Wednesday, 26 August 2015

Daily GK Update - 26th August 2015

1. PM inaugurates birth centenary celebrations of Rani Gaidinliu
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24 August 2015 inaugurated birth centenary celebrations
of freedom fighter Rani Gaidinliu. On this occasion he launched commemorative coin of 100
rupees and circulation coin of 5 rupees of Rani Gaidinliu to mark her birth centenary
celebrations.

ii. Rani Gaidinliu was a Naga political and spiritual leader who had led a revolt against
British colonial rule in India.
iii. Her political struggle in present North east India was based on Gandhian principles of
Satyagraha, non-violence, self-reliance. She also had played an important role in Indias
wider freedom movement by spreading the message of Gandhi ji in Manipur region.
iv. She had participated in the freedom struggle at a very young age of 13 after she came
under the influence Heraka religious movement.
v. Union Government has instituted one of five Stree Shakti Puruskar in honour her in 2000.
In 2010, state owned Hindustan shipyard Ltd. had launched an in-shore patrol vessel for the
Indian coast guard named as Rani Gaidinliu.
2. Rajasthan Government approved Arogya Rajasthan campaign
i. Rajasthan State Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on 25 August 2015
approved the launch of Arogya Rajasthan campaign. The campaign will be held from
December 2015 to March 2016.

ii. The three-month campaign will help in collection and compilation of health data of the
rural population in the state. During the campaign, the rural residents would be issued health
cards based on spot diagnoses. The cards would be used for further treatment and follow-up
of patients.
iii. The cabinet also approved a drive to collect health information of citizens to build an
online datatbase, which will be held between 15 September and 31 October 2015. The

campaign Health camps will be organised at gram panchayat level and every citizen will be
issued a Health Card.
3. India, Australia ink MoU on Cooperation in the Fields of Education, Training and
Research
i. India and Australia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in
the fields of education, research and training. The MoU was signed by Union Minister of
Human Resource Development (HRD) Smriti Irani and her counterpart Christopher Pyne MP,
Minister for Education and Training of Australia.

ii. It was signed after the 3rd meeting of the Australia-India

Education Council (AIEC) which was held in New Delhi. The MoU seeks to intensify
existing partnerships between both countries in higher education & research, including
professional and technical education, vocational education, schools and training. It also seeks
to open up new and innovative areas of cooperation.
iii. It is a bi-national body established in 2011. It was established as per commitment given by
the Education Ministers of India and Australia to guide the strategic direction of the
education, research and training partnership between the two countries.
iv. The AIEC is co-chaired by Education Ministers on both sides and consists of academia,
industry and government. It meets in conjunction with the annual Australia-India Ministerial
Dialogue on Education Cooperation.
4. UK to fund Kolkata's climate action programme
i. The United Kingdom will fund a capacity building programme for making Kolkata a low
carbon city.
ii. Ahead of implementation of the UK-Kolkata Municipal Corporation joint programme, the
UK Minister of State for International Development, Desmond Swayne, was present on
Sunday at an workshop for sensitising the Councillors of the city's 16 boroughs.
iii. The UK Minister said the programme would cover over 20 multi-sectoral projects,
including rooftop solar plant, a mobility plan, a master plan for energy-efficient street
lighting, a disaster management plan and a green city business and investment plan.
iv. With the launch of the roadmap later this year, Kolkata will be one of the first mega cities
in India to have a comprehensive strategy to address climate change through a sustainable
urban development model
5. MCX, Gift ink pact for trading platform
i. Multi Commodity Exchange has signed a memorandum of understanding with Gift Special
Economic Zone, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gujarat International Finance Tec-City, for
setting up an electronic platform to facilitate trading in different asset classes for international
investors.

ii. The MCX agreement is in line with similar commitment

provided by BSE, NSE and Ncdex. MCX will set up a facility for clearing and settlement of
securities, commodities, interest rates, currencies, other classes of assets and derivatives to
international investors at the one-of-a-kind financial centre being developed at Gandhinagar
in Gujarat.
iii. Parveen Kumar Singhal, Joint Managing Director, MCX, said given the consistent
leadership position and strong technological backbone, the exchanges international platform
will not only fulfil the Centres vision to develop an international financial service facility but
also create tangible benefits by way of economic linkages.
iv. Earlier, MCX had tied up with US-based CME (Chicago Mercantile Exchange) Group to
study opportunities in the SEZ.
6. India to implement Sendai framework for Disaster Reduction 2015-2030
i. Union Government has announced it plans to implement the Sendai framework for Disaster
Risk Reduction 2015-2030 in letter and spirit. It was announced by Union Minister of State
(MoS) for Home Kiren Rijiju after inaugurating a workshop on Enhancing Private Sector
Partnership for Disaster Risk Reduction in New Delhi.

ii. It was adopted during the third UN World Conference on

Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai, Japan in March 2015. Its adaptation involves
adopting integrated and inclusive institutional measures in order to work towards preventing
vulnerability to disaster.
iii. It also seeks to increase preparedness for response and recovery and strengthen resilience
in case of disaster. It opts for considering the experience gained through international and the
regional strategies/institutions and plans for disaster risk reduction.
7. War museums at Jaisalmer, Laungewala stations inaugurated
i. War museums, built recently at the military stations of Jaisalmer and Yuddhsthal at
Laungewala to showcase the traditional bravery of the Indian Army, were inaugurated on
Monday by Lt Gen Ashok Singh, general officer, commanding-in-chief, Southern Command.

ii. A large number of service officers and civil dignitaries graced the functions, held at the
two military stations.
iii. The Jaisalmer War Museum is located 10 km from Jaisalmer on the Jodhpur highway. The
museum has two large information display halls, an audio visual room, a well stocked
souvenir shop and a cafeteria.
iv. The war museum at Loungewala has been set up at the site where Pakistan faced a
humiliating defeat in 1971. The memorial has a state of the art audio-visual theatre for
screening the movie on the Battle of Laungewala.
8. Government announces Dronacharya, Dhyan Chand, Rashtriya Khel Protsahan
Puruskar awards 2015
i. Union Government has announced names of recipients of Dronacharya Awards, Dhyan
Chand Awards and Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar for year the 2015.
Dronacharya Award 2015

Naval Singh- Athletics Para-sports coach

Anoop Singh Wrestling coach

Harbans Singh- Athletics coach

Swatantar Raj Singh- Boxing coach

Nihar Ameen- Swimming coach.

