Category:

Policy

Govt to procure 660 mn more doses of Covishield, Covaxin at revised rates

According to the revised guidelines which came into effect from June 21, vaccine doses provided free of cost by the Centre will be allocated to states/UTs based on criteria such as population, disease burden and the progress of vaccination, and all above the age of 18 will be eligible for the free jabs.

Any wastage of vaccine will affect the allocation negatively.

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World leaders pledge to redouble pandemic fight at special APEC meeting

“The pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on our region’s people and economies,” the leaders said in a joint statement issued after a virtual meeting chaired by New Zealand.

“We will only overcome this health emergency by accelerating equitable access to safe, effective, quality-assured, and affordable COVID-19 vaccines,” they said.There have been over 50 million cases of COVID-19 within APEC’s borders, with over 1 million deaths. APEC-wide GDP contracted by 1.9% in 2020.

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Vice prez stresses on importance of enforcing ”polluter pays” principle

“From panchayat to Parliament, all stakeholders must act proactively in protecting the environment,” Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said.

Highlighting recent disasters such as the flash floods in Himachal Pradesh, landslides in Uttarakhand and heat waves in Canada and the United States, he said these are instances of increasing frequency of extreme weather events due to global warming and climate change.
He stressed on the need to act stringently with violators of pollution laws and consider strict enforcement of the ”polluter pays” principle, the statement said.

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No negligence of normal vaccination programme for children due to COVID-19 disruptions: Govt  

.“These reports are not based on facts and do not reflect the true picture and the Ministry along with all States and UTs and development partners, have worked towards mitigating negative impacts of COVID-19 and taking urgent actions to ensure that children receive life-saving vaccines under UIP,” said the ministry on Friday.

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India will reduce more than targeted 33 pc carbon emission by 2030: Power Minister

He further said that as per the Paris agreement, India has to produce 40 per cent electricity of its total capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030.

”We are already at 39 per cent and if you add the capacities under installation it’s already 48 per cent. We are way beyond our NDC (nationally determined contributions) pledges,” the minister said.

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Union Cabinet approves inclusion of Ayurveda in mandate of NEIFM, changes nomenclature

An official release said that there was a proposal to change the nomenclature and mandate of North Eastern Institute of Folk Medicine (NEIFM) to North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda & Folk Medicine Research (NEIARMR) for imparting quality Education and Research in Ayurveda and Folk Medicine at Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh.
The institute will also provide opportunities for students of Ayurveda and Folk medicine not only in India but also the neighboring countries such as Tibet, Bhutan, Mongolia, Nepal, China and other Central Asian countries.

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EU urged to consider impact of new climate mechanism on developing countries

The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) comes into force in 2023 as part of new measures to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, including taxes on imports such as oil, coal and gas.

“Climate and environmental considerations are at the forefront of policy concerns, and trade cannot be the exception. CBAM is one of these options, but its impact on developing countries also needs to be considered,” said Isabelle Durant, the UNCTAD Acting Secretary-General.

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FACTBOX-How Big Tech is faring against U.S. lawsuits and probes

The U.S. Justice Department sued Google in October, accusing the $1 trillion company of illegally using its market muscle to hobble rivals. A trial date was set for Sept. 12, 2023. A lawsuit by 38 U.S. states and territories accuses Google of abusing its market power to try to make its search engine as dominant inside cars, TVs and speakers as it is in phones. This was consolidated with the federal lawsuit for purposes of discovery.

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Govt invites bids from merchant bankers, legal advisors for LIC IPO

The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) would appoint up to ten merchant bankers and one legal firm for assisting and advising on the stake sale.The last date for putting in bids is August 6, as per a notice issued by DIPAM.

Last week, the Union Cabinet approved an Initial Public Offer (IPO) of LIC and the modalities such as issue size, pricing and timing would be decided by a panel headed by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

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