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During the recent meeting of Quad members in New Delhi, the Foreign Ministers of the Quad countries called for lasting peace in Ukraine and, in an indirect reference to the Russian invasion, underlined respect for territorial sovereignty and integrity. They also addressed China’s aggressive behavior in the Indo-Pacific and its attempts to block the UN designation of …

World Hearing Day is celebrated on the 3rd of March each year to raise awareness on how to prevent deafness and hearing loss and promote ear and hearing care across the world. Each year, the World Health Organization (WHO) determines the theme. The theme of this year is “Ear and hearing care for all”. Normal hearing …

According to the Academic Freedom Index report, India’s academic freedom index is in the bottom 30% among 179 countries in 2022. Academic freedom refers to the principle that scholars and researchers should have the freedom to pursue their research and express their findings without interference, censorship, or retaliation from the government, private institutions, or …

India scored above the regional average in the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law 2023 report. For India, report used data on laws and regulations in Mumbai, India’s main business city. India received a perfect score for laws related to freedom of movement, women’s work decisions, and marriage constraints. Women, Business and the …

Japan looks forward to supporting India’s clean energy transition by including India in the Asia Energy Transition Initiative (AETI). What is Asia Energy Transition Initiative? The Clean Energy Partnership between India and Japan was published in March 2022. It would work on the agenda covered in the India-Japan Energy Dialogue 2007 and will subsequently expand into areas of mutual …

The World Bank has approved a loan of USD 1 billion to India to help the country prepare for future pandemics and strengthen its healthcare infrastructure. The loan will be split into two loans of USD 500 million each. The loan will be used to support India’s flagship Pradhan Mantri-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), which was launched in October 2021, and …

Scrub typhus is a major public health threat in South and Southeast Asia. Key details: As per estimates, nearly one million cases are reported from South and Southeast Asia with 10% mortality. India is one of the hotspots with at least 25% of the disease burden. A trial carried out in India where patients were received a combination therapy …

The World Bank is lending up to $1 billion to help India with preparedness for future pandemics as well as to strengthen its health infrastructure. The lending will be divided into two complementary loans of $500 million each. Through this combined financing of $1 billion, the bank will support India’s …

Coalition politics in Nepal increasingly resembles the game of musical chairs; in Kathmandu too, it is the same cast of characters who have been taking turns for nearly two decades. The tragedy is that scant attention is paid to the critical issues — unemployment, national indebtedness and development challenges. A …

To mark the occasion of International Women’s Day, Ministry of Jal Shakti is celebrating women’s leadership by felicitating women who have contributed extraordinarily under various flagship programs of the Ministry through the Swachh Sujal Shakti Samman 2023. The President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, will be conferring a total of …

Union IT Minister said that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on IT and Communications had given a big thumbs up to the draft Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022. The purpose of this Bill is to provide for the processing of digital personal data in a manner that recognises the right of individuals to protect …

For nearly a year now, many in Sri Lanka have been fervently chanting three letters — IMF (International Monetary Fund). As the country’s familiar balance of payments problem escalated last year, citizens experienced crippling shortages and painfully long power cuts. They took to the streets in a staggering mass protest …

The last few years have ushered in a harsh new reality where crises are the norm rather than the exception. Pandemics, economic slumps and extreme weather events were once tail-end risks, but all three have hit South Asia in rapid succession since 2020. COVID-19 alone put millions of lives and …

On February 23, 2023, on the eve of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution, calling for an end to the war. The resolution was favoured by 141 members and opposed by seven, while 32 states abstained. Unsurprisingly, India was …

CENTRE FOR POLICY RESEARCH The Government of India suspended the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licence of the Centre for Policy Research (CPR). The CPR was established in 1973 as a think tank. Mission: To contribute to a more robust public discourse about the issues that impact life in India. It is India’s premier public policy …

India hosted the first meeting of the Governing Board of BIMSTEC Energy Centre (BEC). India made a presentation on establishing the BIMSTEC Energy Centre (BEC) in India. The BEC will be housed in the premises of the Central Power Research Institute (CPRI), Bengaluru. The Meeting recommended to add the additional following areas under the specialized Wings of BEC: …

The Press Council of India (PCI) on Wednesday advised the print media to follow the norms of Journalistic Conduct-2022 on ‘paid news’ during the elections in various States. Stating that newspapers should not misconstrue or misquote the statements given by any leader, the Council said the statements quoted in editorial …

Deliveries of five regiments of S-400 air defence systems under a $5.43-billion deal with Russia are expected to be completed by year-end or early 2024, according to official sources. However, issues of delayed payments as well as insurance and reinsurance remain major stumbling blocks delaying deals in the pipeline Delivery …

The G-20 was born out of the Asian financial crisis 25 years ago. It was upgraded to convene heads of government after a global financial and economic crisis a decade later. Today, however, the organisation that styles itself as the ‘premier forum of international economic cooperation’ appears to be descending …

The First G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group(ACWG) meeting under India’s G20 Presidency began today at Gurugram, Haryana. As part of the meeting, a Side Event was held on the theme ‘Leveraging ICT for combating corruption in Public Sector’. Eminent experts from various walks of life spoke at the event, which was …