National
Report on 'Health Insurance for India’s Missing Middle'
⇒ NITI Aayog on October 2021 released a comprehensive report titled ‘Health Insurance for India’s Missing Middle’, which brings out the gaps in the health insurance coverage across the Indian population and offers solutions to address the situation.
The report highlights the need for designing a low-cost comprehensive health insurance product for the missing middle.
- It primarily recognizes the policy issue of low financial protection for health for the missing middle segment and highlights health insurance as a potential pathway in addressing that.
- In doing so, the report offers a starting point for broader discussions on solutions, and specific products, to improve insurance coverage for the missing middle.
» The report proposes wider industry and government stakeholder consultations, and discussion with consumer groups to delve deeper into the specifics of the problem, and potential solutions.
Missing Middle:
The Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana—a flagship scheme towards Universal Health Coverage, and State Government extension schemes—provides comprehensive hospitalization cover to the bottom 50% of the population.
Around 20% of the population is covered through social health insurance, and private voluntary health insurance primarily designed for high-income groups. The remaining 30% of the population, devoid of health insurance, is termed as the “missing middle”.
7th Indian Navy Frigate of P1135.6 class
⇒ The 7th Indian Navy Frigate of P1135.6 class was launched on 28 October 2021 at Yantar Shipyard, Kaliningrad, Russia.
During the ceremony, the ship was formally named as ‘Tushil’ by Smt Datla Vidya Varma. Tushil is a Sanskrit word meaning Protector Shield.
Under Project 1135.6, two ships will be built in Russia and two ships in India on the basis of an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) between the Government of India and Government of Russian Federation. These ships will be built in India at M/s Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL).
About Ship:
- The construction of these ships is based on Indian Navy’s specific requirements to meet the entire spectrum of naval warfare in all three dimensions of Air, Surface and Sub-surface.
- They feature “stealth technology” in terms of low radar and under water noise signatures.
- These ships are being equipped with major Indian supplied equipment such as Surface to Surface Missiles, Sonar system, Surface Surveillance Radar, Communication Suite and ASW system.
- Apart from these, Russian-made surface-to-surface Air Missiles and gun mounts are also being installed.
30th edition of “Hunar Haat”
⇒ The Union Minister for Minority Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the 30th edition of “Hunar Haat” at Dehradun on 29 October 2021.
‘Hunar Haat’ is a unique platform that brings the artisans of the entire nation from Kutch to Cuttack, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari under one roof.
Theme:
Besides “Vocal for Local”, “Hunar Haat” is also based on the theme of “Best from Waste”.
Participants:
About 500 artisans and craftsmen from more than 30 States and Union Territories brought their indigenous products made with wood, brass, bamboo, glass, cloth, paper, clay etc at “Hunar Haat” in Dehradun.
Ganga Utsav 2021
⇒ The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) celebrates Ganga Utsav every year to mark the anniversary of announcement of River Ganga as the ‘National River’ i.e. 4th November.
This year’s Ganga Utsav was organised from 1st to 3rd November, 2021.
Objective:
The objective of the Utsav (festival) is to promote stakeholder engagement and ensure public participation under the aegis of the Ganga Knowledge Center.
- The Utsav highlights the significance of “Jan Bhagidari” in the revival of Ganga, with a focus on encouraging stakeholder engagement and public participation towards the rejuvenation of river Ganga.
This year the aim was to take Ganga Utsav 2021 to various river basins of India and promote the ‘Nadi Utsav’ (River Festival) celebrations.
- This was highlighted by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi on the occasion of the World River Day on 26th September 2021, in order to connect with the traditions which are associated with rivers for centuries in our country.
International
19th Meeting of Prosecutors General of the SCO Member States
⇒ The Nineteenth Meeting of Prosecutors General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Member States was hosted by Shri Tushar Mehta, Solicitor General of India on 29th October, 2021.
Participants:
India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan participated in the Prosecutors General Meeting.
The SCO Secretary General Mr. V.I. Norov and Director of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure D.F. Giesov also participated in the meeting.
A Protocol following the results of the Nineteenth meeting of Prosecutors General of the SCO Member States was signed and adopted by the SCO Member States.
Salient features of the Protocol:
- To strengthen cooperation in preventing and combating growing menace of trafficking in persons especially, women and children.
- To continue exchanging the national legislation to combat the menace of trafficking in persons, especially women and children.
- To provide protection and assistance in victims of trafficking within their competence.
- To develop cooperation between the educational (training) organizations (institutions) of the SCO member states in the field of training and advanced training of prosecutors, whose competence include combating trafficking in persons especially, women and children.
- To conduct bilateral and multilateral activities, including thorough videoconferencing, on countering and combating the threat of trafficking in persons, especially women and children.
» As part of the activities of Prosecutors General Forum, Ld Solicitor General urged SCO Member States to cooperate bilaterally and multilaterally to effectively eliminate the transnational organized crime in trafficking in persons.
Next Meeting:
The next (20th) meeting of the Prosecutors General of the SCO Member States will be held in the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2022.
G20 Joint Finance and Health Ministers’ Meeting
⇒ Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya addressed the G20 Joint Finance and Health Ministers’ Meeting on 29 October 2021.
Agenda of the discussion was “Concrete proposals to strengthen global health financing governance”.
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman also attended in the G20 joint Finance and Health Ministers meeting in Rome.
About:
- The G20 Joint Finance and Health Ministers’ Meeting 2021 is one of the ministerial meetings organized as part of the G20 Leaders Summit 2021, which was hosted by Italy in October 2021.
- G20 Finance and Health Ministers gathered in Rome for their first joint meeting under the Italian G20 Presidency.
» The 2021 G20, under the Italian Presidency, focused on three broad, interconnected pillars of action ‘People, Planet, Prosperity’. The G20 is made up of 19 countries and the European Union.