Australia to open Consulate in Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): Australia would open a Consulate in Bengaluru next year, the country's Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts said here on Wednesday.
Speaking at the inaugural function of the Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS), he also said the Australian government is deeply committed to advancing its technology partnership with India in the context of broad based comprehensive strategic partnership.
Watts, who is leading a delegation of over 40 Australian technology companies and policy thinkers to the 25th edition of Asia's largest technology event, said when it comes to critical technology, no partner matters more to Australia than India.
"That is why we are committed to opening our new joint Australia India Centre of Excellence for critical and emerging technology policy right here in Bengaluru", he said.
"We will also open a new Consulate General in Bengaluru in 2023, our fifth diplomatic office in India to support connections and growth opportunities with this dynamic part of south India", he said.
Noting that the new direct flight between Bengaluru and the Australian city of Sydney has been solidly booked since its launch in November, Watts, using a Cricketing analogy, said: "the Australia-India technology relationship has now entered the powerplay."
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
