NATIONAL NEWS
1. Food Bank to help the poor and needy introduced in Manipur
• In Manipur, a new initiative titled ‘Food Bank’ has introduced by Imphal East District Administration to provide immediate aid in the form of free food to the poor and needy who are facing scarcity of essential commodities due to the long statewide lockdown in view of the threat of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
• Distribution of food items, hand sanitisers and face masks has already started to Drug Rehabilitation Centres and people living with HIV located in Imphal East District. On the other hand, many donors from various sections of society have responded positively to the initiative.
• The District Administration also informed that donation of essential food items, sanitation and medical aid related items will be accepted for further distribution.
• Officials, who will be managing the ‘Food Bank’ have announced to public and they will distribute the items after proper verification of the beneficiaries.
2. CBI joins hand with other Govt agencies to provide food to needy people
• The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has joined hands with other government agencies to provide food to needy and poor, including migrant labourers and workers, amid the countrywide lockdown.
• The CBI officials in cities like Chennai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad, in addition to their work, have also extended support voluntarily and distributed food/ration to these homeless migrant labourers/workers staying in temporary shelters.
• Meanwhile, several states, including Odisha, Punjab, and Telangana have extended till the end of April the three-week countrywide lockdown, which has been imposed as a preventive measure against the spread of coronavirus.
3. Self Help Group members of 27 State Rural Livelihood Missions produce masks
• Rural development ministry has kick-started production of masks across the country through its self-help groups under the National Rural Livelihood Mission to contain spread of C0VID-19.
• "In response to COVID-19, face mask production has been initiated by self help groups (SHGs) members in 24 states covering 399 districts of the country under the Ministry of Rural Development's National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM)," it said in a statement.
• According to the ministry, total 65,936 SHG members from 14,522 SHGs are involved and together they have manufactured 132 lakh masks.
• Of this, 21,028 members of 4281 SHGs in five districts of Andhra Pradesh and 10,780 members of 1927 SHGs in 32 districts of Tamil Nadu have produced 25,41,440 and 26,01,735 masks respectively in 10 days.
• "Members of SHGs of various states like Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and many north-eastern states are also involved in producing masks," ministry added.
4. HRD Minister launches web portal 'YUKTI'
• Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal "Nishank" launched a web-portal 'YUKTI' -- Young India Combating COVID with Knowledge, Technology and Innovation.
• YUKTI is a portal to monitor and record the efforts and initiatives of MHRD which have been taken in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.
• The portal intends to cover the different dimensions of COVID-19 challenges in a very holistic and comprehensive way.
• The portal will include the various initiatives and efforts of the institutions in academics, research especially related to COVID, social initiatives by institutions and the measures taken for the betterment of the total wellbeing of the students.
• It will also allow various institutions to share their strategies for various challenges posed by COVID-19 and other future initiatives.
• The portal will establish a two-way communication channel between the MHRD and the institutions so that the Ministry can provide the necessary support system to the institutions.
5. Home Ministry asks all States and UTs to comply on welfare of migrant labourers
• The Ministry of Home Affairs has written to all States/ UTs to ensure compliance of the Supreme Court directions regarding the welfare of migrant labourers housed at relief shelters and camps in different parts of the country.
• The Supreme Court had directed that adequate medical facilities besides proper arrangements for food, clean drinking water, and sanitation be ensured for migrant workers.
• Further, trained counselors and/or community group leaders belonging to all faiths should visit the camps/ shelter homes and deal with any consternation that the migrants might be going through.
• The Court also observed that the anxiety and fear of the migrants should be understood by the police and other authorities and that they should deal with the migrants in a humane manner.
• The State Governments/ UTs should endeavour to engage volunteers along with the police to supervise the welfare activities of the migrants, it mentioned further.
• The migrant labourers fall in one of the most affected groups since the country was put under a 21-day lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus.
6. e-NAM completes four years of implementation
• The pan-India Agriculture trading portal e-NAM completed four years of implementation on April 14.
• On this occasion, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that e-NAM helped in realising the vision of One Nation One Market for agri produce.
• e-NAM is being expanded to cover additional 415 mandis which will take the total number of e-NAM mandis to 1000 soon.
• The online platform will prove to be a giant leap in reforming the agriculture market in India.
• e-NAM was launched by Prime Minster Narendra Modi in 21 mandis on 14th April in 2016. More than 1.66 crore farmers and 1.28 Lakh traders are registered on e-NAM platform.
• Farmers are free to register on e-NAM portal and they are uploading their produce for sale online to the traders across all e-NAM mandis. Traders can bid for the lots available for sale on e-NAM from any location.
7. UP govt orders action against those hiding info about being infected with COVID-19
• In Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered stern action against those hiding and not disclosing their Corona positive status deliberately.
• The order came during a Covid 19 review meeting in Lucknow.
• Chief Minister has said that district and police administration will be held responsible for concealing of Covid19 cases in the district and action will be taken against them.
• He has underlined for sanitization of Corona Hot spots areas and to ensure door step delivery of the the necessary items to people quarantined.
8. India issues strong demarche to Pakistan over killing of civilians
• Indiaissued a strong demarche to Pakistan over the killing of three civilians, including a minor, by Pakistani troops in a ceasefire violation along the Line of Control in Keran sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The three people were killed when Pakistani forces resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation.
• A strong demarche -- a formal diplomatic note -- was made to the Pakistan side on the killing of three innocent Indian civilians, said a source.
• The demarche was issued to a top diplomat in Pakistan High Commission.