Dhyan Chand Award 2015

Romeo James Hockey

Shiv Prakash Mishra- Tennis

P.P Nair Volleyball.

Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2015

Directorate General of Military Training (DGMT) for identifying and nurturing of

young talent in sports

Coal India Limited (CIL) for encouraging sports through Corporate Social
Responsibility

Haryana State Police- For employing sportspersons and sports welfare measures

Sports Coaching Foundation (SCF)- For development of sports.

ii. The awardees will receive the awards from the President Pranab Mukherjee at a special
function at Rashtrapati Bhawan to be held on 29 August 2015.

Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/2015/08/daily-gk-update-26th-august2015.html#ixzz3k750a6qJ

India, Egypt signed two MoUs to deepen bilateral

cooperation
26-AUG-2015

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Who: Two MoUs between India and Egypt

Where: Cairo, Egypt
What: Signed
When: 24 August 2015
Why: To deepen cooperatin in tourism and research areas
India and Egypt on 24 August 2015 signed two Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) to
enhance bilateral cooperation.
They were signed in Egypts capital Cairo during the visit of External affairs minister Sushma
Swaraj to Egypt and they were

MoU on Cooperation in the field of Tourism

Aimed at enhancing bilateral cooperation in Tourism, Hospitality and Human Resource
Development; Draw up a road map for enhancing cooperation; establish a Joint Working
Group (JWG) on tourism cooperation.
MoU on scientific and technical Cooperation
It was signed between the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the
National Research Center (NRC) of Egypt.
It will support promotion and extension of cooperation in Scientific Research and Technology
Development in fields of mutual interest; Cooperate on common intellectual property rights;
Develop Working Program to review the implementation of MoU; Establish Joint Committee;
Exchange of scientists, scholars, information; Joint Research Programmes in water
desalination, solar energy, medicine and affordable health care, setting up joint laboratories,
etc.

Indian Army inaugurated Jaisalmer War Museum and

Laungewala War Memorial
26-AUG-2015

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Who: Jaisalmer War Museum and Laungewala War Memorial

What: Inaugurated by Indian Army
When: 24 August 2015
Jaisalmer War Museum established in the Military Station of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan was
inaugurated on 24 August 2015. The museum was inaugurated by Lieutenant General Ashok
Singh, General Officer Commanding in Chief of Southern Command to mark the Golden
Jubilee
Commemoration
Year
of
1965
Indo
Pak
War.
The War Museum is located 10 km short of Jaisalmer on the Jaisalmer - Jodhpur Highway.

Jaisalmer War Museum

It carries two large Information Display Halls, an Audio Visual Room and a souvenir shop.
There are a large number of captured war trophies and own vintage equipment on display to
include tanks, guns and military vehicles.
The Indian Air Force has presented a Hunter aircraft for the museum, which was used
during the Battle for Laungewala in 1971 Indo Pak War.
The entry to the war museum is free for all visitors.
Besides, to commemorate Battle of Laungewala that was fought on 4 December and 5
December 1971, a War Memorial was constructed and inaugurated at the very site where the
Pakistani offensive was blunted. The memorial has a state of art audio visual theatre for
screening the movies on the Battle of Laungewala. Located just two hours away from
Jaisalmer, the memorial is open seven days a week and the entry is free for visitors.

Second Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation

(FIPIC) Summit held in Jaipur
26-AUG-2015

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Who: Second FIPIC Summit

Where: Jaipur, Rajashtan
What: Held
When: 21 August 2015
Why: To deepen cooperation between India and Pacific Island Nations

The Second Forum for India-Pacific Island

Cooperation Summit was held on 21 August 2015 in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
Besides the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the summit was attended by heads of states and
governments and key officials of the 14 pacific island nations of the group.
During the summit the leaders discussed common areas of cooperation including marine
resources exploration, oil and natural gas, mining, IT, health care, fishing, marine research
and space collaboration, climate change, UN reforms.
Further, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held bilateral dialogue with various heads of
governments on the sidelines of the summit.
About FIPIC
It was first concepualised during the visit of Narendra Modi to Fiji in November 2014 to
deepen Indias external relations with pacific island nations.
The first summit was held in Fijis capital Suva in the third week of November 2014.
Apart from India fourteen pacific island countries in the group are: Cook Islands, Fiji,
Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Palau, Papua
New Guinea, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
The grouping is part of Indias Act East policy aimed at augmenting Indias proactive
presence in East Asia and Pacific region.

Rajasthan Government approved Arogya Rajasthan

campaign
26-AUG-2015

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Who: Arogya Rajasthan campaign

What: Approved by Rajasthan Government

When: 25 August 2015

Rajasthan State Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on 25 August 2015
approved the launch of Arogya Rajasthan campaign. The campaign will be held from
December 2015 to March 2016.
The three-month campaign will help in collection and compilation of health data of the rural
population in the state. During the campaign, the rural residents would be issued health cards
based on spot diagnoses. The cards would be used for further treatment and follow-up of
patients.
The cabinet also approved a drive to collect health information of citizens to build an online
datatbase, which will be held between 15 September and 31 October 2015. The campaign
Health camps will be organised at gram panchayat level and every citizen will be issued a
Health Card.

