(Current Affairs) India and The World | April + May: 2014

India & The World

First Indian-American Surgeon General of the US

  • An influential group of Indian- American doctors has campaigned at the Capitol Hill for Dr Vivek Murthy, who has been nominated by President Barack Obama for the post of Surgeon General of the United States.
  • On the eve of his confirmation, a delegation of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) met eminent Senators to lobby for the quick confirmation of 36- year-old Murthy. If he’s confirmed, Dr Murthy would not only be the first-ever Indian-American to occupy this post, but also the youngest ever Surgeon General of the US.
  • If confirmed, Murthy will also become the 19th surgeon general for an office that was established in 1871 in the US. As the Surgeon General, Murthy will be the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the US and the operational head of the 6500- strong US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, one of the seven uniformed services of the United States that includes the army, navy, air force and marines.

India-China border issue

  • India and China held two crucial meetings on the border issue recently.
  • The fifth meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs reviewed recent developments, especially in the Western Sector (the Ladakh region).
  • Implementation of the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement, additional confidence-building measures and further steps for maintaining peace and tranquillity were also discussed, said a release from the Ministry of External Affairs.
  • Unlike the Working Mechanism, aimed at resolving day-to-day patrolling issues, the Special Representatives talks, pitched on a higher level, are meant to settle the entire boundary issue through consultations.
  • The Indian delegation is led by National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon and the Chinese team by State Councillor Yang Jiechi at the two-day meeting.

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