• In Islamabad, Pakistan Foreign Ministry summoned Indian Charge d'Affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia and lodged a protest, claiming it was the Indian side that resorted to ceasefire violation in Dhudnial, Rakhchikri, Chirikot and Baroh Sectors.
• Pakistan alleged that a two-year-old boy was killed in Dhudnial Sector.
• Keran sector was the scene of a deadly operation in which five elite army commandos laid down their lives while eliminating a group of infiltrating militants.
• There have been frequent incidents of ceasefire violation by Pakistani side since India announced its decision to withdraw special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcate the state into two union territories in August last year.
• Pakistan often resorts to ceasefire violations to push militants into the Indian side. Indian troops have also been retaliating to Pakistani actions under its policy of hot pursuit.
• According to official figure, Pakistani troops resorted to 3,200 instances of ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, which was highest in the last 16 years.
• Of these, 1,565 ceasefire violations took place since between August and December after the India reorganised Jammu and Kashmir.
• In 2018, Jammu and Kashmir recorded 2,936 instances of ceasefire violations by Pakistan.
9. Lockdown in the country is to be extended till 3rd May: PM Modi
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the extension of a nationwide lockdown till May 3 to contain the spread of Covid-19 as the number of novel coronavirus cases surged past 10,000-mark.
• There could be some relaxations after April 20 in places where there is no hotspot.
• Lockdown 2.0 will come into force from April 14 till May 3.
• The 19-day extension of the lockdown till May 3 is an attempt to contain the spread of novel coronavirus
• PM Modi said India received huge benefits from the 21-day lockdown in checking the pandemic and added that the country has dealt with the situation better with limited resources.
• The national lockdown first came into force from March 25 when the PM took an unprecedented measure in the fight against Covid-19.
10. Govt issues list of National Directives for COVID-19 management
• The government issued a detailed list of directives for Covid-19 management making face covers mandatory at work and in public places, and announcing bans on spitting and sellling liquour and tobacco.
• Covid-19 is the potentially fatal respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2.
• These new measures are being enforced during an extended lockdown scheduled to remain in place till May 3.Here are ten top takeaways from the National Directives:
1. Wear face covers. The government has made them in workplaces and in public spaces. It has already published a manual on making them at home. (Click here to learn more about masks and the coronavirus.)
2. You will be fined for spitting in public places.
3. Substances like gutka, tobacco and alcohol have been banned.
3. Gatherings of more than five people aren't allowed in public spaces or in any organisation -- supervisors should see to that. District magistrates have been asked to regulate events like marriages and funerals.
4. Workplaces have been asked to implement specific measures to contain the spread of the virus, including staggered lunch breaks, a gap of one hour between shifts, and encouraging work-from-home arrangements for some employees, such as senior citizens older than 65.
5. Government and private employers have been asked to encourage employees to download the contact tracing app Aarogya Setu.
6. Organisations have been asked to sanitise workplaces between shifts.
7. There should be no large meetings.
8. A standard operating procedure on social distancing has been created for workplaces, factories and other establishments. (See tweet below.)
9. District magistrates will enforce the new National Directives. Penal action, including fines, will be based on the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
10. The government has also released guidelines for states and Union Territories to help them manage the coronavirus outbreak.
11. ICMR issues guidance on use of Truenat beta CoV test for COVID-19
• 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.
• 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.
• The revised guidelines will be issued once the results from ICMR-NIV, Pune are available.
12. Uttar Pradesh govt decides to promote all students
• The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to promote all students belonging to classes 6,7,8,9 and 11 to their higher class without conducting any exams due to the nationwide lockdown imposed in view of the coronavirus outbreak.
• The reason mentioned in the notice is also the coronavirus outbreak in the nation.
• Even though exams are not being held for these classes, the UP Board is set to release the result for Class 10 and 12 Board Exams in the first week of June, according to various media reports.
• A lot of states apart from Uttar Pradesh has promoted their school students to higher classes without holding conducting exams.
• Some of these states are Rajasthan, Telangana, Bihar, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. All of them have taken this decision in view of the covid-19 lockdown.
• This decision has been taken while taking the public safety in regard as large public gatherings such as religious meetings, academic sessions and exams need to be avoided to limit the spread of this fatal virus.
13. Fit India, CBSE to organise 1st-ever live fitness sessions
• Fit India and CBSE will organise first-ever live fitness sessions for school students in the second phase of lockdown.
• Live sessions will commence from 9:30 this morning and students can get access to these live sessions on Facebook and Instagram handles of Fit India Movement and CBSE.
• During the programme guidelines of Ministry of AYUSH to stay healthy will be shared with students.
• Owing to the nation-wide lockdown due to Covid19 up to 3rd May and following Prime Minister’s call to all citizens to increase immunity and stay healthy, Fit India and CBSE have taken this unique initiative to ensure fitness of all school children.
• All the sessions will also be available on YouTube so that students can access it at their convenience as well. The live sessions will cover all aspects of children’s fitness from daily workouts to yoga, nutrition to emotional well-being.
• Distinguished fitness experts like Aliya Imran, nutritionist Puja Makhija, emotional wellness expert Dr. Jitendra Nagpal, yoga professional Heena Bhimani and several others would be a part of the sessions.
14. Bihar govt launches door to door screening
• Bihar with an estimated population of 123 million people has far less sample tests done for coronavirus (COVID-19) in comparison to other States but health officials said tests would be increased in days to come.
• The State government has also announced a "pulse polio pattern drive" like door-to-door screening of all those residing in the 3 km radius of a positive patient.
• Bihar will be the first State to undertake such a drive. The drive is first going to be launched from hotspot districts like Siwan, Begusarai, Nawada and Nalanda.
