India: Latest News

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has made it clear that his country will not be a part of any big power rivalry, especially in the Indian Ocean region."The total competition in the world has gone from US and Russia to US and China," said the President adding that whatever happens in Russia is a sideshow."Whether the US is in the Indian ocean we have no objections. We have no objections to the Japanese or the Chinese being there, as long as there is no rivalry. We are the literal states, and we have to look after our interests.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Bagley and the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung were seen at the Lanka IOC Terminals in Trincomalee together accompanied by diplomatic staff on Thursday (10).The Indian High Commission in Colombo said that the diplomats were welcomed by the staff at Lanka IOC who briefed the two diplomats on its operations that contribute to energy security of Sri Lanka.The Indian High Commissioner also flagged off the first delivery of Lanka Super Diesel from the Trinco Terminal for Sri Lankan market. 

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe President told the Parliament on Thursday (10) that the IMF had requested not to release the agreement reached between Sri Lanka and the International Monetary Fund until the current round of negotiations are complete.The President said that previously when the country approached the IMF, talks were only with the International Monetary Fund, however, this time around discussions need to take place with other countries as well."Japan is speaking India and China because they are not members of the Paris Club. Amendments may take place," the President told the house"IMF says don't release it till we finish this round of negotiations. I won't put anyone in to trouble.

DigiLocker can be used as a health locker for storing and accessing health records such as vaccination records, doctor prescriptions, lab reports, hospital discharge summaries etc New Delhi: DigiLocker, the authentic documents exchange platform under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has completed its second-level of integration with Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), the National Health Authority (NHA) said on Thursday. The secure cloud-based storage platform of DigiLocker can be used now as a health locker for storing and accessing health records such as vaccination records, doctor prescriptions, lab reports, hospital discharge summaries etc, stated NHA. DigiLocker had earlier completed level 1 integration with ABDM wherein the platform had added ABHA or Ayushman Bharat Health Account creation facility for its 13 crore users.

Covid-19: The death toll climbed to 5,30,514 with three new fatalities -- two in Maharashtra and one in Rajasthan --being reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am stated. India logged 1,016 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of Covid-19 cases to 4,46,63,968, while the active cases dipped to 13,187, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday. The death toll climbed to 5,30,514 with three new fatalities -- two in Maharashtra and one in Rajasthan --being reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am stated.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The construction work of the West Container terminal of the Colombo port began on Wednesday (9). The Secretary of the Ministry of Ports and Shipping K.D Ruwanchandra said that the construction work was launched in the presence of the Indian Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Bagley and the Minister of Ports and Shipping Nimal Siripala De Silva. India’s Adani Group signed a build-operate-transfer (BOT) agreement with its local partner John Keells Holdings PLC and the Sri Lanka Port Authority (SLPA) on 30 September 2021, to develop the West Container Terminal (WCT) in Colombo.The signing event for the $700 million was held virtually, and 51% of shares of WCT will be vested with Adani Group.Colombo Port is particularly significant for India, as it handles roughly 40 percent of transshipped container cargo bound for the Indian market.Operations of the West Container Terminal will be carried out by a new joint company named the West Container International Terminal.51% of WCT will be with Adani Group, 34% with John Keells and 15% with Sri Lanka Ports Authority.

(More details are being added.)    

States have been asked to continue monitoring incoming international travelers, undertake constant genome sequencing and step-up vaccination. NEW DELHI: India reported 811 fresh covid infections in the past 24 hours, while active cases slipped to 13,559, the health ministry said in an update on Wednesday.

₹1,854.5 crore, lower than consensus estimates. This is the first decline in Divi’s revenue in the last 20 quarters, said analysts from Nuvama. Operating deleverage coupled with high energy costs meant that the Ebitda (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) margin fell fast.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The second total lunar eclipse of 2022 will turn the moon a reddish-copper colour for 85 minutes on Nov. 8, 2022.Sri Lanka will be able to witness this spectacle from 5 PM to 7 PM on that day.Often colloquially called a Blood Moon, a total lunar eclipse, happens as the full moon (in this case November's full Beaver Moon) moves into the deep umbral shadow of the Earth and receives only light first filtered by Earth's atmosphere, will be visible from North America and parts of South America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. A partial lunar eclipse will be visible from Iceland, parts of South America, south and central Asia and Russia.

