NATIONAL NEWS
1. National Book Trust to launch Corona Studies Series books
• The Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, has decided to launch Corona Studies Series' along with National Book Trust, India.
• The Corona Studies Series’ will document and provide relevant reading materials for all age-groups for the post-Corona readership needs.
• The Corona Studies Series' seeks to be our long-term contribution to prepare and engage readers with the various aspects of the Corona times by bringing out affordable books in various Indian languages in the identified subject areas. It will also provide a suitable platform to authors and researchers willing to contribute in this genre.
2. Railways to provide bulk cooked food with paper plates
• Indian Railways has decided to provide bulk cooked food with paper plates to needy people from the locations where they have base kitchens of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation-IRCTC.
• IRCTC supplied a total of 11030 lunch meal to needy people, migrant labours, few old age homes and others at locations including Delhi, Patna and Ranchi.
• IRCTC will produce and provide food on demand.Indian Railways and IRCTC are gearing up to meet any higher demand to provide food to needy in the times of COVID-19 lock down.
3. Uttar Pradesh govt to transfer in accounts MNREGA labourers
• Giving further respite to daily wagers during the lockdown to prevent coronavirus spread in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath transferred Rs 611 crore to over 27.15 lakh labourers engaged in schemes under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
• The workers will also get three months’ free ration and free LPG cylinders under Ujjawala scheme.
• The state government has also made a provision of providing free food grains to more than 80 lakh MGNREGA workers. This is important for benefiting 80 crore poor people by these schemes all over the country.
• Besides, all women beneficiaries who have accounts under Jan Dhan Yojana will get an additional amount of Rs 500 per month.
• Apart from this, the Union government would provide Rs 1,000 per month to old age, destitute women and handicapped pension holders for three months.
• The UP government is already giving Rs 1,000 to all registered 20 lakh daily waged labourers of the state.
4. Govt forms 11 empowered groups to suggest during lockdown
• Government has constituted 11 different Empowered groups to suggest measures to ramp up healthcare, put the economy back on track and reduce the misery of people as quickly as possible post 21-day lockdown imposed to contain the Coronavirus pandemic.
• Each group has a senior representative from PMO and the Cabinet Secretariat to ensure seamless coordination. These groups have been set up under the Disaster Management Act. The groups have been empowered to formulate plans and to take all necessary steps for their time-bound implementation. The initiative is being viewed as pro-active step by the government to deal with multiple challenges which the outbreak of COVID-19 has posed.
DIFFERENT EMPOWERED GROUPS
• The Empowered Group on Medical Emergency and Management Plan will be headed by NITI Aayog member Dr V Paul, while the Group on Availability of Hospitals, Disease Surveillance and Testing and Critical Care Training will work under the Chairmanship of Environment Secretary C K Mishra.
• The Empowered Group on ensuring the availability of essential medical equipment, production Procurement, Import and Distribution will be headed by Pharmaceuticals Secretary P D Vaghela, while the Group on augmenting Human Resources and Capacity Building will function under Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Secretary Arun Panda. Drinking Water Secretary Parameswaran Iyer will lead the Group on Facilitating Supply Chain and Logistics Management for availability of necessary items.
• CEO NITI Aayog Amitabh Kant will head the Group on coordinating with the private sector. The Group on Economic and Welfare measures will function under Economic Affairs Secretary Atanu Chakraborty and Information and Broadcasting Secretary Ravi Mittal will head the Group on Information, Communication and Public Awareness.
• Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY ) Secretary Ajay Sawhney look after the Group on Technology and Data Management, HRD Secretary Amit Khare will head the panel on Public Grievances while Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla will head the Empowered Group constituted on Strategic issues relating to Lockdown.
5. Migrant people must be quarantined for minimum period of 14 days: Home Ministry
• Migrant workers returning to Uttar Pradesh will be put under 14-day quarantine as a precautionary measure in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic.
• Top officials have been directed to establish contact with gram panchayats to quarantine migrant workers returning to their villages.Names, addresses and contact numbers of workers who have returned to UP have been sent to the district magistrates.
• Food and other required facilities will be made available to the people put under quarantine.Over one lakh migrant workers have returned to UP from other states in the past three days.Meanwhile, the Centre asked state governments and Union Territory administrations to effectively seal state and district borders to stop the movement of migrant workers, who will be put in 14-days quarantine at destinations for violating the lockdown.
• States were directed to ensure that there is no movement of people across cities or on highways and there should be strict implementation of the lockdowna amid coronavirus outbreak. Only the movement of goods should be allowed.
• Those who have violated the lockdown and travelled during the period of lockdown will be subject to minimum 14 days of quarantine in government quarantine facilities.
6. Coronavirus: MHA asks states, UTs to allow transportation of essential, non-essential goods during lockdown
• The Union Home Ministry allowed the transportation of all essential and non-essential goods in the country and the use of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to provide shelter to migrant workers and the homeless stranded due to the lockdown imposed to combat Covid-19.
• Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla wrote to chief secretaries of all states and Union territories, asking them to enure that relief camps were set up for homeless people, including migrant labourers, to provide them shelter and food.
7. National Gallery of Modern Art celebrates 66 years on 29 March 2020
• The National Gallery of Modern Art celebrated 66 years by launching virtual tour of its permanent collection amid lockdown. NGMA launched Virtual Tour of its permanent collection for the visitors to enjoy without having to physically visit the Museum during these days.
• It is for the first time that NGMA has provided the facility of virtual tour of its permanent collection to art lovers.
8. Govt extends crop loan interest benefits to farmers
• Farmers will get time until May 31 to repay their short-term crop loans while they retain the benefit of interest subvention and incentives for timely repayment, attributing the government decision to help people during a national lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
• The government has extended the benefit of 2 per cent interest subvention to banks and 3 per cent prompt repayment incentive (PRI) for all crop loans up to Rs 3 lakh given by banks and that are due or will become due between March 1 2020 and May 31 this year.
• The government announced an economic stimulus package worth Rs 1.7 trillion to help millions of low-income households cope with the 21-day lockdown.
• The package was announced two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered the lockdown to protect the country's 1.3 billion people from coronavirus.
• That led to supply constraints for essential items and panic buying, leaving the poor and daily laborers most vulnerable.
9. Health and Family Welfare Ministry issues advisory
• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued an advisory for hospitals and medical education institutions in the view of COVID-19.
• The ministry has asked hospitals to postpone non-essential elective surgeries. Some beds should be set apart and prepared for creating isolation facilities in every public and private hospital. All hospitals should mobilize additional resources including masks, gloves and personal protection equipment. Healthcare personnel should be trained for dealing with any foreseeable emergencies.
• The ministry said that all doctors, nurses, and support staff in different specialties, including pre and para clinical departments, should be mobilised and trained in infection prevention and control practices.
10. Assam govt decides to provide Rs 1000 each to construction workers
• The Assam government said construction of embankments and work in tea gardens and agricultural farms would be exempted from the ambit of the lockdown from April 1, freeing lakhs of people from the restrictions of social distancing to fight COVID-19.
• This is a part of a special package the Assam government announced benefitting 72 lakh families, as the ongoing lockdown has rendered a large number of people in the state jobless.
• Under the package, one-time assistance of Rs 1,000 will be provided to construction workers and those not covered under the National Food Security Act. From April 1, 58 lakh families under the NFSA will receive free rice.
• People involved in these exempted sectors will have to abide by the instructions issued by the health department.Under the package, 100 families in villages of 5,000 people, 150 families in areas of 5,000-10,000 people and 200 families in a place with a population of over 10,000 will also get Rs 1,000.
• The government decided to give the cash assistance to 250 families of each ward of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation and 100 families of each ward of other municipal bodies in the state.
11. Govt extends validity of vehicle permits till June 30
• The Centreextended till June 30 the validity of documents like driving licenses, permits and registration that expired since February 1, in a move to ensure hassle-free transportation of cargo amid the lockdown over the novel coronavirus pandemic.
• In an advisory to all states and Union territories, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has asked them to treat such documents as valid till June 30.
• The decision was taken to facilitate the citizens facing difficulties in renewing the validity of various documents related to the Motor Vehicles Act and the Central Motor Vehicles Rules due to nationwide lockdown in the country and closure of government transport offices.
12. Prez, VP and PM greet people of Odisha on Utkala Dibasa
• President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik greeted the people of Odisha on the occasion of the state's 83rd foundation day -'Utkala Dibasa’.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledged the commendable contribution of the people of Odisha for nation building and also praised the contribution of the brave and the talented.
• Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also extended his wishes to the people of the state on the occasion.