Fortune released maiden Change the World List

26-AUG-2015

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Who: Change the World List

What: Released by Fortune Magazine
When: 20 August 2015
Fortune, an American business magazine, on 20 August 2015 released its maiden Change the
World List.
It listed out the companies that have made significant progress in addressing major social
problems as a part of their core business strategy.
The list consists of a range of companies including telecommunications (Vodafone), retailing
(Walmart), automobiles (Ford; Toyota) and information technology (Google; Facebook,
IBM).

Highlights of Change the World List

Among the 51 companies it listed out the UK based Vodafone and Kenya based safaricom
together ranked no.1 in the list. The joint service M-Pesa lets people who lack bank accounts
use their smart phones to save and transfer money, receive pensions, and pay bills is. At
present 42 percent of Kenyas GDP is transacted through it.
The second rank was given to the search engine giant Google (Alphabet) that provides
various communication tools to bridge gaps across the space and time.
While Toyota automobile company was place at the third position, retail giant Walmart was
at the fourth.
Bangladesh based Grameen Bank was at the 12th position that helped millions of people to
overcome poverty.
Other important companies that are in the list are Alibaba, Starbucks, Unilever, Nike and
Twitter.

BRIDGE programme of Australia extended to include

Navodaya Schools
26-AUG-2015

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Who: BRIDGE programme of Australia

What: To extended to include Navodaya Schools
BRIDGE programme: Building Regional Intercultural Dialogue and Growing
Engagement programme
Australias BRIDGE Programme was in news in August 2015. The programme that is run by
Australian Schools in collaboration with Indian Schools came in news on 24 August 2015
after Australia agreed to include Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs).
The agreement was reached during the 3rd Australia-India Education Council (AIEC)
meeting held in New Delhi chaired by the Education Minister of both the countries.
The Australia-India BRIDGE school partnerships project, which is currently confined to
private schools, will connect Australian and Indian schools and focus on building teacher
capability across key learning areas, including science, technology, engineering and

mathematics, information and communication technologies, intercultural understanding,

values and inclusive education.

RGI released Census 2011 on Population by Religious

Communities
26-AUG-2015

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Who: Census 2011 on Population by Religious Communities

What: Released by RGI
When: 25 August 2015
The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RGI) on 25 August 2015 released
the data on Census 2011 on Population by Religious Communities. The distribution is total
population by six major religious communities namely, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh,
Buddhist, Jain besides Other Religions and Persuasions and Religion not stated.
As per the Census 2011, the Total Population in 2011 was 121.09 crores. Here is the list of
Population by Religious Communities based on Census 2011:
Religion

Population

Hindu

96.63 crores (79.8%)

Muslim

17.22 crores (14.2%)

Christian

2.78 crores (2.3%)

Sikh

2.08 crores (1.7%)

Buddhist

0.84 crores (0.7%)

Jain

0.45 crores (0.4%)

Other Religions & Persuasions

0.79 crores (0.7%)

Religion Not Stated

0.29 crores (0.2%)

Proportion
The proportion of Hindu population to total population in 2011 has declined by 0.7
percentage point (PP) while the proportion of Sikh population has declined by 0.2 PP and the
Buddhist population declined by 0.1 PP during the decade 2001-2011.
The proportion of Muslim population to total population has increased by 0.8 PP. There has
been no significant change in the proportion of Christians and Jains.
Growth Rate
The growth rate of population in the decade 2001-2011 was 17.7 percent. The growth rate of
population of the different religious communities in the same period was- Hindus at 16.8
percent; Muslim at 24.6 percent; Christian at 15.5 percent; Sikh at 8.4 percent; Buddhist at
6.1 percent and Jain at 5.4 percent.
The Muslim population grew at a faster rate than the Hindu population, but the gap between
the two growth rates is narrowing fast. The data shows that between 2001 and 2011, Hindu
population grew by 16.76 percent, while population of Muslims grew by 24.6 percent. The
population of both communities grew much faster during the 1991-2001 with Hindus at 19.92
percent and Muslims at 29.52 percent.
The Muslim community has registered a moderate 0.8 percent growth to touch 17.22 crore
between 2001 and 2011, up from 13.8 crore between 1991-2001, while Hindus population
showed a decline by 0.7 percent at 96.63 crore during the period.
Though there is the decadal increase in share of Muslim population, however, their growth
rate is lower than the previous decade 1991-2001.

India, Seychelles signed five Agreements/MoUs to

improve bilateral relations
26-AUG-2015

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Who: Five Agreements/MoUs

Where: New Delhi
What: Signed
When: 26 August 2015
Why: To improve bilateral relations
India and Seychelles on 26 August 2015 signed five agreements/Memorandum of
Understandings (MoUs) aimed at improving bilateral relations in New Delhi.
They were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Seychelles President
James Michel during the latters visit to India.
List of Agreements/MoUs
Air Services Agreement.
MoU for providing one Dornier Maritime Aircraft.
Agreement for exchange of information with respect to Taxes.
MoU between Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Seychelles Agricultural
Agency for Cooperation in agricultural research and education.
Protocol on framework of cooperation in the field of Blue Economy between India and
Seychelles.

Rajasthan Government and FCEL inked agreement to

launch Annapurna Bhandar Yojana
26-AUG-2015

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Who: Rajasthan Government and FCEL

Where: Jaipur
What: Inked agreement to launch Annapurna Bhandar Yojana

When: 20 August 2015

Rajasthan State Food and Civil Supplies Corporation (RSFCSC) and Kishore Biyani-led
Future Consumer Enterprise Ltd (FCEL) on 20 August 2015 inked an agreement to launch
the Annapurna Bhandar Yojna, which is a Public Private Distribution Scheme, the first-of-its
kind
in
India.
The agreement was signed in presence of Vasundhra Raje, Chief Minister of Rajasthan in
Jaipur.
The agreement was signed with an aim to provide better quality multi-brand consumer goods
at competitive prices to the public of the state through Fair Price Shops (FPS).
Under the Yojna, Annapurna Bhandars will emerge as malls in rural areas of Rajasthan and in
the first phase, the scheme would be operational through five thousand Fair Price Shops in
the state.
As a pilot run, this scheme was launched through five shops in Jaipur city and one at Udaipur
by supplying multi-brand daily consumption products.
The PPP agreement enables Rajasthan State Food and Civil Supplies Corporation in
implementation of its function of providing non-PDS (Public Distribution System) items at
affordable prices to general public through Fair Price Shops.
Chief Minister Vasundhra Raje said this scheme will become Indias biggest entrepreneurship
drive with five thousand fair price shop dealers turning into entrepreneurs with Annapurna
Bhandars.