Police in northeastern China said that seven people have been arrested following a clash between residents and authorities enforcing COVID-19 quarantine restrictions. The violence comes as China reports new cases nationwide, with 2,230 cases reported Tuesday in the southern manufacturing and technology hub of Guangzhou.

Covid-19: The country's infection tally has climbed to 4,46,62,141, while the active cases have declined to 14,021, the ministry data updated at 8 am stated. India saw a single-day rise of 625 fresh Covid-19 cases, the lowest since April 9, 2020, while no death was reported in a span of 24 hours in first such instance since March 2020, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday. The country's infection tally has climbed to 4,46,62,141, while the active cases have declined to 14,021, the ministry data updated at 8 am stated.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Eight Sri Lankan sailors, who are part of a 26 member crew of MT Heroic Idun, an oil vessel, have been "illegally" detained by Equatorial Guinea since 14 August.Apart from the Sri Lankan sailors, the crew also includes 6 Indian sailors and a national each of Poland and Philippines.As per the crew, their vessel was arrested by an Equatorial Guinea naval ship on international waters on 12th August and brought to Luba port under naval escort and threat of legal action.The vessel was arrested based on a request made by Nigeria.The Nigerian Navy says it is conducting an investigation into the activities of MT HEROIC IDUN, a supertanker, arrested by Equatorial Guinea forces over alleged crude oil theft in Nigeria.The vessel and its crew were arrested on August 7th by the Central African country after it fled from Nigeria’s AKPO oilfield when its alleged activities were uncovered by operatives of the Nigerian Navy.Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, spokesperson of the Nigerian Navy, confirmed that the vessel is on it way back to Nigeria for further investigations.He said after the investigation is complete, the office of the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) will determine whether or not the vessel and its crew will be prosecuted by the federal government.The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited in September said it loses $700 million every month as a result of oil theft and vandalism at terminals.The Incident: The Heroic Idun ship was supposed to load cargo of crude oil in Nigeria’s AKPO terminal on 8 August, but as per terminal instructions the loading operation was delayed and the ship never made any operations in Nigeria.The same evening, the ship was approached by an unidentified craft claiming

₹3 lakhs to ₹5 lakhs of sum insured for any hospitalizations that may occur during the policy period. SBI General Insurance, one of India’s leading general insurance companies, has issued a group health policy to an NGO that covers individuals with Down syndrome.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe said Sri Lanka's second round of discussions with creditors concluded successfully.He added that legal advisers, financial advisers and major creditors including China, India and Japan joined the discussions.Several reforms were made since March, in order to obtain IMF assistance, and restructure the country's debt.The State Minister added that Sri Lanka has agreed to deal with all creditors in a transparent manner.The Central Bank of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Finance have communicated that they will work with the creditors to provide them with the necessary information and clarifications.The State Finance Minister said that the IMF Board of Directors will grant its approval, as soon as Sri Lanka obtains assurance from its creditors, and these discussions are vital for the process.Sri Lanka expects to receive assistance from the IMF by the end of 2022.

Doctors were able to cure the man with a mix of neutralising antibodies known to be effective against early coronavirus variants A Covid patient who testest for 411 days has finally been cured. This is the longest phase a patient has suffered from the infection anywhere in the world.  As per reports, 59-year-old British man patient first tested positive in December 2020 and he continued to test positive for Covid until January 2022.