• Odisha was born as a separate state on April 1, 1936, on linguistic basis.
• The state was carved out of the then combined Bengal-Bihar-Orissa province.
13. Govt regulates 24 classes of medical devices
• National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, NPPA has revised the ceiling price of 883 scheduled formulations.
• The Authority in its meeting noted with satisfaction that the supply disruption of active pharmaceutical ingredients caused by COVID-19 outbreak is returning to normalcy.
• Government is regulating 24 classes of medical devices which have been notified and regulated as drugs under Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945.
• Remaining non-scheduled medical devices which are notified and regulated as drugs, NPPA is currently monitoring Maximum Retail Prices to ensure that no manufacturer and importers can increase the price more than ten per cent in preceding twelve months.
• The NPPA in its order stated that all medical devices shall be governed under the provisions of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 which come into effect from today. All medical devices shall be regulated by the government as drugs for quality control and price monitoring.
• NPPA said, no unusual price fluctuations in price of inputs for medicines, amid COVID-19 outbreak has been reported so normal price revisions have been allowed. The revised prices is applicable from today and the detail of revised prices is available on NPPA’s website www.nppaindia.nic.in.
14. Uttar Pradesh Govt warns against fake news circulating in social media
• To curb the menace of fake news during the ongoing coronavirus lockdown, the Uttar Pradesh government has put the various social media platforms under the scanner.
• So far, the government, which has set up a dedicated social media wing for the purpose, has taken the cognisance of 54 such cases in the state for action. These social media posts pertain to popular platforms including Facebook, Twitter, TikTok etc.
• The Centre had already served a notice to TikTok and other social media platforms with a view to curbing the fake news, especially during the lockdown period.
15. Rajasthan govt to provide Rs 1500 to deprived families
• Rajasthan Government has decided to provide 1500 Rupees to poor and deprived families in the state to meet their daily requirements.
• The government has also decided to defer a part of the salary for the month of March for all ministers, legislators, and state government officials and employees.
• About 36 lakh 52 thousand BPL, State BPL and beneficiaries of Antyodaya Yojana, 25 lakh construction labours and 31 lakh registered street wanderers will be benefitted from this decision. Rs 500 Crore would be spent on it. It was decided in the meeting to defer 75 per cent gross salary of one month of all ministers and MLAs.
• While 30 to 60 per cent gross salary of all officials and employees of state government will also be deferred in the month of March, 30 per cent of the gross pension of the retired pensioners in the month of March will also be deferred.
• Officers and employees of the health department, police personnel and contract employees have been exempted from this.
16. IIT Kanpur to develop prototype of portable ventilator
• Standard Chartered Bank will support an indigenised, affordable and portable ventilator prototype being developed by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur and its incubated company Nocca Robotics.
• Standard Chartered has approved a "generous" CSR funding that will be used for research and development of the prototype, followed by testing of the device and clinical trials.
• The ventilator design conceptualised by Nocca Robotics allows for large scale production at multiple sites using materials easily available with Indian suppliers and manufacturers. The ventilator is capable of working with medical airline and oxygen as well as ambient air and oxygen, thus making it usable in a variety of different conditions.
• The ventilator will also be connected to a mobile phone to control the device and monitor critical information. Since it will require very low wattage to run, it can be powered using solar panels.
• Meanwhile, the ventilator will be priced at a fraction of the cost proposed by the competitors across the world developing similar devices. As opposed to the non-invasive ventilators being currently developed, this design will be of the invasive kind, keeping in mind the needs of COVID-19 patients for respiratory support.
• Nocca Robotics and IIT Kanpur have created a consortium of bio-medical engineers, doctors, R&D leaders, supply chain and MedTech businesses to harness their expertise and take the design from the idea to the actual product. The project is being coordinated by Prof Amitabha Bandyopadhyay, Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering and Professor-in-Charge, Startup Innovation & Incubation Center, IIT Kanpur
• Set up in 1959, IIT Kanpur is currently celebrating its Diamond Jubilee. The Institute boasts of more than 40,000 alumni scattered throughout the world and in varied fields and disciplines.
• The Institute's Startup Innovation & Incubation Center supports startups and encourages the innovation amongst the students of IIT Kanpur by providing guidance, access to infrastructure facilities and funding. With over 20 departments and inter-disciplinary programmes, IIT Kanpur has a tradition of supporting research.
17. Non-subsidized LPG prices slashed
• The government announced a major reduction of Rs 120.50 in the rates of non-subsidised LPG cylinders.
• Subsidised LPG prices will also cost Rs 5.91 lesser per cylinder, said Indian Oil Corporation.
• From midnight, a 14.2-kg subsidised LPG cylinder will cost Rs 494.99 in the national capital from midnight in comparison to Rs 500.90 currently.This is the second straight subsidised reduction in LPG rate after it was earlier reduced by Rs 6.52 per cylinder. The earlier price cut had come after six consecutive monthly hikes in rates since June.
• However, the back-to-back price reductions have reversed the Rs 14.13 per cylinder increase in subsidised rates between June and November.
• The price of non-subsidised LPG rates have been cut down by Rs 120.50 due to falling in prices of LPG in the international market apart from strengthening of US dollar-rupee exchange rate, said IOC.
• Non-subsidised LPG cylinders will now cost Rs 689 in Delhi. Earlier, the price of non-subsidised LPG was cut by Rs 133 per cylinder on December 1.
18. CBSE to promote students of class 1st to 8th to next grade
• In view of COVID -19 outbreak, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)will conduct class 10 and 12 examinations only for 29 main subjects which arecrucial for promotion and admission to higher educational institutions.
• For rest of the subjects, CBSE will not holdboard exams and instructions for their marking, assessment will be issued soon.
• CBSE will promote all students of classes one to eight tothe next class in view of COVID- 19 situation.
• Thestudents of class 9 and 11 will be promoted to the next class based on theschool-based assessments including projects, periodic tests and term examsconducted so far.
• Those Class 9 and 11 students not promoted this time, canappear in school based tests online or offline.
19. Women PMJDY accounts to be credited with sum worth Rs 500
• The Centre credited the first installment of Rs 500 to over four crore Jan Dhan accounts of poor women as part of a relief package in view of the lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak.
• The amount is being released by the ministry and will be credited to more than 20.39 crore Jan Dhan accounts of women by the end of April first week.
20. PM Modi urges people to light candles on 4 April 2020
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged the countrymen to switch off lights of their homes on 4 April 2020 at 9 PM for nine minutes and light up diyas, candles or mobile flashlights to display the nation's collective spirit to defeat coronavirus.
• The Prime Minister said people should maintain social distancing, stay indoors and not form groups while lighting up lamps.
21. Centre issues guidelines for quarantine facilities amid COVID-19 pandemic
• The Centre issued guidelines for quarantine facilities amid the COVID-19 pandemic, stating that they should preferably be set up on the outskirts of cities and arrangements should be such that interactions between the quarantined people and healthcare professionals or supporting staff were minimised.
• During the quarantine period, contacts should be monitored at least daily for fever and respiratory symptoms.
• Based on risk assessment -- low risk areas, moderate risk areas and high risk areas -- the facilities should be earmarked and infection prevention control measures to be applied as per guidelines.
• In the quarantine facility, the chief medical officer needs to be appointed as incharge or nodal officer for overall coordination and supervision of the quarantine centre.
• Services of general duty medical doctors, medicine specialists, pediatrics, microbiologist (for diagnostic support and IPC), psychiatrists and psychologists are required for routine examination and relevant clinical care of the quarantined people.
• Paramedics, including staff nurse and lab technician, pharmacist need to be posted.
• Public health specialists are required for monitoring public health aspects of the facility, while services of clinical microbiologist are required for sample collection, packaging and infection prevention and control practices, it said, adding that house keeping staff also needed to be deployed.
• All quarantined people need to be examined twice (morning and evening) daily clinically and those requiring eight referrals for related symptoms of coronavirus (fever, cough, sore throat, breathlessness etc.) or any other reason need to be referred to designated hospital in ambulance directly with due precautions.
• Ambulances need to be placed in the facility in standby mode for transport, including advanced lifesaving ambulance.To ensure standardized reporting, daily reporting formats of suspected cases with symptoms related to coronavirus, number of cases requiring referral, sample collection status needs to designed. It needs to be sent daily to relevant higher authorities.
• Monitoring visit needs to be conducted inside quarantine facility and outside the facility in the surrounding campus by public health and incharge officers and gaps to be noted, they say.
• To ensure that all health care personnel use PPE as per guidelines, they need to be properly trained and assisted during wearing of PPE.
