National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill, 2019 (NCIM)
Context :
The Union Cabinet has given its approval for proposal of Official Amendments in the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill, 2019 (NCIM).
About NCIM and it’s objectives :
The main objective of establishing NCIM is to promote equity by ensuring adequate supply of quality medical professionals and enforce high ethical standards in all aspects of medical services in Indian System of Medicine.
- The Commission will promote availability of affordable healthcare services in all parts of the country.
- The Commission has been structured to streamline the functions related to academic standards, evaluation, assessment and accreditation of educational institutions pertaining to Indian System of Medicine.
Composition of NCIM :
- The NCISM will consist of 29 members, appointed by the central government.
- A Search Committee will recommend names to the central government for the post of Chairperson, part time members, and presidents of the four autonomous boards set up under the NCISM.
- These posts will have a maximum term of four years.
- The Search Committee will consist of five members including the Cabinet Secretary and three experts nominated by the central government (of which two should have experience in any of the fields of Indian System of Medicine).
Functions of the NCISM include :
- Framing policies for regulating medical institutions and medical professionals of Indian System of Medicine.
- Assessing the requirements of healthcare related human resources and infrastructure.
- Ensuring compliance by the State Medical Councils of Indian System of Medicine of the regulations made under the Bill.
- Ensuring coordination among the autonomous boards set up under the Bill.
Sources : pib
Amendments to National Commission for Homoeopathy Bill, 2019
Context :
Recently, the Union Cabinet has given its approval to the amendments in the National Commission for Homoeopathy Bill, 2019.
- The draft Bill seeks to set up the National Commission for Homoeopathy and replace the Central Council of Homoeopathy by amending the Homoeopathy Central Council (HCC) Act, 1973.
- Currently, the Bill is pending in Rajya Sabha.
The amendments :
- Ensure necessary regulatory reforms in the field of Homoeopathy education.
- Enable transparency and accountability for protecting the interest of the general public.
- Promote the availability of affordable healthcare services in all parts of the country.
Homoeopathy Central Council (HCC) Act, 1973 :
- It was enacted for the constitution of a Central Council of Homoeopathy for the regulation of education and practice of Homoeopathy, for maintenance of Central Register of Homoeopathy and for related matters.
- This Act has been modelled on the pattern of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956.
- The broad functions, constitution, regulation-making powers are identical to those of the Medical Council of India.
- The Act provides a base for the growth of medical education and practice in Homoeopathy but there were some problems in the functioning of the Council.
- It had resulted in harmful effects on medical education and on quality of Homoeopathy healthcare services.
Related : The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020
Nagoba Jatara
Context :
A month-long Nagoba Jatra festival has come to an end in Telangana.
Highlights :
- Nagoba Jatara is a tribal festival held in Keslapur village, Indervelli Mandal Adilabad district, Telangana, thus the festival also known as Keslapur jatara.
- It is a huge religious and cultural event of the Boigutta branch of Mesram clan of the aboriginal Raj Gond and Pardhan tribes.
- During the festival, the maha puja of serpent god Nagoba is held.
Yellow rust in wheat crop
Context :
The detection of yellow rust disease in the wheat crop in sub-mountainous parts of Punjab and Haryana.
In news :
- Yellow rust or stripe rust is a fungal disease which attacks the leaves of wheat crop by forming yellow stripes and affects their photosynthesis that causes shrivelling of grain size.
- It is a disease of cool weather in the northern hills and north-western plains zone.
- The recent rains in the region coupled with a slight increase in the temperature and humid conditions are favourable for yellow rust.
- The minimum temperature have been hovering around 1.6 to 3.0 degree Celsius above normal at many places in parts of Punjab during the past few days.
- It can’t be ignored as it can spread quickly and can cause severe losses in crop yield if not checked in time.
National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)
Context :
NCRB has launched two online national-level services related to Search of Missing Persons and to Generate Vehicle NOC.
- These police-related citizen-centric services have been launched on Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS).
- The services can be accessed through ‘digitalpolicecitizenservices.gov.in’ portal or through a link in the existing ‘Digital Police Portal’.
What is CCTNS project :
Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) is a project initiated in June 2009 which aims at creating a comprehensive and integrated system for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of policing at the Police Station level. This will be done through adoption of principles of e-Governance, and creation of a nationwide networked infrastructure for evolution of IT-enabled state-of-the-art tracking system around “investigation of crime and detection of criminals”. CCTNS is a Mission Mode Project (MMP) under the National e-Governance Plan of Govt. of India.
What it does :
- The Project will interconnect about 15000 Police Stations and additional 5000 offices of supervisory police officers across the country and digitize data related to FIR registration, investigation and charge sheets in all Police Stations.
- It will not only automate Police functions at Police station and higher levels but will also create facilities and mechanism to provide public services like registration of online complaints, ascertaining the status of case registered at the police station, verification of persons etc.
- In 2015, an additional objective of establishing a basic platform for an Inter-operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS)was added to the Project.
Benefits :
- The Full implementation of the Project with all the new components would lead to a Central citizen portal having linkages with State level citizen portals that will provide a number of citizen friendly services like Police Verification for various purposes including passport verification, reporting a crime including cyber-crime and online tracking of the case progress etc.
- The project will enable National level crime analytics to be published at increased frequency, which will help the policy makers as well as lawmakers in taking appropriate and timely action, it will also enable Pan-India criminal/accused name search in the regional language for improved inter-state tracking of criminal movement. This would lead to development of a national database of crimes and criminals.