The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare recently inaugurated the ‘4th Global Digital Health Partnership Summit’ in India’s capital city, New Delhi. The event marked a global intergovernmental meeting on digital health put forth by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in connection with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Digital Health Partnership (GDHP).
About the Global Digital Health Partnership (GDHP)
The GDHP is an international collaboration of governments, government agencies and multinational organisations established with a goal to enhance the health and well-being of citizens across the globe. Its core strategy is to leverage evidence-based digital technologies for improved health outcomes. The initiative was founded in February 2018 and presented a unique opportunity for transformational engagement amongst its participants. The inaugural summit was hosted by Australia in 2018.
Rail Drishti Dashboard: An Initiative for Transparency and Accountability
The Indian government has introduced the Rail Drishti Dashboard as a part of their digitisation efforts in the Indian Railways. This interactive platform brings together information from various sources to provide key statistics and parameters accessible to every citizen of the country. The dashboard includes data related to passenger and freight trains and even features live feeds of IRCTC kitchens. The available information on the Dashboard is categorized under 15 distinct sections.
Stratocumulus Clouds and Their Impact on Global Warming
A recent study has revealed that rising Carbon Dioxide levels have potential to dramatically warm the Earth, thus leading to intense hothouse conditions. The Stratocumulus clouds, responsible for reflecting sunlight back into space, could disperse and vanish if CO2 levels in the atmosphere triple. These clouds cover about 20% of subtropical oceans and their disappearance could trigger a sharp rise in Earth’s temperature, estimated to be about eight degrees. This increase would result in polar ice melting and consequent rise in sea levels.
The Different Types of Clouds
Clouds, based on their height, expanse, density and transparency or opaqueness, are primarily grouped into four types: Cirrus, Cumulus, Stratus and Nimbus.
| Cloud Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Cirrus | High-altitude (8000-12000m), thin, detached clouds with a feathery appearance. Always white. |
| Cumulus | Formed at 4000-7000m altitude, look like cotton wool. Scattered with a flat base. |
| Stratus | Layered clouds covering large parts of the sky. Formed due to heat loss or air mass mixing. |
| Nimbus | Black or dark gray clouds formed at middle levels or near Earth’s surface. Extremely dense, blocking sunlight. |
These four basic types can form combinations, resulting in different types of clouds such as high clouds, middle clouds, low clouds and those with extensive vertical development.
The National War Memorial
Recently, the Prime Minister inaugurated the National War Memorial in New Delhi. Located within the India Gate complex, the memorial comprises four concentric circles named: the “”Amar Chakra”” (Circle of Immortality), the “”Veerta Chakra”” (Circle of Bravery), the “”Tyag Chakra”” (Circle of Sacrifice) and the “”Rakshak Chakra”” (Circle of Protection). The memorial also honors the soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in United Nations peace-keeping missions, Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief (HADR) operations, counterinsurgency operations and Low-Intensity Conflict Operations (LICO). Since India’s independence, over 25,000 personnel have been martyred. This includes those who served during the India-China War in 1962, the Indo-Pakistan Wars in 1947, 1965 and 1971, the operations of Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka and the conflict in Kargil in 1999. The initial proposal for a National War Memorial was raised back in the 1960s and got approved by the cabinet in 2015. Chennai-based architectural company WeBe Design Lab was chosen to design the Memorial following an international competition held in 2016.
