Daily Current Affairs August 16

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August 16| Daily Current Affairs 2023

Sports – Daily Current Affairs August 16

1. Pakistani cricketer Wahab Riaz recently announced his retirement from international cricket. In which formats of the game did he primarily play?
A) Test cricket
B) One Day Internationals (ODIs)
C) Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is)
D) Both ODIs and T20Is
E) All three formats: Tests, ODIs, and T20Is
Answer: E) All three formats: Tests, ODIs, and T20Is

• Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz announced his retirement from international cricket
  Wahab Riaz, who played 27 Tests, 91 ODIs and 36 T20Is, picked 237 international wickets.
• He last played for Pakistan in December 2020. The senior pacer, however, played the Pakistan Super League as recently as March this year.
• Wahab retires with more than 150 appearances for his country since his debut in 2008
  The left-armer appeared at the three most recent editions of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and managed a magnificent five-wicket haul for Pakistan against arch-rival India at the semi-final stage of the 2011 tournament in Mohali
• He is at 18th position among Pakistan’s top wicket-takers in international cricket, with Wasim Akram (916 wickets), Waqar Younis (789 wickets) and Imran Khan (544 wickets) in the top three.

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Obituary – Daily Current Affairs August 16

2. Who recently passed away, known as a legendary Indian football player?
A) Sunil Chhetri
B) Mohammed Habib
C) Baichung Bhutia
D) Bhaichung Bhutia
E) IM Vijayan
Answer: B) Mohammed Habib

• Legendary footballer and heartthrob of the Mecca of Indian football – Kolkata- Mohammed Habib, who played all three big clubs in the 60s to early 80s, died at his Hyderabad
• He was born in 1949
• Habib, who was fondly called “Bare Miyan”
• He represented India in many international tournaments from 1965-76.
• He was one of the pivotal frontline players of the Team India that won the Pesta Sukan Cup in 1971 and finished 3rd in the Merdeka Cup and the Asiad the year before.
• He was also a bronze medallist in the 1970 Asian Games in Bangkok led by his fellow Hyderabadi Syed Nayeemuddin and managed by the great P.K. Banerjee.
• In Kolkata he first joined East Bengal1966–1968, 1968–1969 Mohun Bagan, 1970–1974East Bengal,1975 Mohammedan S.C. 1976–78Mohun Bagan, 1979 Mohammedan S.C, 1980–81East Bengal and 1982–84 Mohun Bagan
• Habib played international football till 1975, and was conferred the Arjuna Award(1980) for his contribution to the game.

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3. Who was popularly known as MRS Rao, an eminent Indian scientist and Padma Shri awardee, who recently passed away?
A) Manjunath Ramesh Swamy
B) Manchanahalli Rangaswamy Satyanarayana Rao
C) Mahesh Ravi Shankar Rao
D) Manohar Raghavendra Srinivas Rao
E) Mohan Rajendra Suresh Rao
Answer: B) Manchanahalli Rangaswamy Satyanarayana Rao

• Manchanahalli Rangaswamy Satyanarayana Rao, popularly known as MRS Rao, an eminent Indian scientist and Padma Shri awardee, died of cardiac arrest
• he was working as an Honorary Professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research and was actively running the Chromatin Biology laboratory in the institute.
• He was honoured with the Padma Sri award in 2010 for his contributions to the field of science and engineering.
• He was also honoured by the Karnataka state government with the Sir MV Visvesvaraya Award for his contribution to the field of science and research.
• He was the President of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, from 2003-13.
• He was also the chairman of many central government science committees. He was also on all committees of the Indian Council of medical research.

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Banking and Finance – Daily Current Affairs August 16

4. Which agri-technology company has partnered with Andhra Pradesh State Co-operative Bank Ltd (APCOB) to support marginalised farmers in Andhra Pradesh?
A) BHEL
B) LEAF
C) TATA
D) HDFC
E) Infosys
Answer: B) LEAF

• Lawrencedale Agro Processing India (LEAF), an Ooty-based agri-technology company, has joined hands with Andhra Pradesh State Co-operative Bank Ltd (APCOB) to promote sustainable livelihoods for marginalised farmers in Andhra Pradesh.
• Besides helping farmers assess soil health, decide on the right inputs, and improve the carbon content of soil through scientific regenerative farming techniques, LEAF works with farmers to prepare an appropriate financial mechanism plan.

