Government launches SUMAN scheme, assures free medicines for pregnant women

Shankar School of Banking October 12 , 2019 659

NATIONAL NEWS

Carpet Expo begins

  • As many as 400 importers from 50 countries will participate in the 38th India Carpet Expo slated to begin at Sampurnanand Sanskrit University ground, Varanasi. Union textile secretary Ravi Kapoor will inaugurate the exposition.
  • The Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC) of India is organising the mega expo from October 11 to 15, to showcase a number of varieties of carpets, under the aegis of the Union Government.

Piyush Goyal to attend 9th RCEP Intersessional Ministerial Meeting in Thailand

  • Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal will attend the 9th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, RCEP Intersessional Ministerial meeting beginning at Bangkok in Thailand.
  • This will be the last Ministerial before the 3rd Leaders Summit to be held on 4th of next month in Bangkok.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the Summit. The 9th Intersessional Ministerial Meeting comes at a crucial stage where the RCEP is scheduled to be announced as concluded in November this year.

Government launches SUMAN scheme, assures free medicines for pregnant women

  • Aiming zero preventable maternal and newborn deaths in India, the central government launched the Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) scheme, under which pregnant women, mothers up to 6 months after delivery, and all sick newborns will be able to avail free healthcare benefits.
  • The scheme will largely help in bringing down maternal and infant mortality rates in the country.
  • Under the scheme, the beneficiaries visiting public health facilities are entitled to several free services.
  • These include at least four ante natal check-ups that also includes one checkup during the 1st trimester, at least one checkup under Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan, Iron Folic Acid supplementation, Tetanus diptheria injection and other components of comprehensive ANC package and six home-based newborn care visits
  • Under the scheme there will be zero expense access to identification and management of complications during and after the pregnancy. The government will also provide free transport from home to health institutions.

Railway police website, mobile app launched

  • Union Minister Nityanand Rai launched a website and a mobile application that will help the railway police in addressing complaints of passengers from across India and crime detection by integrating the criminal database online.
  • The Minister of State for Home Affairs launched the website — www.railways.delhipolice.gov.in — and the mobile app Sahyatri in the presence of Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik and other officials.

At Kevadiya to host conference of energy ministers on Oct 11

  • Energy ministers from various states and Union Territories (UTs) would converge at Kevadiya near Sardar Sarovar dam in Gujarat's Narmada district to participate in a two-day conference on issues related to power and energy.
  • Union Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy RK Singh would inaugurate the event.
  • At least 250 delegates are expected to attend the event, which has been jointly organised by the government of Gujarat and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

Maharashtra & Goa Circle celebrating National Postal Week

  • The Maharashtra and Goa Circle of the India Post is celebrating National Postal Week to spread awareness about services being provided by the department and efforts made to meet changing requirements of customers.
  • The National Postal Week, which ends on October 15, involves various programmes and it started with celebration of the World Post Day on October 9.
  • The week is celebrated to commemorate the establishment of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in 1874 in the Swiss capital Berne.

SARAS Aajeevika Mela underway at India Gate Lawns in New Delhi

  • The SARAS Aajeevika Mela, organised by the Ministry of Rural Development, is underway at India Gate Lawns in New Delhi. The event, which got underway yesterday, will carry on till October 23. It will be formally inaugurated by Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar tomorrow.
  • The objective of this Mela to bring the rural women Self Help Groups formed with support of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission, under one platform to show-case their skills, sell their products and help them build linkages with bulk buyers.

First Ever 'India International Cooperatives Trade Fair' inaugurated

  • The first ever 'India International Cooperatives Trade Fair' got underway in New Delhi on Friday.
  • The three-day Fair is a major platform to promote export of products of cooperatives which will lead to enhanced rural and farm prosperity. 
  • Addressing the gathering during the inauguration, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar cooperation is the key to development of our villages and this mela will prove to be a milestone in the growth of rural India.
  • Organisations from 35 countries are participating in the Fair and they all expressed their happiness at being part of this mega event.
  • The Minister also launched 'Yuva Sahakar' Cooperative Enterprise Support and Innovation Scheme 2019. With more than 150 Indian cooperatives taking part in the event it is a historic occasion to discuss the challenges being faced by Cooperatives, like delivery and available markets.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Chinese President Xi Jinping, PM Modi embark on informal summit with tour of temple complex

  • Chinese President Xi Jinping kicked off his second informal summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a guided tour on Friday of a temple complex dating back to the 8th century in Tamil Nadu’s Mamallapuram.

