The Daily Brief – 27th September 2019

Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) under the Chairman Bibek Debroy has been reconstituted by the Government of India for a period of two years, with effect from 26^th September, 2019. Along with the Chairman, Ratan P Watal will also continue as the Member Secretary of the reconstituted EAC-PM. Apart from these two full-time members, the EAC-PM will have two part-time members as against three in the outgoing panel.

The 9^th India-China Financial Dialogue with an aim to promote cooperation in the financial sector was held in New Delhi. At the Dialogue, Vice Minister of Finance led China while the Indian delegation was led by Secretary of Department of Economic Affairs Atanu Chakraborty. A wide range of issues of mutual interest were discussed at the dialogue.

President Ram Nath Kovind presented the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes 2019 for outstanding contributions in science and technology, on the occasion of the 78^th Foundation Day of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Founded in 1958, the award is the highest multidisciplinary science award in India, which recognizes outstanding Indian work in science and technology. CSIR was established on 26^th September, 1942.

An Indian parliamentary delegation led by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will attend the 64^th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC), which is being held in Kampala, the capital of Uganda from 22^nd to 29^th It is organised by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) annually to analyze global political issues and developments in the parliamentary system. These plenary conferences were biennial from 1948 to 1959 and annual since 1961. CPA was founded in 1911.

The Bulgarian Economist Kristalina Georgieva has been appointed as the new head of the International Monetary Fund. Kristalina has served as the Chief Executive Officer in the World Bank. She was named “European of the Year” in 2010 and was also awarded “EU Commissioner of the Year”. Formed in 1944 with headquarters at Washington DC, the IMF works towards global monetary cooperation, facilitates international trade and secures financial stability.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched ‘TB Harega, Desh Jeetega’ campaign in New Delhi, to reach out to every tuberculosis (TB) patient in the country. ‘National TB Prevalence Survey’, the country’s largest-ever conducted TB prevalence survey, has also been launched. India has set a target to become TB-free before 2025. The global target to eliminate TB worldwide is 2030. According to the TB India report 2019, there has been an increase of 16% in the number of TB cases in India from 2017 to 2018.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the leaders of the Caribbean Community and Common Market during the first-ever India-Caricom leaders’ summit in New York on 25^th September, 2019. The meeting focused on fighting climate change and increasing India’s participation with the group. Modi announced a 14 million US dollar grant for the community development projects in the Caricom and another 150 million US dollar line of credit for solar, renewable energy and climate change related projects.