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By admin: May 24, 2022

India joins Biden’s new trade initiative for Indo-Pacific

Tags: International Relations International News

US President Joe Biden launched the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) along with 12 initial partners in Tokyo on May 23.

• The initial partner countries are India, Australia, Japan, Brunei, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

• These 13 countries together represent 40% of the world's GDP.

• About IPEF initiative

• It is expected to focus on four main pillars including trade, supply chain resilience, clean energy and decarbonisation, and taxes and anti-corruption measures.

• The group includes seven of the 10 members of the Association of SouthEast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and all four Quad countries and New Zealand.

• India will work closely with other IPEF countries to build an inclusive and resilient Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.

• The main roles of the IPEF in the Indo-Pacific will be to set and adhere to standards for the digital economy and cross-border data flows and data localization.

• About  Indo-Pacific

• It covers half of the world's population and more than 60 percent of the global GDP.

• It is a geopolitical region that spans two regions of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

• Extending from the west coast of the United States of America to the west coast of India, the Indo-Pacific is a regional structure of 24 countries.

• It includes the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, western and central Pacific Ocean.

75th session of the World Health Assembly organised in Geneva

Tags: Summits International News

The 75th World Health Assembly is being organised in Geneva, Switzerland from 22 to 28 May 2022.

• This is the first individual health gathering since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• On behalf of India, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya addressed this 75th session.

• He said that the figures released by WHO for India regarding covid deaths were quite disappointing and confusing.

• Some time ago, a detailed report was released by WHO regarding corona deaths.

• The report claimed that within two years, more than 47 lakh people died due to corona in India.

• That report was rejected by the Indian government and questions were raised on the WHO model.

• They called for strengthening the WHO to streamline the WHO approval process for vaccines and therapeutic devices and to create a more resilient global health security infrastructure.

• He reiterated India's commitment to building a more resilient global health security infrastructure.

• The theme of the year 2022: Health for peace, peace for health.

• About 75th World Health Assembly

• The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of the WHO.

• The Health Assembly is held annually in Geneva, Switzerland.

• Functions of world health assembly

1. To determine the policies of the Organisation, 

2. appoint the Director-General, 

3. supervise financial policies, and review 

4. approve the proposed programme budget. 

• About WHO

• Founded - 7 April, 1948 

• World Health Day is celebrated Every year on 7 April.

• It is the United Nations agency

• It leads global efforts to extend universal health coverage.

• It operates in 6 regions with 194 member states and over 150 locations.

• Headquarters - Geneva, Switzerland

World Economic Forum launches alliance to supercharge India's climate action

Tags: International News

The World Economic Forum (WEF) on 23 May announced a new 'Alliance of CEO Climate Action Leaders India'. It will work towards fast-tracking India's net-zero carbon journey as well as decarbonisation.

• The coalition will strive to achieve the goals set out in the White Paper Mission 2070, released last year, as part of the World Economic Forum's Climate Task Force.

• It will bring together the government, corporations and other key players to help Prime Minister Narendra Modi meet his ambitious 'Panchamrut' target, which includes a net-zero target for the country by 2070.

• The alliance is a collaboration between management consulting firm Kearney and Indian think tank Observer Research Foundation.

• It will serve as a high-level platform to assist business leaders in developing and implementing plans and programs to meet climate goals, including net-zero economic growth.

• About World Economic Forum (WEF)

• Founded - 24 January, 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab.

• Headquarters - Cologny, Switzerland

• Chairperson - Borge Brende

• Purpose of Formation - International Organisation for Public-Private Cooperation

Staff Selection Commission released notification for the first ever recruitment process for Ladakh

Tags: State News

The Staff Selection Commission has released the notification for the first time recruitment process for the Union Territory of Ladakh.

• In its first recruitment process through SSC, the administration will recruit 797 different non-gazetted posts for the Union Territory of Ladakh.

• The applications for the recruitment were invited from May 23 and the last date would be June 13 this year.

• Applicants should be citizens of India and should be residents of the Union Territory of Ladakh.

• The exam will be conducted in August.

• The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils of both Leh and Kargil are providing coaching and training for the candidates in the respective districts.

• About Ladakh

• It is a union territory of India.

• It is a part of the Kashmir region and has been a cause of dispute between India, Pakistan and China since 1947.

• Capital - Leh

• Two districts - Leh and Kargil

• Area - 59,186 square kilometres

• As per 2011 Census - Population 2,74,289

• Ladakh became a union territory - on 31 October 2019

National Health Authority launches ABHA mobile application

Tags: National News

The National Health Authority (NHA) launched a modified Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) mobile application under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) scheme. 

