Page 38 - India

MoS Kaushal Kishore to conduct campaign for making India drug-free in 2023

Minister of State Kaushal Kishore is conducting a drive to make the nation free from tobacco, alcohol and drugs. Kaushal's ambition is to celebrate the upcoming year as a drug-free year.

India recognised as pharmacy of world as we produce affordable drugs: FM

India is recognised as the pharmacy of the world as the country produces global standard medicine at affordable cost, Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday. India supplies about 50 per cent of all of Africa's demand for generic medicine, 40 per cent of USA's need for generic medicine and 25 per cent of the UK's requirement of all medicines, she said at the 35th annual convocation of The Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University here. Besides, she said India produces about 60 per cent of global vaccines and 70 per cent of the World Health Organisation's vaccines for essential immunisation schemes. Talking about the COVID-19 vaccination programme undertaken by India, she said, "The Centre, along with state governments, executed vaccination at a rapid pace that by the time Omicron variant of Covid attacked us, we were prepared to face it... India could stand up to face the challenge because of the preparedness of a democratically-elected ...

British rule prevented Indians from learning about traditions: Rajnath

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said three centuries of British rule had prevented Indians from learning about their glorious traditions. "A strong awareness of the country's glorious past, its great cultural and spiritual legacy is a must for today's youth to build a strong India," he said addressing a convocation of the Swami Ram Himalayan University here. Singh said international acceptance of India's spiritual and intellectual supremacy in the past was spontaneous and cited Chinese scholars who acknowledged India's path breaking role in various realms of knowledge. Quoting one of the Chinese intellectuals he said, "India was China's teacher in quadratic equation, grammar and phonetics." Referring to a former Peking University vice chancellor who represented China subsequently at the United Nations, the defence minister said, "India has dominated China culturally for more than 2000 years without sending a single soldier." Also quoting French philosopher Voltaire,

Centre asks States to ensure availability of oxygen, life support equipment

With some countries witnessing a surge in Covid cases, the Centre on Saturday urged states and union territories to ensure the availability of Liquid Medical Oxygen, adequate inventory of cylinders and functional life support equipment such as ventilators at hospitals to face any challenge. The health ministry asked them to ensure Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen generating plants are kept fully functional and regular mock drills are conducted to check them. In a letter to all states and UTs, Health Ministry Additional Secretary Manohar Agnani said the operationalisation and maintenance of these medical infrastructure is of utmost importance to meet any eventuality even though the number of cases in the country is low now. He said medical oxygen is an important and vital resource in all clinical settings, particularly during pandemic management and that reliable oxygen supply is critical for saving lives during patient care and COVID-19 management.

India will take 20 yrs, 8-9% growth to become developed nation: Rangarajan

Noting that the achievement of USD 5 trillion economy is a short term aspirational goal, former RBI Governor C Rangarajan on Saturday said even after that India will still be known as middle income country with per capita income USD 3472. Rangarajan further said in order to reach the level of an upper middle-income country, it will take another two years and to be classified as a developed country, the per capita income will have to be at a minimum of USD 13,205 and that will take more than two decades of strong growth of between 8 to 9 per cent to achieve it. Speaking at the 12th Convocation of ICFAI Foundation for Higher education here, he said at aggregate output level, India is the fifth largest economy in the world now. That by itself is an impressive achievement. But in terms of per capita income, India's rank according to IMF is 142 out of 197 countries. The immediate focus of policymakers must be to raise the growth rate of the economy. Achievement of a USD 5 trillion ...