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5. Which digital insurer has collaborated with Vetina Healthcare LLP to offer pet insurance coverage for dogs?
A) HDFC Life Insurance
B) Reliance General Insurance
C) Go Digit General Insurance
D) Max Bupa Health Insurance
E) ICICI Lombard General Insurance
Answer: C) Go Digit General Insurance

• Go Digit General Insurance, a digital full stack insurer, has partnered with Vetina Healthcare LLP, an animal healthcare solutions provider, to extend pet insurance coverage for dogs.
• The partnership between Go Digit and Vetina will extend 4 distinct coverages like dog’s vet expenses, specific illnesses, critical illnesses and any third-party liability to Vetina family members.
• The premium will start for as low as ₹1,879 for a sum Insured of ₹ 40,000.
• The policy will be extended to 847 different dog breeds, including pure, cross and indie breeds.
• The sum insured will range from ₹40,000 to ₹1.5 lakh and will be available for pets aged between 12 weeks to 10 years.
• The premium will begin from ₹1,879 and will be based on the pedigree, age, breed, sum insured, and the plan opted for the pet.
• A comprehensive policy will cover different surgeries, hospitalisation, medications, vet fees, diagnostic procedures, among others.
• The Double Income No Kids lifestyle, often referred to as the DINK couples, has been prevalent in India.

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6. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a loan of USD 40.5 million for which state in India for an integrated early childhood development programme?
A) Kerala
B) Rajasthan
C) Uttar Pradesh
D) Meghalaya
E) Maharashtra
Answer: D) Meghalaya

• Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 40.5-million loan for integrated early childhood development (ECD) and maternal mental health programme in Meghalaya.
• The state government is contributing USD 15.27 million to the project
• The project will strengthen home-based childcare (children 0–1.5 years) and centre-based childcare (1.5–6 years) through daycare (Anganwadi) centres in Meghalaya
• The project aims to improve access to nurturing care, including a component of maternal mental healthcare and group-based parenting programmes to enable the inclusion of fathers in caregiving
• A USD 2-million technical assistance grant from the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific will help develop guidelines and training curricula for AWC staff and ECD educators
• ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members — 49 from the region.

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7. Which fintech firm has partnered with Light Microfinance to provide digital lending to MSMEs in specific regions?
A) Paytm
B) PhonePe
C) IppoPay
D) MobiKwik
E) Razorpay
Answer: C) IppoPay

• Light Microfinance has partnered Chennai-based fintech firm IppoPay to power digital lending to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in rural and semi-urban micro-markets of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka.
• Coinbase Ventures and Better Capital-backed startup Ippopay offers payments solutions to about 400,00 merchants

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Appointments – Daily Current Affairs August 16

8. Who has recently taken charge as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of SBI Card?
A) Ramesh Kumar
B) Abhijit Chakravorty
C) Neha Gupta
D) Amit Sharma
E) Priya Patel
Answer: B) Abhijit Chakravorty

• The SBI-promoted card issuance company SBI Cards and Payment Services Ltd (SBI Card) said Abhijit Chakravorty has taken charge as the company’s new managing director and chief executive officer, effective August 12, 2023.
• He has taken over from Rama Mohan Rao Amara, who is returning to the bank after successfully leading SBI Cards for over two and a half years.
• Chakravorty is a deputy managing director with the State Bank of India.
• With an experience of 34 years in the banking sector, he has worked in various divisions of the bank including retail and corporate banking, overseas operations, and IT infrastructure.
• Prior to joining SBI Card, Chakravorty was leading the IT operations of the customer-facing channels and payment systems as chief general manager (Channels & Operations) at the global IT centre of SBI.
• One of his previous assignments with the bank included a long stint with the Commercial Credit Group of SBI, where he was involved in high-value corporate lending.
• Chakravorty has led the operations of SBI in Bangladesh as CEO and Country Head. He has also served at SBI’s Hongkong branch.

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Science and Technology – Daily Current Affairs August 16

9. Which aerospace manufacturer and launch service provider has been selected by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the launch service of the PREFIRE mission?
A) SpaceX
B) Blue Origin
C) Rocket Lab USA Inc.
D) Boeing
E) Virgin Galactic
Answer: C) Rocket Lab USA Inc.

