Rajasthan

• 24 Mar 2023

Four-Day Divisional Level Health Fair Started

Why in News?

On 23 March 2023, Rajasthan's Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Tikaram Jully inaugurated the four-day divisional level health fair- Arogya Mela organised at the playground of Babu Shobharam Government Arts College, Alwar.

Key Points

• Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Tikaram Jully said that fulfilling Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's vision of a healthy Rajasthan, divisional level health fairs are being organised in the state.
• He informed that better medical facilities are being provided to the people of the state through the 'Chiranjeevi Yojana'. Under this scheme, a health cover of up to Rs 25 lakh has been kept for the general public. Along with this, the state government has implemented 'Right to Health' providing the right to health to the common man.
• District head Balbir Singh Chhillar said that steps like Arogya Mela to promote Ayurveda will increase people's faith in Ayurveda.
• Deputy Director of Ayurveda Department Rajendra Singh said that 179 medical officers, 179 compounders and nurses from all the districts of Jaipur division participated in the fair.
• On this occasion, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Tikaram Jully inaugurated the green house medicinal plant exhibition at the divisional level health fair and shared information about various medicinal plants in the green house like Hadjod, Tulsi, Vasa, Harsingar, Ghrit Kumari, Amla, Anjeer, Arjun, Varun, Shigru, Giloy.
• 16 OPD stalls and 15 medical store stalls have been set up at the divisional level health fair, which include Homoeopathy medical consultation, Unani medicine, Agni Karma therapy, Shalya (Ksharsutra) therapy, Jaloka therapy, Panchakarma therapy, Geriatric therapy OPD.
• Specially stall of National Institute of Ayurveda Honorary University Jaipur was also set up in the fair, on which information about Ayurveda system was given through brochures and pamphlets.

Workshop on 'Early Childhood Care and Education in India'

Why in News?

On 23 March 2023, Rajasthan's Education Minister Zahida Khan inaugurated a two-day workshop on “Convergence and Management of Governance for Universalization and Quality Early Childhood Care and Education in India” by National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) in Jaipur.

Key Points

• Representatives from 16 states are participating in the workshop.
• Education Minister Zahida Khan told that many innovations are being done in Rajasthan with special focus on 'Early Childhood Care and Education' (ECCE), which is exemplary for other states of the country. . Rajasthan's innovations like integration of Anganwadi centres into schools have been included in the National Education Policy-2020.
• He informed that 'School Readiness Programme' has been implemented in more than 68 thousand schools of Rajasthan. At present, about 62 thousand Anganwadi centres are being operated in the state under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), out of which more than 42 thousand Anganwadi centres will be linked with the education department, focusing on early childhood care and education.
• The optimal development of children in the age group of 1 to 6 years is considered to be the most critical in childhood. The state government is working vigorously in this direction by identifying the important components of ECCE according to the need of the hour.
• Commissioner of Rajasthan School Education Council and State Project Director Dr. Mohanlal Yadav said that in order to eliminate unnecessary mental pressure on children in Anganwadi centres, school and at home, an initiative has been taken to reduce the syllabus by condensing the textbooks of this level and to implement innovation like 'No Bag Day' on Saturdays in Rajasthan.
• By incorporating Anganwadi centres in schools in the state, 'Child Friendly Furniture' has been made available in more than 37 thousand Anganwadi centres and materials for outdoor games for children in more than 34 thousand Anganwadi centres so far. Rajasthan ranks first in the country in programs like National Achievement Survey, Performance Grading Index and Khelo India.
• NIEPA Professor Dr. Rashmita Das told about ECCE that the responsibility of education of children in the age group of 3 to 6 years in the country has been borne by the government, which earlier had the monopoly of the private sector; civil society is also contributing to this.
• A framework is being established for uniform pre-primary education across the country, which can be implemented in all states and union territories.