This page contains "16th August 2018" current affairs analysis from different newspapers and magazines like The Hindu, Indian express, PIB and Yojna.
Quality and relevance are two key features considered while writing the content, all the topics are based on the pattern of previously asked questions in exams like UPSC CSE, IAS, State PCS, SSC, Banks PO and likewise competitive exams.
Converting used cooking oil into bio-fuel (RUCO)
In a bid to collect and convert the used cooking oil to bio-diesel, the The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) launched RUCO (Repurpose Used Cooking Oil).
What is RUCO (Repurpose Used Cooking Oil) scheme ?
RUCO (Repurpose Used Cooking Oil) scheme is launched by The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to collect and convert the used cooking oil to bio-diesel.
FSSAI has already notified standards for used cooking oil and is now planning to introduce regulations for companies that use large quantities of cooking oil to hand it over to registered collecting agencies to convert it into biofuel.
Few companies like McDonald has already started converting used cooking oil to biodiesel, now the initiative is aimed at enabling 64 companies from 101 locations to collect used cooking oil.
A co-ordinated action in the area can yield 220 crore litres of used cooking oil for the production of biodiesel by 2022.
Under the guidelines the companies using more than 100 liters of oil for frying have to maintain a stock register and will be responsible to ensure that Used Cooking Oil is handed over to only registered collecting agencies.
To ensure effective compliance of used cooking oil regulations, FSSAI is also working in partnership with Biodiesel Association of India and the food industry.
To strengthen the move FSSAI is also planning to publish guidance documents, tips for consumers and posters in this regard. It is also conducting several awareness campaigns through its e-channels.
The "aerogel" could help build Mars habitats
A transparent heat-resistant gel is developed by scientist using beer waste, the gel named as "aerogel" can be used to build greenhouse-like habitats for future human colonised on Mars.
What is "aerogel" ?
The "aerogel" is a transparent heat-resistant gel made from beer waste, it like a flattened plastic contact lens that can be used on buildings on Earth to help make huge savings on energy costs.
The transparent feature of the gel makes it even more useful and can be applied on windows and in extraterrestrial habitats, this way sunlight can be harvested through the thermally-insulating material while preventing heat.
Aerogel's thin film is made of crisscrossing patterns of solid material that trap air inside billions of tiny pores. this trapping capacity makes them such good insulators.
The uniform pattern of Aerogel makes the light to pass through unbothered, giving the gel its transparent appearance, they are also cheaper to produce because of coming from the beer waste.
A thin, flexible film of "aerogel" is roughly 100 times lighter than glass that can be used not only on windows but smart clothes, for insulating cars and protecting firefighters.
No child left behind policy
According to GHI and Global Nutrition Report 2016, mortality among Indian children less than 5 years old has declined to around 5 per cent from 11 per cent during the period between 1992-2017, while 25 per cent of India's children less than 5 years old are still malnourished.
The Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2017 indicates that, wasting (low weight for height), continues to be 21 per cent for children less than 5 years in India, it was 20 per cent in 1992.
GHI has recorder a reduction in stunting (height for age) from 61.9 per cent in 1992 to 38.4 per cent in 2017, for Indian children under 5 years.
Government's initiatives
National Nutrition Mission (NNM), or Poshan Abhiyaan is launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development to ensure convergence among the various programmes of the government.
National Nutrition Strategy (NNS) is prepared by NITI aayog, to isolated the 100 most backward districts affected by stunting and prioritised for interventions.
Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), to include pregnant and nursing mothers and children up to 6 years, ICDS has a network of 1.4 million Anganwadi Centres, reaching almost 100 million beneficiaries.
Mid-day meals (MDM), a school meal programme of the Government of India designed to improve the nutritional status of school-age children nationwide.
Public Distribution System (PDS), to distribute subsidised food and non-food items to India's poor. It reaches over 800 million people under the National Food Security Act.
Way ahead
Above mentioned facts indicates that despite various programmes to improve nutrition and a 7 per cent compound annual growth rate over the last decade, the levels of under-nutrition are still high in the country.
ICDS, MDM and PDS needs to be re-engineered for greater effectiveness. Public-private partnerships should be including for positive results, as it will engage local communities, generate employment and ensures minimal leakage as it works with and inside the community.
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