• The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has selected Rocket Lab USA Inc., an aerospace manufacturer and launch service provider based in California, to provide the launch service for the agency’s PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission.
• The mission aims to give researchers a more accurate picture of the energy entering and leaving Earth
• The PREFIRE mission will help close a gap in understanding of how much of Earth’s heat is lost to space, especially from the Arctic and Antarctica.
• Analysis of PREFIRE measurements will inform climate and ice models, providing better projections of how a warming world will affect sea ice loss, ice sheet melt, and sea level rise
• The mission consists of two, 6U CubeSats with a baseline mission length of 10 months and is jointly developed by NASA and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California manages the mission for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate and is providing the instruments.
• Blue Canyon Technologies is building the CubeSats, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison will process the data collected by the instruments. The science team includes members from JPL and the Universities of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Colorado.
• NASA’s Launch Services Program, based out of the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, in partnership with NASA’s Earth System Science Pathfinder office, is announcing the launch service as part of the agency’s VADR (Venture-class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare) launch services contract.

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International Affairs – Daily Current Affairs August 16

10. The Indian Cabinet approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and which country regarding medicine regulations?
A) Sri Lanka
B) Nepal
C) Suriname
D) Maldives
E) Bhutan
Answer: C) Suriname

• The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, was apprised of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of the Republic of India and Ministry of Health, Government of the Republic of Suriname for Recognition of Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) in Suriname.
• This was signed during the visit of the President of India to Suriname.
• The parties recognize the importance of developing close cooperation and exchanging information in the field of the regulation of medicines in accordance with their respective laws and regulations and reach the following understandings:
  • to accept Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) as a book of standards for medicines in Suriname so as to ensure quality of medicines being manufactured and/or imported in Suriname;
  • to accept the Certificate of Analysis issued by Indian manufacturers per IP and to do away with requirement of duplicate testing of the medicines in Suriname;
  • to get IPRS and Impurity standards from IPC at reasonably low cost to be used during the quality control analysis;
  • to have better scope for development of generic medicines and contributing to availability of affordable medicines in Suriname;
  • to promote an understanding of pharmacopoeia in regulatory framework, requirements and processes;
  • to facilitate the exchange of information and documentation relating to the development of monographs of IP;

Cabinet approves signing of Mutual Recognition Arrangement between India and Australia

• The Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the signing and ratification of the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) between the Central Board of Indirect taxes and Customs (CBIC), Department of Revenue, Government of India and the Department of Home Affairs incorporating the Australian Border Force, Australian Government.
• The arrangement is aimed at providing reciprocal benefits to accredited and trusted exporters of both the signatories in the clearance of goods by the Customs authorities of the importing country.
• Mutual recognition of Authorized Economic Operators is a key element of the World Customs Organisation’s SAFE Framework of Standards to secure and facilitate global trade to strengthen end-to-end security of supply chains while providing higher facilitation to trade at the global level.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in Sports between the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports of the Republic of India and the Department of Health and Aged Care of the Government of Australia.

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National Affairs – Daily Current Affairs August 16

11. The Union Cabinet approved the expansion of which government initiative with an outlay of ₹14,903 crore?
A) Make in India
B) Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
C) Ayushman Bharat
D) Digital India
E) Skill India
Answer: D) Digital India

• Digital India programme was launched on 1st July, 2015 to enable digital delivery of services to citizens.
• The Union Cabinet, chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, approved the expansion of the Digital India programme. The total outlay is ₹14,903 crores.
• This would enable the following:
  • 6.25 lakh IT professionals will be re-skilled and up-skilled under the FutureSkills Prime Programme;
  • 2.65 lakh persons will be trained in information security under the Information Security & Education Awareness Phase (ISEA) Programme;
  • 540 additional services will be available under the Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance (UMANG) app/ platform. At present over 1,700 services are already available on UMANG;
  • 9 more supercomputers will be added under National Super Computer Mission. This is in addition to 18 supercomputers already deployed;
  • Bhashini, the AI-enabled multi-language translation tool (currently available in 10 languages) will be rolled out in all 22 schedule 8 languages;
  • Modernisation of the National Knowledge Network (NKN) which connects 1,787 educational institutions;
  • Digital document verification facility under DigiLocker will now be available to MSMEs and other organisations;
  • 1,200 startups will be supported in Tier 2/3 cities;
  • 3 Centres of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence on health, agriculture and sustainable cities will be set up;
  • Cyber-awareness courses for 12 crores college students;
  • New initiatives in the area of cyber security including development of tools and integration of more than 200 sites with National Cyber Coordination Centre
• Today’s announcement will give a boost to the digital economy of India, drive digital access to services and support India’s IT and electronics ecosystem.

