Dr. Vivek Murthy is US representative on WHO executive board
Washington(PTI): US President Joe Biden has nominated Dr. Vivek Murthy to serve as America's representative on the executive board of the World Health Organisation.
Dr. Murthy, 45, will serve in the new position alongside his continued duties as the US Surgeon General, the White House said in a statement.
He was confirmed by the US Senate in March 2021 to serve as the 21st Surgeon General of the country. He previously served as the 19th Surgeon General under President Barack Obama.
As the nation's doctor, the Surgeon General's mission is to help lay the foundation for a healthier country, relying on the best scientific information available to provide clear, consistent, and equitable guidance and resources for the public.
"While serving as the 21st Surgeon General, Dr. Murthy is focused on drawing attention to and working across government to address a number of critical public health issues, including the growing proliferation of health misinformation, the ongoing youth mental health crisis, well-being and burnout in the health worker community, and social isolation and loneliness," said the White House.
As the Vice Admiral of the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Dr. Murthy also commands a uniformed service of over 6,000 dedicated public health officers, serving the most underserved and vulnerable populations.
The first Surgeon General of Indian descent, Dr. Murthy, was raised in Miami and is a graduate of Harvard, the Yale School of Medicine, and the Yale School of Management, the White House said.
A renowned physician, research scientist, entrepreneur, and author, he lives in Washington, DC with his wife Dr Alice Chen, and their two children, it said.
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New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to filmmaker Vikram Bhatt's wife Shwetambari Bhatt in a multi-crore rupees cheating case.
The top court also sought responses of Rajasthan Police and complainant Ajay Murdia, founder of Indira IVF and Fertility Centre and a resident of Udaipur, by February 18 and said it may consider a day after the bail plea of filmmaker Vikram Bhatt.
Murdia alleged in his complaint that Bhatt and his wife induced him to invest over Rs 30 crore in a biopic of his late wife, promising high returns.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took note of the submissions of senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Bhatts, and ordered forthwith release of Shwetambari Bhatt from Udaipur jail.
The bench asked the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Udaipur to pass the bail order delineating the terms and conditions for her release.
The top court also issued notices to complainant Ajay Murdia, the founder of Indira IVF and Fertility Centre and a resident of Udaipur, and the Rajasthan government for February 19.
Rohatgi said the director and his wife and others have been put behind bars.
"It is not so simple... Rs 30 crore fraud," the counsel for the state government said.
"But, you cannot use these cases to recover money," the bench said, adding that the complainant be also made a party to the petition.
"Unfortunately, they (petitioners) have not sought quashing of the FIR… How Rajasthan has been chosen? Very unfortunate," the bench said.
On January 31, the Rajasthan High Court rejected their bail applications in the cheating case.
The two have been in jail since December 7, 2025, when they were arrested in Mumbai and brought to Udaipur.
While rejecting their bail, the high court observed that granting bail to the accused at this stage would not be appropriate.
Vikram Bhatt was arrested after Murdia filed a complaint of cheating and criminal breach of trust against the filmmaker, his wife Shwetambari Bhatt and others, alleging that funds taken in the name of a film project were misappropriated.
The complaint has alleged that funds to the tune of Rs 30 crore were misappropriated. The complaint alleged that the Bhatts prepared fake bills under various names and got money transferred from the complainant.
The money was supposed to be for making films for the complainant, but was allegedly deposited into the accused's own accounts and used by them.
Apart from Vikram and his wife, Udaipur-based Dinesh Kataria and Bhatt's manager, Mehboob Ansari, were also arrested by Rajasthan Police on December 7, 2025.
