NATIONAL NEWS
1. Cabinet approves Rs. 15,000 Crore for ''India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package"
• The Union Cabinet has approved significant investments to the tune of Rs. 15,000 crore for 'India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package'.
• The funds sanctioned will be utilized in 3 Phases and for immediate COVID-19 Emergency Response (an amount of Rs. 7,774 Crore) has been provisioned and rest for medium-term support (1-4 years) to be provided under mission mode approach.
• The key objectives of the package include mounting emergency response to slow and limit COVID-19 in India through the development of diagnostics and COV1D-dedicatcd treatment facilities, centralized procurement of essential medical equipment and drugs required for treatment of infected patients, strengthen and build resilient National and State health systems to support prevention and preparedness for future disease outbreaks, setting up of laboratories and bolster surveillance activities, bio-security preparedness, pandemic research and proactively engage communities and conduct risk communication activities.
• These interventions and initiatives would be implemented under the overall umbrella of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• The major share of the expenditure will be used for mounting robust emergency response, strengthening National and State health systems followed by strengthening pandemic research and multi-sector national institutions and platforms for One-Health, community engagement and risk communications and implementation, management, capacity building, monitoring and evaluation component.
• M/o Health & Family Welfare has been authorized to re-appropriate resources among components of the package and among the various implementation agencies (National Health Mission, Central Procurement, Railways, Dept. of Health Research/ICMR, National Centre for Disease Control) as per the evolving emergent situation.
2. Survey of India to support Aarogya Setu app in tracking COVID-19
• Survey of India (SOI) has made a set of valuable maps public to complement the government launched Aarogya Setu app.
• SOI’s mobile app ‘Sahyog’ will help the COVID-19 response team in getting location-specific data on a hotspot. The maps will not be directly useful for the general public and will be aimed more at helping government agencies that require geospatial information.
• In his lockdown extension address on April 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged Indians to use the Aarogya Setu app for COVID-19 alerts. The SOI’s platform will initially strengthen the public health delivery system of state and central government. After that, the necessary geospatial support to citizens and agencies can be provided. SOI’s mobile app, Sahyog has been customised to collect COVID-19 specific geospatial datasets through community engagement.
3. Karnataka launches Apthamitra helpline, mobile app
• In a bid to empower people in the fight against COVID-19, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa launched Apthamitra helpline with an exclusive toll free No: 14410 and Apthamitra mobile app.
• The main intention behind launching them is to reach out to people to help identify those having influenza-like illness (ILI), Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI), COVID-19-like symptoms or having high risk of getting infected.
• The two platforms also intend to identify persons with low risk but having some symptoms similar to COVID-19 and provide them telemedicine support with over-the-counter medicines and counsel them about the need to go through self-quarantine.
• Both the platforms aim at following up on all low-risk cases till they get fully cured. In addition to this, both aim at assessing those having medium to high risk of infection and getting them to fever clinics or screening centres for testing and treatment.
4. 'Feluda' Paper-Strip Test Developed by CSIR Scientists Checks for Covid-19 in Minutes
• A team led by two Bengali-origin scientists, Dr Souvik Maiti and Dr Debojyoti Chakraborty, at the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research’s Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) in New Delhi, have come up with a simple 'strip-test' to tell you if you have COVID-19, in minutes.
• It is named after the Bengali sleuth.
• The 'Feluda' is a paper-based test strip detects the new coronavirus within an hour and can now be the solution for India’s urgent need for rapid-testing.
• The test uses the cutting-edge gene-editing tool- Crispr-Cas9 to target and identify the genomic sequences of the novel coronavirus in the samples of suspected individuals. This strip will be similar to a pregnancy test strip, and will not require any specialised skill and machines to perform, as is the case with other PCR-based tests. This strip will just change colour, and can be used in a simple pathological lab. The most important part is it will be 100 per cent accurate.
5. Over Rs 36,659 cr transferred in bank accounts of 16.01 cr beneficiaries
• More than Rs 36,659 crore has been transferred to the bank accounts of 16.01 crore beneficiaries using direct benefit transfer (DBT) between March 24 and April 17 during the lockdown.