15. Assam govt got 50 thousand PPE kits
• The Assam government has decided to use the Chinese personal protective equipment (PPE) kits after doctors are satisfied with their quality, in view of allegations of having imported them by bending rules.
• Assam was the first State in the country to directly order 50,000 PPEs from China.
• The Centre, which had earlier imported such kits separately, had been kept in the loop.
• The PPEs had come directly in a cargo flight from Guangzhou to Guwahati on the evening of April 15.
• However, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had trashed the PPEs, have made the State government decide not to use them for now.
• Mr. Sarma said he checked with the DRDO, which denied having rejected the kits.
• The Minister said reports implying the poor quality of the imported PPEs created anxiety among the doctors and nurses in Assam.
• He asserted that the State government did not pay for the imported kits. Some private parties made the advance payment on behalf of the government on the condition that they may not be reimbursed.
16. Ensure public servants behave in sensible manner: NHRC to Centre
• The NHRC has asked the Centre to issue suitable advisory to all states and union territories that the lockdown guidelines be implemented by public servants and police force in a sensible manner.
• The nationwide lockdown was imposed by the Centre from March 25, and it has been extended till May 3.
• These directions have come after the commission took cognisance of a communication from one of its special monitors and human rights activist Maja Daruwala, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said.
• In her complaint, she alleged that in order to effectively implement the lockdown guidelines, public servants, including police personnel, sometimes under tremendous pressure tend to deal with people, especially poor labourers, in a very harsh manner undermining their rights.
• The NHRC has asked the Centre through the Union Home Ministry to issue suitable guidelines, advisory, standard operating procedure to all the states and UTs, emphasising that while implementing the lockdown guidelines, public servants, including police personnel, should behave in a sensible manner with people, particularly belonging to the vulnerable sections, the NHRC said.
• The response is expected at the earliest, it said.
17. Coronavirus: IIT Delhi develops low cost Covid-19 test kit, gets ICMR approval
• In a positive development which could increase large-scale testing of Coronavirus, IIT Delhi has developed a low cost test kit for Covid-19 testing.
• The test kits have also got the approval of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), which is the nodal health agency dealing with the Covid-19 outbreak in the country.
• The preparation for developing the test kit began by the end of January when no cases of Covid-19 were reported in the country.
• The test kit developed by a research team from Kusuma School of Biological Sciences (KSBS) at the institute, has been validated with 100 per cent sensitivity and specificity.
• The development has also made IIT Delhi the first institute to have got the approval from the ICMR for a real-time PCR-based diagnostic assay.
• After the development of the kit, the institute is looking forward to its large scale production in collaboration with the industrial partners.
• At present the market cost of Covid-19 test kit is pegged at Rs 4,500.
18. Modi's address extending the lockdown watched by a record TV viewers
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi's March 24th address to the nation, where he announced a 21-day complete lockdown to fight the Covid-19 outbreak, has become the most-watched TV event in the history television in India.
• As per data from TV viewership monitoring agency BARC India, the PM's address was viewed live by 197 million people, across 201 TV channels. The 8 pm speech was views for a record 3.891 billion minutes.
• In comparison, the last IPL final was viewed by 133 million viewers.
• PM Modi's previous address on March 19th, where he announced one-day 'Janta Curfew', was aired across 191 channels, and was watched by 83 million viewers for 1.27 billion minutes.
• In contrast, the November 8th, 2016 address by Modi on demonetisation was seen by 57 million viewers across 114 channels for 842 million minutes. Even the August 8th, 2019 address to the nation, where he announced abrogation of Article 370, was seen by 65 million viewers across 163 channels for 934 million minutes.
• The data clearly shows a heightened level of interest regarding Covid-19 outbreak in the country as people are tuning in to watch news channels across languages.
• In the week ended March 20th, BARC data shows a 57% rise in total news consumption compared to average consumption of news channels in January. Marathi news channels saw consumption getting doubled (101% increase), while Tamil news genre grew by 84%. Malayalam and Bengali news genres grew by 75% each, while Hindi news also witnessed 62% jump.
19. Uttar Pradesh becomes first state in India to start pooled testing for Coronavirus
• Uttar Pradesh has become the first state in India to start pool testing for Covid-19 infection.
• The state health department has tested 30 pools of five samples in Agra, one of the Covid-19 hotspots in the country and all tested negative.
• There are as many as 14 testing labs in the state and all of them are conducting a test of over 2,000 samples every day.
• As of now, UP has 773 positive Covid-19 cases spread across 48 districts. The state health department has been able to cure 68 patients until today in the state.
20. Chhattisgarh govt launches online education facility for college students
• Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel inaugurated the portal named ‘Padhai Tunhar Dwar’ (education at your doorstep).
• The facility will continue even after the lockdown period. As of now, students from Class 1 to 10 will be covered, but it will be eventually expanded for students upto class 12th and for college and universities too. Students of other Hindi speaking states can also make use of it.
• School students in Chhattisgarh will be able to learn from home during the lockdown in place for the novel coronavirus outbreak through the online portal launched by the Bhupesh Baghel government.
21. MP govt decides to give 10,000 rupees to each personnel engaged in treatment
• In Madhya Pradesh, the state government has decided that the health workers who are directly engaged in the treatment of Corona patients will be given a service amount of Rs 10 thousand every month as honorarium.
• If employees of other departments engaged in the service of Corona patients are also be infected then they will also be given Rs 10 thousand as service amount.
• The total number of Corona infected patients in the State has reached to 1360. So far, 69 have died of infection while 68 have recovered.