Sri Lanka, which is under an ongoing economic crisis, is headed for another major turbulence as the country will not be able to secure the much-needed IMF loan in December as its ally and debtor China is yet to initiate a dialogue on debt restructuring with Colombo.A report in the Hindustan Times quoting financial analysts based in Washington said that Sri Lanka will miss the IMF deadline and will have to wait till March next year to secure a loan of $2.9 billion, as Beijing was involved in the 20th National Party Congress.The next meeting of the IMF executive board is in March 2023, Sri Lanka will most likely have to wait until then for IMF Board approval, and access to the funds.Why is China's involvement so important to access IMF funds?Sri Lanka is now considered a country that defaulted on its external debt because the island nation lacked foreign reserves for debt servicing.According to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and the Finance Ministry, Sri Lanka's total debt was $36 billion at the end of 2021.Of this total debt, Colombo owes some 52% in bilateral credit to China, 19.5% to Japan, and 12% to India.One of the main conditions for Sri Lanka to tap the USD 2.9 Billion funding from the International Monetary Fund is debt reconciliation and restructuring.Bilateral means transactions between two countries, and there is an institution that operates with the support of the International Monetary Fund to talk about bilateral debt, and this is called the Paris Club.Sri Lanka has obtained a large number of loans from Japan, India, and China, and among them, only Japan is a member of the Paris Club.India is openly supporting Sri Lanka's engagement with the IMF, and avenues are open for Sri Lanka to discuss debt

COLOMBO (News 1st) – A Russian Naval detachment of the Pacific Fleet formed by the 'Varyag' missile cruiser, Admiral Tributs anti-submarine ship, and 'Boris Butoma' tanker have entered the zone of responsibility of the Pacific Fleet south to Sri Lanka.The detachment is redeploying from the Mediterranean Sea to their base located in Vladivostok after operating in the off-shore maritime zone.Once the detachment reached the area near the island, its guidance was assumed from the Black Sea Fleet to the Pacific Fleet. The ships are currently crossing the Indian Ocean.The detachment departed from its base in December 2021Admiral Tributs : Admiral Tributs is a Project 1155 Large Anti-Submarine Ship of the Russian Navy.

(Hindustan Times) – Sri Lanka will miss the December deadline for securing an IMF loan as the main bilateral debtor China was involved in the 20th party congress and had little time for holding debt restructuring talks with Colombo, reported the Hindustan Times.The next meeting of the IMF executive board is in March 2023.According to financial analysts based in Washington, Sri Lanka likely will miss the December IMF deadline and will have to wait for March 2023 to secure a USD 2.9 billion loan from the lending institution in eight equal tranches.In the meantime, the Sri Lankan debt has increased further due to forex depreciation, deep recession, and burgeoning fiscal deficit. Since the end of 2021, inflation has considerably eroded the real value of domestic debt.While debtors India and Japan have already initiated a dialogue with Colombo on debt reconciliation and restructuring, China is still to engage in the dialogue as Beijing was involved in the 20th National Party Congress and had little time for client state Sri Lanka. The total debt of the island nation was USD 36 billion at the end of 2021. Of this, Sri Lanka owes USD 7.1 billion to China or 20% of its debt.

Covid-19 update: The death toll climbed to 5,30,479 with 18 fatalities which includes 15 deaths reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated. With 1,216 people testing positive for coronavirus infection in a day, India's tally of Covid-19 cases rose to 4,46,58,365, while the active cases declined to 15,705, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday. The death toll climbed to 5,30,479 with 18 fatalities which includes 15 deaths reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated.

Two investment experts talk about where growth will come from, Amazon vs. TikTok and more How the Pandemic Changed E-Commerce—and Where It Goes Now