• Separate areas to be earmarked for PPE donning and doffing. Compliance for same to be ensured by nodal officer.Disposable and pre-packed food needs to be served to quarantined people and they are to be kept on separate beds with distance of 1-2 metres with no bed facing opposite to each other.
• For baseline testing, samples (nasopharyngeal swab and throat swabs) for COVID-19 need to be collected from all quarantine people and sent with triple layer packaging maintained in cold chain (2-8 degrees Celsius) to designated laboratory.
• The quarantined people needs to be discharged at the end of 14 days of incubation period provided samples are negative on resampling, the guidelines stated.
22. Govt to set up three levels of health care facility for management
• In order to manage the accelerating Covid 19 cases,Indian Government has introduced the action plan to classify the health care facilities into three categories.
• These are covid care centres, dedicated covid health centres and dedicated covid hospitals.
• All three types of COVID-19 dedicated facilities will have separate ear marked areas for suspect and confirmed cases.
• The different tiers of healthcare centres will be established to not mix up the suspect and confirmed cases.
• As of Indian Council of Medical Research,one COVID-19 patient can infect 406 people in 30 days if he doesn’t follows the lockdown measures and social distancing.
23. ICMR allows state govts to set up sample collection sites
• In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Indian Council of Medical Research, ICMR said it has no objection to State Governments setting up convenient sample collection sites.
• However, the apex health research body said, its guidelines should be followed and the sample collection should be done using recommended Personal Protective Equipment, PPE.
• These sites should be disinfected regularly as per recommended procedures and all biosafety and biosecurity precautions should be implemented.
24. JNCASR develops protective chemical coating
• In yet another breakthrough by Indian Scientists, a protective chemical coating likely to be effective against COVID-19 has been developed by Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore.
• The proven efficiency of the coating in complete destruction of influenza virus affirms the strong belief of leading scientists that the coating may also be effective in destroying the novel Corona Virus.
• Science and Engineering Research Board, a unit of the Department of Science and Technology is supporting the further development of this coating for the country’s battle against COVID-19.
• The coating is likely to be used on PPEs, masks, gowns, gloves, face shields, used by doctors for enhanced protection.
• During the research, the coated surfaces completely killed different drug-resistant bacteria and fungi as well within 30 to 45 minutes.
25. VRDE designs full-body disinfection chamber
• Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (VRDE), Ahmednagar, a DRDO laboratory, has designed a full-body disinfection chamber called Personnel Sanitization Enclosure. This walkthrough enclosure is designed for personnel decontamination, one person at a time.
• This is a portable system equipped with sanitizers and soap dispenser. The decontamination is started using a foot pedal at the entry.
• On entering the chamber, electrically-operated pump creates a disinfectant mist of hypo sodium chloride for disinfecting.The mist spray is calibrated for an operation of 25 seconds and stops automatically indicating completion of operation. As per procedure, personnel undergoing disinfection will need to keep their eyes closed while inside the chamber.
• The system consists of roof mounted and bottom tanks with a total of 700 litres capacity. Approximately 650 personnel can pass through the chamber for disinfection until the refill is required.
• The system has see-through glass panels on side walls for monitoring purpose and is fitted with lights for illumination during night-time operations.
• This system can be used for disinfection of personnel at the areas of controlled ingress and egress such as entry and exit to hospitals, malls, office buildings and critical installations.
• Also, Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, and Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Chandigarh, have developed face protection mask for healthcare professionals handling COVID-19 patients.
• Its light weight construction makes it convenient for comfortable wear for long duration. This design uses commonly available A4 size Over-Head Projection (OHP) film for face protection.
26. Haryana doubles salary of Doctors, Nurses, medical professionals
• Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the salary of doctors, nurses, paramedical and all other staff working in COVID-19 hospitals would be doubled.
• The Chief Minister said all arrangements for providing PPE kits, medicines and ventilators are satisfactory in all the government hospitals and medical colleges.
• All the arrangements for the treatment of corona patients such as masks, PPE kits, medicines, ventilators etc. will be made by the State government for medical colleges whether they are under Central or State government, private or government aided.
27. Govt issues advisory to stop social stigma associated with Covid-19
• Health and Family Welfare Ministry has issued an advisory to stop the social stigma associated with the Covid-19.
• The advisory stated that public health emergencies during outbreak of communicable diseases may cause fear and anxiety leading to prejudices and social stigma against people and communities.
• Such behavior may culminate into increased hostility, chaos and unnecessary social disruptions. This advisory came in the wake of reported cases wherein corona patients, frontline workers like Doctors and nurses, certain communities and areas faced discrimination due to fear and misinformation about corona virus.
• Health Ministry has urged on the need to counter such prejudices and advised that through social distancing and personal hygine, this disease can be eliminated.
• It has been advised to the people to follow certain steps to end the social stigma associated with novel coronavirus. Healthcare professionals and sanitary workers who are providing their services in this difficult situation, deserve people’s support and appreciation. Do not target healthcare professionals, sanitary workers and police.
• Names or identity of affected person and their locality should not be shared on social media. Do not label any community or area for spread of corona virus. Avoid spreading fear and panic.
28. ICMR approves diagnostic machines used for testing drug-resistant tuberculosis
• As part of its efforts to ramp up the testing capacity, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has approved the use of diagnostic machines used for testing drug-resistant tuberculosis for conducting coronavirus tests.
• The ICMR has validated 'TruenatTM beta CoV test on TruelabTM workstation' and has recommended it as a screening test.
• Issuing a guidance on the use of Truenat beta CoV, the ICMR said throat/nasal swabs will be collected in the viral transport medium (VTM) with virus lysis buffer provided along with the kit.
• ICMR study points to community transmission.
• Earlier studies have shown that virus lysis buffer neutralizes Nipah and H1N1 viruses.
• The results of stability of viral RNA after neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 by virus lysis buffer are awaited from ICMR-NIV, Pune.Till such time, Truenat beta CoV test should only be performed with all biosafety precautions in BSL-2 or BSL-3 setups at laboratories," it said.
• The revised guidelines will be issued once the results from ICMR-NIV, Pune are available.
29. Government exempts Marine Industry from lockdown restrictions
• The Union government exempted the operations of the fishing or marine aquaculture industry, including harvesting, sale and marketing activities, from the purview of the ongoing nationwide lockdown.
• In a communication to the Chief Secretaries of all states and Union territories, the Union Home Ministry said the decision has been taken by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla in his capacity as chairperson of the National Executive Committee constituted under the Disaster Management Act.
• Operations of the fishing (marine)/ aquaculture industry, including feeding and maintenance, harvesting, processing, packaging, cold chain, sale and marketing; hatcheries, feed plants, commercial aquaria, movement of fish/ shrimp and fish products, fish seed/ feed and workers for all these activities were exempted from the lockdown. However, the home ministry said, as specified in the lockdown measures, social distancing and proper hygiene practices must be ensured in each of the above-mentioned activities as well as the activities permitted by earlier orders.
• It will be the responsibility of the head of the organisation or the establishment to ensure compliance of such norms.
• The communication also said the district authorities will ensure strict enforcement of the norms pertaining to social distancing and hygienic practices.
• The central government, while announcing the lockdown, had announced that shops selling essential commodities including online platforms will remain open besides services like health, sanitation, police and media.
• The home ministry had also asked the States and Union Territories to ensure smooth harvesting and sowing operations, saying agricultural activities were exempted from the lockdown.
• It also allowed opening of shops selling agriculture machinery and their spare parts; shops for truck repairs on highways, preferably at petrol pumps; tea industry, including plantation with maximum of 50% workers, during the lockdown period.
• Movement of essential and non-essential cargo was also allowed by the government.
• The 21-day lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 in a bid to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
30. Center launches learning platform to combat COVID-19
• The Department of Personnel and Training has launched a learning platform to combat Covid-19 for all frontline workers to equip them with the training and updates in coping with pandemic.
• The target group is doctors, nurses, paramedics, hygiene workers, technicians, auxiliary nursing midwives (ANMs), Central & State goverment officers, civil defence officials, various police organisations, National Cadet Corps (NCC), Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), National Service Scheme (NSS), Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS), Bharat Scouts & Guides (BSG) and other volunteers.
• This platform can be accessed at https://igot.gov.in where it delivers curated, role-specific content, to each learner at his place of work or home and to any device of his choice.
• iGOT platform is designed to population scale, and will provide training to around 1.50 crore workers and volunteers in the coming weeks.
• To begin with nine courses on iGOT have been launched on topics like basics of Covid-19, ICU care and ventilation management, clinical management, infection orevention through PPE, infection control and prevention, quarantine and isolation, laboratory sample collection and testing, management of Covid-19 cases, Covid-19 Training.
