1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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
5. 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
To determine the policies of the Organisation,
appoint the Director-General,
supervise financial policies, and review
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
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. North East Research Conclave 2022 inaugurated
Tags: Summits National News
The North East Research Conclave (NERC) 2022 was inaugurated at IIT, Guwahati by the Union Minister of Education and Skill Development, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan.
The conclave will strengthen linkages between industry, academia and policy makers and further strengthen the research, start-up and entrepreneurship ecosystem in the resource-rich North Eastern Region states and the country.
Key points related to the Conclave -
NERC 2022 will prove to be a global benchmark in meeting the R&D priorities of India and the world.
On the occasion, an MoU “Assam Advanced Health Innovation Institute (AAHI)” was also signed between the Government of Assam and IIT, Guwahati.
North East Research Conclave 2022 is being organised to showcase the best research and development activities of academic and research institutes from all the states of North East India.
The North-East Research Conclave is a platform for entrepreneurs and research institutions to showcase their innovations.
The North East Research Conclave will help the younger generation to fulfil their dreams in the near future.
9. Single National Portal For Biotech Researchers And Start-Ups Launched
Tags: National News
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh launched a single national portal for biotech researchers and start-ups on 21st May.
The name of the Portal is “BioRRAP”
It will help all those seeking regulatory approval for biological research and development activity in the country.
This provides a huge relief to "ease of science as well as ease of business".
India is poised to become a global bio-manufacturing hub and will be among the top 5 countries in the world by 2025.
This unique portal of DBT is a step towards Ease of Doing Science and Scientific Research and Ease of Start-ups in India.
10. Finland and Sweden apply to join NATO
Tags: Latest International News
Finland and Sweden have officially applied to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) amid heightened concerns over Russia's attack on Ukraine.
Finland and Sweden have a non-aligned policy, but they have always been close to NATO. The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine prompted him to join NATO.
NATO membership process
First a country must formally apply for NATO membership.
The joining country must meet the criteria set out in NATO's 1995 "Study on Expansion". These criteria include a functioning democratic political system based on a market economy, the ability to make a military contribution to NATO, etc.
A country can join NATO only if all its 30 member countries support its membership.
A country can become a member of NATO after ratification of accession protocols, which may take 8 to 12 months.
At present, Turkey has not agreed to give NATO membership to Finland and Sweden.
About North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) -
NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance consisting of 30 member states belonging to Europe and North America (28 European states, the US and Canada).
NATO aims to guarantee the security of its members through political and military means.
According to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, an armed attack against any NATO member in Europe or North America shall be deemed an attack against all NATO members.
Article 5 has been invoked only once so far after the 9/11 terrorist attacks against the US.
The last country to join NATO was North Macedonia in 2020.
Headquarters- Brussels, Belgium