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The second total lunar eclipse of 2022 will turn the moon a reddish-copper colour for 85 minutes on Nov. 8, 2022.Sri Lanka will be able to witness this spectacle from 5 PM to 7 PM on that day.Often colloquially called a Blood Moon, a total lunar eclipse, happens as the full moon (in this case November's full Beaver Moon) moves into the deep umbral shadow of the Earth and receives only light first filtered by Earth's atmosphere, will be visible from North America and parts of South America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. A partial lunar eclipse will be visible from Iceland, parts of South America, south and central Asia and Russia.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Sri Lanka Government has decided to purchase medicines directly from the suppliers.Secretary of the Health Ministry Janaka Chandragupta said that the necessary purchasing orders are being made, and there is a shortage of 150 types of medicines in the country at present.He said that based on the purchasing orders, the necessary medicines will reach Sri Lanka in a fortnight.Over 1,700 medicines including medical equipment were to be imported via the Indian Line of Credit, however, a shortage has arisen due to the delay in delivery.Meanwhile, an expert committee has been appointed to consider the next steps to be taken regarding the expired Pfizer vaccines.It is headed by the Director General of Health Services.The Ministry of Health said that further decisions will be taken based on the recommendations of the relevant committee.

Hong Kong’s attempts to welcome back global investors with a flagship summit were overshadowed by the controversial handling of a top local official’s Covid-19 test result, a typhoon and a lack of debate over how coronavirus restrictions have weakened investors’ confidence in both Hong Kong and mainland China.

₹2,206-crore initial public offering (IPO) on Thursday, 3 November, with plans to utilise the capital on next phase of growth across markets. The shares are likely to be listed on BSE and NSE on 16 November, 2022. KFin Technologies Limited is the registrar to the IPO.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Central Bank of Bangladesh last week issued a circular advising all authorized dealers, including banks, to refrain from transactions with Sri Lankan banks through the Asian Clearing Union (ACU) system.The move has been made in response to the "self-motivated decision by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL)  to remain temporarily suspended from ACU mechanism with effect from October 14th".Accordingly, all authorized dealers have been advised not to do any trade and trade related transactions with Sri Lanka through the ACU mechanism.The Asian Clearing Union was created among the South Asian Nations in order to provide trading facilities among the South Asian Nations, plus Iran and Myanmar as members in 1974. Within the ACU, all eligible transactions between member countries are required to be settled through the Asian Clearing Union. The unit of settlement of ACU transactions is a common unit of account of ACU, which is equivalent to one USD.In case of importation of materials into a country, it would be debited to the account of that specific country at the Asian Secretariat, and the balance is settled every two months through the ACU in hard currency.With this new move, it would halt the possibility of conducting any transactions between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka through the ACU. However, when New1st inquired on the matter from former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Dr.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – President Ranil Wickremesinghe says that if the process to restructure debts with India and China is delayed, the process to reach an agreement with the IMF Executive Board could be further delayed till January. Speaking at the 32nd Annual General meeting of the Sri Lanka Tea Factory owners, the President said that Sri Lanka must first ensure that it can get out of bankruptancy, and negotiate with creditors."I went to the Paris Club first. Western countries and Japan are there. But we are in a special place.

The best way to deal with the new COVID variant is to keep the immunity quotient high throughout the year Even after nearly 3 years, COVID remains a threat to us mostly because the virus is still mutating. The latest variant of Omicron continues to be a threat to us as it is said to spreading faster than its predecessors and has immune escape properties. So even if you are vaccinated and also boosted, you still need to be careful.

₹33 in the grey market today. The company's shares are expected to list on leading stock exchanges BSE and NSE on Wednesday, November 16, 2022. “Global health had a better performance in FY22 than it had in the preceding years.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Colombo International Maritime and Logistics Conference 2022 is scheduled to be held on 1st & 2nd November 2022 in Colombo.The event is expected to be a regional networking session, where different stakeholders of the maritime and the logistics industry will be gathering to develop partnerships and a greater understanding of the future plans of the Indian subcontinent and beyond. Investment opportunities, information, and data, and project development of the region will also be discussed.Watch comments by Rohan Masakorala CIMC Founder and Shippers’ Academy Colombo CEO here: 

