Why in news?
Cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara recently launched the Indian Healthcare League, a cricket tournament in which teams of doctors compete. The league aims to spread cancer awareness and promote wellness among healthcare professionals.
What is the IHL?
- Format: Modelled on the Indian Premier League (IPL), the IHL features doctors from hospitals such as AIIMS, Fortis and Max. Six regional franchises—Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh—compete in cricket matches.
- Primary mission: To use sport as a platform to raise awareness about cancer prevention, screening and treatment across India.
- Secondary mission: To promote mental well‑being, physical fitness and camaraderie among healthcare workers who often face burnout.
Significance
- Preventive healthcare: By combining sport and health education, the league encourages citizens to adopt healthy lifestyles and get regular screenings.
- Self‑care for doctors: Doctors often neglect their own wellness. The league fosters teamwork and reminds healthcare professionals to prioritise physical and mental health.
- Community engagement: Using cricket—India’s most popular sport—helps the message reach a broad audience and positions healthcare as a community‑driven movement.
The initiative ties into UPSC topics such as public health, mental health promotion and the role of civil society in governance.
India & Israel Sign Bilateral Investment Agreement
Why in news?
India and Israel signed a Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA) in New Delhi. The treaty, witnessed by the finance ministers of both countries, aims to encourage mutual investment by providing legal certainty and transparent procedures.
Key features
- Investor protection: The agreement guarantees that investments will receive fair and equitable treatment. Expropriation of assets is permitted only for public purposes and requires prompt, adequate compensation.
- Transparency: Clear rules and open procedures provide certainty to investors and reduce scope for arbitrary actions.
- Neutral arbitration: Disputes between investors and governments can be resolved by independent arbitral tribunals, rather than domestic courts, ensuring impartiality.
- Free transfer of funds: Investors can freely repatriate capital, profits and compensation, subject to limited regulatory controls.
- Sectoral cooperation: The treaty emphasises collaboration in fintech, infrastructure, digital payments, cybersecurity, defence and high‑technology innovation.
Objectives
- Provide a predictable framework that encourages investors to commit capital in both countries.
- Safeguard investments against abrupt policy changes or expropriation, while preserving governments’ right to regulate for public welfare.
- Deepen trade ties and expand cooperation in areas such as technology, defence and agriculture.
By balancing investor protection with sovereign regulatory rights, the BIA seeks to spur investment flows and strengthen bilateral relations.