Table of Contents:
1. First International Conference on Traditional Medicine, Venue: Guwahati 
2. New Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal - IPS officer Rashmi Shukla 
3. Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare conferred with 'Porter Prize 2023' 
4. Supreme Courts Verdict on Appointment of Election Commissioner

First International Conference on Traditional Medicine, Venue: Guwahati 

The Union Minister for AYUSH and Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal has inaugurated the first B2B Global Conference & Expo on Traditional Medicine under Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)' in Guwahati. The Conference and Expo will provide an opportunity to regulators, industries and business leaders in all the SCO and partner countries to deliberate on various aspects of Traditional Medicine aspects such as products, services, education, skill development, cosmetics, Herbal extracts and further deepen the trade and friendship among each other in the area of Traditional medicine and allied ?eld. 

• This international summit is the first of its kind and is going to take place for four days.  

• A total of 75 foreign officials and business representatives from 13 countries are participating. Government representatives of China, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan have joined virtually. 

SCO 

• The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), or Shanghai Pact, is an Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance of eight member multilateral organisation 

• It is  established on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai, China. 

•  SCO includes 08 member states, 03 observers and 14 dialogue partner countries. 

•  India was granted Observer status at the July 2005 Astana Summit and the status of full member on 9th June, 2017 at the SCO Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan. 

New Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal - IPS Officer Rashmi Shukla 

Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Rashmi Shukla has been appointed as the Director-General of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). Ms. Shukla, a 1988 batch IPS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, was posted with the Central Reserve Police (CRPF) and she has been the former Chief of Maharashtra Intelligence Department. 

Sashastra Seema Bal  

• SSB is the border-guarding force deployed along Nepal and Bhutan border 

• The force was originally set up under the name Special Service Bureau in 1963 in the aftermath of the Sino-Indian War to strengthen India's border areas 

• Motto: Service, Security and Brotherhood 

• Headquarters: New Delhi 

• Responsible: Amit Shah, Union Home Minister 

• Parent agency: Central Armed Police Forces 

Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare conferred with 'Porter Prize 2023' 

Porter Prize is named after Michael E. Porter, an economist, researcher, author, advisor, speaker and teacher. He has brought economic theory and strategy concepts to bear on many of the most challenging problems facing corporations, economies and societies, including market competition and company strategy, economic development, the environment and healthcare.  

• Ministry of Health and Family Welfare received, Porter Prize 2023 for Government's strategy in managing COVID-19 

• The prize was announced at “The India Dialog” organized by Institute for Competitiveness (IFC) and US Asia Technology Management Center (USATMC) at Stanford University 

• The prize recognizes the strategy followed by the Government of India in managing COVID-19, the approach, and involvement of various stakeholders especially involvement of ASHA workers in the industry to create PPE Kits 

Supreme Courts Verdict on Appointment of Election Commissioner 

A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court Thursday unanimously ruled that a high-power committee consisting of the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, and the Chief Justice of India must pick the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs).This practice will be enforced until a law in this regard is made by the Parliament. The top court emphasized that the Election Commission has to remain aloof from all forms of subjugation by the executive.  

Election Commission of India 

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a constitutional body established to conduct and regulate elections in the country 

• The Election Commission operates under the authority of Constitution per Article 324 

• Formed: 25 January 1950 

• Jurisdiction: Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India 

• Headquarters: Nirvachan Sadan, New Delhi 

• Current Election Commissioner of India: Rajiv Kumar