• There are 892 patients in Indore and 197 in Bhopal. The number of patients recovering in the state is also increasing rapidly.
22. Assam announces 30 per cent deduction in salary of CM, ministers, MLAs to fund COVID-19 fight
• The Assam government announced a 30-per cent cut in salary of the chief minister, ministers and MLAs for one year and said the fund accrued will be used for the treatment of COVID-19 patients and management of the outbreak.
• The decision, which came a day after the Union cabinet moved to cut 30 per cent salary of all parliamentarians for a year, was taken at a meeting of the state's Council of Ministers.
• It was also decided at the meeting that the state government will not issue any directive regarding the ongoing lockdown and follow only the Centre's advisories.
• The meeting of the Council of Ministers decided to deduct 30 per cent of the salary of the chief minister and other members of the State Council of Ministers and the MLAs for a period of one year.
• The fund thus accrued will be used for the treatment and management of COVID-19.
• The state government would not pass any directives regarding lockdown and the central government directives on lockdown would continue keeping social distancing norms intact.
23. PM Modi assures India's support to SA, Egypt for essential med supplies to fight coronavirus
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured India's support to South Africa in maintaining essential medical supplies to fight coronavirus.
• Prime Minister Modi and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa exchanged views about the domestic, regional and global challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
• The prime minister also discussed the global health crisis with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
• They discussed the steps being taken by their respective governments to protect the health of their people as well as to minimise economic impacts.
• The prime minister assured that India would provide all possible support to South Africa for ensuring supplies of essential medicines during this challenging time.
• Modi and President El-Sisi discussed the evolving global situation in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and exchanged information about the steps being taken by their respective governments to protect their populations. They agreed on the utility of continuous exchange of experiences and best-practices, in order to learn from each other.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. University of Houston re-launches fund to provide financial help to students
• The University of Houston, which houses many students from India, has re-launched its emergency fund to assist students facing unexpected financial hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Cougar Emergency Fund is designed to offer as much as USD 1,500 in support to eligible students for school-related costs to keep them enrolled and on track despite financial hardship caused by the pandemic.
• With classes being delivered online through the summer, some students are struggling with technology needs such as access to Wi-Fi and new software requirements, while others have lost income from work stoppages. The university hopes to raise USD 5,00,000, which will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the UH Foundation and the James Wade Rockwell Fund.
• Eligible students include those currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate courses who are in good standing, with priority given to those enrolled full time.
• The fund is administered through the UH Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.
2. Bangladesh: PM Hasina announces Tk 5000 Cr subsidised loan package for agriculture
• Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced a Tk 5000 crore special subsidized loan package for boosting agricultural production in the country in the aftermath of the Corona crisis hitting the world.
• The refinancing scheme of Tk. 5000 crore will carry a maximum interest rate of 5 percent.
• The small and medium farmers will get the loan from this fund to use as current capital for use in agriculture and related activities like fishery, poultry farming etc.
• An additional Taka 9000 crore for fertilizer subsidy in the next budget to minimize the impact of Corona pandemic on agriculture in Bangladesh.
• Earlier on April 5, the government of Bangladesh had announced a subsidized loan package of Tk 72,750 crore for various other sectors in the economy including Tk 5000 crore for the payment of salaries and wages to the workers in the Ready Made Garments (RMG) sector.
• World Bank in its latest regional update for South Asia released on Sunday has forecast a sharp decline in the GDP growth rate of Bangladesh from more than 8 percent to a low of 2.0 to 3.0 percent. The report says that the South Asian region will witness its worst performance in the last 40 years.
3. Top Oil Producers Agree On "Historic" Output Cuts Amid Coronavirus Crisis
• Top oil-producing countries agreed to record output cuts in order to boost plummeting oil prices due to the new coronavirus crisis and a Russia-Saudi price war.
• OPEC producers, dominated by Saudi Arabia, and allies led by Russia met via videoconference for in a last-ditch effort to cement an accord struck that hinged on Mexico’s agreement.
• In a compromise, Mexico came onboard to an agreement to cut 9.7 million barrels per day from May, according to its Energy Minister Rocio Nahle, down slightly from 10 million barrels per day envisioned earlier.
• Initial reticence from Mexico to introduce output cuts had led to a standoff that cast doubt on efforts to bolster oil prices, pushed to near two-decade lows.
4. Haftar forces rains rockets on the Libya capital
• The forces of Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar rained rockets on Libya’s capital Tripoli after being ousted by government loyalists from a string of towns to its west.
• Several homes were hit around Mitiga airbase in the eastern suburbs, the capital's functioning airport. There was no immediate word on casualties.
• The UN-recognised Government of National Unity, which has been battling an offensive against the capital for just over a year, accused Haftar's forces of taking revenge against Tripoli's civilian population following their losses.
• The unity government recaptured the coastal cities of Sorman and Sabratha and several inland towns.
• Libya has suffered almost a decade of conflict since longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi was toppled and killed in a 2011 uprising backed by several Western powers.
• The UN says hundreds of people have been killed and more than 200,000 displaced since Haftar launched his battle for Tripoli which quickly ground to a bloody stalemate.
5. India, China will register positive growth rate despite Coronavirus: IMF
• The IMF projected a GDP growth of 1.9 per cent for India in 2020, as the global economy hits the worst recession since the Great Depression in the 1930s due to the raging coronavirus pandemic that has nearly stalled all economic activities across the world.
• With this subdued forecast, India is likely to record its worst growth performance since the 1991 liberalisation.
• But the International Monetary Fund, in its latest edition of the World Economy report, has placed India as the fastest-growing emerging economies of the world.
