Union Health Minister launches ICMR's vaccine web portal & National Clinical Registry

NATIONAL NEWS

Union Health Minister launches ICMR's vaccine web portal & National Clinical Registry

• Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan launched the ICMR's vaccine web portal and National Clinical Registry for Covid-19.
• This vaccine web portal will provide information related to the COVID-19 vaccine development in India and abroad.
• National COVID-19 Clinical Registry will collect data regarding clinical and laboratory investigations, treatments, management protocols and outcomes of hospitalized COVID patients in India.

Fact: ICMR – Indian Council of Medical Research

         Director General of ICMR - Balram Bhargava

MUI collaborates with UN body to help Indian seafarers stranded on ships

• Maritime Union of India (MUI) has collaborated with the United Nations to assist seafarers who are stranded on ships due to COVID-19.
• Through the Seafarers Crisis Action Team (SCAT), MUI will provide on time assistance to the Indian seafarers and their kith and kins.
• The SCAT has been established by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), a specialised UN agency and a global standard-setting authority of safety, security and environmental performance of international shipping.
• Over 37,000 seafaring members of MUI will be benefitted fortunately by the UN's SCAT mechanism as our Union is affiliated to London-headquartered International Transport Workers' Federation, which closely works with the IMO.

India, Sri Lanka hold first bilateral summit since Rajapaksa took office

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa held their first virtual bilateral summit meeting.
• The talks between the countries includes bilateral relationship, maritime security, countering the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the development of the strategic Colombo East container terminal.
• PM Modi insisted on fully implementing constitutional provisions aimed at giving more powers to Tamil-inhabited areas of the island nation and announced a grant of $15 million for promoting Buddhist ties between the two sides.
• The grant will be used for construction and renovations of Buddhist monasteries, archaeological cooperation, reciprocal exhibitions of Lord Buddha’s relics, and supporting the Buddhist clergy.
• The two sides agreed to extend an MoU on high impact community development projects by India for five years from 2020, and to continue the Indian housing project.

Fact: President of Sri Lanka - Gotabaya Rajapaksa

       Prime Minister of Sri Lanka – Mahinda Rajapaksa

India-Denmark virtual summit commit to Green Strategic Partnership

• Prime Ministers of India and Denmark held virtual summit where India inked its first green strategic partnership with its counterpart as the two aim to be at forefront of the global fight against the Climate Change.
• This partnership would build on the existing agreement establishing a Joint Commission for Cooperation (signed 6 February 2009) between the two, which envisaged cooperation within the political field, economic and commercial field, science and technology, environment, energy, education and culture.
• The Green Strategic Partnership is a mutually beneficial arrangement to advance political cooperation, expand economic relations and green growth, create jobs and strengthen cooperation on addressing global challenges and opportunities.
• The two countries have agreed to collaborate in several sectors based on an action plan that will set specific targets for the next few years.

Fact: Capital of Denmark – Copenhagen

         Prime minister of Denmark - Mette Frederiksen

BANKING NEWS

HDFC Bank launches India’s first Warehouse Commodity Finance app

• HDFC Bank launched a Warehouse Commodity Finance Application, which will enable customers in drawing down and managing the loan against pledge of commodities online without physical intervention or multiple visits to a Bank branch.
• This mobile app is the first of its kind in the country.
• The new app will greatly benefit agriculture processors, traders and farmers who are primary beneficiaries of WHR loans (Warehouse Receipt Loans).
• The App has been launched at a time when large parts of India are still unlocking, and travel restrictions are still in place.
• The App will be offered to both existing as well as new customers who avail warehouse receipt/commodity pledge loan from HDFC Bank.

Fact: HDFC Chairperson - DEEPAK PAREKH

APPOINTMENTS

Senior IAS PD Vaghela appointed as new TRAI chairman

• Senior Indian Administrative Service Officer Dr P. D. Vaghela appointed as the Chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India- TRAI.
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment and he will replace R.S. Sharma.
• Mr Vaghela will hold the post for a period of three years or until he attains the age of 65 years.
• Mr Vaghela, is currently serving as Secretary, in the Department of Pharmaceuticals.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Rabies Day – 28^th September

• World Rabies Day is observed every year on September 28 every year to raise awareness and this year marks the 14^th year to observe the day.
• The main aim is to create awareness about the disease and bring people together to intensify prevention and control across the globe.
• The theme for this year 2020 is “End Rabies: Collaborate, Vaccinate.”
• The day marks the death anniversary of the French chemist and microbiologist, Louis Pasteur, who developed the first rabies vaccine.
• According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Rabies is very common in India, which accounts for nearly 20,000 deaths every year in the country.
• Rabies is caused by a virus that affects the central nervous system, which causes inflammation in the brain that is transmitted from animals to humans, particularly from a bite, most commonly spread after a domestic dog, cat, rabbit or wild animal bites or scratches a human.

World heart day – 29^th September

• World Heart Day was observed across the country on September 29^th since 1999.
• This was created by the World Heart Federation to inform people around the globe that cardiovascular disease (which includes heart diseases and brain strokes) is the world’s leading cause of death claiming many lives each year.
• The day aims to highlight the actions that individuals can take to prevent and control cardiovascular diseases.
• Since the first World Heart Day, World Heart Federation has continued to sponsor this annual event assembling and distributing information and declaring a theme for the day each year.
• The theme for this year's World Heart Day is "Use Heart to Beat Cardiovascular Disease".