19th January 2021
Topic Covered:
- Road Safety.
- Glory.
- Drug Trafficking.
Topic: Road Safety
What is the news?
- Ravee Singh Ahluwalia, the Chief Executive of the Patiala Foundation, was rewarded for his work in road safety by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in New Delhi today.
- The National Road Safety Month was inaugurated at the Vigyan Bhawan.
- Ahluwalia was recognized for the innovative design of the Children Challan Book for students.
- The Patiala Foundation was granted “special consultative status” by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
Patiala Foundation- a Patiala based NGO working in the social sector since 2009 and in consultative status with the UN-ECOSOC since 2018 has been featured in the book under the project initiated by ISRN (Indian Social Responsibility Network) and the Ministry of Culture, Govt of India.
About Children Challan Book:
- The ‘Children Challan Book’ designed by the Patiala Foundation under its Road Safety Project ‘SADAK’ has been selected among the best practices selected through several rounds of screening and recognized at the national level.
- Mr. Ravee S Ahluwalia, the Patiala Foundation’s main official, attended the book unveiling in Delhi.
- Enumerating on his experiences during the Road Safety Project “SADAK’ which he started in 2017, he said that it has been a personal journey of learning and growth for him.
- The huge magnitude of avoidable mortality and morbidity on the roads pushed him to venture into the road safety initiative to do his bit towards reducing it.
- He works extensively with school children, college and university students, drivers and other stakeholders to create awareness and provide technology-based scientific solutions to the problem of Roadside accidents.
- He designed the Children Challan Book to create awareness among children who are future stakeholders and their parents through active learning and developing problem-solving among children, thereby working towards bringing a behavior change in their parents towards responsible driving and adherence to road safety rules.
- The Patiala Foundation had already distributed 2000 Children Challan books among school children of Patiala till date.
- Active feedback from the children also provides an insight into parental behavior towards road safety, thereby helping to make practical strategies towards finding solutions to the increasing menace of roadside accidents.
Topic: Glory
What is the news?
- The PGIMER doctor is among the world’s top 20 researchers for universal health coverage.
Why important?
- Dr Prinja is the only researcher from India who features in this list of the top 20 researchers based on the volume of research, the impact of research and the quality of journals in which it is published.
- Prinja received the prestigious B.C. Shrivastav Foundation Award for his research on universal medical coverage from the Indian Council of Medical Research.
(Source: Indian Express)
Topic: Drug Trafficking
What is the news?
- Punjab, Himachal, Haryana Most vulnerable states due to drug trafficking: NCB official.
Reason:
- There are certain laws and specific acts including The Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in the NDPS Act, 1988 for preventing repeat offenders from drug smuggling, but larger sections of our police forces are not aware of it.
- The state police is lagging behind due to financial investigations in drug trafficking cases.
- Currently, drug trafficking occurs through the Darknet, something that is not common for local police personnel.
- Acquittal in the case of NDPS Acts registered by state police authorities is also a great matter of concern.
- 96 per cent of the internet world is hidden. What we’re looking at is just 4%. There is a great need for cyber expertise on drug smuggling cases.
- Big fish mostly manage to escape the agencies, the reason being, no concrete proof since they operate through digital modes, Internet, etc.
About NCB:
- The Narcotics Control Bureau is Indian federal law enforcement and intelligence agency. It is under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. The agency is responsible for dealing with drug trafficking and the use of illicit substances under the provisions of the Narcotic Control and Psychotropic Substances Act.
- Founded in 1986 with HQ in New Delhi.
Primary governing body: Government of India
Secondary governing body: Ministry of Home Affairs (India)
Parent agency: Ministry of Home Affairs
(Source: Indian Express)