PayU India tied-up with redBus to attract customers to

use its wallet PayU Money
26-AUG-2015

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Who: PayU India

What: Tied-up with redBus

When: 25 August 2015

Why: To attract customers to use its wallet PayU Money
PayU India on 25 August 2015 tied-up with online bus ticketing platform redBus to offer
cash-back discounts to customers who use its wallet PayU Money to buy tickets.
Today, around 50 percent of bookings on redBus are through the PayU Wallet. This tie-up is
expected to increase the wallet customers from the current 5 million users to 20 million by
2015 end. However, payments on redBus can also be made with credit and debit cards, net
banking and cash on delivery.
Established in 2011, PayU India is part of Naspers Group which owns companies such as redBus, OLX and Goibibo. The company is now forming similar alliances in the travel booking
space and integrating with sites such as Makemytrip, Goibibo and Cleartrip.

Australia-India Education Council (AIEC) meeting

concluded in New Delhi
26-AUG-2015

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Who: INT-Australia-India Education Council (AIEC) meet

Where: New Delhi
What: Concluded
When: 24 August 2015
Australia-India Education Council (AIEC) annual meeting concluded in New Delhi on 24
August
2015.
This
was
the
third
annual
meeting
of
the
AIEC.
The meeting was chaired by Union Minister of Human Resource Development Smriti Zubin
Irani and Australias Minister for Education and Training Christopher Pyne.
Main
Outcomes
of
the
meeting
India and Australia agreed to extend the Australia-India BRIDGE school partnerships

project to include Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs). BRIDGE Building Regional

Intercultural Dialogue and Growing Engagement is currently confined to private schools
only.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the fields of education, training
and
research
was
inked
The two nations agreed for a total joint financial commitment of up to 1 million Australian
dollars
for
various
activities
under
Educational
Cooperation
Both the countries issued a Joint Communiqu commending the significant progress made
in the areas of skills, higher education and research among others and welcomed the
extension of collaborative activity to include engagement in the schools sector.
The communiqu also emphasized that the Global Initiative for Academic Networks
(GIAN), launched by India, would enable interaction between the Indian and Australian
academicians
to
mutual
benefit.
Besides, Australian Minister Christopher Pyne also announced former cricketer Adam
Gilchrist as the Australia-India Education Ambassador. He will help project the quality of
Australian education and strengthen the bilateral education, training and research
relationships.
About
Australia-India
Education
Council
(AIEC)
The AIEC is a bi-national body established in 2011 as a commitment by the Education
Ministers of India and Australia to guide the strategic direction of the education, training and
research partnership between the two countries. The AIEC, which is co-chaired by Education
Ministers on both sides, consists of academia, industry and government and meets in
conjunction with the annual Australia-India Ministerial Dialogue on Education Cooperation.

SAI launched School Sports Promotion Foundation

26-AUG-2015

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Who: School Sports Promotion Foundation

What: Launched by SAI
When: 24 August 2015

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) on 24

August 2015 launched the School Sports Promotion Foundation with an aim to tap the
sporting talent at the school level.
The Sports Promotion Foundation aims to reach out to around 100000 secondary and senior
secondary schools irrespective of their ownership, economic or social strata they operate in or
the board they are affiliated to.
Functions of School Sports Promotion Foundation
The foundation will organise sports tournaments across the country to identify talent and
nurture it and take them through the city, district, state, zonal and national level of
competitive sport.
At the next level, it will arrange to provide sports coaching to those talented youth who are
identified through these tournaments at all levels.
School Sports Promotion Foundation will roll out Football and Cricket in the first year of its
operations.
In the second year, other sports like Tennis, Basketball and Athletics will be introduced and
rural, sub-urban elementary schools with a strong focus on rural sports would be included in
the programme.

Study titled the Future of Forests: Emissions from

Tropical Deforestation, 2016-2050 released
26-AUG-2015

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Who: Study titled The Future of Forests: Emissions from Tropical Deforestation, 2016-2050

What: Released
When: 24 August 2015
The Washington-based Center for Global Development (CGD) on 24 August 2015 released a
report on the future of tropical deforestation from 2016-2050 with and without carbon pricing
policies.
The study says that in next 35 years, an area of tropical forest equivalent to the size of India
will be deforested. If current trends continue, tropical deforestation will add 169 billion tons
of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by 2050, the equivalent of running 44000 coal-fired
power plants for a year.
Highlights of the study
In the absence of new forest conservation policies, 289 million hectares of tropical forest
will be cleared from 2016-2050an area about the size of India and one-seventh of Earths
tropical forest area in the year 2000.
It projects that this tropical deforestation will release 169 GtCO2 to the atmosphere from
2016-2050one-sixth of the remaining carbon that can be emitted if the rise in Earths
temperature is to be likely held below 2 C.
It estimates that a universally applied carbon price of 20/tCO2 dollar from 2016-2050
would avoid 41 GtCO2 of emissions from tropical deforestation while a carbon price of
50/tCO2 dollar would avoid 77 GtCO2. These prices correspond to average costs to land
users of 9/tCO2 dollar and 21/tCO2 dollar respectively.
It corroborates the conclusions of previous studies that reducing tropical deforestation is a
sizable and low-cost option for mitigating climate change.
In contrast to previous studies, it was projected that the amount of emissions that can be
avoided at low-cost by reducing tropical deforestation will increase rather than decrease in
future decades.
It says that 89% of potential low-cost emission reductions are located in the 47 tropical
countries that have already signaled their intention to reduce emissions from deforestation in
exchange for performance-based finance.
It suggests that if all tropical countries implemented anti-deforestation policies as effective as
those in the Brazilian Amazon post-2004 then 60 GtCO2 of emissions would be avoided.
The study
CGDs study is based on 8 million observations of historical forest loss spanning 101 tropical
countries. In the study, the spatial projections of future deforestation incorporated topography,
accessibility, protected status, potential agricultural revenue, and a robust observed invertedU-shaped trajectory of forest cover loss with respect to remaining forest cover.

