PIB Analysis 05-01-23
‘Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development (BIND)’ Scheme
- “Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development” (BIND) has been initiated for infrastructure development of Prasar Bharati i.e. All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) at a cost of ₹2,539.61 crore.
- BIND is a Central Sector Scheme under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
- Its aim is to provide financial support to Prasar Bharati for expansion and upgradation of its broadcasting infrastructure, content development and civil work related to the organization.
- The BIND scheme will enable the public broadcaster to undertake a major upgradation of its facilities with better infrastructure which will widen its reach, including in the LWE, border and strategic areas and provide high quality content to the viewers.
- Another major priority area of the scheme is the development of high-quality content for both domestic and international audience and ensuring availability of diverse content to the viewers by upgradation of capacity of DTH platform to accommodate more channels.
- Purchase of OB vans and digital upgradation of DD and AIR Studios to make them HD ready will be also be done as part of the project.
Elimination of Kala-Azar by 2023
- India is committed to eliminating Kala Azar from the country by 2023.
- 632 (99.8%) endemic blocks have already achieved elimination status (<1 case/10,000).
- Only one block (Littipara) of Pakur district, Jharkhand is in the endemic category (1.23 case/10,000 population).
- Government has taken several steps towards elimination of Kala-Azar by 2023.
- Such as interventions like pucca houses through Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), rural electrification, timely testing, treatment, periodic high-level review, to incentivizing through award distribution for states/districts/blocks, government along with its stakeholders are ensuring a robust ecosystem for early detection of the disease and its timely treatment.
- Government of India is supporting the states in active case detection, surveillance, treatment, supply of diagnostic kits, medicines, sprays etc.
- Since Kala-azar impacts those among the lower socio-economic strata of society, early diagnosis & complete case management, integrated control and surveillance along with capacity building of human resource must be taken up on ground level.
- For spreading public awareness, information regarding messages on prolonged fever, associated symptoms and free access to diagnosis and treatment and compensations /incentives, other government interventions are required to be widely disseminated through various mediums
- About 90% of global cases of kala Azar were reported from eight countries: Brazil, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan in 2021, with India contributing 11.5% of total cases reported globally.
- Kala-azar is endemic in 633 blocks of 54 districts in four endemic states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
- It is a notifiable disease in these states.
- Currently more than 90% of the Kala-azar cases are contributed by Bihar and Jharkhand.
- Uttar Pradesh (2019) and West Bengal (2017) states have achieved their elimination targets at the block level.
