04.05.23 Daily [Assam] APSC Current Affairs

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has identified seven black spots that have taken many lives in road accidents over the years inAssam, from central to western part of the state. Frequent accidents for successive years has compelled NHAI to give refurbishment to ease flow of traffic in these black spots to avert road accidents.
According to the ministry of road transports definition, a stretch of road is tagged as a black spot if five road accidents or 10 fatalities are reported for consecutive three years in a stretch of 500 metres.

Scattered from Nagaon district in central Assam to Bongaigaon in lower Assam, these seven black spots Tihujunction, Society Chowk Rangia, Changsari-Madanpur stretch, Dabaka junction,Kishanbazar,Manikpurand Sundari will soon witness infrastructure revamp as a long-term measure.

Psychiatrists who are part of Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele-MANAS), which is operating in about 27 states andUnion Territories, will soon be able to prescribe medicines. This thanks to the programmes upcoming integration with e-Sanjeevani platform, the Union health ministrys flagship telemedicine service.

Till the last week of April, Tele-MANAS, the nodal centre of which is Bengaluru-based Nimhans and which facilitates in-person and telephonic counselling, has handled one lakh calls. It was launched in October 2022.

However, as Tele-MANAS provided only for audio consultation, psychiatrists couldnt prescribe medicines and would ask those needing the same to visit in person. Telemedicine practice guidelines also mandate a video session for the prescription of drugs.

The Dr. Ambedkar Award is an annual award presented to individuals who have made significant contributions to Society in the areas of Education, social welfare, and economics, in the spirit of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was a renowned Indian jurist, economist, social reformer, and politician who played a pivotal role in the drafting of the Indian Constitution and fought for the rights of the oppressed sections of Indian Society.

The Shasan Aplya Dari initiative aims to eliminate the difficulties faced by citizens when availing government Services and benefits. Often, individuals have to navigate through various bureaucratic processes and visit multiple offices to access the schemes they are entitled to. This new drive seeks to simplify the process by bringing the government directly to the peoples doorsteps.

The potential for Japan to join UPI is significant. It would be the first major country to adopt the system, and it could help to boost digital payments in both countries. It would also be a sign of the growing cooperation between India and Japan in the digital space.