ASSAM

The Tata Trusts and the state government are collaborating to set up, in a first, a three-level Rs 1400-cr cancer care grid that will connect district hospitals, medical colleges to an advanced centre at Guwahati. Tata Trusts is the philanthropic arm of the Tata Group.

A South Asian cancer research centre has also been proposed to be set up to undertake research on identifying reasons and develop treatment protocols with a focus on South Asia

INTERNATIONAL

Pakistan has been suspended from international football because of what global soccer body FIFA described as undue third-party interference in the country’s football federation (PFF).

FIFA said in a statement that the suspension would prevent Pakistani teams, including the national side, from playing in international competition and the PFF from benefiting from FIFA development and training programmes.

· Indian football team qualifies for 2019 AFC Asian Cup

Indian football team registered a commanding win over Macau by 4-1 in AFC Asian Cup qualifying match at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.
India after winning this match has also qualified for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup which is going to be held in the UAE.
India played and lost the match in the tournament was in 2011 while their only appearance before that was way back in 1984. In the 2011 edition that was held in Doha, India.

NATIONAL

· India is second largest market for pharma: LinkedIn Report

The 13.7 percent contribution to the global pharmaceuticals and biotechnology workforce India has emerged as the second largest market for the industry, a report by professional networking giant LinkedIn has revealed.
The report, detailed in the newly released e-book “The Indian Pharma and Biotech Industry”, showed that while New Delhi, Kolkata, and Chandigarh are thriving grounds for talent in this sector in India, talent migration is highest to the US. Talent migrating to other countries mainly comprises of researchers, scientists, quality assurance professionals, statistics programmers and data analysts.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved two new World Bank supported schemes of Rs. 6,655 crore – Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) and Skill Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement (STRIVE).

SANKALP is Rs 4,455 crore Centrally sponsored scheme including Rs. 3,300 crore loan support from World Bank whereas STRIVE is a Rs. 2,200 crore – central sector scheme, with half of the scheme outlay as World bank loan assistance.

SANKALP and STRIVE are outcome focused schemes marking shift in government’s implementation strategy in vocational education and training from inputs to results.

The nation’s largest lender State Bank of India is creating a 15,000-sqft innovation centre in Navi Mumbai investing around Rs 100 crore.

The centre, to be built at its Global IT Centre in Belapur in Navi Mumbai, will be the largest innovation centre by any financial services company in the country.

The innovation centre is part of a Rs 200-crore allocation that the bank has earmarked for innovation last year.

Shri Anupam Kher, veteran cine star, has been appointed as Chairman of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. Shri Kher succeeds Shri Gajendra Chauhan.

Shri Kher who has appeared in over 500 films is a recipient of the Padma Shri in 2004 and the Padma Bhushan in 2016 for his contribution in the field of cinema and arts.

Gk bit – FTII

FTII is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and is regarded as a center of excellence across the world.

Films made by FTII’s students have enjoyed excellent receptions in festivals in India and abroad and have won National and International awards.