Cabinet approves railways projects of with cost of around Rs.32,500 Cr

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi approved Seven projects of Ministry of Railways with estimated cost of around Rs.32,500 Crore, with 100% funding from Central Government.
• The proposals of Multi-tracking will ease operations and reduce congestion, providing the much required infrastructural development on the busiest sections across Indian Railways.
• The projects covering 35 Districts in 9 States i.e. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by 2339 Kms. and will provide employment of 7.06 crore man-days to the people of the states.
• These are essential routes for transportation of varied basket of commodities such as foodgrains, fertilizers, coal, cement, fly-ash, iron and finished steel, clinkers, crude oil, lime stone, edible oil etc.
• The capacity augmentation works will result in additional freight traffic of magnitude 200 MTPA (Million Tonnes Per Annum).
• The Railways being environment friendly and energy efficient mode of transportation, will help both in achieving climate goals and for reducing logistics cost of the country.
• The projects are in line with Prime Minister’s Vision of a New India which will make people of the region “Atmanirbhar” by creating Multi-tasking work force in the region and will enhance their employment/self-employment opportunities

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12. The Union Cabinet approved which scheme aimed at augmenting city bus operations?
A) Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
B) Make in India
C) PM-eBus Sewa
D) Ayushman Bharat
E) Digital India
Answer: C) PM-eBus Sewa

• The Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved a bus scheme “PM-eBus Sewa” for augmenting city bus operation by 10,000 e-buses on PPP model.
• The Scheme would have an estimated cost of Rs.57,613 crore, out of which support of Rs.20,000 crore will be provided by the Central government. The Scheme will support bus operations for 10 years.

Reaching the Unreached:

• The scheme will cover cities of Three lakh and above population as per census 2011 including all the Capital cities of Union Territories, North Eastern Region and Hill States.
• Under this scheme priority will be given to cities having no organized bus service.

Direct Employment Generation:

• The scheme will generate 45,000 to 55,000 direct jobs through deployment of around 10,000 buses in city bus operation.

The Scheme has two segments:

Segment A – Augmenting the City bus services:(169 cities)

• The approved bus scheme will augment city bus operations with 10,000 e-buses on Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
• Associated Infrastructure will provide support for Development/ up-gradation of depot infrastructure; and Creation of behind-the-meter power infrastructure (substation, etc.) for e-buses.

Segment B– Green Urban Mobility Initiatives (GUMI): (181 cities)

• The scheme envisages green initiatives like bus priority, infrastructure, multimodal interchange facilities, NCMC-based Automated Fare Collection Systems, Charging infrastructure, etc.
• Support for Operation: Under the scheme, States/Cities shall be responsible for running the bus services and making payments to the bus operators. The Central Government will support these bus operations by providing subsidy to the extent specified in the proposed scheme.

Boost to E-Mobility:

• The scheme will promote e-mobility and provide full support for behind-the-meter power infrastructure.
• Cities will also be supported for development of charging infrastructure under Green Urban Mobility Initiatives.
• The support to bus priority infrastructure shall not only accelerate the proliferation of state-of-the-art, energy efficient electric buses but also foster the innovation in the e-mobility sector as well as development of resilient supply chain for electric vehicles.
• This scheme shall also bring in economies of scale for procurement of electric buses through aggregation for e-buses.
• Adoption to Electric mobility will reduce noise and air pollution and curb carbon emission.
• Modal shift due to increased share of bus-based public transportation will lead to GHG reduction.

Cabinet approves new Central Sector Scheme ‘PM Vishwakarma’ with financial outlay of Rs.13,000 cr for five years

