National Current Affairs May 2017

Parliament Passed ‘Mental Health Bill 2016’

• The Mental Healthcare Bill 2016, that provides for mental healthcare and services for persons with mental illness, and also decriminalises suicide, secured parliamentary approval on March 28, 2017.
• The Bill, passed by the Rajya Sabha in August, 2016, ensures every person shah have a right to access mental health care and treatment from mental health services fun or funded by the appropriate government.
• It also assures free treatment for such persons if they are homeless or poor, even if they do not possess a Below Poverty Line card.

‘World Conference on Environment’ Held

• The President of India, Pranab a Mukherjee inaugurated the ‘World Conference on Environment’ organised by the National Green Tribunal in New Delhi, on March 26, 2017.
• Recent studies and systematic reviews indicate that environmental factors arc responsible for an estimated 24% of the global burden of disease in terms of healthy life years lost and 23% of all deaths.
• Children are the worst sufferers of the adverse impact of environmental diseases. 24% of all deaths under the age of 15 are due to diarrhoea, malaria and respiratory diseases—all of which are environment related.
• 19% of the deaths caused by cancer worldwide are attributed to carcinogens “that unmindful industrialisation produces.

Read More – Daily Current Affairs

MHA Issued Advisory Regarding Strict Compliance of ‘Flag Code of India, 2002’

• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued advisory regarding strict compliance of ‘Flag. Code of India, 2002’ on March 23, 2017.
• The MHA has issued an advisory to the Chief Secretaries/ Administrators of all State govemments/UT Administrations, Secretaries of all Ministries/Departments of government of India, reiterating to ensure strict compliance of the provisions contained in the ‘Flag Code of India, 2002’ and ‘The Prevention of Instdts to National Honour Act, 1971’.
• The advisory directs that mass awareness programmes be carried out in this regard and also give wide publicity through advertisements in the electronic and print media.
• The advisory states that the National Flag represents hopes and aspirations of the people of our country and hence should occupy a position of honour. There is universal affection and respect for, and loyalty to, the National Flag.
• The advisory states that on important national, cultural and sports events, Flags made of paper only are used by public in terms of the provisions of the ‘Flag Code of India, 2002’ and such paper Flags are not discarded or thrown on the ground after the event.
• Such flags are to be disposed of, in private, consistent with the dignity of the flag. Wide publicity, for not using the National Flag made of plastic, should be made along with its advertisement in the electronic and print media.

23rd Conference of Auditors General of Commonwealth Countries and British Overseas Territories Held

• The Union Minister of Finance, Defence and Corporate Affairs Arun Jaitley addressed the 23rd Conference of Auditors General of Commonwealth nations and 9 British Overseas Territories in New Delhi March 22, 2017.
• The conference will have the main theme of’Fostering Partnerships for Capacity Development in Public Audit’.
• The conference will be attended by 52 Commonwealth Countries and 9 British Overseas Territories.

5th Rashtriya Sanskrit Mahotsav Organised

• The Fifth ‘Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM) 2017’ was organised in North Eastern Region of India by Ministry of Culture from March 23 to 31, 2017.
• The essential thrust of Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM) is to present rich diversity and uniqueness of Indian culture and to promote the cultural inter-linkages amongst the States to strengthen National integration and also to bid the artists of other parts of the country with the people of North East in a single thread of culture.
• The festival will showcase the spectacular diversity of India, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Gujarat to Bengal through folk, tribal and classical art forms in all its . dimensions—dance, music, drama, puppetry, handicrafts and food.