Narendra Modi reaches South
Korea, economic and trade cooperation high on agenda
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in South Korea on the last
leg of his three-nation visit during which he will hold talks with the South
Korean leadership aiming to give a fillip to economic and trade cooperation.
ii. A slew of agreements are expected to be signed during the
visit including one on Double Taxation Avoidance Convention, cooperation in
shipping and logistics, audiovisual co-production, transport, highways and
electric power development in new energy industries.
iii. The Prime Minister, who flew in from
Mongolia after his three-day visit to China, will hold talks on the entire
gamut of bilateral, regional and global issues with President Park Geun-hye and
explore ways to upgrade cooperation in diversified areas.
6th National Conference on
Nuclear Energy held in New Delhi
i. Sixth edition of National Conference on Nuclear Energy held in
New Delhi. The theme of this edition was Nuclear Energy: a Clean Energy option.
ii. It was organized by Associated Chambers of Commerce and
Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), one of the apex trade associations of India.
iii. The conference discussed the issue related to the status of
Nuclear Energy in India.
iv. Apart from it various issues were also discussed including on
nuclear energy to the decarbonisation of power sector, Climate change & the
future of nuclear energy, nuclear energy expansion & Make in India.
Centre allocates Rs 5,000 crore for development of AYUSH
i. The government has allocated Rs 5,000 crore for the growth of
Department of AYUSH and launched an independent National AYUSH Mission aimed at
capacity building for the sector.
ii. For creating awareness about Ayurveda, the Ministry is considering
to observe Ayurveda Day.
iii. Independent National AYUSH Mission is launched aiming
capacity building for the sector. The mission will ensure creation of a centre
of excellence for Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy independently.
HDFC Bank launches medical
benefits prepaid card
i. HDFC Bank has launched 'HDFC Bank Apollo Medical Benefits
Card'.
ii. The bank has partnered with Apollo Hospitals for this prepaid
product, which allows corporates to easily disburse medical allowance to their
employees, saving time and cost.
iii. With the card, the administrative process of disbursing money
is being made quick and simple. Corporates can load the specified allowance
onto the card each month, which can be used by employees for medical
expenditure at pan-India VISA/ MasterCard outlets.
iv. The card offers employees access to a wide range of additional
benefits in the form of offers and discounts, and facilities such as free
ambulance services.
India to assume Presidency of
the 68th World Health Assembly
i. Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Jagat Prakash Nadda,
will preside over the 68th Session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) at Geneva
as India assumes the Presidency of the WHA, the high decision making body of
the World Health Organisation (WHO), after a gap of 19 years.
ii. The Union Minister is leading a high level Indian delegation
to the WHA, to be held in Geneva From May 18-27, 2015.
iii. According to a PIB release, the 68th World Health Assembly is
expected to deliberate on key issues of global interest including anti-microbial
resistance, air pollution and health, global health emergency, preparedness and
surveillance, global strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation
and intellectual property, and research and development in neglected tropical
diseases.
iv. The Union Minister will also participate in a number of
bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sidelines of the WHA including the
Commonwealth Health Ministers’ Meeting, 8th NAM Health Ministers’ Meeting and
BRICS Health Ministers’ meeting.
World's oldest comatose patient
Aruna Shanbaug dead
i. Aruna Shanbaug, the former nurse at KEM Hospital here who was
brutally sexually assaulted by a ward boy at the facility 42 years ago and had
been lying in a vegetative state ever since, passed away today.
ii. The 66-year-old was battling a serious bout of pneumonia and
was on ventilator support, King Edward Memorial (KEM) hospital sources
said.
iii. She was in the medical ICU of the hospital located in Parel
area of Mumbai.
iv. On November 27, 1973, while working as a junior nurse at KEM
Hospital, she was sexually assaulted by a ward boy. She was in a vegetative
state since the assault. On 24 January 2011, after she had been in this state
for 38 years, the Supreme Court responded to the plea for euthanasia filed by
Aruna's friend, journalist Pinki Virani, by setting up a medical panel to
examine her.
Brad Haddin: Australia
wicketkeeper quits one-day game
i. Brad Haddin, the Australia wicketkeeper, has formally announced
his retirement from ODI cricket, a day before leaving for Test tours of the
West Indies and England.
ii. Amid the Australia team's celebrations after the World Cup
final victory over New Zealand in Melbourne in March, Haddin had revealed that
he was not going to play any more one-day games.
iii. Haddin played 126 ODIs and scored 3122 runs at an average of
31.53 with two centuries and 16 fifties. He also had 170 catches and 11
stumpings, the third-most dismissals for Australia after Adam Gilchrist and Ian
Healy.