Question

UPSC Prelims 2016 Question:

‘Mission Indradhanush’ launched by the Government of India pertains to

1. immunization of children and pregnant women
2. construction of smart cities across the country
3. India’s own search for the Earth-like planets in outer space
4. New Educational Policy

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 1: immunization of children and pregnant women

Detailed Solution

Explanation:

The Immunization Programme in India was introduced in 1978 as ‘Expanded Programme of Immunization’ (EPI) by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
In 1985, the programme was modified as ‘Universal Immunization Programme’ (UIP) which was one of largest health programmes in the world. Despite being operational for many years, UIP has been able to fully immunize only 65% children in the first year of their life.

To correct the above flaws, the Government of India launched “Mission Indradhanush” in 2014 to achieve full immunization coverage for all children and pregnant women at a rapid pace.
To further intensify the immunization programme, the Government of India launched the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) and Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0, 3.0, 4.0.

Therefore, option (1) is the correct answer.

Relevance: Mission Indradhanush (MI) was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) in 2014.

Subject: Science & Technology | Health and Diseases

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