RAJASTHAN
- 108 ambulance service gets 65% fake calls a month.
- The integrated emergency response service or “Jeevan Vahini” in Rajasthan that provides the 108 and 104 ambulance services, gets 65% fake calls every month, an official said.
- Presently there are 645 emergency 108 ambulances, 586 Janani Express or 104 ambulances meant for ferrying pregnant women to health centers and 192 base ambulances in the state. After an emergency call, an ambulance now takes almost 22 minutes to reach an urban area and 25 minutes for a rural place.
- Apart from free ambulance, the 104 service also offers free medical consultation, complaint registration, suggestions, information dissemination and other similar services.
- By latest, One hundred new ambulances will be added to the 108 emergency medical service in Rajasthan as a replacement for old vehicles.
- Emergency response services in Rajasthan is implemented by a joint-venture between the GVK EMRI (Emergency Management and Research Institute) and state government.
- High-speed internet, open online courses on govt’s plan.
- The state higher education department has outlined an information and communication technology (ICT) strategy to achieve reforms goals for its Vision 2020.
- The vision plan, with objective of making the state’s colleges future-ready, has been approved by the government, a plan document released by the government.
- Under the ICT strategy, the department has outlined projects to introduce e-governance in colleges, high-speed internet connectivity of 4mbps and a large number of open online courses among others and aims to implement them before the end of the academic year.
- Creating of a single database of students and faculties, single gateway for issuing of documents and certificates, and availability of digital contents and curriculum are some the projects included under the plan.
- This will enhance the e-learning habits in the students and option to opt for massive open online courses (MOOC) will be given to students.
- Besides, digital classrooms will be developed in 44 government girls’ colleges with the help of corporate social responsibility projects.
- Government colleges will also be registered with the National Library and Information Services Infrastructure for Scholarly Content and will have access to more than 97,000 e-books and 8,000 e-journals.
- Besides, the plan document states that smart science labs will be set up at seven selected government colleges at divisional headquarters.
- The state government has sanctioned ₹2.5 crore in the 2017-17 budget for implementing the vision plan.
INTERNATIONAL
- VENUS – Satellite launched by Israel to monitor climate change and vegetation.
- Two satellites are launched by Israel including one dedicated to monitoring the effects of climate change on vegetation were successfully launched into orbit.
- The Vegetation and Environment monitoring on a New Micro Satellite — or Venus — is a joint effort between France’s National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) and Israel’s space agency.
- They were launched from Korou, in French Guiana, at 10:56 PM (local time).
- Venus will photograph 110 specific sites across the world every two days for two-and-a-half years, charting the impact of climate change on ecosystems and agriculture as well as studying carbon stocks and plant evolution.
- Philippines bans private use of Firecrackers
- Philippines President RodrigoDuterte signed an executive order banning the private use of firecrackers in the country.
- Health authorities recorded 350 fireworks-related injuries as the country welcomed 2017.
National
- Solar power tariff falls by 80% in seven years
ð Solar power tariff in the country has fallen by 80% since 2010. The maximum tariff for solar power was seen in December 2010 when 150MW was sold at Rs 12.76 per unit under the Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission. Since then, the tariff has fallen steadily with the lowest tariff of Rs 2.44 per unit for 500MW in Rajasthan.
ð The solar power tariff has been falling only when the states or agencies go through the bid mode. Tamil Nadu which followed the power purchase agreement does not figure in the list of states that took advantage of falling solar power tariff until 2015.
ð Tamil Nadu signed several MoUs with solar power companies for Rs 7.01 per unit, states like Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh had firms quoting Rs 5.25 per unit.
- HeliTaxi Services From Bengaluru Airport to Electronic City Launched.
ð Hell Taxi a Private helicopter service provider and Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) 
have partnered to launch HeliTaxi services from Bengaluru Airport.
ð The helicopter service will initially be launched from Bengaluru Airport to Electronic City and gradually expanded to other parts of the city.
· Up to 450% mark-up on knee implants, govt may cap prices
- An analysis by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) shows that importers, distributors and hospitals are earning hefty trade margins that can range from 67% to as high as 449%.
- After capping prices of cardiac stents, the NPPA report can see the government moving in a similar direction with regard to orthopedic knee implants, official sources said, underlining the Centre’s commitment to rationalize cost of medical care and make it more affordable and accessible.
- Though NPPA’s analysis of the price data for knee implants forms a strong basis for the government to bring them under price control, it is ultimately the health ministry which takes a call on placing the devices under NLEM. Thereafter, NPPA will be empowered to cap prices of knee implants.
- India’s first private missile production facility unveiled in Hyderabad.
- India’s first private sector missile sub-systems manufacturing facility Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems (KRAS) plant inaugurated near Hyderabad.
It has been established a line with the ‘Make in India’ initiative and Government’s policy to encourage private sector participation in defense product.
It has invested in designing, developing and manufacturing of weapon systems including Spike Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) systems and remote weapon.
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