The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, has made a significant achievement by securing its place in the “7th Guinness Book of World Records”. This prestigious milestone entails the department’s successful implantation of ‘Modern Artificial Limbs or Legs’ on 260 Divyangjans within an eight-hour window. The DEPwD already holds six world records in various categories. This latest achievement was announced at the National Conference on “Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS)”, organised by the DEPwD.
Objective of the DDRS Conference
The primary goal of the DDRS conference was to educate and engage stakeholders of the scheme, including Programme Implementing Agencies (PIAs), district-level officers, and state government officials. The DEPwD coupled this announcement with the launch of the second edition of the Indian Sign Language dictionary by the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Center (ISLRTC) for Divyangjans with hearing impairment.
Inauguration of Construction Technology India-2019
In a recent development, the Prime Minister of India inaugurated the Construction Technology India -2019 conference. The primary objective is to identify established, innovative, and globally competent technologies suitable in the Indian context. This convention forms an integral part of the Global Housing Technology Challenge.
Global Housing Technology Challenge Initiative
The Global Housing Technology Challenge is an initiative launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, India. It aims to discover, assess, and shortlist a range of proven and potential innovative technologies from across the globe before assimilating them into the Indian construction sector.
The Challenge comprises three components; an EXPO-Cum-Conference, search for Established Technologies for Lighthouse Projects, and the creation of Affordable Sustainable Housing Accelerators India (ASHA-India) for Indian technologies that are not yet market-ready.
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| 1. EXPO-Cum-Conference | An event to showcase and discuss various technologies |
| 2. Establishment of Lighthouse Projects | Induction of established global technologies into the Indian market through hands-on construction projects. These sites serve as open laboratories for live demonstrations |
| 3. ASHA-India | Promoting Indian technologies that have potential but are not yet market-ready |
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) – PMAY-U- Housing For All
The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), or PMAY (U), is a housing scheme implemented from June 2015 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation. The mission aims to provide housing to all by 2022, offering central assistance to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and implementing agencies across states and union territories. The scheme targets the construction of 1 Crore housing units by 2022.
Poshan Pakhwada Celebration
The Minister for Women and Child Development, has announced the nationwide celebration of ‘Poshan Pakhwada’ from 8th to 22nd March 2019. Marking the first anniversary of the POSHAN Abhiyaan on 8th March (International Women’s Day), 2019, the celebration will include activities such as Poshan Melas, nutrition rallies, school sessions on nutrition, Self-help group meetings, anaemia camps, and more. Special Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) activities through mass media and social media will be carried out to ensure maximum reach, notably with the Social Media Campaign Hashtag #PoshanPakhwada.