• The cash amount has been transferred by using Controller General of Accounts' (CGA) digital payments technology Public Financial Management System (PFMS) under Central Schemes (CS) and Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS). DBT ensures that the cash benefit is directly credited into the account of the beneficiary, eliminates leakage and improves efficiency. Besides, states like UP, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Maharashtra, Jammu & Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh have used DBT to transfer cash in the bank accounts. Through 180 welfare schemes, the state governments using PFMS have disbursed to 4.59 crore beneficiaries, an amount of Rs 9,217.22 crore between March 24 and April 17.
• Apart from above mentioned schemes, payments were also made under the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana, Rs 500 was credited in the women account holder of Jan Dhan accounts. Till April 13, the total number of women beneficiaries stood at 19.86 crore, which resulted in disbursement of Rs 9,930 crore.
• A total of Rs 17,733 crore has been paid under PM-KISAN to 8.43 crore beneficiaries, while Rs 5,406 crore has been disbursed under MGNREGA to over 1.55 crore bank accounts.
• The ministry said PFMS usage for DBT payments increased over last three financial years with total amount disbursed through DBT increasing from 22 per cent in 2018-19 to 45 per cent in 2019-20.
• With effect from April 1, 2015, the finance ministry had made it mandatory to use PFMS for payment, accounting and reporting under DBT and directed all implementing ministries or departments to ensure that no payments under DBT schemes were processed unless the electronic payment files for such payments were received through PFMS.
6. Pulwama becomes first Coronavirus-free district of J&K
• In Jammu and Kashmir, Pulwama has become the first Coronavirus-free district of the Union Territory. All the three positive COVID-19 patients from the district had undergone the necessary quarantine and have now successfully recovered.
• This had been possible with the precautionary measures adopted by the residents and with the joint efforts of the medical staff and the Pulwama District Administration. J&K had 407 confirm coronavirus cases till date.
7. Home Ministry includes few more relaxations in its guidelines issued last week
• The Home Ministry has included few more relaxations in its guidelines issued last week. Facilities for export-import such as Pack houses, inspection and treatment facilities for seeds and horticulture produce have been added to the range of agricultural activities allowed during the lockdown. Research Establishments dealing with the agriculture and horticulture activities and Inter and intra State movement of planting materials and honey bee colonies, honey and other beehive products have also been added to the list of activities permissible.
• Under the set of relaxations given to commercial outlets and private establishments, shops of educational books for students and shops of electric fans are the new additions.
• The Home Ministry has also allowed Sign-on and sign-off of Indian Seafarers at Indian Ports and their movement in this regard shall be allowed as per the standard protocol.
• Activities and offices related with forestry plantation including Silviculture operations have also been permitted under the graded relaxation measure by the centre after evaluating all concerns.
• The Centre has clarified that caregivers of senior citizens residing with them, prepaid mobile recharge utilities and food processing units in urban areas have been exempted from the lockdown imposed to fight COVID-19.
• The Home Ministry has written to Chief Secretaries of all States in this regard. The Ministry also said, the food processing units like bread factories, milk processing plants, flour mills and dal mills in urban areas are also exempted from lockdown.
• He asked the States to inform district authorities and agencies, in this regard.
• The Home Ministry also emphasized that social distancing norms for offices, workshops, factories and establishments must be ensured.
8. How states are helping the poor amidst coronavirus outbreak
In the backdrop of the coronavirus (Covid-19) scare affecting the livelihoods of daily wage earners due to slowing down of the economy, the state governments across the country are planning to give unemployment benefits to contract and temporary workers who have the fear of losing their jobs, and putting a plan in place to tackle the economic challenges thrown up by the pandemic.
The labour ministry has asked central ministries and states concerned to ensure that employers don't fire their employees, particularly contractual or casual workers, or reduce their wages amid Covid-19 outbreak as it would deepen the crisis. The ministry has also asked the states and ministries that all employees going on leave during the lockdown period should be deemed on duty without any consequential pay cut. Under the prevailing circumstances the daily or contract wage earners are the worst-hit because they are dependent on their daily earnings to meet the basic needs.
