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1. Cabinet approves setting up of National Nutrition Mission

There are a number of schemes directly/indirectly affecting the nutritional status of children (0-6 years age) and pregnant women and lactating mothers. Inspite of these, level of malnutrition and related problems in the country is high. There is no dearth of schemes but lack of creating synergy and linking the schemes with each other to achieve common goal. NNM through robust convergence mechanism and other components would strive to create the synergy.

Implementation strategy and targets:

Implementation strategy would be based on intense monitoring and Convergence Action Plan right upto the grass root level. NNM will be rolled out in three phases from 2017-18 to 2019-20. NNM targets to reduce stunting, under-nutrition, anemia (among young children, women and adolescent girls) and reduce low birth weight by 2%, 2%, 3% and 2% per annum respectively. Although the target to reduce Stunting is atleast 2% p.a., Mission would strive to achieve reduction in Stunting from 38.4% (NFHS-4) to 25% by 2022 (Mission 25 by 2022).

2. ‘India Awarded Certificate of Commendation for Its Effort to Combat Illegal Wildlife Trade”: Dr Harsh Vardhan

The Environment Minister said that the award has been presented to WCCB under the Ministry for its efforts in conducting and coordinating a species specific wildlife enforcement Operation, codenamed “Operation Save Kurma”. Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that India is the only recipient of the Certificate of Commendation at the 69th Standing Committee meeting of CITES at Geneva. He added that “Operation Save Kurma” was conducted in the country by the WCCB to combat the proliferating illegal trade in live turtles and its parts from the country to destinations abroad. The Minister pointed out that the operation was also aimed to invite attention of the enforcement agencies towards such illegal trade.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan stated that during the ‘Operation Save Kurma’ conducted from December 15, 2016 to January 30, 2017, approximately 16, 000 live turtles/tortoises were seized and released back into the wild. He said that 55 suspects involved in the illegal trade were also arrested.

3. Shri J P Nadda reviews the preparedness on Seasonal Influenza (H1N1)

During the review meeting, it was brought out that advisories have already been issued during the year to the States and the situation is being weekly monitored by the Union Health Ministry. The Ministry has also undertaken adequate steps to augment capacity of health facilities, to manage cases of Influenza (H1N1) and have further strengthened its testing facilities. The Ministry has also ensured availability of PPE Kits and N-95 Masks for healthcare workers dealing with the cases. It was observed that there are sufficient tablets of Oseltamivir for early treatment of Influenza (H1N1) cases.

4. Smt. Anupriya Patel Launched National Strategic Plan (2017-24) and Mission “SAMPARK”

I pay tribute to all the lives lost to HIV/AIDS not just in India but globally; today let’s pledge that no more lives are lost to HIV anymore. Let us all come together and join hands in this fight against HIV so that together we can end the epidemic by 2030. This was stated by Smt. Anupriya Patel, Minister of State (Health & Family Welfare) at a function to mark World AIDS Day, 2017 organised by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, here today. At the function, Smt. Anupriya Patel also launched the National Strategic Plan 2017-24 and Mission “SAMPARK”, to trace those who are Left to Follow Up and are to be brought under ART services.

5. BIMSTEC Member States discuss draft text of Coastal Shipping Agreement

The objective of the above agreement is to facilitate coastal shipping in the region, thereby giving a boost to trade between the member countries. The agreement would apply to coastal shipping, that is shipping within 20 nautical miles of the coastline. The requirements for movement of vessels in this part of the sea are different from standard requirements of deep sea shipping. Coastal ship movements require smaller vessels and lesser draft, and therefore, involve lower costs. Once the agreement is ratified by the member countries and becomes operational, a lot of cargo movement between the member countries can be done through the cost effective, environment friendly and faster coastal shipping route.

6. NITI Aayog and EU Delegation to India release the First ever Resource Efficiency (RE) Strategy for India

Resource efficiency is a strategy to achieve the maximum possible benefit with least possible resource input. Fostering resource efficiency aims at governing and intensifying resource utilisation in a purposeful and effective way. Such judicious resource use brings about multiple benefits along the three dimensions of sustainable development - economic, social and environmental.

Highlights of the RE Strategy:

The Resource Efficiency Strategy includes the core-action plan for the period 2017-2018 and medium term action plan for 2017 – 2020 with the following key elements:

• Institutional development including setting up an inter-departmental committee and Task force of experts,

• Capacity development at various levels for strengthening of capacities and sharing of best practices,

• Development of an indicator monitoring framework for baseline analysis

• Launch of Short term course on RE under the MHRD GIAN Programme

• Promotional and regulatory tools in selected sectors (automotive and construction) such as Ecolabeling for Secondary Raw Material (SRM) products, recycling standards, R&D and Technology Development, Sustainable Public Procurement, development of Industrial clusters and waste-exchange platform, information sharing & awareness generation along with development of sectoral action plans.

It is expected that the strategy will pave the way forward in taking the agenda towards resource security and minimizing environment impact by setting up a framework. The strategy implementation would also identify need for setting up a Bureau for Resource Efficiency (BRE) which creates a prominence and enabling platform for this topic like the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in India.