RT-PCR to be mandatory for passengers from 5 countries, says Mandaviya

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday said RT-PCR test for the detection of COVID-19 would be made mandatory for passengers from China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand for their travel to India. Any passenger from these countries found symptomatic or testing positive for coronavirus would be quarantined, he said. "Passengers from China, Japan, Singapore and Bangkok (Thailand) are being monitored through the 'Air Suvidha' portal," Mandaviya told reporters. In view of the pandemic situation, passengers of flights from China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Bangkok are required to upload their RT-PCR report in advance. Even after landing in India, they will undergo thermal screening, he said. "We have issued an order for them to be quarantined in the country if found positive or with fever," the minister said. With China and other countries witnessing a surge in Covid cases, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday cautioned against complacency, called for

India doesn't need to ban int'l flights, impose lockdown right now: Experts

India's present Covid scenario does not warrant restricting international flights or imposing a lockdown, but there is a need for strengthened surveillance and vigilance in view of the rise in cases in some countries, experts have said. They also said that a fresh outbreak of severe Covid cases and hospitalisation is unlikely as people in India have the advantage of 'hybrid immunity' i.e. natural immunity due to infection reinforced by vaccination. "Overall, there is no increase in Covid caseload and India currently is in a comfortable situation. Under present circumstances, there is no need to restrict international flights or impose a lockdown," Dr Randeep Guleria, a former AIIMS director, told PTI on Friday. Past experiences show that banning flights is not effective in halting the transmission of infection, he said. "Moreover, data suggests that the Omicron sub-variant BF.7, which is driving the surge in China, has already been found in our country." Asked whether a lockdown .

India records 201 new Covid-19 infections; active cases rise to 3,397

) India reported 201 new coronavirus infections, raising the tally to 4.46 crore, while the active cases increased to 3,397, the Union Health Ministry said on Saturday. The death toll stands at 5,30,691 with one fatality reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am by the ministry stated. The daily positivity was recorded at 0.15 per cent and the weekly positivity at 0.14 per cent. A total of 90.97 crore tests for detection of COVID-19 have been conducted so far, with 1,36,315 tests being conducted in the last 24 hours, the ministry said. The active cases comprise 0.01 per cent of the total infections. The national COVID-19 recovery rate has increased to 98.80 per cent, it said. An increase of 17 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 case count in a span of 24 hours, the ministry said. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,41,42,791, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent. India has so far recorded at 4.46 crore ( .

Retail industry sees 19% rise in sales during Apr-Nov 2022: Report

India's retail industry saw a 19 per cent rise in sales over pre-pandemic levels during the April-November 2022 period riding on the back of strong performance of segments such as quick service restaurant and footwear, Retailers Association of India (RAI) said on Friday. Region wise, the eastern part clocked the highest growth at 21 per cent as compared to the same period in 2019, RAI said in a statement. North India followed with a 19 per cent growth while both western and southern parts witnessed an 18 per cent rise each, it added. "The industries that did particularly well during this period were the QSR (quick service restaurant) and the footwear industries, with a 30 per cent growth compared to 2019," RAI said. However, the beauty, wellness and personal care industry only saw a 7 per cent growth as against the same period in 2019, it added. "Consumers are back to shopping in stores, and it's something they enjoy even as they continue to buy online," RAI CEO Kumar Rajagopalan

States to conduct mock drills next week to review Covid preparedness

Specific focus on oxygen plants, ventilators, logistics and human resources; aim is to check whether the equipment is in running condition, or needs refurbishment

Single window clearance plan afoot for infra projects within 100 km of LAC

The Indian Army has identified 130 villages in border areas in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim for boosting infrastructure, Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita said on Friday against the backdrop of increasing concerns over China's expansion of civilian settlements close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Lt Gen Kalita, addressing an event, also said efforts are underway to have some sort of a "single window system" for according approvals for development of any infrastructure within 100 km from the LAC as time taken for obtaining various regulatory clearances results in delays in implementation of key projects. The Commander said many areas along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim fall under ecologically sensitive zones, wildlife protected regions and reserved forests and obtaining various approvals for projects become challenging at times. "We are trying to evolve a methodology of some sort of a single window clearance for any infrastructure coming up within 100 k