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved a new Central Sector Scheme “PM Vishwakarma” with a financial outlay of Rs.13,000 crore for a period of five years (FY 2023-24 to FY 2027-28).
• The scheme aims to strengthen and nurture the Guru-Shishya parampara or family-based practice of traditional skills by artisans and craftspeople working with their hands and tools.
• The scheme also aims at improving the quality, as well as the reach of products and services of artisans and craftspeople and to ensure that the Vishwakarmas are integrated with the domestic and global value chains.
• Under PM Vishwakarma scheme, the artisans and craftspeople will be provided recognition through PM Vishwakarma certificate and ID card, Credit Support upto Rs.1 lakh (First Tranche) and Rs.2 lakh (Second Tranche) with a concessional interest rate of 5%.
• The Scheme will further provide Skill Upgradation, Toolkit Incentive, Incentive for Digital Transactions and Marketing Support.
• The scheme will provide support to artisans and craftspeople of rural and urban areas across India. Eighteen traditional trades will be covered in the first instance under PM Vishwakarma.
• These trades include (i) Carpenter (Suthar); (ii) Boat Maker; (iii) Armourer; (iv) Blacksmith (Lohar); (v) Hammer and Tool Kit Maker; (vi) Locksmith; (vii) Goldsmith (Sonar); (viii) Potter (Kumhaar); (ix) Sculptor (Moortikar, stone carver), Stone breaker; (x) Cobbler(Charmkar)/ Shoesmith/Footwear artisan; (xi) Mason (Rajmistri); (xii) Basket/Mat/Broom Maker/Coir Weaver; (xiii) Doll & Toy Maker (Traditional); (xiv) Barber (Naai); (xv) Garland maker (Malakaar); (xvi) Washerman (Dhobi); (xvii) Tailor (Darzi); and (xviii) Fishing Net Maker.

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13. What is the new name of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML)?
A) Indian Heritage Museum and Library (IHML) Society
B) Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library (PMML) Society
C) National History Museum and Library (NHML) Society
D) Cultural Heritage Museum and Library (CHML) Society
E) Nehru Legacy Museum and Library (NLML) Society
Answer: B) Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library (PMML) Society

• The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) has officially been renamed as the Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library (PMML) Society with effect by the Centre.
• The decision was taken at a special meeting of the Memorial Museum and Library Society which was presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is the Vice-President of the Society.
• This project was approved by Executive Council, NMML in its 162nd meeting held in November 2016.
• The Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya was opened to the public on April 21 last year. During the inauguration, despite having received an invitation from the government, no member of the Nehru-Gandhi family was present for the function.
• Three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi have served as Prime Ministers of the country.

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14. Which organization has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Goa government to enable the delivery of services in rural areas?
A) E-Governance Goa
B) Rural Services Connect
C) CSC eGovernance
D) Rural Development Services
E) Goa Rural Connect
Answer: C) CSC eGovernance

• The Goa government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with CSC eGovernance Services India Limited to facilitate the implementation of various e-governance initiatives and services across rural areas of the coastal state
• CSC e-Governance Services India Limited has been set up by the Ministry of Electronics and IT to oversee the implementation of the government’s Common Service Centres (CSC) scheme.
• The MoU was signed as a part of launching the Gramin Mitra Initiative – door step delivery of government services – of the Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communication, Goa. The two sides will collaborate on various projects, including the delivery of government services, digital literacy programmes, and the establishment of Digital Villages

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15. What did Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma, inaugurate in Kyiem village, East Khasi Hills district?
A) Community Center
B) Bio-fertiliser Unit
C) School Building
D) Shopping Complex
E) Water Treatment Plant
Answer: B) Bio-fertiliser Unit

• Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma, inaugurated the bio-fertiliser unit, the first of its kind in the State at Kyiem village in East Khasi Hills district.
• The plant aims to further promote organic practices and ensure an adequate supply of organic fertilisers.
• Inaugurating the plant, the Chief Minister said that the bio-fertiliser unit will support the state government’s initiative to transition towards organic agriculture.

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16. Which Chief Minister launched a mobile application and WhatsApp helpline number for the beneficiaries of the Chief Minister’s Medical Assistance Fund in Maharashtra?
A) Uddhav Thackeray
B) Devendra Fadnavis
C) Eknath Shinde
D) Sharad Pawar
E) Prithviraj Chavan
Answer: C) Eknath Shinde

• MaharashtraChief Minister Eknath Shinde launched a mobile application and WhatsApp helpline number for the beneficiaries of the Chief Minister’s Medical Assistance Fund.
• At the same time, a joyous mela was organised at Sahyadri Guest House for the patients and their relatives, who have successfully overcome chronic and serious illnesses.
• A helpline number 8650567567 has been started for patients and their relatives.
• On this occasion, the fifth edition of the medical aid manual and the book ‘Rokhthok’ based on the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray was launched.

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