- Panchayat Development Index: It is a multi-domain and multi-sectoral index that is intended to be used to assess the overall holistic development, performance & progress of panchayats. It takes into account various socio-economic indicators and parameters to gauge the well-being and development status of the local communities within the jurisdiction of a panchayat. The nine themes taken into account are poverty free and enhanced livelihood in village, healthy village, child friendly village, water sufficient village, clean and green village, village with self-sufficient infrastructure, socially just and socially secured villages, village with good governance, and women friendly village. This Index ranks panchayats on the basis of scores, and categorises them into four grades. Those with scores under 40 per cent fall in grade D, 40-60 per cent in grade C, 60-75 per cent in grade B, 75 to 90 per cent in category A, while those scoring above 90 per cent will be categorised as A+.
- Lakadong turmeric: Recently, Meghalaya’s Lakadong turmeric has been awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. It is considered to be one of the world’s best varieties of turmeric, with a curcumin content of around 6.8 to 7.5 per cent. It is darker in colour and is grown organically without the use of fertilisers. It is found in Lakadong area of Jaintia Hills, has high curcumin content. Other GI products from Meghalaya: Garo Dakmanda (traditional dress), Larnai pottery and Garo Chubitchi (alcoholic beverage) were also awarded the GI tag,
- Pompe disease: It is a rare inherited disorder that affects one child per million. Mutations in the GAA gene cause Pompe disease. The GAA gene provides instructions for producing an enzyme called acid alpha-glucosidase (also known as acid maltase).This enzyme is active in lysosomes, which are structures that serve as recycling centres within cells. The enzyme normally breaks down glycogen into a simpler sugar called glucose, which is the main energy source for most cells. Mutations in the GAA gene prevent acid alpha-glucosidase from breaking down glycogen effectively, which allows this sugar to build up to toxic levels in lysosomes. Some common side effects and symptoms include muscle weakness, respiratory issues, heart problems and difficulty swallowing. This disease can be:
Infantile-onset: symptoms begin in the first few months after birth.
Late-onset or delayed-onset: symptoms appear later in childhood or in adulthood. It affects males and females equally.The treatment includes enzyme replacement therapy (ERT).
- Cyber Surakshit Bharat Initiative: The National e-Governance Division (NeGD) recently organised the 40th Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) Deep-Dive training programme under the Cyber Surakshit Bharat Initiative. It is an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India. It was conceptualised with the mission to spread awareness about cybercrime and build the capacities of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and frontline IT officials across all government departments. It is an initiative to fortify the cyber security system in India with regard to the Government’s vision of a Digital India. It was launched in cooperation with the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) and various industry partners in India. It can be entitled as the first public-private enterprise of its kind. The partners involved in the origination of this scheme include chief IT companies like Intel, Microsoft, etc.
