Nadda Elected as Chairperson of 77th Session of WHO Regional Committee
The World Health Organisation kicked off its 77th session of the Regional Committee for Southeast Asia in New Delhi from October 7 to 9.
India's Minister of Health, J. P. Nadda, has been elected as the Chairperson of the 77th Session.
RC77 Seventy-seventh Regional Committee Session of WHO South-East Asia is the annual governing body meeting of WHO in the Region. The member nations include Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Timor-Leste.
Ministers of Health and delegates from the region's member states have flown to Delhi to deliberate upon key priorities and actions towards accessible public health.
Ajit Vinayak Gupte India's Next Envoy to Germany
Senior diplomat Ajit Vinayak Gupte was appointed India's next ambassador to Germany, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
He is currently India's envoy in Egypt.
He is expected to take up the assignment shortly, the MEA said in a statement.
The appointment comes ahead of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's scheduled visit to India later this month.
Oct 07, 2024
Vishnu Deo Sai Inauguartes 'Jal-Jagar' Mahotsav
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai inaugurated the Jal-Jagar Mahotsav at the Ravishankar Reservoir in Gangrel Dam, Dhamtari, marking a significant milestone in the state's water conservation initiatives. This event highlights the district administration's innovative strategies to address groundwater depletion, gaining recognition for its proactive approach.
The Jal-Jagar initiative in Chhattisgarh is unique in its local focus, particularly aimed at groundwater recharge in Dhamtari, a district where depletion had been a critical issue.
By involving local communities and leveraging traditional practices, this program is a grassroots complement to national missions like Jal Jeevan, which operates on a larger scale but with a similar goal of improving water access and sustainability.
The Jal-Jagar initiative is being hailed as a significant step towards achieving broader environmental sustainability in Chhattisgarh.
Chennai Enthralled by the IAF Air Show at Marina after a Gap of 21 Years
Over 15 lakh people from various parts of Chennai and neighbouring districts thronged the shores of Marina and its neighbourhoods and witnessed the spectacular air show of the Indian Air Force (IAF), conducted as a part of the 92nd Indian Airforce Day celebrations.
The city, which hosted the IAF airshow after 21 years, witnessed a scintillating aerial display of several fighter jets, helicopters, and vintage aircraft, which enthralled the audience. Some of the aircraft and helicopters that participated in various formations include LCA Tejas, Rafale, Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar Mirage 2000, MiG 29, HTT 40, ALH Mk-I, Hawk MK, Chetak, Dakota and Harvard.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, Ministers, MPs and other senior officials from the Armed forces were among others who witnessed the airshow at Marina.
According to a Defence Press release, the show entered the 'Limca Book of Records' with over 15 lakh people watching the spectacular performance by IAF's 72 aircraft.
13,822 Jan Aushadhi Kendras Established Across the Country
Under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana, as of September 30, 2024, a total of 13,822 Jan Aushadhi Kendras have been established across the country. Notably, in September 2024, these Kendras achieved record sales of Rs. 200 crore - the highest monthly sales in the history of the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana.
These Kendras provide affordable medicines to citizens, promoting accessible healthcare.
Under Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), in last 10 years, sale of medicines worth Rs. 6100 crore were done through Kendras, which has led to estimated savings of Rs. 30,000 crore for the citizens as compared to the branded medicines.
Oct 06, 2024
Cabinet Endorses National Mission to Enhance Oilseed Production
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, approved the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oilseeds (NMEO-Oilseeds), a landmark initiative aimed at boosting domestic oilseed production and achieving self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat) in edible oils.
The aim of the mission is to increase primary oilseed production from 39 million tonnes (2022-23) to 69.7 million tonnes by 2030-31.
Oct 05, 2024
Department of Posts and Amazon Sign Landmark MoU to Enhance Logistics Collaboration
In a significant development aimed at strengthening logistics and e-commerce in India, the Department of Posts (DoP) under the Ministry of Communications and Amazon Seller Services Private Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen their collaboration. The MoU was signed by Kushal Vashist, General Manager, Parcel Directorate, Department of Posts, and Venkatesh Tiwari, Director, Operations, Amazon Seller Services Pvt Ltd, in New Delhi in the presence of Vandita Kaul, Secretary (Posts) and Aman Jain, Director Public Policy, Amazon.
The agreement builds on a longstanding partnership, with Amazon leveraging the extensive postal network for the transmission and delivery of parcels across India. The signing was witnessed by senior officials from both organizations, marking a key step towards enhancing business operations, capacity sharing, and network utilisation.
Taking Governance Closer to People, Assam Inaugurates 21 'Co-Districts'
The roll-out of a new administrative set-up of 'co-districts' within Assam's district administrations began with the launch of 21 such co-districts across the state by different ministers.
This administrative overhaul, which does away with the existing system of 24 civil sub-divisions, was announced by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma last year (2023), with the aim of bringing governance and administrative work closer to citizens' homes.
These 'co-districts' will serve as smaller administrative units below the districts led by an officer of the rank of Assistant District Commissioner. Sarma has stated that the government aims to introduce such co-district offices in all 126 assembly constituencies in the state.
Oct 04, 2024
Marathi, Assamese, Bengali, Pali, Prakrit Get Classical Language Status
The Union Cabinet approved conferring the status of classical language to Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali languages. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This is a historical decision and this decision goes very well with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the NDA government's philosophy of taking ride in our culture, taking pride in our heritage and taking pride in all the Indian languages and the rich heritage that we have," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
The classical languages serve as a custodian of Bharat's profound and ancient cultural heritage, embodying the essence of each community's historical and cultural milestone.
India Names Delhi Road 'Jamaica Marg', Strengthening Diplomatic Ties
In a significant diplomatic gesture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the road in front of the Jamaica High Commission in New Delhi was officially named 'Jamaica Marg'. This announcement came during a joint press conference with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, highlighting the deepening ties between the two nations.
Jaya Bachchan Opts Out of Parliament Panel on IT, Becomes Member of Committee on Labour
Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha member Jaya Bachchan opted out of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology chaired by BJP member Nishikant Dubey.
Bachchan is now be a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour, Textiles and Skill Development chaired by former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai.
Trinamool Congress leader Saket Gokhale, who was a member of the Standing Committee on Labour, took the place of Bachchan in the parliamentary panel on Communications and Information Technology.