eSanjeevani’ integrated with Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission

• The integration allows the existing users of e-Sanjeevani to easily create their Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) and use it to link and manage their existing health records like prescriptions and lab reports, etc.
• The users would also be able to share their health records with doctors on eSanjeevani which will help in better clinical decision making and ensuring the continuum of care.
• The integration of eSanjeevani with ABDM is one such example where the 22 crore ABHA holders can link and store their health records created via eSanjeevani directly in the health lockers of their choice. The users can also share their previously linked health records with the doctors on eSanjeevani making the entire consultation process paper-less.

Delhi airport to soon have RFID tags for check-in baggage for easy tracking

• Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is a technology that uses radio waves to automatically identify various tagged objects. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a wireless tracking method that uses tags and readers to track objects.
• Transponder, receiver, and transmitter are the three components of an RFID system.
• The RFID reader continually sends radio waves of a specific frequency in RFID system. If the object to which the RFID tag is attached is within the range of the radio waves, it provides feedback to the RFID reader, which then identifies the object based on the feedback.

Radio-frequency identification technology Vs barcodes

• RFID uses radio waves to communicate data from RFID chips to readers that do not require line of sight in order to obtain the data, whereas barcodes use light to read the black-and-white pattern printed on the sticky tag. An RFID tag can communicate with a powered reader even when the tag is not powered.
• When printed on paper or sticky labels, barcodes are more susceptible to wear and breakage, which can affect their readability. RFID tags, on the other hand, are sometimes placed in plastic labels or into the object itself, making them more durable than barcodes.
• In contrast to barcode scanners, RFID scanners can process dozens of tags in a single second. Also, barcodes are simple and easy to copy or counterfeit, whereas RFID is more complicated and difficult to replicate or counterfeit.
• Unlike barcodes, which must in line of sight, RFID tags need not be.
• Also, RFID tags are expensive compared to barcodes.

D2M technology, and how could it change your mobile behaviour

• The technology, called ‘direct-to-mobile’ (D2M) broadcasting, promises to improve consumption of broadband and utilisation of spectrum. The technology is based on the convergence of broadband and broadcast, using which mobile phones can receive terrestrial digital TV.
• It would be similar to how people listen to FM radio on their phones, where a receiver within the phone can tap into radio frequencies. Using D2M, multimedia content can also be beamed to phones directly.
• It can possibly be used to directly broadcast content related to citizen-centric information and can be further used to counter fake news, issue emergency alerts and offer assistance in disaster management, among other things.
• More so, the content should stream without any buffering whatsoever while not consuming any internet data.

180-kilometre plant, the world''s largest, found in Australia

• The ribbon weed, or Posidonia australis, has been discovered in Shark Bay by a group of researchers from Flinders University and The University of Western Australia.
• These researchers have also found that the plant is 4,500 years old, is sterile, has double the number of chromosomes than other similar plants, and has managed to survive the volatile atmosphere of the shallow Shark Bay.
• The ribbon weed covers an area of 20,000 hectares. The second largest plant, is the clonal colony of a quaking Aspen tree in Utah, which covers 43.6 hectares. The largest tree in India, the Great Banyan in Howrah’s Botanical Garden, covers 1.41 hectares.

National Herald case: Rahul Gandhi returns to Delhi from abroad following ED summons

• BJP MP Subramanian Swamy had in his complaint in 2013 alleged that the Gandhis acquired properties owned by the National Herald by buying the newspaper’s erstwhile publishers, AJL, through an organisation called Young India — a Section 25 company — in which they have 86% stake.
• As per the Companies Act, 1956, a Section 25 company — similar to what is defined under Section 8 under Companies Act, 2013 — is a not-for-profit charitable company.
• It is formed with the sole object of “promoting commerce, art, science, religion, charity, or any other useful object, and intends to apply its profits, if any, or other income in promoting its objects, and to prohibit the payment of any dividend to its members”.
• Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013 includes other objects such as sports, education, research, social welfare and protection of environment among others.
• While it could be a public or a private company, a Section 25 company is prohibited from payment of any dividend to its members. Section 25 states that by its constitution the company is required/ intends to apply its profits, if any, or other income in promoting its objects and is prohibited from paying any dividend to its members.”

Keep eco-sensitive zone of 1 km around forests: Supreme Court

• Environment Ministry guidelines show that the purpose of declaring ESZs around national parks, forests and sanctuaries is to create some kind of a “shock absorber” for the protected areas.
• These zones would act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to those involving lesser protection.
• The judgment observed that the government should not confine its role to that of a “facilitator” of economic activities for the “immediate upliftment of the fortunes of the State”.
• In a series of directions, the court held that in case any national park or protected forest already has a buffer zone extending beyond one km, that would prevail.
• In case the question of the extent of buffer zone was pending a statutory decision, then the court’s direction to maintain the one-km safety zone would be applicable until a final decision is arrived. The court directed that “mining within the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries shall not be permitted”.

ncc''s puneet sagar campaign to culminate on june 5, 2022

• Puneet Sagar Abhiyan was launched by NCC to clean Sea Shores/Beaches and other water bodies including rivers & lakes, of plastic & other waste and increase awareness amongst the local population about importance of keeping the beaches and river fronts clean.
• The purpose of the Abhiyan is to educate locals and sensitise them about ‘Swachh Bharat’.
• About 74,000 cadets from 10 States and 4 Union Territories will participate in the campaign during this phase. The NCC cadets shall also be joined in by NCC Alumni, locals and tourists in several places across the country.
• The waste collected during the campaign will be disposed of in an environment friendly manner in cooperation with Government/Private agencies.

The “SHRESHTA” Scheme was Launched by Union Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar

• The Scheme will be beneficial for SC students those who could not reach for higher quality education. It provides for high quality education for meritorious but poor SC students in CBSE-affiliated reputed residential schools across the country.
• Approximately 3,000 seats are provided each year for admission in class 9th and 11th and the entire cost of the school fee and residential charges are borne by the Department.
• The students, belonging to Scheduled Castes, studying in class 8th and 10th in the current academic year are eligible for availing the benefits of scheme are selected through a transparent mechanism through a National Entrance Test for SHRESHTA (NETS), which is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission in class 9th and 11th.
• Students belonging to marginalized income group within the SC community, whose parental annual income is upto Rs.2.5 Lakh are eligible.
• Successful candidates, after following the e-counselling process, are given admission in the school of their choice anywhere in the Country for their academic persuasion.
• The Department shall bear the total cost of the school fee and hostel charges till completion of their academic upto class 12th. There after the students of the scheme may avail benefits of other schemes of the Department for their higher education.