and private employees.

Those who have already filed a written complaint with the concerned Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) or Local Complaint Committee (LCC) constituted under the Sexual Harassment Act are also eligible to file their complaint through this portal.

Government of India to observe the remembrance of 100 years of Jallianwalla Bagh massacre next year

Government of India has decided to mark the remembrance of 100 years of the historical Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre next year.

The Government is planning to renovate the historical site by creating suitable infrastructure for providing basic amenities for the tourists.

The commemorative coin and postage stamps will be released on 13th April, 2019 (the day the incident took place 100 years ago).Ministry of Culture will organise cultural activities such as kavi sammelan, plays, exhibition, seminars, etc. across the country.

The Government has decided to set up a domestic Gold Council in India. Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu said this while inaugurating the 2nd Edition of India Gold and Jewellery Summit in New Delhi.

Mr Prabhu underlined the need for an integrated Gold policy to address all the issues in holistic way.

He said that his ministry will make sure that gems and jewellery business does not suffer from financial issues and his ministry is in talks with Finance Ministry in this regard.