• The ABHA app, formerly known as the National Digital Health Mission' Health Records App, can be downloaded from the Google Play Store.

• The upgraded version of ABHA has a new User Interface (UI) and other practical additions so that people can view their health records anytime and anywhere.

• The application has been launched to manage health records under Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.

• Existing ABHA App users can also update their previous app versions to the latest one.

• On the ABHA mobile application, one can create an Aura address (username@abdm), link the easy-to-remember username to the 14 digit Aura number.

• This number app will generate automatically.

• The mobile application enables users to link Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission compliant health records and view them on their smartphones.

• About Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission

• launched  - By PM Narendra modi on  27th September 2021

• It will connect the digital health solutions of hospitals across the country.

• This will not only simplify the procedures of hospitals but will also enhance the ease of living.

• The digital ecosystem will also enable many other features such as digital consultation, patient consent for physicians to access their records, etc.

• With the implementation of this scheme old medical records cannot be destroyed as every record will be stored digitally.

• The project has been implemented in pilot phase in six states and union territories.

India and US sign Investment Incentive Agreement in Tokyo

Tags: International Relations International News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden on May 24 signed an Investment Incentive Agreement in Tokyo.

• It is expected that the signing of this agreement will increase the investment support provided by the Development Finance Corporation in India which will help in the development of the country.

• Various proposals worth $4 billion are being considered by the corporation to provide investment support in India.

• The corporation has provided investment support in areas such as COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing, health care financing, renewable energy, financial inclusion and infrastructure.

• The corporation or its predecessor agencies have been active in India since 1974 and have provided investment assistance of $5.8 billion to till date.

• This incentive agreement will replace the earlier agreement signed between India and the US in 1997.

The Government of India has appointed Vinay Kumar Saxena as the new Lieutenant Governor of Delhi

Tags: Person in news State News

The Government of India has appointed Vinay Kumar Saxena as the new Lieutenant Governor of Delhi after the resignation of Anil Baijal.

• Vinay Kumar Saxena was working as the chairman of National Khadi Development and Village Industries Commission before this appointment.

• As the Chairman of KVIC, he initiated many innovative schemes and products like 'Honey Mission', 'Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana', 'Empowerment of Leather Artisans' which include Khadi Prakrit Paints, Project REHAB, Khadi Cloth Shoes and Plastics. Including assorted handmade paper, etc.

• In March 2021, the Government of India appointed him as one of the members of the National Committee to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India's independence.

• Appointment of lieutenant governor 

• The Lieutenant Governor is also known as the Lieutenant Governor or the LG.

• In the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, Puducherry and Delhi, the Lieutenant Governor is appointed as the representative of the Central Government.

• Administrators are appointed in all other union territories.

• The Lieutenant Governor is appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Central Government.

• Some provisions have been given in Articles 239A and 239AA of the Constitution for administrative work in Union Territories in India. Act 239A is applicable to all Union Territories, whereas Article 239AA of the Constitution is applicable only to National Capital Territory (NCT).

• The post was first created in September 1966.

Collaboration with The Ministry of Railways and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras

Tags: National Science and Technology

The Ministry of Railways will collaborate with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras in the development of an 'indigenous' Hyperloop system and will also help in setting up a Centre of Excellence for Hyperloop Technology at the Institute.

• The plan to develop Hyperloop technology was launched by the then Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu in the year 2017.

• Indian Railways has taken this important step in the direction of making rail travel fast, easy and modern in the country.

• This project will also help in the goal of reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption.

• According to the Ministry of Railways, a team of students of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) 'Team Avishkar Hyperloop' is working on this transport medium.

• The model proposed by Team Invention can achieve a top speed of over 1,200 kmph and is completely autonomous, safe and clean.

• What is Hyperloop?

• Hyperloop is a technology that uses a magnetic field in a low-pressure tube to move people and goods at high speed without friction.

• Specially designed capsules or pods will be used in this.

• The capsules and pods will be driven at high velocity inside a transparent tube pipe.

• In this, the pods will be driven above the ground in very large pipes on an electrical magnet, due to the effect of this magnet, the pods will rise slightly above the track, due to which the speed will increase and friction will be reduced.

• It will have a magnetic track on which the vacuum will be created. With this, the train will be able to move from one place to another very fast.

The fourth edition of the Jointly Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) between the navies of India and Bangladesh

Tags: International Relations International News

The fourth edition of the Jointly Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) between the navies of India and Bangladesh was conducted in the North Bay of Bengal from 22-23 May.

• The previous CORPAT between the two countries was held in October 2020.

