Recently, the ceremonial inauguration of the Regional Review meeting of the National Ayush Mission (NAM) took place. This initiative seeks to provide Ayush health care services throughout India by improving and strengthening facilities, thereby enabling the public to make informed healthcare decisions.
The Ministry of Ayush, under NAM, aims to operationalise 12,500 Ayush Health and Wellness Centres (AHWCs) with the support of State/UT Governments by 2023-24. Several notable programs were highlighted at the meeting. These include Ayurvidya, which promotes a healthy lifestyle through Ayush for school children; Supraja, an Ayush program for Maternal & Neonatal intervention; and Vayomitra, an Ayush based geriatric programme, focusing on the prevention and management of Osteoarthritis and other Musculoskeletal disorders.
Quad Leaders Invited to India’s Republic Day
India is considering inviting the leaders of the Quad grouping to the Republic Day parade scheduled for January 26, 2024. The Quad is a democratic coalition consisting of India, Australia, the US, and Japan. Inaugurated in 2017, this group’s primary objective is ensuring and supporting a “free, open and prosperous” Indo-Pacific region.
This invitation comes with a particular significance as January 26 also marks Australia Day. This day commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet of 11 convict ships from Great Britain, and the hoisting of the Union Jack at Sydney Cove by commander Captain Arthur Phillip in 1788.
Sandes App: Delhi Police’s New Communication Channel
The Delhi Police have moved to Sandes, an Indian instant messaging platform, as their official medium for communication on G20 security arrangements. Information on Sandes can only be accessed by its users and cannot be forwarded to non-registered numbers.
Launched by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) in 2020, Sandes is a secure and user-friendly messaging platform. Its primary purpose is to establish reliable and efficient communication among various government organizations. The launch of this app aligns with the government’s strategy to encourage the use of India-made software, thereby promoting an ecosystem of indigenously developed products.
White Sambar Sighted in Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary
A leucistic sambar was recently spotted in the Sangama range of the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary. This happens to be the first recorded sighting; the last known record of a White Sambar Deer was in the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in 2014.
Leucism is a condition characterized by a lack of skin pigmentation, leading to white or pale skin. Unlike albinism where there is a lack of melatonin in the skin, resulting in pink or reddish eyes, animals with leucism do not have pink eyes. This skin color anomaly can occur naturally from birth due to a phenotypic defect in the animal’s development. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the Sambar deer as Vulnerable.