Ananth Padmanabhan appointed as CEO of

HarperCollins India
26-AUG-2015

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Who: Ananth Padmanabhan

What: Appointed as CEO of HarperCollins India
When: 25 August 2015
Ananth Padmanabhan was on 25 August 2015 appointed as the Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) of HarperCollins India with effect from October 2015. Padmanabhan succeeded P M
Sukumar.
Padmanabhan will have overall responsibility for all divisions of the business and will report
to Charlie Redmayne, CEO of HarperCollins UK. While the responsibility for running the
day to day Collins India education business remains with Krishna Naroor.
Presently, Padmanabhan is working as a Senior Vice President of Sales at Penguin Random
House. He has a total of 20 years of experience in the publishing sector.
He has served on the Management Executive level and was responsible for sales, local
acquisition and publishing strategy and local digital strategy at Penguin Random House. He is
also a writer and his first book Play with Me was published in 2015.
Formation of a new HarperCollins India Board
HarperCollins also announced the formation of a new HarperCollins India Board. The board
includes Redmayne; Padmanabhan; Colin Hughes; Ed Kielbasiewicz; Alex Beecroft; and
Amit Abrol.
Krishna Naroor will also join the board.

Girish Sahni assumed charge as Director General of

CSIR
26-AUG-2015

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Who: Girish Sahni

What: Appointed as Director General of CSIR
When: 26 August 2015

Girish Sahni on 26 August 2015 assumed charge as the Director General of

the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) with effect from the 24 August
2015. Additionally, Sahni will also serve as Secretary, Department of Scientific & Industrial
Research, Union Ministry of Science & Technology.
Previously, Sahni had been the Director of CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (CSIRIMTECH), Chandigarh.
Born on 2 March 1956, Sahni specializes in Protein Engineering, Molecular Biology, and
Biotechnology. He is internationally recognized for his research contributions. He is Fellow
of Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi; Indian Academy of Science, Bangalore,
and NASI, Allahabad.
About Girish Sahni
Sahni has contributed significantly in the area of protein cardiovascular drugs especially
clot busters and their mode of action in the human body.
The team led by him is responsible for producing technology for Indias first indigenous
clot bluster drug, natural streptokinase (under brand name STPase marketed by Cadila
Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Ahmedabad).
His team has also developed a novel life-saver thrombolytic drug (Clot-specific
streptokinase), Indias first bio-therapeutic molecule which is not a Biosimilar. This drug has
been patented worldwide.
Recently, the team led by him developed fourth-generation Anti-thrombotic clot busters, the
first of its kind in the world.
He has received many awards for his contributions including National Biotechnology
Product Development Award 2002, CSIR Technology Shield 2001-2002, The Vasvik

Industrial Award 2000, Ranbaxy Award in Pharmaceutical Sciences 2003 and Vigyan Rattan
Award 2014.

Ananth Padmanabhan appointed as CEO of

HarperCollins India
26-AUG-2015

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Who: Ananth Padmanabhan

What: Appointed as CEO of HarperCollins India
When: 25 August 2015
Ananth Padmanabhan was on 25 August 2015 appointed as the Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) of HarperCollins India with effect from October 2015. Padmanabhan succeeded P M
Sukumar.
Padmanabhan will have overall responsibility for all divisions of the business and will report
to Charlie Redmayne, CEO of HarperCollins UK. While the responsibility for running the
day to day Collins India education business remains with Krishna Naroor.
Presently, Padmanabhan is working as a Senior Vice President of Sales at Penguin Random
House. He has a total of 20 years of experience in the publishing sector.
He has served on the Management Executive level and was responsible for sales, local
acquisition and publishing strategy and local digital strategy at Penguin Random House. He is
also a writer and his first book Play with Me was published in 2015.
Formation of a new HarperCollins India Board
HarperCollins also announced the formation of a new HarperCollins India Board. The board
includes Redmayne; Padmanabhan; Colin Hughes; Ed Kielbasiewicz; Alex Beecroft; and
Amit Abrol.
Krishna Naroor will also join the board.

Girish Sahni assumed charge as Director General of

CSIR
26-AUG-2015

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Who: Girish Sahni

What: Appointed as Director General of CSIR
When: 26 August 2015

Girish Sahni on 26 August 2015 assumed charge as the Director General of

the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) with effect from the 24 August
2015. Additionally, Sahni will also serve as Secretary, Department of Scientific & Industrial
Research, Union Ministry of Science & Technology.
Previously, Sahni had been the Director of CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (CSIRIMTECH), Chandigarh.
Born on 2 March 1956, Sahni specializes in Protein Engineering, Molecular Biology, and
Biotechnology. He is internationally recognized for his research contributions. He is Fellow
of Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi; Indian Academy of Science, Bangalore,
and NASI, Allahabad.
About Girish Sahni
Sahni has contributed significantly in the area of protein cardiovascular drugs especially
clot busters and their mode of action in the human body.
The team led by him is responsible for producing technology for Indias first indigenous
clot bluster drug, natural streptokinase (under brand name STPase marketed by Cadila
Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Ahmedabad).
His team has also developed a novel life-saver thrombolytic drug (Clot-specific

streptokinase), Indias first bio-therapeutic molecule which is not a Biosimilar. This drug has
been patented worldwide.
Recently, the team led by him developed fourth-generation Anti-thrombotic clot busters, the
first of its kind in the world.
He has received many awards for his contributions including National Biotechnology
Product Development Award 2002, CSIR Technology Shield 2001-2002, The Vasvik
Industrial Award 2000, Ranbaxy Award in Pharmaceutical Sciences 2003 and Vigyan Rattan
Award 2014.