• It is among the only two major countries, which will register a positive growth rate in 2020. The other being China, for which the IMF has projected a growth rate of 1.2 per cent.
• The Great Depression was the worst worldwide economic downturn that lasted for 10 years from 1929, beginning in the US when the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street crashed and wiped out millions of investors.
• Most countries, in the advanced economy group, are forecast to contract this year, including the United States (5.9 per cent), Japan (5.2 per cent), the United Kingdom (6.5 per cent), Germany (7.0 per cent), France (7.2 per cent), Italy (9.1 per cent), and Spain (8.0 per cent), the IMF report said.
• According to the World Economic Report, the rebound in 2021 depends critically on the pandemic fading in the second half of 2020, allowing containment efforts to be gradually scaled back and restoring consumer and investor confidence.
• Significant economic policy actions have already been taken across the world, focused on accommodating public health care requirements, while limiting the amplification to economic activity and the financial system.
• The projected recovery assumes that these policy actions are effective in preventing widespread firm bankruptcies, extended job losses, and system-wide financial strains, it said.
• India is likely to record its worst growth performance since the 1991 liberalisation this fiscal year as the coronavirus outbreak severely disrupts the economy, the World Bank said.
• India's economy is expected to grow 1.5 per cent to 2.8 per cent in the 2020-21 fiscal which started on April 1, the World Bank said in its South Asia Economic Focus report.
• It estimated India will grow 4.8 per cent to 5 per cent in the 2019-20 fiscal that ended on March 31.
6. US allows H1B visa extension, relief for stranded Indians
• The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has allowed those whose visas would expire shortly to seek an extension in what would be a relief to thousands of Indians including H-1B visa holders stranded in the US due to the covid-19 pandemic.
• There were 202,013 Indian students in the US last year, according to the 2019 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange. There are also an estimated 65,000-70,000 H-1B visa holders.
• India had in recent conversations with the US taken up the issue of extending the validity of H-1B visas of Indian nationals stranded in the US. New Delhi had also requested for an extension in visa validity for those holding other categories of visas.
• Since the outbreak of covid-19, millions of people in the US have filed for unemployment claims, triggering a fear of layoffs among Indian professionals working in the country.
7. IMF calls on all countries to refrain from putting restrictions on exporting
• The IMF has called on all countries to refrain from putting restrictions on exporting medical supplies in view of their massive requirement across the globe to combat the coronavirus pandemic that has killed at least 119,000 people and infected nearly two million.
• Medical supplies like surgical masks, gowns and ventilators are required in massive number across the globe because of the coronavirus pandemic that surfaced in central China's Wuhan city last year and spread to at least 185 countries and territories.
• The coronavirus pandemic has infected nearly two million people and killed at least 119,000 globally, according to estimates by the Johns Hopkins University.
• There has been a restriction on travel of people around the globe. There has been because of the fact that people cannot go to work, the factories, there has been a breakdown of global supply chains, so this is a result of this crisis that we have seen, she said.
8. US President Donald Trump instructed administration to stop US funding for WHO
• US President Donald Trump halted America's funding of the World Health Organisation, while ordering a review to assess the institution's role in "severely mismanaging and covering up" the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
• The novel coronavirus, which originated from Wuhan City of central China's Hubei province in November, has so far killed at least 119,000 people globally, including more than 25,000 in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University. The Trump administration has accused WHO of taking side with China in the coronavirus outbreak that has brought America's economy to a standstill.
• American taxpayers provide between $400 million and $500 million per year to the WHO, in contrast, China contributes roughly $40 million a year and even less, he said.
• The world, he asserted, depends on the WHO to work with countries to ensure that accurate information about international health threats is shared in a timely manner. The WHO failed in this basic duty and must be held accountable, he said.
• The president alleged that WHO failed to investigate credible reports from sources in Wuhan that conflicted directly with the Chinese government's official accounts. There was credible information to suspect human-to-human transmission in December 2019, which should have spurred the WHO to investigate and investigate immediately, he observed.
9. South Korea Prez's left-leaning ruling party wins in parliamentary elections
• In South Korea, President Moon Jae-in's left-leaning ruling party won an absolute majority in parliamentary elections.
• According to provisional results released by the National Election Commission today, the Democratic party and its allies took 180 seats in the 300-member National Assembly, up from the current 120. Meanwhile, the conservative opposition coalition won 103 seats.
10. COVID-19: IMF proposes to deploy its full lending capacity to support countries
• International Monetary Fund (IMF) has proposed to deploy its full 1 trillion US Dollar lending capacity to support countries in their fight against coronavirus pandemic.
• In order to deal with the menace of COVID-19, International Monetary Fund (IMF) has proposed to deploy its full 1 trillion US Dollar lending capacity to support countries battling COVID-19 outbreak.
• Describing the COVID-19 pandemic as a crisis like no other, International Monetary Fund head Kristalina Georgieva said, world is now in the worst recession since the Great Depression.
• The IMF Board has already approved debt relief for 25 of its poorest members. IMF chief expressed satisfaction that during the G20 Finance ministers discussion, there was unanimous support for the Fund to raise more capacity for concessional funding poor countries.
11. USCIRF must stop adding religious colour to country's national goal
• India came down hard on the US Commission on International Religious Freedom for its criticism of the country based on a "misguided" report that COVID-19 patients in a hospital in Ahmedabad were segregated on the basis of their religious identities.
• The US Commission expressed concerns over the way India is fighting the coronavirus pandemic following a media report that a government-run hospital in Ahmedabad segregated the infected patients on the basis of their religions.
