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Interest subvention and additional interest subvention in 150 districts

1. Union Cabinet has approved the provision of interest subvention to Women SHGs, enabling them to avail loans up to 3 lakh Rupees at an interest rate of 7 per cent per annum.
2. Women SHGs that repay loans in time will get additional 3 per cent subvention, reducing the effective rate to 4 per cent. The initiative, in the first phase, would focus on 150 districts, including the 82 IAP districts,
   affected by Left Wing Extremism. Change in the pattern of financial assistance - replacing Capital subsidy with a Community Investment Support fund
3. The Cabinet has approved to withdraw capital subsidy to S.H.Gs and instead provide financial support S.H.G federations and livelihoods organizations of the S.H.G members in the ‘intensive’blocks through a grant called Community Investment Support fund. Setting up of National Level Society under N.R.L.M for more effective implementation
4. The Cabinet also approved the setting up an autonomous, adequately staffed,professionally managed and empowered agency at the national level to implement the N.R.L.M, called the National Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (N.R.L.P.S) under the Societies Registration Act.
5. The NRLPS will act as the technical support unit of N.R.L.M. The setting up of such a Society is essential to implement the programme in a mission mode, as livelihoods programmes require a wide range of specialization and experience.
6. The Society structure would enable access to high quality professional support, provide flexibility to create partnerships and facilitate innovations and would serve as a knowledge center for rural livelihoods for the state missions.
7. Further it will provide an opportunity for formally involving State Governments in decision-making, by nominating them to the Executive Committee of the Society.

MoU for Improving Living Conditions of Destitute Women

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between National Commission for Women (NCW) and HUDCO in New Delhi. The MoU was signed by V P Baligar, IAS, Chairman & Managing Director(HUDCO) and K. Ratna Prabha, IAS, Member Secretary,National Commission for Women (NCW). The MoU was signed toimprove living conditions of destitute women.Major points of the MoU

• The importance of the MoU is that both the Ministries will be cooperating in elevating the condition and status of the marginalized and destitute women in India.
• This MoU is a part of Corporate Social Responsibility of HUDCO, under which focus will remain on providing better amenities of housing and other facilities such as drinking water, sanitation and electricity to poor and destitute women.
• HUDCO and NCW, under the MoU, agreed to co-operate and work together by utilizing their respective strengths for improvement of the living conditions of destitute women and also facilities like women hostels and remand homes.
• The two bodies entered into the MoU for improving the living conditions of destitute women on anything that is related to women welfare or development by enhancing the quality of their habitat.
• HUDCO and NCW shall cooperate in the areas of reconstruction of existing structures where women in distress are housed, providing for living quarters, kitchens and toilets, construction of living quarters, kitchens and toilets in pre-identified sites.
• Under the MoU, NCW shall identify the areas where the activity or project has to be undertaken and HUDCO shall provide financial assistance for implementation of these projects along with technical advice.

Life Saving Drugs to be Cheaper by up to 80%

The department of pharmaceuticals on 16 May 2013 notified the Drug Price Control Order 2013 and with its coming into effect prices of 348 essential medicines including life saving drugs will go down by up to 80 percent. As per the new Drug Price Control Order 2013, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) 2012 is authorized to regulate the prices of the 348 essential medicines as it is listed in the National List of
Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2011. The government has notified the Drug Prices Control Order (DPCO) 2013, with effect from 15 May 2013 and replaced the 1995 order. In its previous order prices of 74 bulk drugs were regulated and as per the new order all dosages and strengths specified in the NLEM will be under price control. The ceiling prices of the NELM drugs will also be decided as per the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy and the policy states that the ceiling price of an essential drug will be the simple average of all brands with a market share of at least 1 per cent.

India Unveiled its First Indigenously developed Rotavirus Vaccine

India unveiled its indigenously developed Rotavirus Vaccine named Rotavac after the Phase-III clinical trial of low cost rotavirus Vaccine. The Rotavac that has demonstrated strong efficacy and excellent safety profile; if gets its approval by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) than will be made available in the market at a rate of 54 rupees per dose. Approx 453000 child across the world dies every year due to Rotavirus diarrhea and following the recent reports every year approx one lakh children below five years in India die due to severe diarrhea that is caused due to Rotavirus bacteria. India accounts for 22 percent of the global deaths that occurs due to diarrhoea-causing rotavirus. Rotavac vaccine has been developed under a public-private partnership and is the third such vaccine that will hit the Indian market. The previous two vaccines cost more than 1000 rupees per dose and thus remain out of reach from the hands of millions in developing and third world nations. It is an oral vaccine that is administered in infants in three dose course at ages of six, ten and fourteen weeks, which is given to a child along with the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) vaccines recommended to be given to children.