• In this exercise, indigenous warships INS Kora and INS Sumedha of the Indian Navy along with Bangladesh Navy warships BNS Ali Haider and BNS Abu Ubaidah and maritime patrol aircraft of both the navies participated in joint patrolling.

• Maritime patrol aircraft of both the navies also carried out joint patrols along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) during the CORPAT.

• About Bangladesh 

• Capital- Dhaka

• President- Abdul Hameed

• Prime Minister- Sheikh Hasina

• Currency - taka

• Bangladesh observes 26 March as its Independence Day every year.

Haryana hockey team won the Hockey India Sub-Junior Women's National Championship 2022

Tags: Sports National

Haryana hockey team won the Hockey India Sub-Junior Women's National Championship 2022 by defeating Jharkhand hockey team 2-0 in the final.

• The 12th National Sub Junior Women's Hockey Championship 2022 was organised in Imphal, Manipur from May 11-22.

• During the final match, Riya scored one goal each in the 13th minute and Sejal in the 39th minute to help Haryana's hockey team win.

• In the competition, Uttar Pradesh defeated Madhya Pradesh 3-0 to finish third in the tournament.

• Uttar Pradesh got the third position in this competition for the second time in a row.

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Army Training Command and National Defence University (RRU), Gandhinagar

Tags: National News

Army Training Command and Gandhinagar-based National Defence University (RRU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up a Wargame Research and Development Centre in New Delhi.

• The 'Wargame Research and Development Centre' to be developed in New Delhi has been given a prototype name WARDEC.

• It will be the first of its kind simulation-based training centre in India to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to design virtual reality wargames.

• It will be developed by the Army Training Command and the Gandhinagar-based National Defence University (RRU).

• It will be used by the Army to train its soldiers and test their strategies through "Metaverse-enabled gameplay".

• It will be designed to prepare for wars as well as counter-terrorism and counter-terrorism operations.

• How many countries use such wargaming drills?

• Since the 9/11 attacks, use of information technology-enabled wargaming is preferred by several countries like the US, Israel, the UK to prepare for possibilities in case of terror attacks or war.

New Development Bank opens regional office in GIFT City, Gujarat

Tags: Popular National News

New Development Bank (NDB) has announced the launch of its Indian Regional Office (IRO) at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City).

• The objective of launching the Bank's regional office is to meet the infrastructure and sustainable development needs in India and Bangladesh, contributing to economic growth and sustainable development in South Asia in line with the mandate of the NDB.

• The Indian Regional Office will work in close coordination with the NDB Headquarters, focusing on technical support including initial project preparation, pipeline development, project implementation and monitoring as well as regional portfolio management.

• The NDB officially opened its Africa Regional Centre (ARC) in Johannesburg in 2017 followed by the establishment of a sub-office in Brasilia with the Americas Regional Office (ARO) in So Paulo by the NDB in 2019.

• In 2020, the NDB established the Eurasian Regional Centre (ERC) in Moscow. The Indian Regional Office (IRO) complements the NDB's global network of offices.

• About New Development Bank

• New Development Bank formerly known as BRICS Bank informally.

• It was established on 15 July 2014 by the countries of the BRICS grouping.

• The idea of setting up the bank was proposed by India at the 4th BRICS Summit held in Delhi in 2012.

• This was agreed upon by the BRICS leaders at the 5th BRICS Summit held in Durban, South Africa on 27 March 2013.

• Headquarters- Shanghai, China

• General Secretary- KV Kamat

• President- Markosh Trayoja

QUAD leaders launch Quad fellowship programme for graduate STEM degrees in the US

Tags: International News

A new Quad fellowship program has been launched by the leaders of Australia, India, Japan, and the US at the Quad Summit in Tokyo on 24 May.

• Under the program, 100 students from member countries will be sponsored to study in the US for undergraduate degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

• This fellowship will act as a bridge connecting the four countries and will empower these countries to provide leadership to address the many challenges faced by them in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world.

• The Quad Fellowship application is live and will be open till June 30.

• The first classes of Quad Fellows will arrive on campus in the autumn of 2023.

• Each Fellow will receive a one-time award of $50,000 that can be used for tuition, research, fees, books and related educational expenses (eg, registration fees, research-related travel).

• About Quad

• This is known as the 'Quadrilateral Security Dialogue' (QSD).

• It is an informal strategic forum comprising four nations - United States of America (USA), India, Australia and Japan. 

• It aims to work for a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

• The first meeting of the Quad was held in 2007 on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

• The Quad Summit provides an opportunity for leaders to exchange views on the development of the Indo-Pacific region and current global issues of mutual interest.

• Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the first to consider the formation of the Quad in 2007.