• "As if its peremptory commentary on religious freedom in India is not enough, the USCIRF is now spreading misguided reports on the professional medical protocols followed to deal with spread of COVID-19 in India," MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.
• He said no segregation of patients is being done in the civil hospital on the basis of religion as clarified by the Gujarat government.
• Mr. Srivastava said the USCIRF "must stop adding religious colour to our national goal of fighting the pandemic and distract from larger efforts".
• Earlier in a tweet, the Commission said it was concerned over the reports of Hindu and Muslim patients being separated in the hospital.
• The USCIRF had earlier criticised India on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
12. IMF lauds India's proactive decision of imposing nationwide lockdown
• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that it supports India's proactive decision of a imposing a nationwide lockdown in its fight against Coronavirus.
• Chang Yong Rhee, the Director of the IMF's Asia and Pacific Department, said that the Indian government implemented a nationwide lockdown despite economic slowdown and IMF supports India's proactive decision.
• On March 25, India entered a three-week lockdown, which was slated to end on April 14. The lockdown was extended till May 3.
• Spelling out a set of recommendations for the countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Rhee said the first priority is to support and protect the health sector to contain the virus and introduce measures that slow contagion.
• Observing that the pandemic is also affecting the financial market functioning, he urged countries to use monetary and macro prudential regulations flexibly to provide ample liquidity, ease financial stress of industries and SMEs.
13. Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebels exchange prisoners
• Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebels exchanged 34 prisoners in the latest trade aimed at creating conditions that could lead to the end of the six-year war in eastern Ukraine.
• Ukraine took back 20 of its citizens in the swap with the two separatist entities in the rebel-controlled east, according to a statement from the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Fourteen rebels were released in exchange.
• It was the third prisoner exchange since Zelenskiy was elected in a landslide last year on promises of ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which has killed more than 14,000 people since 2014 and aggravated tensions between Russia and the West.
• Prisoner exchanges were part of an agreement brokered last year at a summit of the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France. The aim is to take confidence-building steps toward talks to end the war.
• U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the prisoner exchange and urged all parties to take further measures in this spirit in order to enable progress in implementing the 2015 Minsk peace deal.
• The last major prisoner swap between separatist rebels and Ukrainian forces took place in December, when the two sides exchanged 124 rebels for 76 Ukrainians.
• Ukraine continues to negotiate for the return of prisoners held in Russia and the Crimean Peninsula, according to Zelenskiy's office. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 in a move that Ukraine and most other nations consider illegal.
14. Nigeria President Buhari's chief of staff Abba Kyari dies of COVID-19
• The Nigerian president's chief of staff, Abba Kyari, died after contracting the new coronavirus.
• Abba Kyari, who was in his 70s and had underlying health problems including diabetes, was the top official aide to 77-year-old President Muhammadu Buhari and one of the most powerful men in the country.
• Abba Kyari's was the highest profile death due to the disease in the West African country, which has 493 confirmed cases and 17 deaths, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
• Abba Kyari acted as the gatekeeper to Buhari. He travelled to Germany in early March with a delegation of other Nigerian officials for meetings with Siemens AG. He attended meetings with senior government officials upon his return to Nigeria.
• Kyari had contracted the highly infectious disease.
• Buhari himself has undisclosed medical ailments and spent five months in London for treatments in 2017.
15. Trump announces USD 19 Billion financial relief package
• President Donald Trump has announced a USD 19 billion financial rescue package to help the agriculture industry weather the staggering economic downturn sparked by measures to defeat the coronavirus.
• The program will include direct payments to farmers, ranchers and producers who Trump said have experienced "unprecedented losses during this pandemic."
• Some USD 3 billion of the money would go to buying produce and milk from such farmers, and redistribute it to community food banks.
• Millions of Americans have recently turned to food pantries for meals and groceries after losing their jobs.
• The US farm and food industry has been hit in numerous ways by the coronavirus epidemic. Farmers are having trouble finding seasonal labourers to prepare and harvest crops; some meatpacking plants have been hit hard by COVID-19 outbreaks.
• Shuttered schools, universities, restaurants, bars and cafeterias are no longer buying milk, meat, fruits, vegetables and other food, causing a downward spiral in crop and livestock prices.
ECONOMY, BUSINESS AND BANKING
1. World Bank praises Aarogya Setu app launched by India
• World Bank in its report praised India's Arogya Setu app which helps significantly in contact tracing and curbing the spread of the dreaded coronavirus pandemic.
• Days after the launch of the app, global tech majors Apple and Google said that they were building a software for smartphones that would help in contact tracing and inform users whether they were in touch with Covid-19 infected persons.
• Digital technologies can also be used to monitor the spread of Covid-19. Such initiatives, largely voluntary, have been successful in helping combat the pandemic in East Asia. Incentives also can be provided to those who report symptoms.
• India recently launched an app, Aarogya Setu, that uses location data from persons’ smartphones to tell users if they have been near someone who tested positive for Covid-19.
• “Privacy concerns can be dealt with by legislating sunset clauses on tracking systems. The region houses many poor and uneducated households that are nevertheless tech-savvy, and the innovative solutions technology could greatly help educate and track contagion across the populations at large,” the report said.
• The government has been on a drive to popularise the app and has explained that adequate precautions have been taken with regard to privacy. Legal experts also said there are three features that have been built into Aarogya Setu to preserve privacy.
2. States and UTs to ensure passes for essential commodities
• Various state governments are working to ensure that essential items are provided at the doorsteps of people living in areas identified as COVID-19 hotspots to restrict their movement.