Indian Army inaugurated Jaisalmer War Museum and

Laungewala War Memorial
26-AUG-2015

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Who: Jaisalmer War Museum and Laungewala War Memorial

What: Inaugurated by Indian Army
When: 24 August 2015
Jaisalmer War Museum established in the Military Station of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan was
inaugurated on 24 August 2015. The museum was inaugurated by Lieutenant General Ashok
Singh, General Officer Commanding in Chief of Southern Command to mark the Golden
Jubilee
Commemoration
Year
of
1965
Indo
Pak
War.
The War Museum is located 10 km short of Jaisalmer on the Jaisalmer - Jodhpur Highway.
Jaisalmer War Museum
It carries two large Information Display Halls, an Audio Visual Room and a souvenir shop.
There are a large number of captured war trophies and own vintage equipment on display to
include tanks, guns and military vehicles.
The Indian Air Force has presented a Hunter aircraft for the museum, which was used
during the Battle for Laungewala in 1971 Indo Pak War.
The entry to the war museum is free for all visitors.
Besides, to commemorate Battle of Laungewala that was fought on 4 December and 5
December 1971, a War Memorial was constructed and inaugurated at the very site where the
Pakistani offensive was blunted. The memorial has a state of art audio visual theatre for
screening the movies on the Battle of Laungewala. Located just two hours away from
Jaisalmer, the memorial is open seven days a week and the entry is free for visitors.

Fortune released maiden Change the World List

26-AUG-2015

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Who: Change the World List

What: Released by Fortune Magazine
When: 20 August 2015
Fortune, an American business magazine, on 20 August 2015 released its maiden Change the
World List.
It listed out the companies that have made significant progress in addressing major social
problems as a part of their core business strategy.
The list consists of a range of companies including telecommunications (Vodafone), retailing
(Walmart), automobiles (Ford; Toyota) and information technology (Google; Facebook,
IBM).
Highlights of Change the World List
Among the 51 companies it listed out the UK based Vodafone and Kenya based safaricom
together ranked no.1 in the list. The joint service M-Pesa lets people who lack bank accounts
use their smart phones to save and transfer money, receive pensions, and pay bills is. At
present 42 percent of Kenyas GDP is transacted through it.
The second rank was given to the search engine giant Google (Alphabet) that provides
various communication tools to bridge gaps across the space and time.
While Toyota automobile company was place at the third position, retail giant Walmart was
at the fourth.
Bangladesh based Grameen Bank was at the 12th position that helped millions of people to
overcome poverty.
Other important companies that are in the list are Alibaba, Starbucks, Unilever, Nike and
Twitter.

RGI released Census 2011 on Population by Religious

Communities
26-AUG-2015

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Who: Census 2011 on Population by Religious Communities

What: Released by RGI
When: 25 August 2015
The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RGI) on 25 August 2015 released
the data on Census 2011 on Population by Religious Communities. The distribution is total
population by six major religious communities namely, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh,
Buddhist, Jain besides Other Religions and Persuasions and Religion not stated.
As per the Census 2011, the Total Population in 2011 was 121.09 crores. Here is the list of
Population by Religious Communities based on Census 2011:
Religion

Population

Hindu

96.63 crores (79.8%)

Muslim

17.22 crores (14.2%)

Christian

2.78 crores (2.3%)

Sikh

2.08 crores (1.7%)

Buddhist

0.84 crores (0.7%)

Jain

0.45 crores (0.4%)

Other Religions & Persuasions

0.79 crores (0.7%)

Religion Not Stated

0.29 crores (0.2%)

Proportion
The proportion of Hindu population to total population in 2011 has declined by 0.7
percentage point (PP) while the proportion of Sikh population has declined by 0.2 PP and the
Buddhist population declined by 0.1 PP during the decade 2001-2011.
The proportion of Muslim population to total population has increased by 0.8 PP. There has
been no significant change in the proportion of Christians and Jains.
Growth Rate

The growth rate of population in the decade 2001-2011 was 17.7 percent. The growth rate of
population of the different religious communities in the same period was- Hindus at 16.8
percent; Muslim at 24.6 percent; Christian at 15.5 percent; Sikh at 8.4 percent; Buddhist at
6.1 percent and Jain at 5.4 percent.
The Muslim population grew at a faster rate than the Hindu population, but the gap between
the two growth rates is narrowing fast. The data shows that between 2001 and 2011, Hindu
population grew by 16.76 percent, while population of Muslims grew by 24.6 percent. The
population of both communities grew much faster during the 1991-2001 with Hindus at 19.92
percent and Muslims at 29.52 percent.
The Muslim community has registered a moderate 0.8 percent growth to touch 17.22 crore
between 2001 and 2011, up from 13.8 crore between 1991-2001, while Hindus population
showed a decline by 0.7 percent at 96.63 crore during the period.
Though there is the decadal increase in share of Muslim population, however, their growth
rate is lower than the previous decade 1991-2001.

India, Seychelles signed five Agreements/MoUs to

improve bilateral relations
26-AUG-2015

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Who: Five Agreements/MoUs

Where: New Delhi
What: Signed
When: 26 August 2015
Why: To improve bilateral relations
India and Seychelles on 26 August 2015 signed five agreements/Memorandum of
Understandings (MoUs) aimed at improving bilateral relations in New Delhi.
They were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Seychelles President
James Michel during the latters visit to India.
List of Agreements/MoUs

 Air Services Agreement.

