All India Radio News Summary: 07 APRIL 2018
- India and Nepal agree to strengthen bilateral relations in key areas of border security, connectivity, trade and agriculture.
The two countries have agreed to develop inland waterways for overall economic development of the region.
- Aiming to expand cross-border rail linkages, the two sides have also decided to construct a new electrified rail line, with India’s financial support. The rail line will connect the border city of Raxaul in India to Kathmandu in Nepal.
- India will also help Nepal in the field of agriculture through organic farming, soil testing and education in farming
- The two countries have strong relations in the area of security and are committed towards stopping misuse of open borders.
- There is a long history of India’s contribution in Nepal’s development and assured that it will continue in future.
- Nepal Prime Minister stated that his government attaches high importance to further strengthening friendly relations with India so as to benefit from India’s progress and prosperity for economic transformation and development.
- Both the leaders jointly inaugurated the Integrated Check Post (ICP) Birgunj from the national capital through remote control.
- The ICP will not only reduce time in completing formalities at border but also ease and boost bilateral trade.
- It will also facilitate integrated customs and immigration for smooth cross-border movement of people and goods.
- India should move World Trade Organization (WTO) against protectionist tendencies of countries hurting its interests.
- Union Minister for Commerce, Industry minister’s remarks came after US imposed heavy tariffs on imported steel and aluminium, a decision that is impacting India, among several other countries.
- The Minister said, countries being impacted by protectionism should move the WTO for dispute redressal and India too should move the world trade body for relief if the need arises.
- Expansion of global trade has benefited all and has resulted into creation of jobs into many parts of the world, and some of the developing countries could really climbed the ladder and came up into the economic performance.
- Thanks to the global trade. In the war the peace is the causality, in case of trade war, the employment is the causality, in the trade war economic growth is the causality.
- In Syria, at least 70 people were killed and hundreds other affected after toxic gas was dropped on Douma.
It is the last rebel-held town in Eastern Ghouta and is under siege from government forces. On Friday, pro-government forces and their allies launched a fierce air and ground offensive on the town.
Syrian government has called the allegations of a chemical attack a fabrication. The US state department said Russia which is fighting alongside the Syrian government should be held responsible if deadly chemicals had been used.
- Maharashtra government has announced that cancer patients would be provided free chemotherapy treatment
The Maharashtra government has announced that cancer patients would be provided free chemotherapy treatment at district hospitals with the first phase of the plan starting in June.
- The plan will start with hospitals in Nagpur, Gadchiroli, Pune, Amravati, Jalgaon, Nashik, Wardha, Satara, Bhandara and Akola.
- It also added that a physician and nurse from each of these district hospitals would be imparted training for three weeks from May by the Medical Oncology department of Tata Memorial.
- Pentagon has said that it is a cause of concern for the United States that China is engaging in massive land grabbing in the Maldives.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for South and Southeast Asia said that the US is committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific rules-based order.
He said that they have seen concerning developments in Maldives as far as the Chinese influence is concerned.
Maldives is in India’s backyard and situation there is a concern for India.
- World Health Day – 7th April
This year’s theme is “Universal health coverage- everyone, everywhere”.
- It is celebrated on 7 April every year to mark the anniversary of the founding of World Health Organization.
- It is the quest for health for all that inspired India to create Ayushman Bharat, the largest health care programme in the world.
- Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana for Delhi
- Over 1000 free gas connections were given to beneficiaries. Nine thousand more gas connections will be distributed later on.
- The scheme aims to curb air pollution and provide clean energy source to poor women.
- LPG cover has reached the 22 crore mark in the country. The government has distributed over 9 crore gas connections in just the last 4 years. He urged citizens to make the initiative a mass movement.
