National Vaccination Day | North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) | PM POSHAN Scheme | Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojna (BHAVYA) | Methane Emission Hotspot

National Vaccination Day

Health

Context

• India marked National Vaccination Day (March 16) to highlight achievements in immunisation.
• The day is observed to commemorate the first dose of the Oral Polio Vaccine administered in 1995 under the Pulse Polio Programme.

Government Initiatives

• The Universal Immunisation Programme: Launched in 1985 and implemented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, it aims to provide free vaccines to children and pregnant women against various diseases.
• Mission Indradhanush: It was launched in December 2014 by the Government of India to reach children and pregnant women who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.

Recent Initiatives (2026)

• HPV Vaccination Campaign: Targets ~1.15 crore girls (14 years) for cervical cancer prevention.
• Indigenous Td Vaccine: Manufactured at CRI, Kasauli; ~55 lakh doses planned for supply.

Digital Initiatives:

• eVIN: Real-time vaccine stock and temperature tracking;
• U-Win: Digital vaccination registry and tracking platform;
• CoWIN: Enabled administration of 220+ crore COVID vaccine doses.

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)

International

Context

• US President Donald Trump has warned of leaving the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) after its allies declined to assist in securing the Strait of Hormuz.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

• NATO, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance.
• Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium
• Background: It was established by 12 countries from Europe and North America with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as Washington Treaty) in 1949 in Washington, D.C to provide collective security against the Soviet Union attack in the aftermath of World War II.
• Collective Defense: According to Article 5, NATO works on the principle of collective defense, where an attack on any NATO member is considered an attack on all NATO members. So far, Article 5 has been invoked once – in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States in 2001.
• Members: It comprises 32 member states. Sweden became the 32nd member.

PM POSHAN Scheme

Schemes

News

• A Parliamentary Standing Committee has recommended the inclusion of breakfast in the PM POSHAN Scheme & extension of coverage up to Class 12.

PM-POSHAN

• Earlier known as Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) and renamed as PM POSHAN (Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman) in 2021.
• It operates under the Ministry of Education and is approved for the period 2021-22 to 2025-26.
• It is a centrally sponsored scheme (jointly funded by Centre and States) providing one hot cooked meal to students in government and aided schools up to Class 8.
• It aims to address hunger (lack of adequate food intake) and educational outcomes (attendance, retention, learning) simultaneously.

Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojna (BHAVYA)

Schemes

Context

• The Union Cabinet approved the Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojna (BHAVYA), with an allocation of ₹33,660 crore.

Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojna (BHAVYA)

• Aim: To create 100 “future ready” industrial parks that will integrate with the PM GatiShakti programme so that they can avail of that programme’s multi-modal connectivity and last-mile access.
• These parks will set new benchmarks in industrial infrastructure, ensuring reliability, reducing inefficiencies, and enhancing productivity across sectors.
• Land Use: Industrial parks ranging from 100 to 1,000 acres will be taken up for the development.
• Funding: While the Central government will provide funding of up to Rs 1 crore per acre, the scheme is meant to include the involvement of the respective State governments as well as the private sector.
• Infrastructure: Core infrastructure like internal roads, underground utilities, drainage, common treatment facilities, ICT and administrative systems.
• The National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC), under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, will play a key role in implementing the initiative.
• The scheme duration would be for six years starting in 2026-27.

Additional Information –  PM GatiShakti

• It was launched in – 2021
• Objective – to enhance the country’s infrastructure and promote seamless connectivity across various sectors.
• Significance – It is a transformative approach for economic growth and sustainable development which is driven by seven engines – railway, roads, ports, waterways, airports, mass transport and logistics infrastructure.
• Implementation: PM Gati Shakti will incorporate the infrastructure schemes of various Ministries and State Governments like Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways, dry/land ports, UDAN etc.

Methane Emission Hotspot

Environment

Context

• Recent satellite-based research by the Stop Methane Project (UCLA) has revealed that a small number of oil and gas sites account for disproportionately high methane emissions.

Connect with the basics – Methane

• Methane (CH₄) is a colorless, odorless, and highly flammable gas, and it is the primary component of natural gas.
• It has a relatively short atmospheric lifetime of about 12 years, compared to carbon dioxide.
• Methane as a Greenhouse Gas: Methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas with a strong short-term warming impact.
• It is over 80 times more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping heat over a 20-year period.
• It is responsible for around 30% of the current global warming since the pre-industrial era.
• Major Sources: Human-driven emissions arise mainly from oil and gas production, coal mining, livestock enteric fermentation (burps), and decomposing waste in landfills.
• Natural sources include Wetlands, marine sediments and hydrates and geological Sources like volcanoes.