MoU for providing one Dornier Maritime Aircraft.
Agreement for exchange of information with respect to Taxes.
MoU between Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Seychelles Agricultural
Agency for Cooperation in agricultural research and education.
Protocol on framework of cooperation in the field of Blue Economy between India and
Seychelles.

BRIDGE programme of Australia extended to include

Navodaya Schools
26-AUG-2015

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Who: BRIDGE programme of Australia

What: To extended to include Navodaya Schools
BRIDGE programme: Building Regional Intercultural Dialogue and Growing
Engagement programme
Australias BRIDGE Programme was in news in August 2015. The programme that is run by
Australian Schools in collaboration with Indian Schools came in news on 24 August 2015
after Australia agreed to include Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs).
The agreement was reached during the 3rd Australia-India Education Council (AIEC)
meeting held in New Delhi chaired by the Education Minister of both the countries.
The Australia-India BRIDGE school partnerships project, which is currently confined to
private schools, will connect Australian and Indian schools and focus on building teacher
capability across key learning areas, including science, technology, engineering and
mathematics, information and communication technologies, intercultural understanding,
values and inclusive education.

Rajasthan Government and FCEL inked agreement to

launch Annapurna Bhandar Yojana
26-AUG-2015

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Who: Rajasthan Government and FCEL

Where: Jaipur
What: Inked agreement to launch Annapurna Bhandar Yojana
When: 20 August 2015
Rajasthan State Food and Civil Supplies Corporation (RSFCSC) and Kishore Biyani-led
Future Consumer Enterprise Ltd (FCEL) on 20 August 2015 inked an agreement to launch
the Annapurna Bhandar Yojna, which is a Public Private Distribution Scheme, the first-of-its
kind
in
India.
The agreement was signed in presence of Vasundhra Raje, Chief Minister of Rajasthan in
Jaipur.
The agreement was signed with an aim to provide better quality multi-brand consumer goods
at competitive prices to the public of the state through Fair Price Shops (FPS).
Under the Yojna, Annapurna Bhandars will emerge as malls in rural areas of Rajasthan and in
the first phase, the scheme would be operational through five thousand Fair Price Shops in
the state.
As a pilot run, this scheme was launched through five shops in Jaipur city and one at Udaipur
by supplying multi-brand daily consumption products.
The PPP agreement enables Rajasthan State Food and Civil Supplies Corporation in
implementation of its function of providing non-PDS (Public Distribution System) items at
affordable prices to general public through Fair Price Shops.
Chief Minister Vasundhra Raje said this scheme will become Indias biggest entrepreneurship
drive with five thousand fair price shop dealers turning into entrepreneurs with Annapurna
Bhandars.

PayU India tied-up with redBus to attract customers to

use its wallet PayU Money
26-AUG-2015

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Who: PayU India

What: Tied-up with redBus
When: 25 August 2015
Why: To attract customers to use its wallet PayU Money
PayU India on 25 August 2015 tied-up with online bus ticketing platform redBus to offer
cash-back discounts to customers who use its wallet PayU Money to buy tickets.
Today, around 50 percent of bookings on redBus are through the PayU Wallet. This tie-up is
expected to increase the wallet customers from the current 5 million users to 20 million by
2015 end. However, payments on redBus can also be made with credit and debit cards, net
banking and cash on delivery.
Established in 2011, PayU India is part of Naspers Group which owns companies such as redBus, OLX and Goibibo. The company is now forming similar alliances in the travel booking
space and integrating with sites such as Makemytrip, Goibibo and Cleartrip.

Australia-India Education Council (AIEC) meeting

concluded in New Delhi
26-AUG-2015

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Who: INT-Australia-India Education Council (AIEC) meet

Where: New Delhi
What: Concluded
When: 24 August 2015
Australia-India Education Council (AIEC) annual meeting concluded in New Delhi on 24
August
2015.
This
was
the
third
annual
meeting
of
the
AIEC.

The meeting was chaired by Union Minister of Human Resource Development Smriti Zubin
Irani and Australias Minister for Education and Training Christopher Pyne.
Main
Outcomes
of
the
meeting
India and Australia agreed to extend the Australia-India BRIDGE school partnerships
project to include Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs). BRIDGE Building Regional
Intercultural Dialogue and Growing Engagement is currently confined to private schools
only.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the fields of education, training
and
research
was
inked
The two nations agreed for a total joint financial commitment of up to 1 million Australian
dollars
for
various
activities
under
Educational
Cooperation
Both the countries issued a Joint Communiqu commending the significant progress made
in the areas of skills, higher education and research among others and welcomed the
extension of collaborative activity to include engagement in the schools sector.
The communiqu also emphasized that the Global Initiative for Academic Networks
(GIAN), launched by India, would enable interaction between the Indian and Australian
academicians
to
mutual
benefit.
Besides, Australian Minister Christopher Pyne also announced former cricketer Adam
Gilchrist as the Australia-India Education Ambassador. He will help project the quality of
Australian education and strengthen the bilateral education, training and research
relationships.
About
Australia-India
Education
Council
(AIEC)
The AIEC is a bi-national body established in 2011 as a commitment by the Education
Ministers of India and Australia to guide the strategic direction of the education, training and
research partnership between the two countries. The AIEC, which is co-chaired by Education
Ministers on both sides, consists of academia, industry and government and meets in
conjunction with the annual Australia-India Ministerial Dialogue on Education Cooperation.

SAI launched School Sports Promotion Foundation

26-AUG-2015

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Who: School Sports Promotion Foundation

What: Launched by SAI
When: 24 August 2015

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) on 24

August 2015 launched the School Sports Promotion Foundation with an aim to tap the
sporting talent at the school level.
The Sports Promotion Foundation aims to reach out to around 100000 secondary and senior
secondary schools irrespective of their ownership, economic or social strata they operate in or
the board they are affiliated to.
Functions of School Sports Promotion Foundation
The foundation will organise sports tournaments across the country to identify talent and
nurture it and take them through the city, district, state, zonal and national level of
competitive sport.
At the next level, it will arrange to provide sports coaching to those talented youth who are
identified through these tournaments at all levels.
School Sports Promotion Foundation will roll out Football and Cricket in the first year of its
operations.
In the second year, other sports like Tennis, Basketball and Athletics will be introduced and
rural, sub-urban elementary schools with a strong focus on rural sports would be included in
the programme.

