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Posted 03 Apr 2024

8 min read

Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS)

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has made it mandatory to link CGHS beneficiary ID with the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) ID from April 1.
- The move is aimed at creating digital health identification of CGHS beneficiaries and storing their digital health records.
- ABHA is a 14-digit Unique Health Identifier number under Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).

CGHS:
- Nodal Ministry: MoHFW
- It was started in 1954 with the objective of Providing comprehensive medical care to the Central Government employees and pensioners enrolled under the scheme.

Debate surrounding Katchatheevu islet has resurfaced which has been a flashpoint in India-Sri Lanka fishing issue.
Katchatheevu islet lies to the northeast of Rameswaram (India) and southwest of Jaffna (Sri Lanka)
Maritime Boundary Agreement of June 1974 on historic waters between India and Sri Lanka placed Katchatheevu on the Sri Lankan side.
- 1974 Maritime Boundary agreement between India and Sri Lanka demarcated maritime boundary between India and Sri Lanka from Palk Strait to Adam’s Bridge.

Lower House of Nepal’s Federal Parliament endorsed the Charter of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

BIMSTEC Charter
- It is a foundational document that outlines the goals, principles, and structure of BIMSTEC group.
- Signed and adopted in March 2022 during 5^th BIMSTEC Summit.
- Charter has provision that it will come into force only after its endorsement by all member countries. (Except Nepal, respective parliaments of other members endorsed the charter).

BIMSTEC was formed in 1997 to enhance regional cooperation on issues like economic prosperity, social progress etc.
- Members: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

India and EEU bloc officials held talks to formally start negotiation for Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

About EEU
- It is an ambitious project for economic integration in the former Soviet region.
- Objectives: To create a common market much like the European Union (EU).
- Established by the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union signed in 2014 in Astana (now Nur-Sultan).
- 5 Members Countries: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia.
- Within EEU, Russia is India’s top trading partner with a bilateral trade worth USD 49.4 billion (FY2023).

Paradip Port surpassed Kandla to emerge as the highest cargo handling major port of the country in FY 2023-2024.

About Paradip Port (in Odisha)
- It was the first major port on the East Coast commissioned after independence.
- Located near confluence of river Mahanadi and the Bay of Bengal.
- Administered by a Board of Trustees set up by the Government of India.
- In 2020, the Union Cabinet approved 'Deepening and Optimization of Inner Harbour Facilities including Development of Western Dock’ to handle cape size vessels at Paradip Port'.
- Centre has announced to develop, Paradip Port along with Deendayal Port, and V.O. Chidambaranar (Tuticorin) Port as Green Hydrogen hubs

The Indian Air Force is conducting its biggest exercise ‘Gagan Shakti’ at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in Jaisalmer district.
- In the exercise, all the major fighter aircraft and modern helicopters of the Air Force will demonstrate their striking capabilities.

A shallowfake video of the US Vice President has gone viral.
Shallowfake refers to altered media (pictures, videos and voice clips, etc) created with conventional and affordable technologies without the help of AI technology.
- Contrary to this, Deepfakes are synthesized images, videos, and other media created by the Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Shallowfake is also called as cheapfake.

Joint media investigation linked mysterious Havana Syndrome symptoms experienced by US diplomats in recent years to a Russian intelligence unit.

Havana Syndrome
- Refers to set of mental health symptoms that are said to be experienced by the US intelligence and embassy officials in various countries.
- Symptoms involve hearing certain sounds without any outside noise, nausea, vertigo and headaches, memory loss, and balance issues.
- First detected in 2016 in Havana (Cuba).