31. SC directs COVID-19 tests in approved labs to be conducted free of cost
• The Supreme Court has directed that COVID-19 tests in approved government labs or private laboratories should be conducted free of cost and the Centre should immediately issue directions in this regard.
• It said the private hospitals including laboratories have an important role to play in containing the scale of the pandemic by extending philanthropic services in the hour of national crisis.
• A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and S Ravindra Bhat, which heard the matter via video conferencing, said that tests relating to COVID-19 or novel coronavirus must be carried out in the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories accredited Labs or any agencies approved by WHO or ICMR.
• The bench issued the interim directions to the respondents that the tests relating to COVID-19 whether in approved government laboratories or approved private laboratories shall be free of cost.
• The Centre and other authorities- shall issue necessary direction in this regard immediately.
• It noted the Centre's submission that government laboratories are conducting the COVID-19 tests free of cost.
• On March 31, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre and authorities concerned to provide free testing facilities for COVID-19 to all citizens in the country.
• Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said it is a developing situation and government at this juncture does not know how many laboratories will be needed and how long the ongoing lockdown will continue.
• The petitioner has also sought a direction to the authorities for ramping up the testing facilities for COVID-19 at the earliest "given the escalating mortality and morbidity rate across the country".
• The petition has questioned the March 17 advisory of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) which capped Rs 4,500 for testing of COVID-19 in private hospitals or labs, including screening and confirmatory tests.
32. ICMR creates new strategy for Covid-19 testing in India
• In a first, India is set to start antibody tests for the coronavirus to confirm whether a person had previously been infected with the virus, a move that will help understand the epidemiology of Covid-19 in the country.
• Known as a serological test, which looks for antibodies in the blood, it is different from the current, diagnostic tests that determine active infection through nasal or throat swabs.
• Serological tests will allow doctors to determine if a person has previously had a viral infection, based on the presence of antibodies in the blood, possibly even if they were asymptomatic.This is not a confirmatory test.
• The serological test is for the purpose of surveillance to generate data and understand whether people got exposed to the virus.
• Randeep Guleria is the chairman of the high-level expert committee formed to review the testing strategy for Covid-19 by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
33. Technological solutions to COVID-19 through Samadhan challenge
• The Innovation Cell of the Ministry of Human Resources Development and All India Council for Technical Education in collaboration with Forge and InnovatioCuris launched a mega online challenge - SAMADHAN - to test the ability of students to innovate.
• The students participating in this challenge will search and develop such measures that can be made available to the government agencies, health services, hospitals and other services for quick solutions to the Coronavirus epidemic and other such calamities.
• Apart from this, through this "Samadhan" challenge, work will be done to make citizens aware, to motivate them, to face any challenge, to prevent any crisis and to help people get livelihood.
• Under the "Samadhan" challenge, the students and faculty will be motivated for doing new experiments and new discoveries and provide them with a strong base leading to spirit of experimentation and discovery. The success of this program depends on how effective are the ideas of participating contestants with ability to find solutions, technically and commercially, which in turn will help fight the epidemic like coronavirus.
• Applications to participate in this competition will start from 7 April 2020. The last date for submission of applications is 14 April 2020. The names of the contestants going forward in this competition after shortlisting will be declared on 17 April 2020 and such contestants are expected to submit their entries between 18-23 April 2020. The final list will be released on 24 April 2020, after which the grand online jury will decide the winners on 25 April 2020.
34. Bihar govt transfers Rs 1,000 each to stranded migrant workers
• Nitish Kumar government in Bihar has transferred Rs 184 crores into the bank accounts of around 18 lakh ration card holding families in the state to help them fight the outbreak of novel coronavirus.
• Each ration card-holding family was given Rs 1,000 from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.Apart from the ration cardholders, the Bihar chief minister has also asked the state Disaster Management officials to reach out to every state resident stranded outside Bihar because of the ongoing lockdown.
• They too will be provided Rs 1000 through Direct Bank transfer. Apart from the first phase of the DBT, the Nitish government has also promised to provide free one month ration to 1.68 crore families and Rs 1000 each to about 13 lakh registered construction workers. Besides, 87 lakh pensioners will also get three months pension in advance.
• spreads, precautions and symptoms), watch an expert debunk myths, check out our data analysis of cases in India, and access our dedicated coronavirus page. Get the latest updates on our live blog.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. Nepal govt extends ban on all international flights
• Nepal government has extended ban on all international flights until April 15 as a measure to prevent possible spread of Coronavirus.
• The decision was taken by the High Power Coordination Committee for the prevention and control of novel Coronavirus in Kathmandu.
• The government has also decided to allow Nepalis stuck at border points on their way back home on the basis of their identity cards. However, they have to compulsorily undergo a 14-day quarantine at the nearest quarantine facility.
• Meanwhile, Nepal has received medical supplies from China to tackle possible COVID-19 outbreak.
2. Canadian PM decides to remain in self-imposed isolation
• Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has informed that he would remain in self-imposed isolation for another 14 days even though his wife, who had contracted the coronavirus, has recovered.
• Although Sophie Gregoire Trudeau received the all-clear from her physicians.
• Since doctors did not know exactly when Sophie Trudeau became virus-free, the Prime Minister said he would observe another 14 full days of confinement.
• Trudeau has been in self-isolation since his wife tested positive for the coronavirus on March 12 following a trip to London.Trudeau also announced new financial measures to help vulnerable Canadians, particularly children and the aged.
3. US announce financial assistance of 174 million USD
• The United States announced USD 174 million financial assistance to 64 countries including USD 2.9 million to India to help them fight the coronavirus pandemic.
• This is in addition to the USD 100 million aid announced by the US in February.
• The newly announced assistance is part of a larger American global response package across multiple departments and agencies, including the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The funding is for 64 of the most at-risk countries facing the threat of the global pandemic.
• The US State Department said it is providing USD 2.9 million to help the Indian government prepare laboratory systems, activate case finding and event-based surveillance, and support technical experts for response and preparedness, and more.This builds upon the foundation of more than USD 1.4 billion in health assistance out of the more than USD 2.8 billion in US assistance for India over the last 20 years.
• In South Asia, the State Department is providing USD 1 million in health funding to help it strengthen monitoring and better prepare communities to identify potential outbreaks.
• To bolster its national COVID-19 action plan, the United States has also redirected more than USD 1 million in existing funding for training of healthcare providers and other urgent needs.
• It is providing USD 1.3 million to Sri Lanka, USD 1.8 million to Nepal, USD 3.4 million to Bangladesh and USD 5 million to Afghanistan to help them fight the pandemic.
4. G20 countries decide to keep their markets open
• Trade ministers from the Group of 20 major economies agreed to keep their markets open and ensure the continued flow of vital medical supplies, equipment and other essential goods as the world battles the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
• G20 leaders had pledged to inject over $5 trillion into the global economy to limit job and income losses from the coronavirus outbreak, while working to ease supply disruptions caused by border closures by national governments anxious to limit transmission of the virus.
• They agreed that all emergency measures should be "targeted, proportionate, transparent, and temporary," while sticking to World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and not creating "unnecessary barriers" to trade.
• They also vowed to work to prevent profiteering and unjustified price increases, and keep supplies flowing on an affordable and equitable basis. The ministers, however, stopped short of explicitly calling for an end to export bans that many countries, including G20 members France, Germany and India, have enacted on drugs and medical supplies.
5. Australian PM announces package to support wages
• Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a 130 billion dollar package to support the wages of up to 6 million citizens in the country affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak that has claimed the lives of 18 people and infected over 4,000 across the nation.
• The package will see the government pay wage subsidies of 1,500 Australian dollars every two weeks per employee to help struggling businesses keep people in work.
• Prime Minister Morrison further tightened the measures of social distancing and urged people over 70s to remain at home.
• To reduce the outdoor and indoor gatherings to only two people with an exception to same family members and warned that limits were now enforceable by authorities in most states and territories. The rule would allow people toß complete their daily exercise and was important, particularly for women, as they would not be forced to walk or run alone.
6. Russian military plane carrying medical supplies lands in US
• A Russian military plane, Antonov-124, carrying medical supplies landed in New York, the epicenter of America's coronavirus outbreak.
• The Russian medical aid cameafter Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with US counterpart Donald Trump.
• The US has by far the highest of any country, according to a Johns Hopkins tally,and over 4,500 deaths.
7. WHO praises PM Modi for his social welfare measures
• World Health Organisation Director General, Dr. Tedros has praised the efforts taken by the Government of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for announcing a 24 billion dollars package to support country's vulnerable population during COVID-19 crisis.
