Why is it in the News?

Recently, the Union Government has decided to rename the current Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) as 'Ayushman Arogya Mandir.'

About Ayushman Arogya Mandir:

• The government has decided to rename the Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres as 'Ayushman Arogya Mandir'
• The rebranded AB-HWCs will also have a new tagline -- 'Arogyam Parmam Dhanam'.
• Under the Government of India's flagship Ayushman Bharat Yojana, more than 1.6 lakhs AB- HWCs have been successfully established across states and UTs over the last five years with 219 crore footfalls so far.
• Ayushman Arogya Mandir is an attempt to move from a selective approach to health care to deliver a comprehensive range of services spanning preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative care.
• It has two components which are complementary to each other.
• Under its first component, 1,50,000 Ayushman Arogya Mandir will be created to deliver Comprehensive Primary Health Care, that is universal and free to users, with a focus on wellness and the delivery of an expanded range of services closer to the community.
• The second component is the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) which provides health insurance cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per year to over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families seeking secondary and tertiary care.
• Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are envisaged to deliver an expanded range of services that go beyond Maternal and child health care services.
• It includes care for non-communicable diseases, palliative and rehabilitative care, Oral, Eye, and ENT care, mental health, and first-level care for emergencies and trauma , including free essential drugs and diagnostic services
• More than 2.71 crore wellness sessions have been held at these centers.

Why is it in the News?

The Union Cabinet recently gave its approval for the three-year extension of fast-track courts that are specifically used to handle sexual offense cases.

About Fast Track Special Court (FTSC):

• The Fast Track Special Court (FTSC) initiative started in August 2019 as a centrally sponsored scheme to handle cases related to rape and the POCSO Act.
• Originally planned for one year, it got extended to March 2023, and now it's extended further until March 2026 with a financial allocation of Rs. 1952.23 crore from the Nirbhaya Fund.
• These specialized courts, totaling 761, including 414 exclusive POCSO Courts, operate across all States and Union Territories.
• The Department of Justice, Ministry of Law & Justice, oversees their implementation.
• The primary aim is to expedite justice, offering quick relief to victims and reinforcing the nation's commitment to ending sexual and gender-based violence.
• The expected outcomes of this scheme are significant.
• They include a substantial reduction in pending cases related to Rape & POCSO Act, providing swift access to justice for victims through improved facilities and expedited trials, and reducing the burden on the judicial system by managing the number of cases effectively.

Why is it in the News?

Angkor Wat, in the heart of Cambodia, has beaten Pompeii in Italy to become the eighth Wonder of the World.

About Angkor Wat Temple:

• Angkor Wat is among the most significant archaeological sites of Southeast Asia, located in the northern province of Siem Reap in Cambodia.
• The temple was constructed by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century.
• It was originally built as a Hindu temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu by the Khmer Emperor Suryavarman II, it was converted into a Buddhist temple by his successor Jayavarman VII, who also built the famous Buddhist temple of Bayon nearby.
• The transition from Hinduism to Buddhism is evident in the intricate carvings that adorn the temple walls, depicting scenes from Hindu and Buddhist mythology.
• An interesting fact about Angkor is that it is also known as Yasodharapura.
• The name Angkor is derived from nokor, a Khmer word meaning "kingdom," which is derived from Sanskrit nagara, which means "city."
• Angkor Wat is said to represent Mount Meru, the home of the gods, according to both Hindu and Buddhist faiths.
• It is also famous for its statue of eight-armed Vishnu, also revered by the locals as their protecting deity.
• It holds the Guinness World Record for being the largest religious structure in the world, spread across some 400 km sq.
• In 1992 the temple complex was named a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Why is it in the News?

India has voted in favour of a draft resolution in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that expressed deep concern over Israel not withdrawing from the Syrian Golan.

About the Syrian Golan/Golan Heights:

• Location: Situated in south-western Syria, the Golan Heights is a rocky plateau sharing borders with Israel, Lebanon, and Jordan.
• The elevated terrain overlooks the Jordan Rift Valley, housing the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River, with Mount Hermon as a dominant feature.
• Demography: Over 40,000 people reside in the Israeli-occupied Golan, with a majority being Druze, an Arab minority practicing a distinct form of Islam.
• Although Israel offered Druze residents citizenship after annexation, most identified as Syrian and declined.
• Additionally, about 20,000 Israeli settlers live in the region.
• History of Conflict: Originally part of Syria, Israel captured the Golan Heights in 1967 during the Six-Day War and formally annexed it in 1981.
• Syria attempted to reclaim the area in the 1973 Middle East war but was unsuccessful.
• While an armistice was signed in 1974, international recognition of Israel's annexation is lacking, and Syria insists on the territory's return.
• Significance of Golan Heights: Israel argues that maintaining the Golan as a buffer zone is vital due to the Syrian civil war, protecting Israeli towns from neighboring instability.
• Concerns also include the fear of Iran, an ally of the Syrian president, establishing a permanent presence near the border for potential attacks on Israel.
• Both nations value the Golan's water resources and fertile soil.

Why is it in the News?

The 2023 Booker Prize has been awarded to Prophet Song, a dystopian vision of Ireland in the grips of totalitarianism.

Key Facts:

• Irish author Paul Lynch won the 2023 Booker Prize for his novel "Prophet Song," a dystopian work about an Ireland that descends into tyranny.
• Set in Dublin, it tells the story of a family grappling with a terrifying new world in which the democratic norms they are used to begin to disappear.
• He becomes the fifth Irish writer to win the high-profile literary prize, which has propelled to fame countless household names, including past winners Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood, and Hilary Mantel.

What is a Booker Prize?

• The Booker Prize is a literary prize awarded every year to the best novel written in the English language which is published in the UK or Ireland.
• It is a high-profile literary prize and thus, is much anticipated among book lovers.
• Background: It was established in 1969 by Booker McConnell Ltd, the prize transitioned to the Booker Prize Foundation in 2002, sponsored by the Man Group.
• Initially, the award was £21,000, increased to £50,000 in 2002.
• Selection Process: An advisory committee, comprising diverse literary figures, appoints a judging panel annually.
• BOOKER PRIZE winners: Indians
• VS Naipaul, In a Free State (1971)
• Salman Rushdie, Midnight’s Children (1981)
• Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things (1997)
• Kiran Desai, The Inheritance of Loss (2006)
• Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger (2008)