Study flags poor control of blood sugar in Indians

• The latest results of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-India Diabetes (INDIAB) study, conducted in 27 States (unified Andhra Pradesh), two Union Territories and the National Capital Territory have stressed the need to have better control over various health parameters that impact mortality and quality of life.
• The report “Achievement of guideline recommended diabetes treatment targets and health habits in people with self-reported diabetes in India (ICMR-INDIAB-13): a national cross-sectional study” reasons that achievement of treatment targets remains sub optimal in India, in a pan-Indian study, and goes on to provide hints for shaping the health care response to the crises.
• Higher education, male sex, rural residence, and shorter duration of diabetes (under 10 years) were associated with better achievement of combined achievement of targets
• For the outcome assessment, good glycaemic control was defined as HbA1c of less than 7·0% (A), blood pressure control was defined as less than 140/90 mm Hg (B), and the LDL cholesterol target was defined as less than 100 mg/dL (C).
• ABC control was defined as the proportion of individuals meeting glycaemic, blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol targets together.
• Only just over 36% of 4,834 people with diabetes achieved good glycaemic (blood sugar) control, over 48% achieved blood pressure control, and 41·5%, achieved good LDL cholesterol control.

Government contemplating postal ballot facility for NRIs

• He shared with the members of the Indian community that extension of Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) facility to overseas voters is being contemplated.
• In meetings with NRI groups, Mr. Chandra spoke of the experience of conducting elections in India, which has 950 million voters in over 1 million polling stations.
• The ECI had written to the Law Ministry in 2020 proposing that NRIs be allowed to vote through postal ballots, following which the matter has been under consideration by the government.
• While the ECI at present allows NRIs to register as overseas electors as long as they have not acquired the citizenship of another country, they have to reach their respective polling booths to cast their votes in person on voting day.
• According to an ECI official, as of now there are only 1.12 lakh registered overseas electors.

Earth Day 2022 was observed with main theme for 2022 as “Invest In Our Planet”.

• Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.
• It is widely recognized as the largest secular observance in the world, marked by more than a billion people every year as a day of action to change human behavior and create global, national, and local policy changes.
• In 1969, at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco, peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace, to first be observed on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere.
• This day of nature''s equipoise was later sanctioned in a proclamation written by McConnell and signed by Secretary-General U Thant at the United Nations.
• A month later, United States Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed the idea to hold a nationwide environmental teach-in on April 22, 1970. The first Earth Day was focused on the United States.
• In 1990, Denis Hayes, the original national coordinator in 1970, took it international and organized events in 141 nations.
• On Earth Day 2016, the landmark Paris Agreement was signed by 123 countries.
• This signing satisfied a key requirement for the entry into force of the historic draft climate protection treaty adopted by the consensus of the 195 nations present at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris.

Zelenskyy gets John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for protecting democracy

• The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation said that he was chosen because of the way he has “marshaled the spirit, patriotism and untiring sacrifice of the Ukrainian people in a life-or-death fight for their country.
• The foundation said four U.S. officials were chosen for standing up for free and fair elections, as the system is challenged in ways it has never been before.
• They are Republican U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers, and Fulton County, Georgia, elections worker Wandrea “Shaye” Moss.

PM Modi holds talks with British counterpart Boris Johnson

• Issues of defence and security cooperation, cyber security and space also figured in the discussion between the two leaders.
• India and United Kingdom have decided to do their best to conclude the Free Trade Agreement by the end of 2022.
• Both countries have decided to deepen climate and energy partnerships and invited UK to join India''s National Hydrogen Mission.
• They welcomed the establishment of a mechanism on maritime electric propulsion.
• India and United Kingdom have signed six Memorandums of Understanding. Of the six MoUs exchanged, two are Government to Government, while four are Non-Governmental.
• The 2 sides agreed on a new and expanded India-U.K. defence partnership and vowed to seal an ambitious free trade agreement by the end of the year.
• The U.K. is creating an Open General Export Licence (OGEL) for India to “reduce bureaucracy and slashing delivery times” for defence procurement.

Global Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit-2022

• The assurances of investment include more than Rs. 7000 crore from FMCG, around 1000 crore from Medical Value Travel (MVT), around 345 Crores from Pharma sector, 300 crore for Farmers & Agri category and around Rs.60 crore in the Technology & Diagnostic category.
• Five significant MoUs were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during the inaugural session of the event on 20 April 2022.
• During the event, a total of 12 MoUs were also signed between the Central Council for Research in Ayurveda Sciences (CCRAS), Ministry of Ayush and various prestigious research institutes including IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, ICMR NITM, AIIMS, CSIR, NIPER, NIMHANS, JNU, ICGB, AVP, TDU.
• The Summit was organized in line with Sustainable Development Goal Number 3 of promoting “Good Health and Well-being.”

APEDA signs MoU with NRDC to strengthen the export value chain.

• The MoU has been signed for the implementation of the Agri Export Policy announced by Government of India in 2018 and to strengthen the export value chain.
• NRDC is an enterprise of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India.
• and it was established in 1953 with the primary objective to promote, develop and commercialize the technologies, know-how, inventions, and patents.

Two-day Conference and Exhibition on the Indian National Calendar as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav inaugurated today in Ujjain

• The ''Indian National Calendar,'' which was officially established by India’s Parliament in 1957, is a scientific statement of India''s identity. This was an act of reclaiming our identity after independence.
• The Indian national calendar, sometimes called the Saka calendar, is used, alongside the Gregorian calendar, by The Gazette of India, in news broadcasts by All India Radio and in calendars and communications issued by the Government of India.

India''s participated as the Guest of honour at the Paris Book festival 2022

• The Paris Book Festival was inaugurated on 21st April 2022. India Pavilion at the Paris Book Festival was inaugurated on same day.
• The India Pavilion which has been designed by National Institute of Design (NID), houses more than 15 digital and physical exhibitions displaying over 400 books published in various Indian languages representing the works of 65 Indian publishers.