Himachal Pradesh is covered with a sheet of diverse natural beauty. The unique forms of nature make it special. Passing through the Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh means taking an exciting journey of mountains, rivers, and forests while passing through snowy beautiful plains, but along with natural beauty, Shimla district is also a centre of natural disasters. Shimla was the summer capital of India during the British Raj which is now the capital of Himachal Pradesh. Shimla is one of the most popular tourist places in the country. It is also called the queen of mountains. In the year 2015 alone, 1.75 crore tourists visited Shimla for illusion. There are 7 Tehsils and 12 Sub Tehsils in the District which is divided into seven x 7 Sub-Divisions. In recent decades, due to unplanned development, rapid urbanization, climate change, etc., the possibilities and uncertainty of natural disasters have increased greatly.

It is seldom said that adolescents have the potential and the courage to change old ideas and practices, and this power can be directed to build a more equitable and just society. In India, the adolescent population is 243 million. Adolescence, the transition between childhood and adulthood, is a stressful period of life characterised by perceptible physical, mental, emotional, social and behavioural changes. Migration from rural to urban areas in search of improved livelihood is a key feature of any developing country. Migration makes adolescents especially girls more vulnerable. Migration could mean dropping-out of schools, education systems, and early marriage. Poverty combined with compounded with gender norms is one of the biggest threats to adolescent rights. It hurls young people prematurely into adulthood by pulling them out of school, pushing them into the labour market or greater unpaid care responsibilities and forcing them to marry young. In addition to the normative stress of adolescence poor inner-city youth face multiple stressors and adversities including crowded housing, poor-quality schools, inadequate nutrition, and the experiences of violence, alcoholism and drugs in their neighbourhoods. Adolescents are full of hope, ambitions, and dreams. It is during this transition phase that adolescents seek more independence, and are searching for their own identity, influenced by gender, peer group, cultural background and family expectations Adolescence is not only a time of vulnerability, it is also an age of opportunity. This is especially true when it comes to adolescent girls. Developing adolescents’ capacities and values through holistic education can enable an entire generation to become economically independent, positive contributors to society. Investing in education and training for adolescents is perhaps the single most promising action to end extreme poverty during this decade. Equally crucial is community action to engage parents and communities in the effort to transform the present overarching social norms that limit the opportunities available to their children. If we give all young people the tools they need to improve their own lives, if we include them in efforts to improve their communities, we will be building safer and prosperous world for everyone.

A film about The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi, the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, is one of the oldest medical research bodies in the world. The ICMR has always attempted to address itself to the growing demands of scientific advances in biomedical research on the one hand, and to the need of finding practical solutions to the health problems of the country, on the other. The ICMR has come a long way from the days when it was known as the IRFA, but the Council is conscious of the fact that it still has miles to go in pursuit of scientific achievements as well as health targets.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us what a virus can do – how it can wreak havoc on lives and livelihoods and bring the entire world to a standstill. Across the globe, scientists, health workers, governments, pharmaceutical companies, and industries have worked hand-in-hand to tackle this problem. In India, the apex biomedical research body - The Indian Council of Medical Research ICMR, has been at the helm of the COVID-19 response. At the outset of the pandemic, ICMR facilitated testing in laboratories with a mission to ensure that tests were available and accessible to every person in the country. Today, testing has increased exponentially, with 3000 labs providing COVID-19 diagnosis in even the remotest parts of the country. The Council has also provided evidence-based prevention, management, and diagnosis guidelines and advisories to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. Our scientists are researching to ensure that data is available to help tackle every problem that comes with the disease. We have built a simulator to ascertain what factors could be responsible for the 'third surge' of Sars-Cov-2 infections at the district and state levels in the country and how vaccination rates will affect this surge. But the most incredible achievement in this pandemic - is the development of a safe and effective vaccine in 10 months. ICMR, in partnership with an Indian manufacturer Bharat Biotech, took on the strenuous task of developing an indigenous solution.

Adolescence is not only a time of vulnerability, it is also an age of opportunity. This is especially true when it comes to adolescent girls. We know that the more education a girl receives, the more likely she is to postpone marriage. Developing adolescents’ capacities and values through education can enable an entire generation to become economically independent, positive contributors to society. Investing in education and training for adolescents is perhaps the single most promising action to end extreme poverty during this decade.

The haemoglobinopathies in particular Sickle Cell Disease is a major health burden in the Vidarbha region of Central India which have huge tribal populations and other weaker sections of society where carrier frequencies of the sickle gene can be as high as 25 to 30%. Realising the magnitude of the problem, ICMR, New Delhi planned to establish a Centre for Research, Management & Control of Heamoglobinopathies at Chandrapur under the supervision of ICMR-National Institute of Immunohaematology, Mumbai that will benefit the local populations. A Dedicated Team of Scientists and staff are the pillars of this centre.  Community Screening, Awareness and Training for Hemoglobinopathies.  Number of high risk couples identified during antenatal screening was offered pre-natal diagnosis for hemoglobinopathies.  Newborn screening has helped early diagnosis of SCD babies and comprehensive care along with intervention has improved the quality of life of these babies.  Multiple research projects have been initiated to address some of the key issues in hemoglobinopathies. The Centre will have excellent state-of-art facilities that are quintessential for research and service. • To cater the regional health research needs in haemoglobinopathies, • Establishing DNA banking and proteomics facilities. • Supporting the State and District administrations and strengthen the capabilities of Govt Medical Colleges in the region through collaborative research, • Local and National manpower development through training and academic programmes. These research and health programmes will ultimately benefit the local and regional people.