• During a media briefing, he said that Prime Minister Modi has announced a $24 billion package, including free food rations for 800 million disadvantaged people, cash transfers to 204 million poor women and free cooking gas for 80 million households for the next 3 months.
• Many developing countries will struggle to implement social welfare programs of this nature adding that for those countries, debt relief is essential to enable them to take care of their people and avoid economic collapse. He also called upon the World Bank and the IMF towork for debt relief for developing countries.
• Dr. Tedros said that he has called on governments to put in place social welfare measures to ensure vulnerable people have food and other life essentials during this crisis.
8. Japan bans entry of people from 49 more countries
• Japan has banned entry of people from 49 more countries, including the US, Canada, all of China, South Korea and seven Southeast Asian countries.
• This brings the total number of countries banned from entering Japan to 73.
• Prime minister Shinzo Abe said, the government has tightened visa restrictions and will require a two-week quarantine to visitors and returnees from places that Japan has designated as eligible for non-essential trips.
9. United Nations COP 26 climate change summit postponed
• The COVID-19 spread has forced the UN body to postpone its flagship annual climate change conference which was scheduled to be held at Glasgow in United Kingdom (UK) in November. This crucial meet will now be held in 2021 -- the first year of the operationalisation of the the Paris Agreement.
• Though the postponement is welcomed by experts and civil societies across the globe, they insist that the postponing COP26 (26th session of the conference) does not mean postponing climate action which is a non-negotiable global priority.
• It will be hosted in Glasgow by the UK in partnership with Italy in 2021.
• Under the Paris Agreement, which is to be operationalised from January 1 next year, countries including India are expected to take climate actions as per their respective commitments to keep the average global temperature rise within 2 degree Celsius by 2100 from the pre-industrial (1850-1900) level.
10. Edgbaston stadium to become COVID-19 testing centre
• The Warwickshire County Cricket Club (WCCC) announced that it is handing over the Edgbaston stadium to the government to create a drive-through COVID-19 testing station for the National Health Services (NHS) staff battling the pandemic.
• The stadium's main on-site car park will be used to regularly test the medical staff who are working in Birmingham and the wider West Midlands region.
• Earlier this week, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has announced that they would be providing the parking and storage spaces available at the iconic Lord's cricket ground to the NHS staff.
11. US slams Pakistan court's verdict in Daniel Pearl murder case
• The US criticised a Pakistani court for overturning the death sentence of British-born top al-Qaeda leader Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who was convicted in the abduction and murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl, terming the verdict an "affront" to victims of terrorism everywhere.
• The US’s response comes after the Sindh High Court found the 46-year-old Sheikh guilty of the lesser charge of kidnapping and commuted his death sentence to seven years in prison.
• Sheikh has been in jail for the past 18 years after being convicted in Pearl's murder in Karachi in 2002 in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attack.
• A two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Karim Khan Agha also acquitted the three others - Fahad Naseem, Salman Saqib and Sheikh Adil- serving life sentences in the case.
• United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Commissioner Anurima Bhargava said the verdict showed not only the lack of accountability for Pearl's murder but also the misplaced priorities of the Pakistani legal system.
• The verdict came more than a month after Paris-based Financial Action Task Force warned Pakistan that stern action will be taken against it if the country fails to check the flow of money to terror groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) among others.
• The FATF, which supervises effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing, last year placed Pakistan on its "Grey List" of countries for failure to curb funnelling of funds to terror groups like the LeT and the JeM.
• If not removed from the list by April end, Pakistan may move to a blacklist of countries such as Iran that face severe economic sanctions.
12. World Bank approves USD 1 billion emergency funds for India
• The World Bank approved USD 1-billion emergency financing for India to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.The World Bank's first set of aid projects, amounting to $1.9 billion, will assist 25 countries, and new operations are moving forward in over 40 nations using the fast-track process.
• The largest chunk of the emergency financial assistance has gone to India -- $1 billion.
• In India, $1 billion emergency financing will support better screening, contact tracing, and laboratory diagnostics; procure personal protective equipment; and set up new isolation wards.
• In South Asia, the World Bank also approved $200 million for Pakistan, $100 million for Afghanistan, $7.3 million for Maldives and $128.6 million for Sri Lanka.
• The World Bank said it is now working to grant up to $160 billion over the next 15 months to support measures to tackle the pandemic which will focus on the immediate health consequences and bolster economic recovery.
• The broader economic program will aim to shorten the time to recovery, create conditions for growth, support small and medium enterprises, and help protect the poor and vulnerable.
• There will be a strong poverty focus in these operations, with an emphasis on policy-based financing, and protecting the poorest households and the environment.
13. Chinese figure of 82,000 COVID-19 cases ‘not accurate
• Indian-American politician Nikki Haley has cast doubt on the accuracy of China's official coronavirus figures, terming them "clearly not accurate", amidst reports that the CIA has advised the White House not to trust the data being provided by Beijing.
• President Donald Trump also said that he did not believe the figures given by China.
14. Bangladesh to use AI for Corona management, scales up Testing
• The government of Bangladesh will utilize Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the management of Corona virus spread in the country.
• The ICT division of government of Bangladesh under its Access to Information (a2i) programme and the Ministry of Health collaborated with the largest mobile service provider of Bangladesh Robi to conduct a survey on Corona.
• More than 7 lakh people responded to the bulk SMS sent by the government to garner information about Corona. The national call centre and the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) received about 5 lakh 70 thousand calls under this programme.The outcome of the survey along with extensive data garnered by Robi from multiple sources will utilise AI analytics to provide insights for accurate prediction of Corona threat.
• The AI powered insights will help the government to set its next course of action to fight Corona virus.
15. Sri Lanka faces controversy over disposal of dead bodies
• In Sri Lanka, amidst the fight against COVID-19, a controversy has erupted over the manner of disposal of bodies due to COVID-19 deaths.
• Two of the four deaths so far have been from Muslim community who were not given the traditional burial and were cremated due to safety concerns.
• Few Muslim religious groups and politicians have opposed the move terming it unnecessary and in violation of their faith.
• Amnesty International said, authorities must respect the right of religious minorities unless they can show that restrictions are needed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Meanwhile, an association of doctors have called upon the government to constitute a task force to look into the matter.
16. Europe becomes the worst-hit continent with over 45,000 deaths
• The Coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 45,000 people in Europe, around 85 per cent of them in Italy, Spain, France and Britain.
• The tallies, using data collected by AFP offices from national authorities and information from the World Health Organization (WHO), probably reflect only a fraction of the actual number of infections.
• With a total of 46,033 deaths, out of 627,203 cases, Europe is the continent hardest hit by COVID-19.Italy, with 15,362 deaths, and Spain, with 11,744, are the two worst-hit countries in terms of fatalities. France has recorded 7,560 deaths and Britain 4,313.
17. Italy unveils record 430 bn US dollars stimulus to boost economy
• Italy has unveiled a record 430 billion US Dollar stimulus to help businesses hurt by a month-long national lockdown that is like to run on for many more weeks.
• Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told the nation to be patient in the face of a pandemic that has now officially claimed 16,523 lives in the Mediterranean country and left millions at least temporarily unemployed.
• The people will soon witness a new spring for Italy but for the moment we must stay at home.
• The programme will add to the 340 billion euros in government-backed loans announced last month. Half of the new package will be earmarked for export-oriented companies whose turnover has imploded over the past month.
• The government also announced that it will take steps to protect Italian companies weakened by the economic crisis from being taken over by foreign competitors.
• Italy has seen its novel coronavirus infection rates subside over the past few weeks and its death toll slowly level off.
18. US Prez Trump signs executive order for recovery
• US President Donald Trump signed a new executive order aimed at encouraging international support for its policy allowing private industry for recovery and use of space resources from the Moon, Mars and other celestial bodies.
• As America prepares to return humans to the Moon and journey on to Mars, this Executive Order establishes U.S. policy toward the recovery and use of space resources, such as water and certain minerals, in order to encourage the commercial development of space,.
• As per the executive order titled 'Encouraging International Support For The Recovery And Use Of Space Resources' will create long-time suitability in the human exploration of Moon, Mars and other celestial bodies.
• The order reaffirms U.S. support for the 1967 Outer Space Treaty while continuing to reject the 1979 Moon Agreement, which only 17 of the 95 Member States of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space have ratified in the past four decades.
• The order further clarifies that the United States does not view outer space as a 'global commons,' and it reinforces the 2015 decision by Congress that Americans should have the right to engage in the commercial exploration, recovery, and use of resources in outer space.
• The order also says that the US is not part of the moon agreement. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted Moon Resolution or the Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies says that Moon and other celestial bodies should be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and their environments should not be disrupted.
