3RD JULY
Contents
PUSHKAR SINGH DHAMI AS NEXT CM OF UTTARAKHAND
WORLD BANK EXPANDS VACCINE FUNDING TO $20 BILLION
CHINA IS CERTIFIED MALARIA FREE BY WHO
7TH INDIAN OCEAN NAVAL SYMPOSIUM
KK VENUGOPAL’S TERM AS ATTORNEY GENERAL EXTENDED
TORONTO INTERNATIONAL WOMEN FILM FESTIVAL
RAFAEL UNVEILS SEA BREAKER AI MISSILE
PUSHKAR SINGH DHAMI AS NEXT CM OF UTTARAKHAND
- Pushkar Singh Dhami will be the next chief minister of Uttarakhand. He will be the youngest CM of Uttarakhand.
- 45-year-old Pushkar Singh Dhami, an MLA from the Khatima constituency in Udham Singh Nagar district. He will replace Tirath Singh Rawat, who resigned from the post. He was elected by the state leaders during the legislature party meeting in Dehradun.
- Who is Pushkar Singh Dhami?
- Born on September 16, 1975, in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh, Pushkar Singh Dhami is a two-time MLA from the Khatima constituency. He holds a Postgraduate degree in Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations and LLB in Social Life.
- Pushkar Singh Dhami was also associated with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and also served as the state president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha in Uttarakhand.
- Pushkar Singh Dhami served as the officer on special duty for former Uttarakhand chief minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari in 2002.
(SOURCE: TIMES OF INDIA)
WORLD BANK EXPANDS VACCINE FUNDING TO $20 BILLION
- The World Bank has announced additional funding of $8 billion for Covid-19 vaccines, for developing countries. With this, the total financing available for the Covid-19 vaccine reaches $20 billion.
- Earlier the World Bank had announced $12 billion for the same. This funding will be used over the next 18 months till 2022 end.
- World Bank Group President David Malpass has also called on countries with surplus doses to release it for use by developing countries and requested vaccine manufacturers to prioritise the available doses for such developing countries that urgently need them.
- Further, the Bank also provided over $4 billion for the purchase and deployment of Covid vaccines for 51 developing countries, half of which are in Africa.
(SOURCE: THE PRINT)
CHINA IS CERTIFIED MALARIA FREE BY WHO
- Following a 70-year effort, China has been awarded a malaria-free certification from WHO – a notable feat for a country that reported 30 million cases of the disease annually in the 1940s.
- China is the first country in the WHO Western Pacific Region to be awarded a malaria-free certification in more than 3 decades. Other countries in the region that have achieved this status include Australia (1981), Singapore (1982) and Brunei Darussalam (1987).
- Globally, 40 countries and territories have been granted a malaria-free certification from WHO – including, most recently, El Salvador (2021), Algeria (2019), Argentina (2019), Paraguay (2018) and Uzbekistan (2018).
- China provides a basic public health service package for its residents free of charge. As part of this package, all people in China have access to affordable services for the diagnosis and treatment of malaria, regardless of legal or financial status.
- Effective multi-sector collaboration was also key to success. In 2010, 13 ministries in China – including those representing health, education, finance, research and science, development, public security, the army, police, commerce, industry and information technology, customs, media and tourism – joined forces to end malaria nationwide.
- In recent years, the country further reduced its malaria caseload through strict adherence to the timelines of the “1-3-7” strategy.
- The “1” signifies the one-day deadline for health facilities to report a malaria diagnosis; by the end of day 3, health authorities are required to confirm a case and determine the risk of spread; and, within 7 days, appropriate measures must be taken to prevent further spread of the disease.
(SOURCE: INDIAN EXPRESS)
7TH INDIAN OCEAN NAVAL SYMPOSIUM
- The 7th edition of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), concluded in France on July 01, 2021. The biennial event was hosted by the French Navy at La Réunion from 28 June to 01 July 2021.
- From India, Admiral Karambir Singh, Chief of the Naval Staff, Indian Navy, participated in the inaugural session of the event virtually.
- France is the current chair of the Symposium, which assumed the Chairmanship on 29 June 2021 for a two-year tenure.
- About IONS: The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) is a series of biennial meetings, held between the littoral states of the Indian Ocean region, to enhance maritime cooperation among Navies of the member states, by providing an open and inclusive forum for discussion of regionally relevant maritime issues such as maritime security cooperation, discuss regional maritime issues, and promote friendly relationships.
- The first such symposium was held in 2008 with India as host. The chairmanship and location of the Symposium rotates between the various member states.
(SOURCE: OUTLOOK)
KK VENUGOPAL’S TERM AS ATTORNEY GENERAL EXTENDED
- K. Venugopal’s term as Attorney General (AG) has been extended by the central government for another year. In 2020, he received his first term extension.
- He would be in charge of the government’s legal defence in several sensitive Supreme Court cases, including the challenge to the repeal of Article 370 and the Citizenship Amendment Act.
- About Attorney General (AG): The Attorney General of India is a member of the Union Executive. She/he is the highest ranking law enforcement officer in the country.
- Article 76 of the Indian Constitution establishes the Office of the Attorney General of India.
- Appointment and Eligibility: The President appoints the AG on the advice of the government. He/she must be a person eligible to be appointed as a Supreme Court judge, that is, he/she must be an Indian citizen and must have served as a judge in a high court for five years or an advocate in a high court for ten years or an eminent jurist. The term of the office is not specified in the Constitution.
- Removal: The Constitution makes no mention of removal. She/he serves during the pleasure of the President.
(SOURCE: HINDUSTAN TIMES)
TORONTO INTERNATIONAL WOMEN FILM FESTIVAL
- Freelance filmmaker Deepti Pillay Sivan’s most touted documentary, “Decoding Shankar” about the life and career of the celebrated musician Shankar Mahadevan, recently won the Best Film Award in the Documentary section (Best Biographical) at the Toronto International Women Film Festival, 2021.
- The 52-minute docu-film released a few years ago is a sketch of the life of the prolific musician focusing on how he balances his career as a singer, music composer, and teacher.
- The film gives interesting tidbits about his family life and shares interesting moments about his passion for cooking.
RAFAEL UNVEILS SEA BREAKER AI MISSILE
- Israeli defence electronics company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has unveiled Sea Breaker, a 5th generation long-range, autonomous, precision-guided missile system, which can precisely target sea and land targets up to a range of 300 kilometres.
- Sea Breaker features an advanced imaging infra-red seeker, which can engage stationary or moving targets in a diverse range of land and marine environments.
- Sea Breaker can be launched from naval platforms, varying in size, and from fast attack missile boats to corvettes and frigates. The land version is a central part of the shore defence, based on Rafael’s highly mobile SPYDER launchers.
- The battery architecture supports standalone launchers, or operation as an integrated solution, with a command and control unit (CCU) and various sensors, based on customer requirements.
- Israel Prime minister: Naftali Bennett
- Israel Capital: Jerusalem; Currency: Israeli Shekel.
(SOURCE: THE WIRE)