PIB Summary- 4th January, 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

SMART Program

Why in News?
Recently, the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) and the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), the two prominent institutions under the Ministry of Ayush, have launched ‘SMART’ program.

About SMART Program

• Through Ayurveda colleges and hospitals, the SMART (Scope for Mainstreaming Ayurveda Research in Teaching Professionals) programme seeks to advance scientific research.
• The vast community of Ayurveda instructors’ research potential has been found to be mostly untapped.
• Thus, the “SMART” programme will greatly benefit the country and have a profound, long-lasting renewing effect on ayurvedic research.
• It seeks to recognise, encourage, and support cutting-edge research proposals in the fields of osteoarthritis, iron deficiency anaemia, chronic bronchitis, dyslipidemia, rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, diabetes mellitus, psoriasis, generalised anxiety disorder, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
• The programme will inspire teachers to undertake research projects in specific fields of healthcare and build a sizable database.

Asian Pacific Postal Union

Why in News?
India will take over the leadership of the Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) having its Headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand from this month.

About Asian Pacific Postal Union

• Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) is an intergovernmental organization of 32-member countries of the Asian-Pacific region.
• APPU is the only Restricted Union of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in the region, which is a specialized agency of the United Nations.
• The goal of APPU is to extend, facilitate and improve postal relations between member countries and to promote cooperation in the field of postal services.
• As the regional center for various UPU projects, APPU also takes the lead in ensuring that all technical and operational projects of the UPU are fulfilled in the region so that the region is integrated into the global postal network in the best possible way.
• Secretary General leads the activities of the Union and is also the Director of the Asian Pacific Postal College (APPC) which is the largest intergovernmental postal training institute in the region.

Asian Development Bank

Why in News?
Recently, The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $350 million loan to improve the connectivity of key economic areas in the state of Maharashtra.

About Asian Development Bank (ADB)

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966 to promote social and economic development in Asia.
• It is headquartered in the city of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines.
• The ADB was modelled closely on the World Bank and an official United Nations Observer.
• Japan holds the largest proportion of shares in ADB followed by the USA, and it has a weighted voting system where votes are distributed in proportion with members’ capital subscriptions (just like the World Bank).
• The bank admits the members of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP, formerly the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East or ECAFE) and non-regional developed countries.
• ADB defines itself as a social development organization that is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration.
• ADB aids in reducing poverty through investments in the form of loans, grants and information sharing (in infrastructure, health care services, financial and public administration systems), helping nations prepare for the impact of climate change or better manage their natural resources, as well as other areas.