E-Concurrence Module
Why in News
• As a significant step towards the Digital India vision of the Government, Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has developed an IT module for Ministry of Defence, for integration of competent financial authorities and Internal Financial Advisers (IFA) for online e-concurrence and approval of procurement proposals on GeM portal.
Key point
• The integration module was launched by Shri. Rajnish Kumar, Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA), in the presence of Shri Prashant Kumar Singh, Chief Executive Officer of Government e-Marketplace (GeM) at Defence Accounts Department Headquarters in New Delhi on June 01, 2022.
• The module has been developed by GeM over the course of last one year, utilising Business Process Re-engineering (BPR)-based procedural inputs provided by the Ministry of Defence, Defence Accounts Department Headquarters and the Headquarters of the various defence services and other MoD organisations.
• Procurement by Ministry of Defence (MoD) through Government e-Market (GeM) portal had reached an all-time high of Rs 15,047.98 crore for the Financial Year 2021-22, which is more than 250 percent over the last financial year.
Indo-Italy Military Cooperation Group (MCG)
Why in News
• The 11th edition of the India-Italy Military Cooperation Group (MCG) meeting was held in Rome, Italy from 31 May 2022 to 01 June 2022.
Key point
• India-Italy Military Cooperation Group (MCG) A platform established to promote defense cooperation between the two countries through regular dialogue at strategic and operational levels between Headquarters, Integrated Defense Staff and Joint Staff Headquarters of the Military Forces of Italy. Is
• The meeting was co-chaired by the Deputy Assistant Chief of Integrated Staff IDC (A), Headquarters IDC Brigadier Vivek Narang from the Indian side and Brigadier Alessandro Grassano, Defense General Staff of Italy from the Italian side.
• The meeting of the Military Cooperation Group was held in a friendly, cordial and cordial atmosphere.
• Discussions focused on new initiatives within the ambit of the existing bilateral defense cooperation mechanism and further strengthening of the ongoing defense cooperation.
Monkeypox
Why in News
• Monkeypox is spreading worldwide after the threat of the Kovid-19 pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) has so far said that it has spread to a total of 23 countries. Of these, about 257 cases of monkeypox have been reported so far, while there are about 120 suspected cases.
Key point
• The biggest concern is that this disease is spreading the most in those countries, where it is not mainly found. If the monkeypox virus spreads to children and sick people, then it can take a very serious form in the future. Human civilization is now under threat of Monkeypox virus.
Guideline
• The Union Health Ministry has recently issued guidelines to the states regarding the management of monkeypox.
• The Union Health Ministry said that as of today no case of monkeypox has been reported in India. According to the guidelines, the person infected with monkeypox will be monitored.
• It was said in the guidelines that when a suspicious person is detected, his samples will be sent to the NIV located in Pune for examination.
• Monitoring should be done every day for a period of 21 days after the last contact with a patient or their contaminated material during the infectious period. The ministry has clearly stated in the guideline that a person infected with monkeypox will be monitored for 21 days.
Monkeypox virus
• Monkeypox is a rare and usually mild viral infection. It was mainly found in infected wild animals in parts of Africa. For the first time a monkey was kept for research in the year 1958 where this virus was first discovered. At the same time, this virus was first confirmed in humans in the year 1970.
Symptoms
• It takes between 5 and 21 days for the symptoms of monkeypox to appear.
• These include muscle aches, back pain, fever, headache, tremors, and tiredness. After one to five days of these symptoms, a rash usually starts appearing on the face.
How does the monkeypox virus spread?
• Monkeypox virus can be transmitted by the bite of an infected animal, or by touching its blood, body fluids.
• The monkeypox virus is believed to be transmitted through the bites of animals such as rats, rabbits, and squirrels.
• This virus spreads very rapidly in humans. In a way, it can be said that this disease is also like untouchability. This virus can also spread through sneezing and coughing.
Caste census
Why in News
• The caste census was approved in the all-party meeting held on 01 June 2022 under the leadership of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Key point
• All political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), recently unanimously decided to conduct caste-based census in the near future.
• In the all-party meeting held in Patna, Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced that the Bihar government will conduct the caste census.
• According to media reports, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar held an all-party meeting on 01 June 2022 in Patna. In the meeting, a decision has been taken to conduct caste census with the consent of all. Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav was also present during the decision.
• Chief Minister Nitish Kumar told that after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he was requested to conduct caste based census at the national level.
• This work will have to be done by the state government at the state level. He said that a decision has been taken to conduct caste census in all the parties present in the meeting.
Purpose
• The main objective of the caste census is to advance the people. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that we are going to give its name, caste based calculation.
• In this, all sects and all castes will be counted. This calculation will also tell who is poor and who is rich.
Caste based census
• After the independence of India, from the year 1951 to the year 2011, every 10 years census has been done in the country.
• In this census, only the population of Dalits and Adivasis is counted, no separate record is prepared for any other caste.
• Now many political parties are demanding to count the population on the basis of caste in the census.
• The main reason behind the demand for caste based census is the system of reservation in the country. As there is no caste based census, no authentic data of the number of castes is available at this time.