CCI allows India Resurgence Fund to pick up equity in Digvijay Cement (See 'Corp Brief') CCI okays merger of ADES International Cayman, with and into Shelf Drilling (See 'Corp Brief') IBC - Assignment of loan by lender/bank to new entity does not necessarily require express consent of borrower, but knowledge by borrower would suffice: HC (See 'Legal Desk') Govt introduces new modalities under PMFBY to strengthen farmer protection (See 'Corp Brief') Second regional meeting of Urban Development Ministers held in Hyderabad (See 'Corp Brief') Trade Marks Act - New trade mark be struck off where it seeks to bank on existing goodwill accumulated by original trade mark & where original mark's owner has superior right over trade mark: HC (See 'Legal Desk') Reddy to inaugurate GSI's International Seminar in Jaipur (See 'Corp Brief') Joshi highlights role of technology in strengthening PDS and reaching the poorest (See 'Corp Brief') SAFEMA: If relative or associate of convict/detenue establish that property is not acquired with monies or assets provided by detenu, then properties of relatives/associates cannot be forfeited even if illegally acquired: SAFEMA (See 'Legal Desk') Mandaviya inaugurates EPFO's first-ever Modernised Digital Pavilion at IITF 2025 (See 'Corp Brief') NHAI takes Initiative to Publish Updates for Underbidding Projects on Website (See 'Corp Brief') India, Russia hold High-Level Interagency Consultations in New Delhi (See 'Corp Brief') Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, DRDO sign MoU to develop Smart Tech Solutions (See 'Corp Brief') Misc - Legal heirs who are guilty of misconduct disentitles them to seek indulgence of Court to condone delay: HC (See 'Legal Desk') India unveils ARKA-GKT1, First Generation Energy-Efficient Edge Silicon Chip (See 'Corp Brief') MSME, KVIC, COIR and NSSH Pavilions inaugurated at Trade Fair (See 'Corp Brief') India highlights Rapid Telecom Transformation; Urges Collaborative Cybersecure Future (See 'Corp Brief') 5 institutes of Ministry of Earth Sciences brought under single umbrella (See 'Corp Brief') From Markets to Monuments: Advancing Clean Toilets and Hygienic Spaces (See 'Corp Brief') Capital Market - Fact that transactions in particular contract were reversed with same counterparty for same quantity of units, indicates prior meeting of minds with view to execute reversal trades at pre-determined price: SEBI (See 'Legal Desk') Puri visits Hanwha Ocean's shipbuilding facility in South Korea (See 'Corp Brief') IPR - Mere fact that any mark consists of numbers does not, in itself, make it unregistrable: HC (See 'Legal Desk') IndiaAI Zone unveiled showcasing India's Journey from Action to Impact (See 'Corp Brief') IPR - Counterfeiting not only harms brand reputation but also misleads consumers, making strict legal action necessary to deter such unlawful practices: HC (See 'Legal Desk') Puri holds Shipbuilding Meetings to boost India's Maritime Vision (See 'Corp Brief') Company Law - Company can prosecute any of its officers and when any officer of Company is to be prosecuted, then Section 439 of Companies Act would not be applicable: HC (See 'Legal Desk') AAI showcases future of Aviation at 44th India International Trade Fair 2025 (See 'Corp Brief') IPR - Mere identity or similarity of mark, of which registration is sought, and earlier mark, is not sufficient as ground to reject registration application: HC (See 'Legal Desk') India-Canada Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment concludes (See 'Corp Brief') Misc - Remedy for recovery of money instituted under Article 226 of Constitution of India is not intended to enable claimant to recover monies, recovery of which by suit is barred by limitation: HC (See 'Legal Desk') Government intervention and Corporate governance (See CORP EINSICHT)

India, ADB sign USD 300 mn loan to improve primary healthcare in India

Published: Nov 24, 2021

By TIOLCorplaws News Service

NEW DELHI, NOV 24, 2021: THE Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) yesterday signed a USD 300 million loan to strengthen and improve access to comprehensive primary health care in urban areas of 13 states that will benefit over 256 million urban dwellers including 51 million from slum areas.

Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance, signed for the Government of India the agreement for Strengthening Comprehensive Primary Health Care and pandemic preparedness in Urban Areas Program while Takeo Konishi, Country Director of ADB's India Resident Mission, signed for ADB.

After signing the loan agreement, Mr Mishra said that the programme supports the Government of India's key health initiatives - Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWC) and Pradhan Mantri Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana (PM-ASBY) - which has been renamed as Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) - by expanding availability and access to quality primary health care services particularly for vulnerable populations in urban areas.

Ayushman Bharat programme, launched in 2018, aims to improve access to comprehensive primary health care as a key strategy to achieve universal health coverage in India. With the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic that put additional pressure on the country's health system, the government launched PM-ASBY later renamed as PM-ABHIM in October 2021 to adopt a long-term approach to system strengthening to prepare for future pandemics and other emergencies.

"Ensuring equitable access to non-COVID-19 primary health care is critical amid challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic to India's health system," said Konishi. "The programme complements the government's efforts to bridge the health care gaps by strengthening institutional capacity, operation, and management of urban health and wellness centers at the central, state, and municipal levels."

The programme will be implemented in urban areas across 13 states: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and West Bengal. Beside the pandemic response, interventions through the program promote increased utilization of urban HWCs with provision of comprehensive primary health care packages including non-communicable diseases and community outreach services such as awareness raising activities on health care options, particularly for women. Delivery and health information systems for primary health care will be upgraded through digital tools, quality assurance mechanisms, and engagement and partnership with the private sector.

The programme is supported by a USD 2 million technical assistance grant from ADB's Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction to provide support for programme implementation and coordination, capacity building, innovation, knowledge sharing and application of scalable best practices across the healthcare system.

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