Aishwarya Pratap and Ashi Choksey Selected in Asian Games and ISSF World Championship | Madhya Pradesh | 03 Jul 2023

Why in News?

According to the information given by the Madhya Pradesh Public Relations Department on July 2, 2023, two shooters from Madhya Pradesh State Shooting Academy Aishwarya Pratap Singh Tomar and Ashi Chouksey have been selected in the Indian team for the Asian Games starting in September 2023 in China and the ISSF World Championship to be held in Baku Azerbaijan in August.

Key Points:

• Aishwarya Pratap Singh from Khargone district has been selected in the 10m air rifle and 50m three position men and Ashi Chowk of Bhopal has been selected in the 10m air rifle and 50m three position women's event.
• The 22-year-old young Indian shooter Aishwarya Pratap Singh Tomar won the Gold medal in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions event at the ISSF World Cup in Cairo in February 2023 and the Gold medal in the 50m rifle 3 positions event at the ISSF Shooting World Cup in South Korea in July 2022.
• Aishwarya had won the Yellow medal in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions event at the 2021 World Cup in Delhi. In the final match, Aishwarya defeated the then-world number-1 Istvan Penny of Hungary.
• The 21-year-old Chouksey won the gold medal in the 50m rifle 3 positions mixed event at the ISSF Shooting World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan in June 2022 along with Swapnil Kusale. Ashi had won a bronze medal at the ISSF Junior Shooting World Cup in Germany.
• Earlier, Ashi came into the limelight at the national level by winning one gold and one silver medal in the Khelo India University Games held in Bengaluru and two gold and two silver medals in the National Shooting Championship.

PM Launches 'National Mission for Liberation from Sickle Cell Anaemia' in Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh | Madhya Pradesh | 03 Jul 2023

Why in News?

On July 1, 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'National Sickle Cell Anaemia Liberation Mission' in Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh and distributed sickle cell genetic status cards to beneficiaries.

Key Points:

• On this occasion, Governor of Madhya Pradesh Mangubhai C Patel, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, Ministers of Government of Madhya Pradesh and Members of Legislative Assembly were also present.
• The mission aims to address the serious health challenges posed by sickle cell disease, especially among the tribal population. The launch marks an important milestone in the ongoing efforts of the government to eliminate sickle cell disease as a public health problem by 2047.
• The National Mission to Eradicate Sickle Cell Anemia was announced in the Union Budget 2023. It is implemented in 278 districts of the 17 most affected states of the country - Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar and Uttarakhand.
• The Prime Minister also launched the distribution program of about 3.57 crore Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) cards in Madhya Pradesh. Ayushman card distribution ceremony is being organized in municipal bodies, gram panchayats and development blocks across the state.
• Ayushman Card Distribution Campaign is a step towards realizing the Prime Minister's vision of reaching each and every beneficiary to ensure 100% saturation of welfare schemes.
• On this occasion, the Prime Minister said that this campaign to eradicate sickle cell anaemia will become a major mission of Amrit Kaal. He expressed his determination to free the tribal communities and the country from the menace of sickle cell anaemia by 2047.