• In view of this, the order reads, "The United States does not consider the Moon Agreement to be an effective or necessary instrument to guide nation-states regarding the promotion of commercial participation in the long-term exploration, scientific discovery, and use of the Moon, Mars, or other celestial bodies,"
• In view of encouraging international support for the recovery and use of space resources, the Secretary of State in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Transportation shall take all necessary measures to encourage international support for the public and private recovery and use of resources in outer space.
19. Bangladesh President rejects Mujib Killer Majed’s Mercy plea
• President of Bangladesh M. Abdul Hamid rejected the mercy plea of Abdul Majed, the fugitive convicted killer of the founder President of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujib in 1975.
• A Dhaka court had issued his death warrant after he was arrested on Tuesday by the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Bangladesh from Mirpur area of Dhaka.
The jail authorities will take steps to hang him as per jail code provisions.
• Abdul Majed is among the 12 former army personnel who were awarded death sentence in 1998. It was later confirmed by the High Court in 2009. Five of the convicted army personnel were hanged in 2010 while one died. Six of the convicted army personnel have been absconding. Abdul Majed was one of them.
• Earlier, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal had said on Wednesday that the ‘self confessed killer’ of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was also involved in the subsequent murder of four top leaders of the country in Dhaka central Jail on 3 November 1975.
• Majed claimed to live in hiding in Kolkata for the last 23 years after fleeing the country.
• Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was killed along with most of his family members on 15 August 1975 by some army personnel at his residence in Dhaka. The trial for the killing started 22 years later in 1997 after the incident.
20. US Prez Trump says he would put on hold the WHO funding
• United States President Donald Trump has said that he would put on hold funding to the World Health Organization, WHO, accusing the global organization of becoming China-centric during the ongoing Corona virus pandemic.
• Geneva-headquartered World Health Organization, receives vast amounts of money from the United States.
• President Trump said, his administration is going to look into the US funding to the WHO. Meanwhile, Senator Jim Risch, Chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called for an independent investigation into the WHO handling of the COVID-19 response.
• Mr Risch alleged that the WHO has failed not only the American people, it has failed the world with its flagrant mishandling of the response to COVID-19.He said that WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus' apparent unwillingness to hold the Chinese Communist Party to even the minimum standard of global health and transparency hindered the world's ability to blunt the spread of this pandemic.
• He alleged that the organization has become a political puppet of the Chinese Government.
• A bipartisan group of nearly two dozen lawmakers has announced to introduce a resolution to defund the WHO until its Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus resigns and an international commission investigates the organization's role in covering up the Chinese Communist Party's failed COVID-19 response.
21. WhatsApp placed new limits on message forwarding
• WhatsApp has placed new limits on message forwarding as part of an effort to curb the spread of misinformation about the Corona virus pandemic.
• The new policy limits users to forwarding certain messages to one chat at a time, aiming to limit the rapid propagation of content which is provocative but likely to be false.
• Last year, WhatsApp set limits on forwarded messages to five chats at a time, to constrain virality, responding to events in India where the rapid proliferation of unverified information led to mob violence.
22. Brazilian Prez Bolsonaro thanks PM Modi
• Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for facilitating the export of raw materials to Brazil for the production of anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine, cited by many as a viable therapeutic solution to fight coronavirus infection.
• Modi and Bolsonaro had a telephonic conversation on April 4 during which the Brazilian leader requested Modi to allow export of the drug as well as raw materials for its production in Brazil.
• Separately, in a letter to Modi, Bolsonaro mentioned that two Brazilian laboratories, EMS and Apsen, have been importing raw materials from India for several years to produce hydroxychloroquine and that Brazil's internal supply of the drug depends on its production by the two firms.In the letter to Modi, the Brazilian leader invoked ancient Indian epic, Ramayana, mentioning the story of how Lord Hanuman brought a holy medicine from the Himalayas to save the life of Laxmana.
• Bolsonaro requested Modi to ensure that Brazil gets the supply of the raw material ordered prior to the imposition of the ban on hydroxychloroquine.
• On March 25, India banned export of hydroxychloroquine in the midst of views in some quarters that the drug could be used to fight COVID-19. India is the largest exporter of the drug.
• The ban was partially lifted.
• Brazil, the largest country in Latin America, has recorded close to 14,000 coronavirus cases and over 660 deaths due to the infection. Globally, the virus has killed over 75,000 people and infected more than 13 lakh.
• Bolsonaro said Brazil hoped that the use of hydroxychloroquine would help in the treatment of coronavirus-infected people in his country.
23. COVID-19 Pandemic poses threat to international peace and security
• The United Nations Security Council met for the first time to discuss the coronavirus pandemic as the 15-member body - charged with maintaining international peace and security - struggles to agree on whether it should take any action.
• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres privately briefed a virtual council meeting on the disease, which has so far infected some 1.5 million people - killing 90,000 - in more than 200 countries and territories, according to a Reuters tally.
• Diplomats have largely blamed Security Council inaction over the pandemic on the United States and China.
• Beijing has been reluctant for the council to get involved, arguing it was not within its mandate, while Washington has insisted that any council action refer to the origins of the virus, much to the annoyance of China.
• The new coronavirus, which causes the respiratory illness Covid-19, first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.
24. World faces worst economic fallout since Great Depression
• The global coronavirus pandemic is causing an economic crisis unlike any in the past century and will require a massive response to ensure recovery, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said.
• The global growth will turn sharply negative in 2020with 170 of the International Monetary Fund's 180 members experiencing a decline in per capita income.
• Even in the best case the IMF expects only a "partial recovery" next year, assuming the virus fades later this year, allowing normal business to resume as the lockdowns imposed to contain its spread are lifted.
• Countries already have taken steps worth a combined $8 trillion, but Ms. Georgieva urged governments to do more to provide "lifelines" for businesses and households to "avoid a scarring of the economy that would make the recovery so much more difficult."
ECONOMY, BUSINESS AND DEFENCE NEWS
1. Merger of 10 state-run banks into 4 to come into force
• The government approved a scheme for the amalgamation of 10 state-owned banks into four, putting to rest any doubts about a possible delay in the process. Effective from April 1, 2020, the balance sheets as well as stocks of these banks will be integrated.
• Punjab National Bank (PNB), Oriental Bank of Commerce, and United Bank of India will combine to form the nation's second-largest lender.
• Canara Bank will take over Syndicate Bank; Union Bank of India is planned to be amalgamated with Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank; and Indian Bank will subsume Allahabad Bank.
• The banks will set up an independent committee to address the grievances of minority shareholders.After the process is complete, India will have 12 PSBs instead of 27 back in 2017.
2. ADB announces funding for Indian infrastructure sector
• Multilateral institution Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced a USD 100 million funding for the Indian infrastructure sector through the government-promoted NIIF. ADB will be investing in the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund's (NIIF) fund of funds which will ensure that the actual money invested will be a few times more than the USD 100 million.
• The investment announcement comes at a critical time for India, as the already sagging economic growth is feared to be taking a heavy hit due to the coronavirus pandemic.
• ADB has been funding Indian private equity funds for over two decades now, and added the latest move will help NIIF commit money to private equity fund managers who may be struggling to raise money from overseas sources.The total size of NIIF's fund of funds has now grown to USD 700 million, with ADB's commitment, adding that the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has also committed money to the corpus.
• So far, it has made commitments to three funds aggregating to over Rs 2,600 crore or USD 350 million.These three funds are engaged in investments in diverse areas including green energy and climate; middle-income and affordable housing, and entrepreneur-driven mid-market growth companies operating across diversified sectors.
• The NIIF said its ability to crowd-in investments has also been established as these three funds have raised USD 1.1 billion from other sources.
3. Govt approves Insurance Scheme for health workers
• The government approved the insurance scheme for health workers fighting the novel coronavirus.
• Finance minister Nirmala Sitharamanannounced a Rs 50 lakh insurance cover per person for frontline health workers involved in managing the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The announcement was part of a slew of measures announced by the finance minister under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan package.
• The medical insurance scheme would include sanitation staff, doctors, Asha workers, paramedics and nurses.
• Centre approved the scheme with following conditions:
I. It will provide an insurance cover of Rs. 50 lakh for ninety (90) days to a total of around 22.12 lakh public healthcare providers, including community health workers, who may have to be in direct contact and care of COVID-19 patients and who may be at risk of being impacted by this. It will also include accidental loss of life on account of contracting COVID-19.