HONG KONG : Foxconn Technology Group is scrambling to contain a weekslong Covid-19 outbreak at an iPhone factory in central China, trying to appease frightened and frustrated workers during a crucial period for smartphone orders. In Foxconn’s main Zhengzhou facility, the world’s biggest assembly site for Apple Inc.’s iPhones, hundreds of thousands of workers have been placed under a closed-loop system for almost two weeks. They are largely shut off from the outside world, allowed only to move between their dorms or homes and the production lines.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The family of a Surinamese woman arrested with cocaine in Sri Lanka have appointed a Surinamese lawyer to appear for her case.The government of Suriname has refuted media reports that a Surinamese woman arrested in Sri Lanka has been sentenced to death on suspicion of drug smuggling. The woman was arrested by the Customs Narcotics Control Bureau on October 18 for possession of over two kilograms of cocaine at the Katunayake Airport.The 25-year-old woman, who had arrived at the Katunayake Bandaranaike Airport through Doha, Qatar from Brazil, was questioned by the Sri Lanka Customs Narcotics Control Bureau officers, due to her suspicious behavior.During the investigation, the officers discovered 2,553 grams of cocaine, in tins, labeled as containing food.The suspect was subsequently detained and charged with the offense of drug smuggling.The Suriname Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Business and International Cooperation has become involved in the matter on the basis of the Vienna Convention on Consular Traffic’ (Arts 5 and 36 paragraph 1c) and ‘the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Traffic’, adding that information is requested from Sri Lanka.The Surinamese government has taken steps in accordance with these preconditions and the embassy in New Delhi, India, immediately contacted the authorities in Sri Lanka.After confirming the suspect’s arrest, the Surinamese embassy in New Delhi immediately requested permission from the Sri Lankan authorities for consular access to the person concerned, either virtually or physically.In the meantime, a Surinamese lawyer has been appointed by the suspect’s family as a contact person, and information is exchanged with the family via this communication

COLOMBO (News 1st) – India and Sri Lanka are two sides of a coin. Both countries have their differences in culture and religion.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Government will appoint a committee to seek how best to integrate the Tamils of Hill Country Origin further into the Sri Lankan Society, said President Ranil Wickremesinghe.He said further that although some of the Tamils of Hill Country Origin had integrated successfully into the Sri Lankan society, some have failed and measures would be taken to assist them to do so.President Ranil Wickremesinghe made these observations addressing at the occasion of accepting a consignment of medicines donated by the Pondicherry Union Territory and people of India on the request of Ceylon Worker’s Congress (CWC) at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (30).The consignment of medicines was officially handed over to the President by Secretary General of the Ceylon Worker’s Congress (CWC) and Parliamentarian Jeewan Thondaman in memory of the late Mr. Saumyamoorthi Thondaman who passed away 23 years ago on October 30th.

Over 4.12 crore adolescents have been administered with the first dose of the vaccine so far, ever since the covid vaccination for the age group 1ṁ2-14 years started on 16 March 2022 New Delhi: India’s Covid-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 219 crore as per the provisional data till Sunday morning, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in a statement. Covid vaccination for the age group 12-14 years started on 16 March 2022 and so far, over 4.12 crore adolescents have been administered with the first dose of the vaccine. The precaution dose administration for age group 18-59 years started from 10 April 2022.

The country’s active caseload has declined to 18,317 taking the total tally of covid cases to 44.6 million and 529,016 deaths so far New Delhi : India reported 1,604 new covid cases in the last 24 hours, as per the Union health ministry. The country’s active caseload has declined to 18,317 taking the total tally of covid cases to 44.6 million and 529,016 deaths so far. While Assam has reported 2,613 active caseload, Gujarat has contributed 414 active cases.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The State Minisrer of Finance Shehan Semasinghe says that he hopes to reach an agreement with regard to the financial assurance by creditors, which is expected by the International Monetary Fund during the negotiations that will begin on 3rd November.The State Minister said that although Sri Lanka's bilateral creditors such as China, India and Japan have verbally agreed to assist the country in debt restructuring, however, the IMF needs proper financial assurance in time for the negotiations.The Minister said that they are attemtpting to obtain the approval of the IMF board as soon as possible. The minister made these comments during an inquiry made by Newsfirst regarding the second phase of the official-level negotiations to be initiated with the International Monetary Fund.The minister stated that no moves will be made to bypass the Parliament in dealing with the International Monetary Fund.Minister Semasinghe added that no parties other than the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka have been informed with regard to the staff level agreement with the IMF.

