# Covid-19

• With a fresh covid-19 spurt in China, Japan and the United States ringing alarm bells globally, the government has called a meeting of top health officials on Wednesday to be presided over by Health minister Mansukh mandaviya.
• The health ministry has written to all States to increase genome sequencing to track coronavirus variants for timely identification of any possible cluster.
• Directions have been issued to all States and union territories to send samples of all covid positive cases to Insacog labs – a consortium of 52 laboratories across the country – to track new possible variants.
• The government action follows an explosive rise in the number of cases in China after it relaxed its zero covid policy.

# China

• China’s rapid infrastructure development, including a new road just across the strategically located Yangtse in the Tawang sector of Arunachal pradesh, now allows it to swiftly deploy additional troops there.
• Although India continues to control the crucial ridge line or high ground in the plateau.
• China has upgraded several key access dirt roads and built a ‘sealed road’ leading from Tangwu new village to within 150 m of the LAC ridge line.

# Airport

• The New Delhi’s IGI airport is the world’s seventh busiest airport, according to the latest rankings issued by UK based air consultancy firm OAG.
• The six airports which are ahead of IGIA are Atlanta, Dubai, Tokyo, London, Dallas and Denver International.
• Delhi is ahead of Chicago, Los Angeles and Istanbul.

# Social progress index

• Puducherry has bagged the top slot with the highest score of 65.9 in the country on the social progress index for its remarkable performance across the index’s components.
• Index components include personal freedom and choice, Shelter and water and sanitation.
• Lakshadweep and Goa closely follow it with scores of 65.8 and 65.5 respectively.
• Assam, Bihar and Jharkhand have scored the lowest securing 44.9, 44.4 and 43.9 respectively.