• Kerala has become the first State to set up a price monitoring and research unit (PMRU) to track violation of prices of essential drugs and medical devices under the Drugs Price Control Order (DPCO).
• After Kerala, it is now the turn of Punjab and Gujarat to have PMRU, set up by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority in collaboration with the Department of Health and State Drug Controller.
• The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) had proposed such a system for the States and the Union Territories five years ago.
• PMRU is aimed at monitoring the notified prices of medicines, detection of violation of the provisions of DPCO, pricing compliance and ensuring availability of medicines, among other objectives.
• PMRU’s will function under the direct supervision of State drug controller.

• Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony was instituted by the Government of India from 2012 recognizing the contributions made by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore to humanity at large with his works and ideas, as part of the Commemoration of his 150thBirth Anniversary in 2012, for promoting values of Cultural Harmony. 
• It is awarded annually and carries an amount of Rs. One Crore (convertible to foreign currency), a citation in a Scroll, a Plaque as well as an exquisite traditional handicraft / handloom item. 
• A committee which selects the awardee comprises of Prime Minister of India, Chief Justice of India, Leader of Opposition and two eminent personalities.
• The Award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or gender.
• The President of India had recently presented the Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony for the years 2014, 2015 and 2016 to Shri Rajkumar Singhajit Singh, Chhayanaut (a cultural organization of Bangladesh) and Shri Ram Vanji Sutar respectively.

• Originally known as Victoria Diamond, Jacob diamond was found in Kimberly mines in South Africa in 1884 and was secretly transported to England to avoid heavy duties then in place for raw diamonds.
• It is almost double the size of Kohinoor Diamond (in the present shape).
• The finished gem, with 58 facets, weighing 185. 75 carats was stunningly beautiful, in its cut, clarity and colour. (Kohinoor weighed only 105.6 carats).
• It is a part of Nizam of Hyderabad’s jewellery collection which was purchased in 1995 by the Government of India at a cost of Rs. 218 Crore.
• Recently, it was kept in the exhibition of rare collection of Nizam’s jewels and jewellery at National Museum, New Delhi.

• To better equip the country in the fight against cybercrime, Union Home Ministry has recently inaugurated a national cyber forensic lab and the Delhi Police’s cybercrime unit ‘Cyber Protection Awareness and Detection Centre (CyPAD)’.
• The CyPAD is a modern, comprehensive facility that aims to provide cyber investigation, cyber forensics, cyber safety and security-related services to the citizens as well as to police units and agencies of Delhi.
• It is the first cybercrime awareness and detection centre opened in the country. 

• The Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences (ITSSO)   is meant for Law Enforcement Agencies in the country.
• ITSSO is an online module available to law enforcement agencies at all levels- National, State, District and Police Station
• It allows State to undertake real-time monitoring and management for completion of investigation in rape cases in 2 months.
• It leverages the existing CCTNS data base, which covers nearly 15000 police stations in the country.

Background

• The Criminal Law Amendment in April 2018 prescribes stringent penal provisions including death penalty for rape of a girl below the age of 12 years.
• For swift administration of justice in such cases, the Act also inter-alia mandates completion of investigation and trials within 2 months.
• To enhance women safety in the country, Government has formulated a multi-pronged action plan and initiated a series of measures.
• ITSSO is one of such measures developed by MHA towards Smart Policing.

• In order to instil sense of security in women in metro cities, Government has identified eight cities for implementation of Safe City projects in first phase at a cost of Rs.2,919 crore.
• The cities are Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow & Mumbai.
• The project will be implemented under the Nirbhaya Fund scheme as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with Centre and state contributing the funds in the 60:40 ratio.
• It involves creation of on-ground assets, resources & behaviour change programs for safety of women.

• National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi has submitted its Report “Magnitude of Substance Use in India” sponsored by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment recently.

• In order to facilitate States to monitor and manage the Safe City projects and avoid duplication on ground, an online Safe City Implementation Monitoring (SCIM) portal has been developed by Ministry of Home Affairs. 
• SCIM will facilitate online tracking of deployment of assets and infrastructure created under the Safe City projects.
• SCIM facilitates an evidence based online monitoring system. 
• Details on assets and infrastructure are captured along with latitude and longitude using GPS for greater transparency.
• SCIM also creates a digital repository of assets, infrastructure and social outreach programs, as well as best practices achieved in each City.  

• The erstwhile Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP), a centrally sponsored scheme has been restructured and renamed as Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram.
• The restructured Programme will be implemented during the remaining period of 14th Finance Commission i.e. up to 2019-20 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
• The PMJVK aims at improving socio-economic conditions of the minorities and providing basic amenities to them for improving quality of life of the people and reducing imbalances in the identified minority concentration areas.
• The projects to be taken up under PMJVK would be related to creation of infrastructure mainly in the sectors of education, health and skill development, besides innovative schemes for improving the socio-economic and living conditions of minority communities and other communities living in the catchment area.

• The great hornbill (Buceros bicornis) also known as the great Indian hornbill, has a wide distribution and can be found in China, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia.
• The large majority of the population is found in India.
• A recent study of great Indian hornbills nesting in the Anamalai hills which forms the southern portion of the Western Ghats has discovered that these birds listed under vulnerable category of IUCN are adapting to the changing environment.
• Increased human activity in their belts, including agriculture, adds the pressure on their habitatsand so their nesting sites need special protection.
• Disintergration of their habitats for agriculture actually turned out to be beneficial for Bengal Florican population.
• Scientists found that the Bengal floricans in Terai use not just the protected grasslands but the agricultural fields, too.
• Floricans need alternating patches of short and tall grass to thrive.
• Till several decades ago, the large herbivores of the terai such as rhinoceroses and swamp deer would help in creating these perfect habitats by clearing those grasslands.
• But now there are fewer mega-herbivores left.
• So this could be triggering this movement of floricans into fields in search of short grass.
• This suggests that conserving these cultivated areas could be as important as protecting the grasslands where these birds breed.