II. On account of the unprecedented situation, private hospital staff/ retired/volunteer/ local urban bodies/contract/daily wage/ ad-hoc/outsourced staff requisitioned by States/ Central hospitals/autonomous hospitals of Central/States/UTs, AIIMS & INIs/ hospitals of Central Ministries can also be drafted for COVID-19 related responsibilities. These cases will also be covered subject to numbers indicated by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
III. The insurance provided under this scheme would be over and above any other insurance cover being availed of by the beneficiary.
4. Govt to use exclusive cargo flights to transport medical equipment
• Union Minister for DoNER Dr Jitendra Singh has disclosed that Cargo Air Flights will be used exclusively for transporting medical equipment and emergency goods, besides other essential items. to North Eastern States, in the wake of Lockdown situation.
• The Ministry of Civil Aviation for approved the initiative taken by the airports of the region. This will go a long way in reassuring the people of the North Eastern Region that even at this hour of trial, they are receiving as much attention as any other part of the country.
• It has been intimated that the contact details and road map for the Cargo operation will be provided soon. The Directors of the airports of the region have been asked to inform about their requirements through Twitter.
5. Govt extends time period for submission of officers' appraisal report
• The central government has extended the timeline for initiation and submission of performance appraisal reports of bureaucrats, according to an order issued by the personnel ministry.
• As per the earlier schedule, the date for distribution of blank Annual Performance Appraisal Reports to Group-A officers of central services was March 31, which has now been revised and extended up to May 31.
• Similarly, the date for the submission of self-appraisal by an officer to the Reporting Officer has been revised and extended up to June 30. The labour ministry has allowed over 60 million subscribers of retirement fund body EPFO to withdraw an amount not exceeding their three months basic pay and dearness allowance from their EPF account in view of the lockdown to fight Covid-19.
6. Ex-Gratia for delivery boys and others working in LPG supply chain
• State-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh in case of coronavirus-related death of any LPG delivery boy or other personnel involved in the supply chain.
• While the entire country has bee locked down with most confining themselves to homes, cooking gas (LPG) supplies have continued uninterrupted with all the distributors and hundreds of delivery boys providing cylinders to 27.5 crore users on demand.
• Though the LPG distributor agencies and their staff, including delivery boys, are not part of oil company staff, they have been provided with protective gear by the three firms. But, the risk to the delivery boys and other staff remained as the Covid-19 infection spreads.
7. HAL pledges Rs 20 cr to PM-CARES fund
• The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) pledged to donate Rs 20 crore from its corporate social responsibility (CSR) fund to the PM-CARES Fund to support India's fight against the coronavirus.
• In addition, the HAL employees have pledged their one day salary amounting to Rs 6.25 crore.
8. Nirmala Sitharaman participates in 2nd G20 meeting of Finance Ministers
• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the second virtual meeting of the G-20 Finance Ministers to coordinate efforts to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
• The Finance Minister appreciated the Saudi Presidency for organising these meetings to provide an opportunity for all G20 members to not only share their individual experiences but also to work in better coordination.
• Sitharaman expressed her support to the G-20 action plan and emphasised that such plans would provide learning and critical insights in dealing with pandemics like coronavirus and their potential economic fallout.
9. Railway converted coaches into isolation wards to fight COVID-19
• Railways has converted 5,000 coaches into isolation wards for those infected with coronavirus and is likely to deploy them in rural areas after consultation with the health ministry.
• The railways has set a target of converting 20,000 coaches to counter the pandemic, of which 5,000 coaches with 80,000 beds are ready to be deployed.
• The idea of converting these coaches was to ensure that in rural areas, in regions where medical facilities were not available, care for COVID-19 patients could be provided.
10. Public sector banks announce deferment of EMI payments on loans
• After RBI allowed commercial banks to provide their customers a moratorium of three months for repayment of term loans, public sector banks have sprung into action.
• Public sector banks have informed their customers about deferment of EMIs and interest dues to help soften the blow due the coronavirus crisis.
• The deferment may come at a price though. The country's largest lender State Bank of India warned borrowers that deferment of equated monthly instalments (EMIs) offered under the RBI's relief package on account of COVID-19 could put an additional cost on them.
• The lender also advised borrowers to repay their loans if they are in a position to do the same.
11. C-DOT and Telecom Service Providers develop Quarantine Alert System
• The Centre is using powers under the Indian Telegraph Act to "fetch information" from telecom companies every 15 minutes to track COVID-19 cases across the country.
• The government has tested an application that triggers e-mails and SMS alerts to an authorised government agency if a person has jumped quarantine or escaped from isolation, based on the person's mobile phone's cell tower location. The "geo-fencing" is accurate by up to 300 m.
• Kerala was one of the first States to use geo-fencing to track COVID-19 cases.
• On March 29, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) shared a standard operating procedure (SOP) with all telecom service providers regarding the application called COVID-19 Quarantine Alert System (CQAS).
• The system will collate phone data, including the device's location, on a common secured platform and alert the local agencies in case of a violation by COVID patients under watch or in isolation.
• The SOP says that the DoT and C-DOT, in coordination with telecom service providers, have developed and tested the application. It said the location information is received periodically over a secure network for the authorised cases with "due protection of the data received".
• The States have been asked to seek the approval of their Home Secretaries under the provisions of Section 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, for the specified mobile phone numbers to request the DoT to provide information by email or SMS in case of violation of "geo-fencing".
• The particular provision under the Act, amended multiple times since 1885, authorises State or Centre to access information of a user's phone data in case of "occurrence of any public emergency or in the interest of the public safety."
• The CQAS will prepare a list of mobile numbers, segregating them on the basis of telecom service providers, and the location data provided by the companies will be run on the application to create geo-fencing, the SOP said.
• It said that the phone number should be deleted from the system after the period for which location monitoring is required is over and the data would be deleted four weeks from thereon.
• The data collected shall be used only for the purpose of Health Management in the context of COVID-19 and is strictly not for any other purposes. Any violation in this regard would attract penal provisions under the relevant laws.
• The SOP said that geo-fencing will only work if the quarantined person has a mobile phone from Airtel, Vodafone-Idea or Reliance Jio, as "BSNL/MTNL" do not support location based services. BSNL and MTNL are government owned.
12. Action Covid-19 Team (ACT) sets up INR 100 crore grant to support innovative Indian startups
• Founders of Indian startups, members of investment advisory firms and independent advisors have joined hands to form the Action Covid-19 Team (ACT) wherein a grant of INR 100 crores has been launched to support innovators working on solutions to control the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The grant is seeking applications from NGOs, SMEs and startups whose work revolves around areas like prevention of COVID-19 spread, scaling, testing, disease management at home, enhanced support for healthcare workers and hospitals, management of critically-ill patients, and support for mental health of affected individuals.
• The ACT is currently inviting startups to send ideas for consideration.
13. Ordnance Factory Board to roll out modified tents as isolation units
• The Ordnance Factory Board under the Ministry of Defence is ready to roll out modified tents in the form of low cost isolation units to check the Covid-19 pandemic.
• These tents are being assembled at Ordnance Factory Kanpur and are 30 per cent cheaper than tents used for military purposes.
• The Ordnance Factory tents measuring 9.55 sq meters can accommodate two patients each and all necessary medical equipment that are required to fight Covid-19.
• It's fabric is poly viscose and the support metals are mild steel and aluminium alloy. These tents can also be used for medical screening and emergencies.
14. Government decides to cut salary of MPs by 30% for one year
• The Union Cabinet approved a 30% cut in the salaries of all Members of Parliament and a two-year suspension of the MP Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme so that the amount saved can go to the Consolidated Fund of India to fight COVID-19, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said.
• The Cabinet approved an ordinance to amend the Salaries, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954, to cut the salaries of MPs by 30%. All MPs, including the Prime Minister and his Council of Ministers, would take the salary cut for financial year 2020-2021. In addition, the Cabinet had decided to suspend the MPLAD funds for 2020-2021 and 2021-2022. Many MPs had already pledged to use their MPLAD funds, Rs.5 crore a year, for efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
• Only the MPs' salaries would be cut, not allowances or the pensions of ex-MPs. According to the Act, as amended in April 2018, MPs are entitled to a monthly salary of Rs.1 lakh, apart from various allowances.
• The consolidated amount of MPLAD Funds for 2 years – Rs 7,900 crores – will go to Consolidated Fund of India.
15. ADB assures India of 2.2 bn US dollar support
• Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masatsugu Asakawa assured Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of 2.2 billion dollars (about Rs 16,820 crore) support to India in its fight against novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
• In a call with Sitharaman, Asakawa commended the Indian government's decisive response to the pandemic including a national health emergency programme, tax and other relief measures provided to businesses, and a 23 billion dollar economic relief package announced on March 26 to provide immediate income and consumption support to the poor, women and workers affected by the three-week nationwide lockdown.