Study titled the Future of Forests: Emissions from

Tropical Deforestation, 2016-2050 released
26-AUG-2015

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Who: Study titled The Future of Forests: Emissions from Tropical Deforestation, 2016-2050
What: Released

When: 24 August 2015

The Washington-based Center for Global Development (CGD) on 24 August 2015 released a
report on the future of tropical deforestation from 2016-2050 with and without carbon pricing
policies.
The study says that in next 35 years, an area of tropical forest equivalent to the size of India
will be deforested. If current trends continue, tropical deforestation will add 169 billion tons
of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by 2050, the equivalent of running 44000 coal-fired
power plants for a year.
Highlights of the study
In the absence of new forest conservation policies, 289 million hectares of tropical forest
will be cleared from 2016-2050an area about the size of India and one-seventh of Earths
tropical forest area in the year 2000.
It projects that this tropical deforestation will release 169 GtCO2 to the atmosphere from
2016-2050one-sixth of the remaining carbon that can be emitted if the rise in Earths
temperature is to be likely held below 2 C.
It estimates that a universally applied carbon price of 20/tCO2 dollar from 2016-2050
would avoid 41 GtCO2 of emissions from tropical deforestation while a carbon price of
50/tCO2 dollar would avoid 77 GtCO2. These prices correspond to average costs to land
users of 9/tCO2 dollar and 21/tCO2 dollar respectively.
It corroborates the conclusions of previous studies that reducing tropical deforestation is a
sizable and low-cost option for mitigating climate change.
In contrast to previous studies, it was projected that the amount of emissions that can be
avoided at low-cost by reducing tropical deforestation will increase rather than decrease in
future decades.
It says that 89% of potential low-cost emission reductions are located in the 47 tropical
countries that have already signaled their intention to reduce emissions from deforestation in
exchange for performance-based finance.
It suggests that if all tropical countries implemented anti-deforestation policies as effective as
those in the Brazilian Amazon post-2004 then 60 GtCO2 of emissions would be avoided.
The study
CGDs study is based on 8 million observations of historical forest loss spanning 101 tropical
countries. In the study, the spatial projections of future deforestation incorporated topography,
accessibility, protected status, potential agricultural revenue, and a robust observed invertedU-shaped trajectory of forest cover loss with respect to remaining forest cover.

AP Government, Tata Trust signed MoU to develop

villages of Vijayawada parliamentary constituency
26-AUG-2015

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Who: MoU between AP Government and Tata Trust

Where: Vijayawada
What: Signed
When: 24 August 2015
Why: To develop 264 villages of Vijayawada parliamentary constituency
Andhra Pradesh Government and the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust on 24 August 2015 signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop 264 villages of the Vijayawada
parliamentary constituency.
The MoU was signed in Vijayawada in the presence of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister
Chandrababu Naidu and the chairman of the Tata trust Ratan Tata.
Key Features of the MoU
All round development of villages will be taken up including health, education, drinking
water and self employment for the youth.
About 2.5 lakh households of the constituency will benefit under this initiative.
Special emphasis will be given for the development of bamboo cultivation and marketing
and Self Help Groups.
Funds will be provided by the Union Government through MP Local Area Development
Scheme (MP LADS), State Government and the Tata Trust.

India, Egypt signed two MoUs to deepen bilateral

cooperation
26-AUG-2015

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Who: Two MoUs between India and Egypt

Where: Cairo, Egypt

What: Signed
When: 24 August 2015
Why: To deepen cooperatin in tourism and research areas
India and Egypt on 24 August 2015 signed two Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) to
enhance bilateral cooperation.
They were signed in Egypts capital Cairo during the visit of External affairs minister Sushma
Swaraj to Egypt and they were
MoU on Cooperation in the field of Tourism
Aimed at enhancing bilateral cooperation in Tourism, Hospitality and Human Resource
Development; Draw up a road map for enhancing cooperation; establish a Joint Working
Group (JWG) on tourism cooperation.
MoU on scientific and technical Cooperation
It was signed between the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the
National Research Center (NRC) of Egypt.
It will support promotion and extension of cooperation in Scientific Research and Technology
Development in fields of mutual interest; Cooperate on common intellectual property rights;
Develop Working Program to review the implementation of MoU; Establish Joint Committee;
Exchange of scientists, scholars, information; Joint Research Programmes in water
desalination, solar energy, medicine and affordable health care, setting up joint laboratories,
etc.

Union Government launched 'Sehat' to provide

healthcare facilities in rural areas
26-AUG-2015

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Who: Telemedicine initiative 'Sehat'

What: Union Government launched it

When: 25 August 2015
Why: To provide healthcare facilities in rural areas
The Union government on 25 August 2015 launched a telemedicine initiative 'Sehat' in
collaboration with Apollo Hospitals to provide healthcare facilities in rural areas.
The initiative was launched by Union Communication and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad
at a function in New Delhi.
Under the initiative people will be able to consult doctors through video link and also order
generic drugs. It will also help in providing quality and affordable healthcare is one of the
emerging needs for citizens in rural areas.
The Common Service Centres (CSCs) have been delivering tele-consultation services with
support from Apollo and Medanta Hospitals in some areas. These CSCs will also provide
diagnostic services and promote sale of generic drugs through collaboration with Health
Ministry by setting up Jan Aushadhi Stores.
Now, with this initiative, the tele-consultation services are being extended to 60000 centres
across the country.