• The ministry has reiterated to the states and union territories that inter-state and intra-state movement of all kinds of goods is allowed and vehicles transporting them should be permitted to ply unrestricted.
• State governments are working to ensure that essential commodities are provided door-to-door in the hotspot areas so that people do not go out of their homes
• For this, they (state government authorities) are also taking help of volunteers and civil society organisations.
• COVID-19 hotspots have been declared in various districts of the country by respective state governments to contain the spread of the disease. Movement of people in such areas is strictly curtailed and all activities are being monitored round-the-clock by police and civic authorities.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), she said, has again clarified to the states and UTs that there is "no restriction on inter-state and intra-state cargo movement whether it is essential goods or any other item".
• Godowns and cold stores can also keep all kinds of goods. Godowns in the premises of companies are also included in the exempted category under the list that specifies allowed services during nationwide lockdown.
• All state authorities have also been directed to ensure that employees and labourers of essential goods manufacturing units are able to get passes easily so that there is no obstruction in the functioning of these units.
3. 227 flights transported essential medical supplies across the country
• India's aviation sector has been operating on war footing transporting critical medical equipment and supplies to various parts of the country during the lockdown.
• According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, under the 'Lifeline Udan' initiative, over 407 tonnes of medical air-cargo has been transported within the country using 227 flights till April 13.
• 227 flights have been operated under Lifeline Udan by Air India, Alliance Air, Indian Air Force (IAF) and private carriers. 138 of these flights have been operated by Air India and Alliance Air. Cargo transported to date is around 407.40 tons.
• A total of 2,20,129 kilometers distance has been covered by the flights under the initiative so far.
• Helicopter services including Pawan Hans Ltd have been operating in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, islands and North East region transporting critical medical cargo and patients.
• The domestic Lifeline Udan cargo includes COVID-19 related reagents, enzymes, medical equipment, testing kits, Personal protective equipment (PPE), masks, gloves, other materials of HLL and ICMR, cargo requisitioned by State and Union Territories, and postal packets, etc.
• The domestic cargo operators include SpiceJet, Indigo and Blue Dart, which are operating flights on a commercial basis.
• This has brought in 109 tons of materials from Shanghai and Hong Kong till April 12.
• Under Ministry of Civil Aviation's Lifeline Udan, flights are being operated to transport essential medical cargo and supplies to different parts of the country amid lockdown imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19 which has now been extended till May 3.
4. Indian Railways creates history as its 88 coach freight train covered 1,634 kms
• Indian Railways has created history as its 88 coach freight train Annapurna carrying foodgrains covered 1,634 kilometres in less than 50 hours.
• Eighty eight coach Annapurna Freight Train travelled from Dhandharikalan in Punjab to New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal in 49 hours 50 minutes. The distance of 1,634 kilometres used to take 96 to 100 hours.
• The freight train has promptly transported food to ten needy states. This is for the first time Railways has transported foodgrains in such a large scale. It is 137 per cent more than last year.
5. RBI announces Rs.50,000 crore booster package for industries
• Shaktikanta Das announced a refinancing facility worth Rs 50,000 crore to boost the housing finance sector.
• NABARD (Rs 25,000 crore), SIDBI (Rs 15,000 crore) and NHB (Rs 10,000 crore) would be the beneficiaries.
• They will be charged at the repo rate of 4.4 per cent for this amount.
• The companies had earlier asked the government to help them with liquidity as they were suffering on account of tight liquidity conditions.
• In a separate devleopment, the government has allowed non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), housing finance companies (HFCs) and microfinance institutions (MFIs) to operate with bare minimum staff amid the extended lockdown.
• The RBI would also conduct another targeted long-term repo operation (TLTRO) for an aggregate amount of Rs 50,000 crore to begin in tranches for small and mid-sized MFI-NBFCs.
• The banks would be required to invest 50 per cent of funds under TLTRO 2.0 to small and mid-sized NBFCs. The RBI also cut the reverse repo rate cut by 25 bps. However, all other policy rates remain the same. The reverse repo rate now stands at 3.75 per cent from 4 per cent.
• The RBI on March 27 announced a slew of economic relief measures approved by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to tackle the sluggishness in the economy due to coronavirus lockdown. In its last MPC meet, the repo rate was cut by 75 bps to 4.4 percent, and reverse repo rate by 90 bps. In addition, the central bank reduced the cash reserve ratio (CRR) to 3 per cent from 4 per cent.
6. Govt removes restrictions on the export of formulations made from Paracetamol
• The Centre has permitted the export of formulations made from Paracetamol.
• The government has, however, decided to continue with the restriction on export of Paracetamol APIs that were placed, along with that on export of the formulations, on March 3.
• A common fever medication globally, Paracetamol is the most sought after and widely used drug ever since the COVID-19 outbreak.
• India is among the leading manufacturers of Paracetamol globally. Some of the major producers are Farmson Pharmaceuticals, Granules, Sri Krishna Pharma and Bharat Chemicals. The production capacity is estimated to be 5,000 tonnes a month. From an export perspective, it is a low value, high volume product.
• Paracetamol and its formulations were among the 13 APIs and their formulations that figured in the March 3 notification.
• Barring Paracetamol and formulations made from it, the DGFT had on April 6 allowed export of the 12 APIs and formulations made from them. With the latest notification, only Paracetamol continued to be 'Restricted' for export.
• The decision allowing export of formulations made from Paracetamol come close on the heels of another permitting shipment of anti-malarial drug Hydroxychroloquine (HCQ) to the US and several other countries.
• Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council of India wanted the Centre to resume export of Paracetamol APIs too.
7. EPFO settles 3.31 lakh claims in 15 days, disburses over Rs 946 cr
• The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) had processed 3.31 lakh claims disbursing Rs.946.49 crore in 15 days under the special pandemic withdrawal scheme for subscribers, the Labour and Employment Ministry said.
• As a part of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, the scheme had been notified on March 28 to provide relief to workers hit by the lockdown.
• Since the introduction of this programme, in just 15 days, the EPFO has processed 3.31 lakh claims disbursing Rs.946.49 crore. In addition, Rs.284 crore has been distributed by the exempted PF trusts under this scheme, notable among them being TCS.
• Through the scheme, subscribers can apply for a non-refundable withdrawal up to three months' basic wages and dearness allowance or 75% of the amount in their EPF account, whichever is less.
• EPF withdrawal can't be made without mobile-Aadhaar link
8. VOC Port Trust achieves new record for coal discharge within a 24 hour period
• Against the background of various security and hygiene measures being scrupulously undertaken as per Government of India norms, the V O C Port Trust in Thuthukudi, Tamilnadu has achieved an enviable record of handling more than 70000 tonnes of coal within a 24 hour period.
• The port trust authorities revealed that three mobile, automated weighing machines where used in the port for achieving the record.
• Each of these machines had the capacity to handle a maximum of 56000 tonnes at a time.
• The coal was unloaded safely using modern technology from an Indonesian ship. The ship carried a total of 73000 tonnes of coal.
9. MNRE urges states to set up renewable energy equipment parks
• At a time when numerous international firms are looking to move their production base out of China in the wake of the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is seeing a fresh opportunity in setting up renewable energy (RE) equipment manufacturing parks to meet domestic demand as well as make India a global production hub.
• As there are concerns of a slump in the supply of raw materials and goods from China owing to the Covid-19 crisis, which began from there, the situation in fact presents an opportunity for India to boost its manufacturing capacity and emerge as a hub for production.
• With this objective, the ministry has written to various state governments and port authorities to identify land parcels of 50-500 acres for setting up such parks.
• The MNRE has offered many incentives to states to set up such parks.
DAYS AND EVENTS
1. Nation remembers Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar on his 129th birth anniversary
• Nation remembers Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar on his 129th birth anniversary on 14 April 2020.
• Dr. Ambedkar is known as the chief architect of the Indian Constitution and has been bestowed with the country’s highest civilian honor, Bharat Ratna in 1990 posthumously.
• Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar was born on 14th April, 1891 at Mhow, now known as Dr. Ambedkar Nagar in Madhya Pradesh.
• Dr. Ambedkar was a known jurist, economist, politician and social reformer who worked hard throughout his life to end social discrimination against weaker sections of the society.
• He became the first Law and Justice Minister after the independence and played an important role in drafting the Indian Constitution and made provisions for abolition of all forms of discrimination. He inspired the Dalit Buddhist Movement in India and embraced Buddhism on 14th October, 1956.
• Dr. Ambedkar’s legacy as a socio-political reformer is respected across the world. His thoughts has played important role in transforming the views towards India’s socio-economic problems.
2. West Bengal celebrates Bengali New Years Day (Shubho Nabo Barsho 2020)
• Pohela Boishakh or Bengali New Year marks the first day of the initial month of Baishakh of the Bengali solar calendar.
• Bengalis all over the world celebrate New Year on this day which falls on the 14 April this year.
• In other regions of India, people celebrate the solar New Year, while the Sikh and Hindu communities celebrate the festival of Vaisakhi, also known as Baisakhi.
• To celebrate this festival, Bengalis greet each other by saying “Shubho Nobobarsho” which translates to “prosperous New Year”. A number of fairs are organised across West Bengal and Tripura to celebrate this joyous occasion.
• The Bengali calendar is attributed to the 7th-century king, Shashanka. It was later modified by Mughal emperor Akbar for the purpose of tax collection.
• According to historians, the lunar Islamic Hijri calendar followed by Akbar never coincided with the solar agricultural cycles. A harvest calendar called Fasholi Shan was then created and some people believe that this was the advent of the Bengali calendar.
• Pohela Boishakh is celebrated by spending time with family, visiting fairs, cleaning one’s houses and adorning new clothes. As the year ends, the Bengali community buys the Panjika, a book containing all important dates for the upcoming New Year. All the auspicious events including housewarming and weddings are then planned according to Panjika. Houses are decorated with traditional designs called alpana on the floor. A number of delicacies including ilish maach, dhokar dalna, rice, and chanar dal are prepared to welcome the New Year.
SPORTS NEWS
1. Tour de France postponed in wake of Coronavirus pandemic
• The world's most famous cycling race Tour de France has been postponed in the wake of Corona virus pandemic.
• The three-week race was set to start on 27th of June in the Riviera city of Nice has been set for August. This year's event has 21 stages, with the longest of them stretching 218 kilometres (135 miles).
• The decision came after French President Emmanuel Macron announced in his speech to the nation that all public events with large crowds have been cancelled until at least mid-July.
• The last time the Tour was not held was in 1946, with the nation still emerging from World War-II. It was also stopped during World War-I.
2. Cricket: IPL 2020 Suspended Indefinitely
• The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 has been suspended indefinitely due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed.
• This comes on the heels of extension of lockdown in the country.
• The IPL 2020, which was scheduled to get underway on March 29, was initially suspended until April 15 after the country went on a 21-day lockdown in a bid to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
• However, with the Covid-19 crisis intensifying across the globe, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the lockdown will be extended till May 3.
