''Har ghar Tiranga'' campaign to begin from July 22

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to ask Indians to hoist or display the National Flag at their homes from August 13 to August 15 as part of the Har Ghar Tiranga initiative of the government.
• In a series of tweets, which marked the anniversary of the adoption of the National Flag in 1947, Mr. Modi said, 22 July has a special relevance in our history. It was on this day in 1947 that our National Flag was adopted.

Shri Goyal With collective efforts, GeM can become the largest public procurement platform in the world

• Government e Marketplace (GeM) is an online platform for public procurement in India which was envisaged by the Hon’ble Prime Minister.
• The initiative was launched on August 9, 2016 by Ministry of Commerce and Industry, with an objective to create an open and transparent procurement platform for government buyers.
• The portal has transformed public procurement in India by driving its three pillars viz. inclusivity, transparency, and efficiency.
• GeM has about 61,440 Government Buyer Organizations and about 47.99 Lakh Sellers & Service Providers with a rich listing of over 41.44 lakh Product Offerings and 1.9 lakh Service offerings.
• All states (except Sikkim) have already signed MoUs with GeM. As many as 239 CPSUs are also registered on GeM and making significant procurement through GeM Portal.

Medical support to Pregnant Women

• Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), a demand promotion and conditional cash transfer scheme for promoting institutional delivery.
• Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK) entitles every pregnant woman to free delivery, including for caesarean section, in public health institutions along with the provision of free transport, diagnostics, medicines, other consumables, diet and blood.
• Over 25,000 ‘Delivery Points’ across the country have been strengthened in terms of infrastructure, equipment, and trained manpower for provision of comprehensive RMNCAH+A services.
• Surakshit Matratva Ashwasan (SUMAN) for providing assured, dignified, respectful and quality healthcare at no cost and zero tolerance for denial of services for every woman and newborn visiting the public health facility to end all preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
• Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) provides pregnant women a fixed day, free of cost assured and quality Antenatal Care on the 9th day of every month.
• LaQshya (Labour room Quality improvement Initiative) to improve the quality of care in Labour room and Maternity operation theatres to ensure that pregnant women receive respectful and quality care during delivery and immediate post-partum.

Ukraine and Russia sign UN-backed deal to restart grain exports

• The deal makes provisions for the safe passage of ships. It foresees the establishment of a control center in Istanbul, to be staffed by U.N., Turkish, Russian and Ukrainian officials, to run and coordinate the process.
• Ships would undergo inspections to ensure they are not carrying weapons.
• No Russian ship would escort vessels and that there would be no Russian representative present at Ukrainian ports.
• The agreement potentially averted the threat of a catastrophic global food crisis.
• Ukraine is one of the world’s largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but Russia’s invasion of the country and naval blockade of its ports have halted shipments.
• Some grain is being transported through Europe by rail, road and river, but the prices of vital commodities like wheat and barley have soared during the nearly five-month war.

Centre says, Setting up of regional benches of SC under examination of the Constitutional Bench

• The Eighteenth Law Commission in its 229th Report suggested that a Constitutional Bench be set up at Delhi and four Cassation Benches be set up in the Northern region at Delhi, the Southern region at Chennai/Hyderabad, the Eastern region at Kolkata and the Western region at Mumbai.
• The Chief Justice of India in 2010, found that there is no justification for setting up benches of the Supreme Court outside Delhi. However, the Apex Court, in another writ petition has found it proper to refer the matter to Constitutional Bench for authoritative pronouncement.
• The matter is sub-judice.
• Article 130 of the Constitution of India provides that the Supreme Court shall sit in Delhi or in such other place or places as the Chief Justice of India may, with the approval of the President, from time to time, appoint.

India''s doctor-population ratio better than WHO

• In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar said the doctor-population ratio in the country is 1:834 whereas WHO standard is 1:1000.
• The Minister said as per the National Medical Commission, there are 138009 registered allopathic doctors besides 565000 AYUSH doctors. The Minister said there are over 34 lakh registered nursing personnel and 13 lakh allied and healthcare professionals in the country.
• The Minister further said the government is taking all possible measures for increasing the availability of doctors in the country, which include increasing UG and PG medical seats.

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day after completing the special mentions

• Special Mentions are made by Members of Parliament on matters of public importance with the permission of Honorable Chairman Rajya Sabha, under Rule 180B.
• The Minister concerned with the subject matter is required to respond in writing by intimating the Member within 30 days of the factual position or the action taken/proposed to be taken.
• This instrument evolved later on. There was no specific provision in the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Rajya Sabha in regard to the mentioning of matters of urgent public importance in the House by members till 1 July 2000.

Burhanpur In Madhya Pradesh Is 1st Har Ghar Jal Certified District

• Burhanpur is the only district in the country where all people from each of 254 villages have access to safe drinking water through taps.
• Only 36.54 percent of over one lakh households in Burhanpur had potable drinking water through tap connections at the time of the launch of Jal Jeevan Mission on 15th August 2019.
• Despite various disruptions and challenges in face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the consistent efforts by Panchayat representatives, Pani Samitis and district officials of Burhanpur have led to the provision of functional tap water connections to all its 1 lakh 1 thousand 905 rural households within a span of 34 months.