During UNSC tenure, India had to stand alone at some instances: Amb Kamboj

During the 2021-22 tenure as non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, there were instances when India had to stand alone but it did not let go of the principles it believed in, New Delhi's envoy here has said. India assumed the monthly rotating presidency of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on December 1, the second time in its two-year tenure as an elected member of the Council in 2021-22. India had earlier assumed UNSC presidency in August 2021. During the last two years, we spoke out in support of peace, security and prosperity. We did not hesitate in raising our voice against the common enemies of humanity, such as terrorism, India's Permanent Representative to the UN and President of the 15-nation UN Security Council for the month of December Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj said Thursday. In a wrap-up briefing for non-members of the Security Council on its work for the month of December before the holiday week, Kamboj highlighted the packed agenda of the Council for the month

Country fully prepared to deal with coronavirus situation: Scindia

The country is fully prepared to deal with the coronavirus situation, Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday. In the wake of rising coronavirus infections in China and some other countries, the government is taking various measures, including random testing of arriving international passengers, to curb possible spread of infections. Scindia, who is in charge of the ministries of civil aviation and steel, said the country is fully prepared to deal with the coronavirus situation. Briefing reporters here about the healthcare initiatives taken by the BJP-led central government since 2014, he also expressed confidence that the country will achieve universal healthcare coverage. According to the minister, medicines have become more affordable and the out-of-pocket expenditure for medicines has come down. The share of out-of-pocket health expenditure as a percentage of total health expenditure has declined from 64.2 per cent in 2013-14 to 48.2 per cent in 2018-19. The pillars of

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India, China to maintain stability on ground along LAC in western sector

India and China have agreed to maintain security and stability on ground along LAC in Western sector during 17th round of Corps Commander level talks.

Defence chiefs of US, India discuss global security, bilateral cooperation

Seeking to deepen US-India military ties, the defence chiefs of the two countries have shared their assessments of the regional and global security environment and discussed ways to deepen bilateral cooperation and interoperability. The call between US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Mark A Miley and his Indian counterpart Chief of the Indian Defence Force Gen Anil Chauhan took place amidst increased tension between India and China on the border. The two military leaders shared assessments of the regional and global security environment and discussed ways to deepen bilateral military ties and interoperability, Joint Staff Deputy Spokesperson Joseph R. Holstead said on Wednesday in a readout of the call. The US and India share a strong military-to-military relationship under the US-India Major Defence Partnership," Holstead said, adding that India plays a "key role" in maintaining a free Indo-Pacific. "India is a key regional leader and an important partner in maintaining a free and open

India, China and Russia abstain on first UNSC resolution against Myanmar

India, China and Russia abstained in the UN Security Council on a draft resolution that demanded an immediate end to violence in Myanmar and urged the military junta to release political prisoners, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. The 15-nation Security Council, under India's Presidency this month, adopted the resolution Wednesday after 12 members voted in favour, none against and India, China and Russia abstained. This is the first Security Council resolution adopted on Myanmar in 74 years. The only other UNSC resolution on Myanmar was in 1948 after the country formerly known as Burma got independence from Britain when the Council recommended to the General Assembly that the Union of Burma be admitted to membership in the United Nations. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, presiding over the meeting, delivered the explanation of the vote in her national capacity and said New Delhi believes that the complex situation in Myanmar calls for

India logs 185 new Covid infections; active cases decline to 3,402

India logged 185 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases declined to 3,402, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday. The total tally of Covid cases was recorded at 4.46 crore (4,46,76,515). The death toll stands at 5,30,681 with one fatality being reported from Delhi in the last 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am stated. The active cases comprise 0.01 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate increased to 98.80 per cent, according to the ministry website. A decrease of six cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,41,42,432, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent. According to the ministry's website, 220.03 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive. India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2

India offers $280 million to Syria for building power, steel plant

About 1500 scholarships have been provided to Syrian students to study in India in diverse streams, including 200 scholarships in the current academic year itself

Ensure genome sequencing, boost scrutiny as Covid surges: Centre to states

Amid a fresh global surge in Covid-19 cases, the central government has briefed all states to conduct genome sequencing of samples, the additional chief secretary of Health informed