Universal Postal Union: The UPU was established by the Treaty of Bern of 1874. It is a specialized agency of the UN that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to the worldwide postal system.It is the second oldest international organization worldwide.Headquarters:Bern, Switzerland.The UPU contains four bodies consisting of:The Congress,The Council of Administration (CA),The Postal Operations Council (POC) andThe International Bureau (IB).Any member country of the UN may become a member of the UPU.Any non-member country of the United Nations may become a UPU member provided that its request is approved by at least two-thirds of the member countries of the UPU.With its 192 member countries, the organization fulfills an advisory, mediating, and liaison role, and provides technical assistance where needed.The union sets the rules for international mail exchanges and makes recommendations to stimulate growth in mail, parcel, and financial services volumes and improve the quality of service for customers.India joined the UPU in 1876.
CITIIS 2.0: The CITIIS program was launched on July 9, 2018.The Indian government has recently approved the second phase of an ambitious project aimed at promoting integrated waste management and climate-oriented reform actions. Known as CITIIS (City Investments to Innovate, Integrate and Sustain), this project aims to transform urban areas in India into sustainable and resilient cities.CITIIS 2.0 has set its sights on 18 cities across India for implementation. This phase of the project builds upon the success and experiences gained during the first phase, which covered 12 cities including Chennai, Amaravati, and Bhubaneshwar. It is launched with equal contributions from partnering organizations such as the French Development Agency (AFD) and Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW). Additionally, the European Union has provided a technical assistance grant of Rs 106 crore to support the project’s objectives.
Multiple Sclerosis Day: World Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Day is officially marked on 30th May.It brings the global MS community together and toraise awareness and campaigns with everyone affected by MS. The theme for World MS Day 2020-2023 is ‘connections’. The MS Connections campaign is all about building community connection, self-connection and connections to quality care. The campaign tagline is ‘I Connect, We Connect’ and the campaign hashtag is MS Connections. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is the nodal body to look after all the development agenda of Persons with Disabilities of the country. The theme colour of MS Day is Orange. On 30th May, 2023, the organizations lighten their buildings in orange colour.
Multiple Sclerosis: MS is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS).In MS, the immune system attacks and damages the myelin sheath, a protective covering that surrounds the nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord, causing a range of symptoms.Symptoms:Muscle weakness and Numbness,Bladder Problems: A person may have difficulty emptying their bladder or need to urinate frequently or suddenly.Bowel problems, Fatigue, Dizziness, and damaged nerve fibers in the spinal cord.Since symptoms are common, people don’t often recognise the disease early and often takes many years for someone to be diagnosed, as it is impossible to determine a specific cause or trigger.Causes:The exact cause of the disease is unknown, but it could be a combination of:Genetic factors, Smoking and Stress,Vitamin D and B12 deficiency.
