Morning Brief: World’s Most Prestigious Medical Journal Backs Modi’s Ayushman Bharat, Criticises Rahul Gandhi; Inflation Cools To 10-Month Low; And Other News

Good morning, dear reader! Here’s your morning news brief for today.

World’s Most Prestigious Medical Journal Backs Modicare

The Lancet, the world’s most prestigious medical journal, has endorsed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mega healthcare scheme Ayushman Bharat in an article published on 11 September, the Times of India has said in a report. The scheme, also called Modicare, is reportedly the largest healthcare scheme in the world. It aims to cover over 10 crore vulnerable families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries) and provide health cover up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year.

The article, written by the journal’s editor-in-chief Richard Horton, has said that Modi is the first prime minister of the world’s largest democracy “to prioritise universal health coverage as part of his political platform”. He criticises Congress President Rahul Gandhi saying “despite his promises to help lower castes, tribal communities, and the rural poor, (he) has yet to match Modicare”. Horton also says the 2019 Lok Sabha elections will be “the most important general election since India achieved independence in 1947”. He predicts that “health will rightly become a decisive issue in next year's general election” and calls it the right moment to be debating the future of health of India.”

Inflation Cools In August, Factory Output At 6.6 Per Cent In July

Data released by the Central Statistics Office on Wednesday showed that India’s retail inflation fell to a 10-month low of 3.69 per cent in August from 4.17 per cent in the previous month. This is the first time in 2018 that consumer price inflation has fallen below the 4 per cent mark. Food inflation slowed to 0.29 per cent from 1.37 per cent a year earlier in July. Housing inflation fell to a nine-month low. This comes after the Reserve Bank of India hiked repo rates by 0.25 per cent twice in its bi-monthly monetary policy meetings in June and August. However, experts a third rate hike at the RBI’s October monetary policy review meeting is possible despite the lower than expected inflation.

Factory output grew 6.6 per cent in July as compared to 1 per cent growth in July last year. While manufacturing output rose 7 per cent, mining output growth stood at 3.7 per cent. Electricity generation stood at 6.7 per cent. 22 out of 23 industry groups in the manufacturing sector showed positive growth in July 2018. Manufacturing had taken a hit last year. In June, factory output was revised downwards to 6.9 per cent from the provisional estimate of 7 per cent initially.

Indian Air Force May Buy Over 200 Improved Tejas Fighters

The Indian Air Force is planning to induct at least 12 squadrons (with 18 fighters in each, total 216) of Tejas Mark-II, Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa said on Tuesday at a conference organised by the Centre for Air Power Studies. He, however, noted that the offer will come only if this version of Tejas performs as per the expectations of the IAF. The improved version of the Tejas is expected to make its first flight in the early part of the next decade. The Mark-II version, reports have said, will feature a more powerful engine and radar.

Dhanoa also defended the Rafale deal signed by the Narendra Modi government in 2016. His comments on the Rafale controversy came after another officer of the IAF, who headed the negotiations with Dassault Aviation under the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, countered the claims of corruption made by Rahul Gandhi in a presentation using terms like like “better price terms”, “better overall delivery terms and timeline" and “longer industrial support commitment”. In his presentation, Air Marshal Shyam Bihari Prasad Sinha listed multiple reasons why the government to government deal reached with France in 2016 was cleaner, better and more economical.

China Proposes Bullet Train To Kolkata Via Bangladesh, Myanmar

Chinese Consul General in Kolkata Ma Zhanwu revealed on Wednesday his country was proposing a high-speed rail link between Kunming and Kolkata, traversing through Myanmar and Bangladesh. Speaking at a conference, he said that the plan could be implemented with the joint effort of both the countries, adding that Myanmar and Bangladesh will also benefit from it.

The 2,800 km-long project was also discussed at the Greater Mekong Subregion meet in Kunming in 2015, the Chinese envoy said. However, he did not say if the project is being proposed to New Delhi formally. The envoy also did not clarify whether the project would fall under the ambitious One Belt, One Road initiative of President Xi Jinping or will be a standalone initiative.

Delhi-Meerut Rapid Rail To Get Investment Clearance

The Rapid Rail project between Delhi and Meerut is all set to take off as the Public Investment Board will soon grant permission for the project, the first corridor of the rapid rail in India. Once the project is ready, travel time between the two cities of Delhi and Meerut would come down to 55 minutes.

This development after Uttar Pradesh government agreed to pay its share of equity for building the rapid rail link. It is estimated to cost Rs. 31,600 crores. The Delhi government has also given its in-principle approval for the project, which is going to be implemented by the NCR Transport Corporation.

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We hope you enjoyed reading our morning brief. Have a great day ahead!