• ADB said it is also engaged with the private sector to meet its financing needs during this period.
• Weakening global economic growth is causing disruptions in India's trade and manufacturing supply chains along with the slowdown in tourism and other economic activities. This is straining a large number of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, and the livelihood of formal and informal labourers across the country.
• Asakawa said the policy measures announced by the government will provide much-needed relief and stimulus to the most vulnerable people as well as businesses and become a basis for faster recovery.
• On March 18, ADB announced an initial package of 6.5 billion dollars to address the immediate needs of its developing member countries, including India, as they respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
16. SIDBI to provide emergency working capital of up to Rs 1 crore to MSMEs
• The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) said that it will provide emergency working capital up to Rs 1 crore to the small and medium enterprises(MSMEs) against their confirmed government orders.
• The offered loan - SIDBI Assistance to Facilitate Emergency response against Coronavirus (SAFE PLUS)-will be collateral-free and it will be disbursed to the MSMEs within 48 hours.
• The scheme was launched to provide financial assistance to MSMEs that are involved in making essential items including masks, sanitizers, gloves, head gear, shoe covers, goggles, bodysuits and ventilators that are significant to combat COVID-19 pandemic.
• The SAFE PLUS loan will be offered to the MSMEs as an emergency funding in the wake of the lockdown due to coronavirus outbreak.
• The loans will be provided at an interest rate of five percent. SIDBI further informed that the limit of SAFE loans has been enhanced from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 2 crore.The limit has been enhanced for those MSMEs that are eligible under the respective state government's special policy package for interest subsidy, subvention or capital subsidy.
• It has been done to assist them to execute government orders without any capital crunch during the crisis time. Besides this, SIDBI has opened an additional financial window for the healthcare sector of India under its flagship scheme called SIDBI Make in India Soft Loan Fund for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (Smile).
17. India and US discuss ways to further enhance their cooperation
• India and the United States chalked out a roadmap to upgrade strategic relationship to a new level as they signed Industrial Security Annex (ISA) and three agreements under the Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) to secure technology transfer and co-produce critical technologies.
• ISA will facilitate collaboration between Indo-US defense industries by supporting the secure transfer of key information and technology. The three agreements under the Defense Technology and Trade Initiative, will enhance ability to co-produce and co-develop critical technologies.
• ISA in particular has significance as it will not only allow sharing of information during crisis through secure defence related channels but also helps in Make in India program in key items through collaboration between private entities of both sides, according to a persons familiar with the developments.
• India and USA at their second edition of 2+2 Dialogue held in Washington agreed to deepen their bilateral cooperation, increase defence trade, intensify their coordination with like-minded countries like Japan for a peaceful Indo-Pacific region and put up a decisive fight against terrorism. Afghanistan was also among talking points so was challenges from cross-border emanating from Pakistan.
• They inked a number of agreements ranging from greater interaction between elected representatives to collaboration in space, science & technology and water, people to people exchange.
PEOPLE IN NEWS
1. Tony Lewis, famous for Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method, dies
• One of the men behind the development of Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method, Tony Lewis died aged 78. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced the news in a statement.
• Tony, alongside fellow mathematician Frank Duckworth, devised the Duckworth-Lewis method which was introduced in 1997 and adopted officially by the ICC (International Cricket Council) in 1999.Renamed the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern Method in 2014, the mathematical formula continues to be used in rain reduced limited overs cricket games across the globe.
• Tony Lewis was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his contributions to cricket and the field of mathematics in 2011.
• The DL method came into existence in 1997 and was adopted by the International Cricket Council in 1999. The method was devised after stern reactions to the World Cup semi-final in 1992 wherein South Africa were undone by a farcical target calculation in a rain-affected encounter.
• The DL method was updated to DLS method in 2014 by the ICC. In 2018, the ICC released an updated version of DLS method. This is the third version but second update of the DLS System and has been carried out following a detailed ball-by-ball analysis of scoring patterns, including in the Powerplays, in all limited overs internationals played during the previous four years.
2. Justice Rajnesh Oswal sworn in as Judge of High Court of J&K, Ladakh
• Justice Rajnesh Oswal was sworn in as a permanent Judge of the common High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. He was administered oath of office by Chief Justice Jammu and Kashmir High Court, Justice Gita Mittal in a simple but impressive ceremony in Jammu.
• He is the first Judge of the High Court to take oath under the Indian Constitution.
• All previous Judges of High Court had taken oath under the constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, which ceased to have effect since August 5, 2019.
• On account of guidelines with regard to measures for containment of Covid-19 pandemic and to avoid gathering as well as to maintain social distancing other Judges of the J&K High Court joined the oath ceremony through video link.With the appointment of Justice Oswal, the strength of Justices of J&K High Court increased from eight to nine.
3. US Elections: Joe Biden becomes Democratic nominee
• Former Vice President Joe Biden is now the Democratic nominee for the American Presidential Race.
• Mr. Biden won the democratic nomination after US Senator Bernie Sanders has dropped out of the Presidential race.
• Presidential elections are due in November this year where Biden will now take on US President Donald Trump.
SPORTS NEWS
1. ITTF suspends events till June 30, freezes world rankings
• The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has suspended all planned events till June 30 and froze the world rankings due to the upheaval caused by the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic.
• The ITTF Executive Committee met to discuss the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on the international table tennis events schedule.
• ITTF also decided to freeze ranking lists as of March 2020 and further evaluate "all implications related to the postponement of events, travel restrictions and other complications, with scope for further decisions on potentially necessary adjustments".
2. India's Olympic-bound boxers to be provided online classes
• India's Olympic-bound boxers will be provided online classes by their coaches to ensure that aspects such as mental well-being and nutrition are taken care of.
• Nine Indian boxers -- M C Mary Kom (51kg), Simranjit Kaur (60kg), Lovlina Borgohani (69kg), Pooja Rani (75kg), Amit Panghal (52kg), Manish Kaushik (63kg), Vikas Krishan (69kg), Ashish Kumar (75kg) and Satish Kumar (+91kg) -- have qualified for the Tokyo Games, postponed to 2021 due to the global pandemic which has caused thousands of deaths.
• Boxing Federation of India (BFI) President Ajay Singh took stock of their preparations amid a national lockdown till April 14 to fight the pandemic.
• India boxing's High Performance Director Santiago Nieva, who is now in Patiala after completing a 14-day self-isolation period in Delhi, will be conducting classes for men.
• The classes for women will be conducted by their high performance director Rafaelle Bergamasco.
3. PM Modi speaks to sports personalities to combat COVID-19 pandemic
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with India's top athletes and gave five-point mantra of Sankalp, Sanyam, Sakaratmakta, Samman and Sahyog to tackle coronavirus outbreak.
• PM Modi said that sportspersons have brought glory to nation and now have important role to play in boosting morale of nation and spreading positivity.
• According to PMO, the sportspersons thanked PM Modi for ensuring frontline health care workers and police personnel involved in this battle get respect they deserve for their selfless service.
4. Official mascots of 19th Asian Games unveiled
• The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) announced the three sporty robots representing the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Hangzhou in eastern China as the official mascots of the 19th Asian Games.
• Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the mascots of the 19th Asian Games was unveiled during a digital launch ceremony. The three robots are known collectively as the 'smart triplets' to reflect the internet prowess of Hangzhou city and Zhejiang province.
• The robot 'Congcong' represents the archaeological ruins of Liangzhu city. It derives its name from the Cong jade pendant -- the quintessential relic unearthed from the ruins dating back 5,000 years. It takes yellow, the colour of earth and bumper harvest, as the main tone.
• 'Lianlian' represents the West Lake and the name signifies a lake full of lush lotus leaves. Green stands for life and nature.
• The third mascot is 'Chenchen', which represents the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. It takes its name from the Gongchen Bridge -- a landmark structure in the Hangzhou section of the Grand Canal. Blue represents science and technology.
• The OCA's 19th Asian Games will be held in Hangzhou from September 10 to 25, 2022. It will be the third Asian Games to be hosted by China following Beijing 1990 and Guangzhou 2010, with the participation of 45 NOCs of Asia in 42 sports.
5. FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup postponed
• The FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup, which was scheduled to be played in India between November 2nd and 21st, has been postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The new dates for the tournament will be identified later.
• The working group also postponed FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup which was scheduled between August and September in Panama and Costa Rica.
• The working group has been recently established by the FIFA Council to address the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Under-17 Women's World Cup was scheduled to be played in India across five host cities - Navi Mumbai, Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Bhubaneswar.
