NEWS

In a significant measure aimed at extending nationwide health cover to all central paramilitary personnel and their dependents, home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday launched the ‘Ayushman CAPF’ scheme at the national level by handing over ‘Ayushman CAPF health card’ to a commando of the National Security Guard. The home ministry intends to complete the distribution of 35 lakh such health cards by December.

The Ayushman CAPF scheme which stands to benefit personnel of seven CAPFs, namely Assam Rifles, Border Security Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, NSG and Sashastra Seema Bal as well as their dependent family members, will enable the beneficiaries to avail cashless in-patient and out-patient healthcare facilities at all hospitals empanelled under Ayushmaan Bharat PM-JAY, besides CGHS.

Two days after Mamata Banerjee said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will become more powerful as the grand old party is “not serious about politics”, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said that the West Bengal Chief Minister is looking at the country through the "Bengal lens".

"Congress is the only party that is fighting Mr Narendra Modi and his government all over India. I underline 'all over India'. I do not dispute that Ms Mamata Banerjee fought and won a very tough fight in Bengal. But who is fighting Mr Narendra Modi in Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Assam? It is the Congress party. She is looking at it from the Bengal lens,” Chidambaram, the Congress’s special observer who is in charge of the Goa Assembly polls, said.

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) today accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for capital acquisition proposals for modernisation and operational needs of the armed forces amounting to Rs 7,965 crore.

All of these proposals are under the ‘Make in India’ initiative with the focus on design, development and manufacturing in India, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) siad.

Key approvals of procurement from domestic sources include twelve Light Utility Helicopters from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL); Lynx U2 Fire Control System from Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) which will enhance the detection tracking and engagement capabilities of Naval war ships and Mid Life Upgradation of the Dornier Aircraft from HAL to increase the Naval capacity of maritime reconnaissance and coastal surveillance.

Australia will recognise Covaxin, apart from Covishield, allowing those vaccinated with them entry into the continent. PM Modi thanked his Australian counterpart and “dear friend” Scott Morrison for “recognition of India’s Covaxin.” “It is an important step forward in the post-Covid partnership between India and Australia,” he said.

While WHO emergency use listing for Bharat Biotech’s vaccine is awaited, 16 countries have so far recognised Covaxin for travel purposes. These include Australia, Estonia, Greece, Iran, Mauritius, Mexico, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.

Australia’s high commissioner to India Barry O’Farrell on Monday tweeted that the country’s drug regulator has “determined that Covaxin (manufactured by Bharat Biotech) vaccine would be ‘recognised’ for the purpose of establishing a traveller’s vaccination status. Importantly, recognition of Covaxin, along with the previously announced recognition of Covishield (manufactured by AstraZeneca), means many Indian citizens, as well as other countries, will now be considered fully vaccinated on entry to Australia.”