DEFENCE

India – Bangladesh Navies Undertake Coordinated Patrol in North Bay of Bengal

  • The second edition of Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) of the navies of India and Bangladesh commenced in Northern Bay of Bengal.
  • Guided-missile destroyer INS Ranvijay and ingeniously built missile Corvette INS Kuthar are participating in the exercise along with BNS Ali Haider, and BNS Shadinota from Bangladesh.
  • The two-day patrol will be followed by the maiden edition of Bilateral Exercise of the navies of two countries at Visakhapatnam between October 12-16.
  • The India Bangladesh CORPAT commenced in 2018. The exercise aims at development of mutual communication and sharing of best practices between the two navies.

BANKING

GeM signs MOU with Union Bank of India

  • Government e-Marketplace (GeM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Union Bank of India (UBI) in New Delhi on October 10, 2019.
  • Through this partnership, UBI will be able to offer an array of services including transfer of funds through GeM Pool Accounts (GPA), advising of Performance Bank Guarantees (e-PBG) and Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) to the registered users on the GeM portal.
  • The MoU will facilitate a cashless, paperless and transparent payment system on the portal and will create an efficient procurement system for government entities.

APPOINTMENT

Yes Bank appoints Anita Pai as COO, Jasneet Bachal as CMO

  • Yes Bank Ltd appointed Anita Pai as chief operating officer and Jasneet Bachal as chief marketing officer.
  • Pai, who was senior general manager and head of ATM business at ICICI Bank Ltd, will lead the bank’s operations and service delivery.
  • She will also look after the information technology functions of the lender. Bachal will head the marketing and communication efforts.

AWARD

Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopia's prime minister, wins 2019 Nobel peace prize

  • The prime minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, who forged a peace deal with Eritrea last year, has won the 2019 Nobel peace prize.
  • The award recognised Abiy’s “efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea”.

IFS officer Ramesh Pandey selected for Asia Environmental Enforcement Award by UNEP

  • Senior Indian Forest Service officer Ramesh Pandey has been selected for the prestigious Asia Environmental Enforcement Award by the United Nations Environment Programme.
  • The 1996-batch IFS officer, posted as Chief Conservator Forests in Lucknow and Secretary, UP State Bio-diversity Board, is known for his investigation and intelligence gathering on poachers. Pandey will receive the award on November 13 at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok. 

OBITUARY

Saxophone legend Kadri Gopalnath passes away

  • Eminent Saxophone player Kadri Gopalnath passed away on Friday in Mangalore. He was 69.
  • It was Gopalnath who introduced saxophone to Carnatic music.
  • He was honoured with several awards including Kendra Sangeetha Nataka Academy Award and Karnataka Kalasri among others.
  • In 2004, he received Padma Shri from then-President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of the Girl Child 2019

  • Since 2012, International Day of the Girl Child is being celebrated every year.
  • Its main objective is to empower women and help them to get their rights so that they can face the challenges all over the world and meet their needs.
  • At the same time, spreading awareness about eliminating gender abnormalities against girls around the world.
  • The theme of the International Day of the Girl Child 2019 is "Girl Force: Unscripted and Unstoppable".

World Migratory Bird Day-12 October

  • The Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) and Environment for the Americas (EFTA) have joined forces to strengthen global recognition and appreciation of migratory birds.
  • This year the theme of World Migratory Bird Day is “Protect Birds: Be the Solution to Plastic Pollution!” and will put the spotlight on the impact of plastic pollution on migratory birds and their habitats.

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