23rd & 24th MAY CURRENT AFFAIRS

1.The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) achieved a major milestone, linking over 100 crore (1 billion) health records with Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA).

The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), implemented by the National Health Authority under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has achieved a major milestone with over 100 crore health records successfully linked with Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA).

ABHA serves as a unique digital health identity that enables citizens to securely link and access their health records across hospitals, clinics, laboratories and healthcare providers

Among the major Government programmes and digital platforms contributing to the milestone are

The Non-Communicable Disease Programme and CoWIN under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,

Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY),

the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) programme under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,

eHospital by National Informatics Centre,

eSushrut by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)

2. Birth Rate, Infant Deaths Fall In India

Recent Sample Registration Survey (SRS) 2024 provides the sharpest picture yet of India in the throes of demographic transition.

The country’s birth rate — live births per 1,000 population — fell from 21 in 2014 to 18.3 in 2024, while the death rate (deaths per 1,000 people) is down from 6.7 to 6.4. The IMR, recorded as the number of deaths per thousand live births, has dropped from 39 to 24

While the overall performance is creditable, indicating several measures being launched by the Centre and States to improve healthcare outcomes, the disappointment is in the relatively worse performance in rural areas.

For instance, while the rural birth rate fell from 22.7 to 20.2 in the given decade,the birth rate fell from 17.4 to 14.7. In the rural areas, the death rate fell from 7.3 to 6.8 between 2014 and 2024, and in the urban segment, it was at 5.5 in 2014 and went up marginally to 5.6 — still a better performance than in rural areas.

Kerala and Tamil Nadu lead the way with better statistics in all sectors.

Kerala has the lowest natural growth rate (NGR) of 3.9,

Kerala also has a single-digit IMR (8), the lowest in the country.

Tamil Nadu brings up the second position among larger States, with an NGR of 4.8 and an IMR of 11.

Among the smaller States, Goa (4.2 NGR and 11 IMR) and among Union Territories, Andaman and Nicobar Islands (4.1 NGR and 9 IMR) show the way.

3. Launch of JEEVAN App and SHATAYU

Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment Launched “JEEVAN” (Joint Elderly Empowerment & Virtual Assistance Network) Mobile Application for Senior Citizens and “SHATAYU” (Senior Holistic Care Assistance and Training For Your Utility) Geriatric Caregiver Dashboard.

A Step Towards Safety, Care, Dignity and Empowerment of Senior Citizens and enabling elder Care Ecosystem through Technology Caregiving Support

The app provides a range of features aimed at addressing the needs and concerns of senior citizens, including information on Government schemes and welfare programmes, emergency assistance and support services, and details of senior citizen homes supported by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment

Another, application “SHATAYU” (Senior Holistic Care Assistance and Training For Your Utility) a Dashboard, developed to support and strengthen caregiving services for senior citizens across the country was also launched during the National Workshop on “Creating a Well-Functioning Care Economy.”

It provides features such as information on the availability of Geriatric Caregivers in a particular district and the State for the senior citizens.

4. India’s Proposed Anti-Doping Law Amendments

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has placed proposed amendments to the National Anti-Doping Act, 2022 for public consultation.

The amendments seek to criminalise organised doping activities targeting traffickers, syndicates, coaches, and suppliers not athletes who test positive

About Doping

Doping refers to the use of prohibited performance-enhancing substances or methods by athletes to gain unfair competitive advantage.

It is governed globally by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), established in 1999.

WADA maintains the Prohibited Listcovering substances like anabolic steroids, EPO, stimulants, diuretics, and masking agents.

In India, NADA (National Anti-Doping Agency) implements the anti-doping framework, and NDTL (National Dope Test Laboratory) conducts testing.

India is a signatory to the UNESCO International Convention Against Doping in Sport

Recommendation

Criminal Penalties for Traffickers:imprisonment up to 5 years and fines up to ₹2 lakh

Liability of Medical Staff and Support Personnel: Coaches, trainers, and doctors who knowingly administer or prescribe prohibited substances are subject to criminal prosecution.

Protection of Minors: Supplying banned drugs to athletes under 18 years old will draw stricter penalties

Non-Bailable Status

5India supporting Ethiopia's Entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Protocol was signed by India's Permanent Representative to the WTO, Senthil Pandian C., and Ethiopia's Permanent Representative to the UN, Tsegab Kebebew Daka.

Strategic Partnership: This fast-tracked agreement was guided by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.

It builds on the "Strategic Partnership" elevated during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Ethiopia in December 2025.

Economic Impact: India is Ethiopia's second-largest trading partner and a major foreign investor.

Ethiopia’s eventual WTO membership will reduce trade barriers, allowing for smoother exports in sectors like pharmaceuticals, machinery, iron, and steel.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is theGlobal international organisation that regulates and facilitates international trade between nations.

Officially established on 1 January 1995 under the Marrakesh Agreement, it succeeded the 1948 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).

It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

6. Ease of Doing Research & Development in India Report by NITI Aayog

The report “Ease of Doing Research & Development in India” is released by NITI Aayog focuses on improving India’s research ecosystem

Low R&D spending in India: India’s Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) is only 0.6%-0.7% of GDP, which is much lower than China (2.6%), USA (3.4%), and South Korea (5.3%).

Declining Effectiveness of R&D Spending: Although absolute R&D allocations have increased over time, their real effectiveness has declined due to inflation, expansion in the number of research institutions, and reduced per-institution funding

Low Grant Approval Rates: R&D funding agencies report less than 10% grant approval rates, indicating extreme competition and underfunding of research proposals

Recommendations

1.Increase Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD)

2.Improve tax incentives for R&D

3.Bring back the 5% GST slab for R&D procurement

4.Reduce duplication across agencies: Minimise overlapping work among DST, CSIR, ANRF, especially in similar domains like hydrogen energy and carbon capture

5.Create Vigyan Nidhi: Establish a streamlined funding architecture called Vigyan Nidhi to improve efficiency in funding and manpower retention

Key reports and indices published by NITI Aayog include:

1SDG India Index

2National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)

3Healthy States, Progressive India (Health Index)

4Composite Water Management Index

5Ease of Doing Research & Development

6India Innovation Index

7Export Preparedness Index

8Viksit Bharat Reports