Covid-19 update: The death toll due to the disease has climbed to 5,29,016 with eight fatalities being recorded, including three reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am showed. With 1,604 more people testing positive for the coronavirus infection in a day, India's tally of Co-19 cases has gone up to 4,46,52,266 while that of active cases has declined to 18,317, according to Union Health Ministry data on Sunday. The death toll due to the disease has climbed to 5,29,016 with eight fatalities being recorded, including three reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am showed.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Ministry of Justice says more than 7000 Sri Lankan families who fled the country as refugees, and  returned from India have resettled in the Northern Province.According to the Justice Ministry, there are around 12,500 such Sri Lankans who returned back to the country.The Justice Ministry has launched a mobile programme to resolve the legal issues faced by these people in terms of re-obtaining Sri Lankan citizenship. The mobile legal aid programme will be carried out on Monday and Tuesday in Jaffna and Killinochchi. 

The consumer-goods giant subjected its product range to broader scrutiny after ShareAction, a responsible investment charity, championed a resolution urging the company to do the reporting. Unilever’s rivals have yet to do the same.

In the last 24 hours, more than 2,161 patients recovered from the infection. Since the onset of the pandemic, more than 4,41,02,852 people have recovered from the disease. New Delhi: India reported 1,574 new Covid cases in the last 24 hours, as per the Union Health Ministry.

Health officials have warned about two mutant strains of coronavirus that have emerged in the UK.

The country’s active caseload has declined to 19,798, while the total tally of covid cases has risen to 4.46 crore so far New Delhi: India reported 2,208 new covid cases in the last 24 hours, as per the union health ministry data on Friday. The country’s active caseload has declined to 19,798 while the total tally of covid cases has risen to 4.46 crore so far. The death toll has increased to 5,28,999 so far with 12 fatalities reported in a day.

By paying a nominal add-on premium, employees can upgrade their cover, which can even be continued in a personal capacity post-employment Employee benefits insurtech Healthysure has partnered ManipalCigna Health Insurance to launch India’s first flexi top-up insurance which allows employees to personalize and upgrade their corporate health insurance plans. By paying a nominal add-on premium, employees can upgrade their cover, which can even be continued in a personal capacity post-employment. They are thus able to eliminate the need of buying independent personal health cover and also save up to 90% of premium spending.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, Attorney-at-Law Sagara Kariyawasam emphasized that dual citizens should be allowed to enter the Parliament. Speaking at a press conference held at the party headquarters, Kariyawasam stressed this point taking into example the newly appointed British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak.Pointing out that the concept of a global village is now prevalent in the world, the SLPP General Secretary said that instead, some parties are attempting to drag the country back into tribalism.He said that England, as a country where Protestant Christianity is used as the official religion, a Hindu of Indian origin was appointed as the Prime Minister, which speaks for the UK's acceptance towards those of a different origin, in contrast to that of Sri Lanka. "The question of whether we, as a country are moving towards tribalism, I think was best answered for those who brought amendments such as the 22nd Amendemnt, by England last week," he said.However, the question remains, wheter the example taken by Kariyawasam is comparable to the situation in Sri Lanka? The current British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was born on the 12th of May 1980 at the Southampton Hospital in Britain . Which means he was a British citizen by Birth.

Earlier, it was said that the incident was an accident involving the explosion of a gas-powered car. Sources now indicate that Mubeen was not driving a gas vehicle, but a petrol vehicle and the early triggering of the cylinder could have been an accident.

How do you buy a health insurance plan? If you settle for a plan your agent sells or are happy knowing that you have bought the cheapest one, there is a bit of unlearning and a lot of learning in store for you. On the other hand, with numerous products, plan options, and all the complicated fine print, comparing insurance can be quite a daunting task.