UniFocus IAS ( UNIFOCUS UNIVERSAL )

  The Heads of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank Group (WBG), and the World Health Organization (WHO) have agreed on broad principles for cooperation on pandemic preparedness. This cooperation will allow a scaling up of support to countries to prevent, detect and respond to public health threats through the IMF’s   Resilience and Sustainability Trust   (RST), the WBG’s financial and technical support, and WHO’s technical expertise and in-country capabilities. The RST allows eligible member countries to access long-term financing at low interest rates to help implement reforms that address structural challenges to the stability of the economy, such as those posed by pandemics, and to enhance countries’ health systems resilience. Operating within their respective mandates and policies, the IMF, the WBG, and WHO will leverage their expertise to enhance pandemic preparedness in their member countries, building on the synergies and complementarity of each institution’s i

World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared that the Government of India has eliminated Trachoma as a public health problem becoming the third country ( As per PIB ) in the South-East Asia Region ( Other Countries are  Nepal, Myanmar, and Pakistan as per times of India Report )  to achieve this milestone. Trachoma is a bacterial infection that affects the eyes. It is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia Trachomatis. Trachoma is contagious, spreading through contact with the eyes, eyelids, nose or throat secretions of infected people, if left untreated it causes irreversible blindness. WHO has termed Trachoma as a neglected tropical disease. WHO estimates suggest that 150 million people worldwide are affected by Trachoma and 6 million of them are blind or at risk of visually disabling complications. Trachoma is found in underprivileged communities living in poor environmental conditions. Trachoma was amongst the leading cause of blindness in the country during 1950-60. The Government of

Major Atmospheric Cerenkov Experiment Telescope (MACE) is an imaging atmospheric Cerenkov telescope (IACT) located near Hanle, Ladakh, India. It is the highest (in altitude) and second largest Cerenkov telescope in the world. It was built by Electronics Corporation of India, Hyderabad, for the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and was assembled at the campus of Indian Astronomical Observatory at Hanle. It was originally scheduled to become operational by 2016, but plans were pushed back to begin operations in 2020. It will be remotely operated and will run on solar power. The telescope is the second-largest gamma ray telescope in the world and will help the scientific community enhance its understanding in the fields of astrophysics, fundamental physics, and particle acceleration mechanisms. The largest telescope of the same class is the 28-metre-diameter High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS) telescope being operated in Namibia. Wikipedia , PIB

The International Medical Device Regulators Forum (IMDRF), established in 2011, is a collaborative group of global medical device regulators dedicated to accelerating the harmonization and convergence of international medical device regulations. IMDRF members include national regulatory authorities from the United States, Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Russia, China, South Korea, Singapore, and the World Health Organization (WHO). Achieving Affiliate Membership in the IMDRF will provide significant opportunities for reliance and collaboration with regulatory authorities around the world. The membership helps to harmonize regulatory requirements across the globe, which reduces the complexity for manufacturers and helps in safeguarding public health by promoting collaboration, harmonizing regulations, and promoting convergence. It also helps to support innovation and timely access to new medical devices. PIB About  The International Medical Devi

The Union Cabinet approved the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oilseeds (NMEO-Oilseeds), a landmark initiative aimed at boosting domestic oilseed production and achieving self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat) in edible oils. The Mission will be implemented over a seven-year period, from 2024-25 to 2030-31, with a financial outlay of Rs 10,103 crore. The newly approved NMEO-Oilseeds will focus on enhancing the production of key primary oilseed crops such as Rapeseed-Mustard, Groundnut, Soybean, Sunflower, and Sesamum, as well as increasing collection and extraction efficiency from secondary sources like Cottonseed, Rice Bran, and Tree Borne Oils. The Mission will harness ongoing development of high-quality seeds by using cutting-edge global technologies such as genome editing. To ensure the timely availability of quality seeds, the Mission will introduce an Online 5-year rolling seed plan through the ‘Seed Authentication, Traceability & Holistic Inventory (SATHI)’ Portal, enabling st

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the signing of ‘Letter of Intent’ thus enabling India to join the ‘Energy Efficiency Hub’.   Established in 2020 as the successor to the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC), in which India was a member, the Hub brings together governments, international organizations, and private sector entities to share knowledge, best practices, and innovative solutions. By joining the Hub, India will gain access to a vast network of experts and resources, enabling it to enhance its domestic energy efficiency initiatives. As of July, 2024, sixteen countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, European Commission, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Russia, Saudi Arabia, United States and United Kingdom) have joined the Hub. The Hub is a voluntary collaboration among 16 governments. Its Secretariat is hosted at the International Energy Agency (IEA). PIB About Intern

The Union Cabinet, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved to confer the status of Classical Language to Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali languages. Classical languages are regarded as the custodians of India’s ancient and profound cultural legacy, preserving the rich history, literature, and traditions of their respective communities. By conferring this status, the government seeks to honor and protect the linguistic milestones of Bharat's diverse cultural landscape, ensuring that future generations can access and appreciate the deep historical roots of these languages. This move not only reinforces the importance of linguistic diversity but also acknowledges the vital role these languages play in shaping the nation's cultural identity. Why is a language declared as Classical? The designation of a language as  classical  is intended to recognize its historical significance and its role as a guardian of Bharat’s rich cultural and intellect