NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Health insurance claims rejection up 19.10% in FY24: IRDAI report: India’s insurance companies rejected 11 per cent of health claims and had 6 per cent pending as of March 2024, according to the industry regulator’s annual report.Health policy claims worth Rs 26,000 crore were disallowed and “repudiated” by insurers in the year ending March 2024, marking a 19.10 per cent increase from the year before.The rejection amount was Rs 21,861 crore in the year ending March 2023, according to the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).A claim is rejected or disallowed when an insurance company refuses to process it due to specific issues with its validity. This means the insurer has not yet evaluated the claim for coverage but has rejected it outright due to errors or discrepancies in the policyholder’s documentation, terms, or procedures. On the other hand, claim repudiation occurs when the insurer denies the claim after a review, determining that it does not meet the terms and conditions of the policy.
2. NeGD and IPA Sign Landmark MoU to Drive Digital Transformation in India’s Maritime Sector: The National e-Governance Division (NeGD) and the Indian Ports Association (IPA) signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi.This strategic partnership aims to drive digital transformation in India’s maritime sector by integrating NeGD’s technological expertise with IPA’s in-depth insights into the maritime sector.This initiative reflects a joint commitment to creating a smarter, technology-driven maritime digital ecosystem by fostering seamless integration and stakeholder collaboration.Through this partnership, both NeGD and IPA aim to address longstanding challenges such as fragmented logistics systems, outdated operational practices, and insufficient digital infrastructure.
3. Northeast Frontier Railway signs MoU with IRCON for maintenance of electrification infrastructure: For the first time in Indian Railways, Northeast Frontier Railway has started a project to maintain electrification infrastructure, including Overhead Equipment (OHE) and Power Supply Installation (PSI), by partnering with IRCON International Limited through an agreement.IRCON is a reputed organisation well known for undertaking challenging infrastructure projects, especially in difficult terrains in India and abroad since 1976.
4. Dr. Sandip Shah appointed as the Chairperson of NABL-QCI: Sandip Shah, an eminent medical professional and visionary leader, has been appointed as the Chairperson of the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), a constituent board of the Quality Council of India (QCI).NABL works to improve the quality of testing and calibration services, ensuring trust in the products and services used by consumers, businesses, and regulators.Shah, a Gold Medalist in MD Pathology and Bacteriology from B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad, has an extensive academic and professional background in pathology, molecular biology, and transplant immunology.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. China to Construct World’s Largest Dam in Tibet: The Chinese government has given its green signal to the construction of the world’s largest dam on the river Yarlung Zangbo/Tsangpo (known as the Brahmaputra in India) on the eastern rim of the Tibetan plateau.The project has raised concerns among environmentalists as it will lead to the displacement of millions of people and the destruction of the natural ecosystem in Tibet.The construction of a dam on the Yarlung Zangbo River was announced by China in 2020. It will be the world’s largest dam in the world overtaking the Three Gorges Dam built on the Yangtze River in China.The total investment in the dam is over 1 trillion yuan (US$137 billion), making it the single largest infrastructure project in the world.The project is expected to generate nearly 300 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually which is expected to meet the electricity needs of 30 crore people per year.
2. 27 December – International Day of Epidemic Preparedness: International Day of Epidemic Preparedness is observed every year on 27 December.The day raises awareness about the importance of global preparedness and response to epidemics and pandemics.The first-ever International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, held on 27 December 2020 was called for by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate the importance of the prevention of, preparedness for and partnership against epidemics.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Vijayveer Sidhu wins Men’s 25m rapid fire Pistol title at 67th National Championship: Punjab’s Vijayveer Sidhu beat fellow Olympian Gurpreet Singh of the Army Marksmanship Unit to clinch his maiden men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol (RFP) title at the ongoing 67th National Shooting Championship Competitions (NSCC) for pistol events.Taking aim at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range (DKSSR) Finals Hall, Paris Olympian Vijayveer got the better of Rio Olympian Gurpreet 28-25 in the title round.Air Force’s Shivam Shukla finished third with a score of 23.
2. 33 medals for India at Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championship 2024: The young Indian weightlifters finished their campaign at the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships 2024 with a credible 33 medals – 7 gold,16 silver, and 10 bronze medals. Jyoshna Sabar of Uttar Pradesh stood out with three gold medals and a new Asian record.In the 2023 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships held in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, the Indian weightlifting contingent finished with a total of 42 medals.The Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships 2024 was organised by the Asian Weightlifting Federation in Doha, Qatar. The Youth Championship was open for weightlifters in the age category of 13-17 years while weightlifters between the ages of 15-20 years were eligible for the Asian Junior Championship.
3. M Raghu & Devika Sihag crowned 2024 Senior National Badminton Champion: Karnataka’s M. Raghu and Haryana’s Devika Sihag won the men’s and women’s singles titles, respectively, at the 86th Senior National Badminton Championships 2024.The tournament was organized by the Badminton Association of India and hosted by the Karnataka Badminton Association in Bengaluru from December 20 to 24, 2024.In the men’s singles final, M. Raghu defeated former champion Mithun Manjunath of Karnataka with a score of 14-21, 21-14, 24-22, claiming his first senior national championship title.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. ICICI Prudential Rural Opportunities Fund launched: ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund has launched the ICICI Prudential Rural Opportunities Fund, an open-ended equity scheme following Rural and allied theme. It opens on 9 January 2025 and closes on 25 January 2025.The scheme will predominantly invest in sectors contributing to and benefiting from rural India’s growth and development.Benchmark – Nifty Rural IndexThe Nifty Rural Index aims to track the performance of stocks from the Nifty 500 Index, which represent the rural theme.The largest 75 stocks from eligible basic industries are selected based on 6 month average free-float market capitalization. Sankaran Naren and Priyanka Khandelwal will manage the scheme.
2. ICICI Pru Life, RGA launch product to cover women-specific ailments: ICICI Prudential Life Insurance has launched a first-of-its-kind health product catering to women-specific critical illnesses and surgeries.ICICI Pru Wish has been developed in collaboration with Reinsurance Group of America Inc., a leading global life and health reinsurer.The product offers an instant payout of up to 100 per cent of the health cover amount on diagnosis of critical illnesses such as breast, cervical, uterine cancers and heart ailments to name a few.
3. SEBI fines Jaiprakash Power for misrepresenting co’s financial statements: Markets regulator SEBI imposed a penalty totalling Rs 54 lakh on Jaiprakash Power Ventures, its MD and CEO Suren Jain and other top officials for misrepresenting the company’s financial statements.Others who have been penalised by Sebi are the company’s chairperson Manoj Gaur, executive directors — Sunil Kumar Sharma and Praveen Kumar Singh — chief financial officer R K Porwal and former whole-time member M K V Rama Rao.They have been directed to pay the fine within 45 days.This came after the regulator conducted an investigation in the matter of Jaiprakash Power Ventures Ltd (JPVL), a part of the Jaypee Group of companies, to ascertain the possible violations of PFUTP (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices) and LODR (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) rules.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. President Murmu Confers Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar on 17 Children: President Droupadi Murmu conferred the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar on 17 children (10 girls and 7 boys) at a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, New Delhi. The award was announced and conferred on the occasion of the Veer Baal Diwas.Since 2022, December 26 has been observed in the country as Veer Bal Diwas to honour and recall the sacrifice of the tenth Sikh guru Guru Gobind Singh’s youngest sons Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh.The winner of the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar is awarded a Medal, a Certificate, and a Cash prize of Rs. One Lakh.The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar is administered by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development. The award was instituted by the government of India in 1996.
About the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar
No comments:
Post a Comment