Asian Development Bank releases $21.6 million first tranche of $108 million loan for Mizoram's Universal Healthcare Scheme
Key Updates:
- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) released $21.6 million, the first tranche of its $108 million loan, to the Union Ministry of Finance on October 29 after Mizoram achieved two Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs).
- The Ministry transferred ₹205.4858 crore to the Mizoram state account on November 5; ₹184.93 crore (90%) will come as a grant and ₹20.54 crore (10%) as a loan, with the entire amount parked in the Healthcare Corpus Fund.
- Mizoram signed the $108 million ADB loan agreement on January 23, 2026; the project became effective from April 1, and the loan was approved by the ADB board on December 5 last year.
- The project, originally proposed in 2022 under the Mizo National Front government, was revived by the Zoram People's Movement government as "Supporting Public Health Care System Strengthening to Achieve Universal Health Care for Mizoram".
- Mizoram's Universal Healthcare Scheme (MUHCS) was launched in March 2025, providing cashless treatment coverage of up to ₹5 lakh at government and empanelled private and church-run hospitals in and outside Mizoram.
- Government employees pay a monthly contribution of ₹200 to ₹1,500 for unlimited health cover, while pensioners and spouses can get up to ₹24 lakh cover per financial year on surrendering their ₹1,000 monthly fixed medical allowance; AB PM-JAY golden card holders need not pay enrollment fees.
- The state government targets achieving at least three DLIs in the current financial year and plans to utilise around ₹130 crore under the programme.
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Indian Railways deploys 700 AI cameras and a 24x7 War Room to manage festive-season crowds
Key Updates:
- Indian Railways is using a centralised War Room with around 700 AI-enabled cameras, live CCTV feeds and colour-coded heat maps to monitor crowds at stations round the clock during the festive season.
- The War Room operates 24x7 with teams from the RPF, traffic operations, mechanical and electrical maintenance stationed there, and receives live feeds from platforms, areas around stations and foot-over bridges.
- The heat map is colour-coded: green means the situation is okay, yellow means the crowd is building up, and red means the crowd is very high, with officials monitoring crowd levels hourly.
- At New Delhi railway station on November 6, passenger numbers began rising around 2 pm and peaked between 4 pm and 8 pm, prompting operation of several special trains.
- Dedicated passenger holding areas have been created at around 20 railway stations; at Anand Vihar Terminal, ticket counters were moved to the holding area and multiple simultaneous security-scanning facilities were set up.
- More than 18,000 special trains are being operated during this year's festive season, compared to around 12,000 last year.
- Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw explained the system in a video shared by the Ministry of Railways on X and inspected the Rail Bhawan War Room and Anand Vihar Terminal in Delhi.
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Adkar and Bhosale finish runners-up in WTA 250 Chennai Open women’s doubles
Key Updates:
- India's Vaishnavi Adkar and Rutuja Bhosale finished runners-up in the women's doubles at the WTA 250 Chennai Open, losing 2-6, 0-6 to Switzerland's Simona Waltert and Naima Karamoko in the final.
- Adkar and Bhosale became the first all-Indian pair to reach a WTA Tour-level doubles final.
- In the semifinals, the Indian duo defeated second seeds Weronika Falkowska and Alana Smith 6-2, 2-6, 10-8.
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31,000 Devotees Venerate Sacred Relics of Shakyamuni Buddha During Seven-Day Tawang Exposition in Arunachal Pradesh
Key Updates:
- The sacred exposition of the Holy Relics of Shakyamuni Buddha, organised by the Ministry of Culture with the Government of Arunachal Pradesh and the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), concluded its Tawang leg on 7 November 2026, with 31,000 devotees visiting Tawang Monastery (Gaden Namgyal Lhatse) over seven days.
- The Sacred Relics arrived in Tawang on 31 October 2026 from the National Museum, New Delhi, and were received by Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu in the presence of Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
- Chief Minister Pema Khandu inaugurated two special exhibitions: 'Unearthing the Sacred Piprahwa' by the IBC on the 1898 discovery of the Piprahwa relics, and 'Crossroads of Dhamma' curated by the National Museum, New Delhi.
- On 2 November 2026, the IBC organised an international conference, 'Buddhism: Dissemination in the Himalayan Region and Beyond', at the Kalawangpo Convention Centre, Tawang.
- On 8 November 2026, the Sacred Relics will be transported by the Indian Air Force to Bomdila, where they will be enshrined at TGL Monastery (Lower Gompa) for public darshan from 8 to 13 November 2026.
- The Relics will then be displayed at the Golden Pagoda, Namsai, from 14 to 20 November 2026, before returning to the National Museum, New Delhi, on 21 November 2026.
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