NATIONAL NEWS

Linking of CGHS ID with Ayushman Bharat Health Account ID Made Mandatory

The linking of the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) beneficiary ID with the Ayushman Bharat Health Account IDwill be mandatory with effect from 1st April 2024.

Linking of the two – that is the CGHS beneficiary ID with the Ayushman Bharat Health Account ID– must be completed within 30 days.

The linking of the CGHS beneficiary ID with the Ayushman Bharat ID is aimed at creating digital health identification of CGHS beneficiaries and storing their digital health records.

According to the MoHFW, approximately 44,98,914 beneficiaries are covered under CGHS,pan-India, which include 26,57,833 serving employees and around 18,41,081 pensioners.

Ayushman Bharat Health account is a 14-digit numberthat allows citizens to maintain their medical records digitally.

CGHS is a comprehensive healthcare scheme provided by the Central Government to its employees, pensioners, and their dependents.

It was established in 1954 to provide quality healthcare services to government employees and their families.

 

BANKING

RBI Monetary Policy 2024-25

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor, Shaktikanta Das, led RBI Monetary Policy Committee, has kept the key repo rate unchanged at 6.5% for the seventh consecutive time.

On 5 April 2024, the RBI governor announced that the Indian economy will likely grow by 7% in FY 25(2024-25), and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation is expected to be 4.5%.

The Reserve Bank of India has made no change in its Policy rates and Reserve Ratios.

The policy repo rate, also called the overnight lending rate, remained unchanged at 6.5%.

There was no change in the fixed reverse repo rate, which is 3.35 %.

The Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) is unchanged at 6.25%.

The marginal standing facility is unchanged at 6.75%.

The bank rate is unchanged at 6.75%.    

There has been no change in the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR). It is 4.50%.

There has been no change in Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR). It is 18%.

PhonePe Users Gain Ability to Utilise UPI for Payments in Singapore

PhonePe, a fintech firm, has collaborated with The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to enable its users to make payments through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in

The collaboration aims to enhance the payment experience for Indian visitors in Singapore by leveraging UPI technology.

The partnership builds upon the existing UPI linkage between India and Singapore, enabling customers to make instant cross-border transactionsdirectly from their existing Indian bank accounts.

This facilitates seamless and convenient payment options for Indian travelers in Singapore.

The partnership builds upon the existing UPI linkage between India and Singapore, enabling customers to make instant cross-border transactions directly from their existing Indian bank accounts.

This facilitates seamless and convenient payment options for Indian travelers in Singapore.

STB and PhonePe have entered into a two-year strategic partnership to promote UPI payments for Indian visitors in Singapore.

The collaboration involves joint marketing efforts across India and Singapore to promote UPI experiences in key tourism hotspots.

Indian travellers can now use the PhonePe app for instant, seamless, and secure payments across over 8,000 merchants in Singapore.

 

SPORTS

WTT Feeder Varazdin 2024 Event to Begin in Croatia

In Table Tennis, the WTT Feeder Varazdin 2024 event is set to begin in Croatia.

The competition will feature prominent Indian players such as Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Manika Batra, among others.

Along with Sathiyan, Payas Jain, Harmeet Desai and Snehit Suravajjula will compete in the round of 64 of the Men’s singles event, while in women’s singles, Reeth Tennison and Yashaswini Ghorpade will represent India in the round of 64.

In Mixed Doubles, the star duo of Manika Batra and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran will mark their presence in the Pre-quarters, while in Men’s Doubles, the pair of Payas Jain and Harmeet Desai will participate in the round of 16.

 

AWARDS & PRIZES

SJVN Receives 15th CIDC Vishwakarma Award 2024

SJVN Limited was awarded the 15th CIDC Vishwakarma Award 2024 for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Contribution.

SJVN has received two prestigious awards at the CIDC Vishwakarma Awards 2024 instituted by the Construction Industry Development Council.

SJVN has been awarded the 'Achievement Award for Social Development and Creating Impact' and 'CIDC Partners in Progress Trophy'.

These awards demonstrate SJVN's commitment to driving positive change through innovative and concrete CSR initiatives.

CIDC Vishwakarma Awards are awarded to various organizations and individuals for initiatives in various fields including CSR.

It honors those organizations and individuals who are making significant contributions to the development and sustainable development of the nation.

 

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Former Judge Waziri to Head the Committee on Protecting Delhi Forest

The Delhi High Court has appointed a former Delhi High Court judge ,Justice Najmi Waziri as chairman of an internal departmental committee of city officials dealing with the protection of forests in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

The Delhi High Court in December 2023 had ordered the setting up of an internal department on the protection of Delhi’s forest.

The committee was to consist of the chief conservator of forest, the conservator of forest and deputy conservator of forest (protecting and monitoring) and the deputy conservator of forest concerned with the preservation of deemed forests.

The Court directed the committee to take concrete steps for preservation, protection, reclamation and enhancement of both protected and deemed forests.

 

DEFENCE

'Akashteer' Deployed to Strengthen Army's Air Defence

The Army inducted 'Akashteer Command and Control System' into the Air Defence Corps of the Indian Army to strengthen air defence security.

The Army has prepared this air defence system to meet new challenges.

The first batch of Akashteer was flagged off for air defence control centers from the Ghaziabad facility of Bharat Electronics Limited (BHEL). It has been developed as part of the Self-reliant India initiative.

To keep pace with the new era of modernization, the Army has declared the year 2024 as the 'Year of Technological Absorption'. The Indian Army is accelerating the induction of specific technologies and systems.

Project Akashteer would play an important role in increasing the operational efficiency and integration of the Army's air defence system.

In this, the entire process has been digitalized and designed for automatic operation of air defence control and reporting processes.

The induction of Akashteer Control Centers is one of the major milestones in the transformation being undertaken by the Indian Army for the new era.

ICG Samudra Paheredar and Vietnam Coast Guard

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ship Samudra Paheredar arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and conducted joint training with the Vietnamese Coast Guard on tackling marine oil pollution in the high seas.

The Samudra Paheredar ship, specially designed to tackle oil spills in seas, is on a three-nation tour of the ASEAN(Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member countries of the Philippines, Vietnam, and Brunei from 25 March to 12 April 2024 as part of the India ASEAN Initiative for Marine Pollution.

The main objective of the Indian Coast Guards ship Samudra Paheredar visit to these three countries is to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the Indian Coast Guards and the Coast Guards of the Philippines, Vietnam, and Brunei.

IT is to showcase the ability of the Indian ship to fight oil spills in the seas.

ICG Samudra Paheredar is the second indigenously built marine pollution control vessel of the Indian Coast Guard.

 

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Maritime Day

‘National Maritime Day’ is celebrated every year on 5 April.

Maritime transport has been the cornerstone of global trade since ancient times. It connects different countries, cultures and economies across vast oceans.

National Maritime Day promotes environmental stewardship in the maritime industry.

This date was chosen to commemorate the inaugural voyage of the steamship SS Savannah in 1819. This ship successfully crossed the Atlantic Ocean for the first time using steam propulsion.

The theme of National Maritime Day in India this year 2024 is “Navigating the Future: Safety First”!