Daily Events January 3.
National List of Essential Diagnostics: ICMR
- The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has proposed a revised version of the National Essential Diagnostics List (NEDL).
- The list was first published by the ICMR in 2019.
- It calculates the minimum number of medical tests to be made available at different levels of health facilities in the country.
- 9 types of diagnostic tests like Diabetes, Malaria, Tuberculosis, HIV and Syphilis should be made available at village level health centres.
- Ayushman Arogya Mandirs should provide ‘Hepatitis-B’ tests in addition to these 9 tests.
- Tests for dengue, Japanese Encephalitis, X-ray, ECG should be available at primary health centres.
- These recommendations are being made to all health facilities, be it village level health centres, Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres, Sub-District Hospitals and District Hospitals.
Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement (EFTA)
- Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal today said the free trade agreement (FTA) signed between India and four European countries – Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland – will be implemented by the end of this year
- In March, India and the four members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland – signed an agreement on trade and economic cooperation.
- In India, such agreements are approved by the Union Cabinet.
- But for EFTA countries, the approval of their respective parliaments is required.
Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna for chess player Kukesh
- The Union Sports Ministry has announced the Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award for Tamil Nadu chess player Kukesh.
- Besides, shooter Manu Bhaker, Indian hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh and Paralympic gold-winning high jumper Praveen Kumar have also been recommended for the Khel Ratna.
- Tamil Nadu’s D Kukesh won the World Chess Championship last month.
- At a young age, he became a world champion.
- He became the youngest player in the history of the World Chess Championship and faced the defending champion Ding Liren of China.
- He won the individual gold medal at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Hungary last year and at the 44th Chess Olympiad in Mamallapuram in 2022.
- Manu Bhaker, a shooter from Haryana, won a gold and a silver medal at the Paris Olympics last year.
- She became the first Indian woman to win two medals at the same Olympics.
- Harmanpreet Singh is the captain of the Indian men’s hockey team.
- He won a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.
- The Indian men’s hockey team won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
- He has also won gold medals at the Asian Games and Asian Championships.
- Praveen Kumar is an athlete from Uttar Pradesh.
- He won a gold medal in Paris and a silver medal in Tokyo.
Nitrate contamination in groundwater:
- As many as 15 districts in four states, including Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu, have been severely affected by nitrate (ion-salt) chemical contamination in groundwater, according to the Central Ground Water Board’s annual groundwater standard report.
- According to the report, the pollution level is rising in 440 districts across the country.
- According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), one litre of water contains 45 mg of nitrate, which is more than the permissible limit.
- In the states of Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Haryana, the permissible levels of groundwater nitrate contamination have increased from 2017 to 2023.
- Increased levels of nitrates in groundwater can cause skin diseases, including ‘blue baby syndrome’, which causes the skin to turn blue in children.
- Uranium contamination can cause kidney damage.
January 3: International Day of Mental Health
- The International Day of Mental and Physical Health is observed on January 3 every year.
Drops of information:
- The Indian side will provide Rs. 8.5 crore for the reconstruction and development of the Karainak Ferry Sector in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka.
- In July last year, the government had constituted a seven-member high-level committee, headed by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan, to review the safety procedures and make recommendations, besides undertaking reforms in the NDA and competitive examinations conducted by it.
- Zimbabwe has abolished the death penalty in the south-east African country.
- The decision to ban the burqa in Switzerland was passed in 2021.
- The burqa has already been banned in several countries, including France, the Netherlands, Sri Lanka, Austria and Denmark.
- Tamil Nadu para-badminton players Nithyasree Sumathi Sivan, Manisha Ramadoss and Thulasima Murugesan have been awarded the Arjuna Award.
- As per the list of awards for the year 2024, the Government of India has announced Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award to 4 people including Kukesh and Arjuna Award to 32 people including Tulsimati.