• Uttar Pradesh: The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has announced a financial package of over Rs 353 crore to give cash handouts to an estimated 3.53 million daily wage earners and labourers, who are likely to be hit due to the coronavirus outbreak. Moreover, amount of Rs 1,000 each will be given to 1.5 million daily wage labourers and 2.03 million construction workers across the state through direct benefit transfer. That means, the beneficiaries including rickshaw pullers, hawkers and kiosk owners, will get the money directly into their bank accounts. The state has also decided to provide free food grains for the months of April and May in advance to more than 8.38 million widow, old age and handicapped pensioners next month. Moreover, the state government has urged the Centre to sanction Rs 556 crore for payment towards the jobs rendered by beneficiaries under the MNREGS.
• Punjab: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has declared an immediate relief of Rs 3,000 to each registered construction worker in the state. The money would be transferred to their bank accounts in a bid to mitigate the hardships being faced by them in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. A total sum of Rs 96 crore has been earmarked for this purpose. CM Amarinder Singh sanctioned Rs 20 crore out of the Chief Minister Relief Fund for providing free food and medicines to the needy in the state. Punjab IAS officers association and state cabinet ministers also announced to donate their one month salary to the CM relief fund. The state has directed the local government department to defer the due date of making payment of water and sewerage bills by one month in all Municipal Corporations and Councils, besides extending the amnesty scheme on property tax till May 31, 2020.
• Haryana: The state government of Haryana has also announced special financial assistance for people in Below Poverty Line (BPL) category and low-income groups like daily wagers, labourers, street vendors and construction workers. This will cost the state government nearly Rs 1,200 crore per month. As part of relief measures, the state also announced setting up of a Haryana Corona Relief Fund (HCRF) and appealed to people to make voluntary donations, as he himself contributed Rs 500,000 from his personal account. The money will be used to mitigate hardship of those affected by the Covid-19 spread. Enlisting measures for the poor, CM said all BPL families will be provided their monthly rations for the month of April free of cost while all government school children and those enrolled with anganwadis will be given dry rations for the period the schools and anganwadis stay closed. Those registered with the Haryana Board of Construction Workers but have not registered under Mukhya Mantri Parivar Samriddhi scheme will be provided a sum of Rs 4,500 per month on weekly basis starting March 30. The sum will be credited directly to their bank accounts. All BPL families who have not registered under MMPSY will be provided a sum of Rs 4,500 per month on weekly basis starting March 30. Daily wagers, including labourers and street vendors, may register with the deputy commissioner of the district on a portal that will be established by March 27, Khattar said, adding all such persons, found eligible and having a bank account, will be directly provided an assistance of Rs 1,000 per week. All coronavirus patients, if requiring hospitalisation, will be admitted free of cost. All health and frontline workers, engaged in curbing the coronavirus spread, will be provided accident insurance of Rs 1 million. A special package for agriculture and farmers will be announced by the government by March 28.
• Kerala: The Kerala government has decided to facilitate loans worth Rs 2,000 crore through a self-help group 'Kudumbashree' in the nature of a consumer loan to those impacted by Covid-19. Another Rs 2,000 crore will be distributed as village employment assurance programme for April and May. Social welfare pensions, due in April, will be distributed this month, and for two-month pension, it is expected to be around Rs 1,320 crore. Foodgrains will be provided to families from all spectrum whether they are below poverty line or not. The government has allowed a one-month extension for the payment of water and electricity bills, and plans to launch restaurants will be fast-tracked and meals will be offered at Rs 20 instead of Rs 25, which was fixed earlier. Besides, tax relief has been declared to auto-rickshaws and taxis and buses.The Kerala government has already declared Rs 20,000-crore special package to overcome coronavirus disease, including Rs 14,000 crore to clear all arrears pending in various sectors and Rs 500-crore health package.
• Delhi: The Delhi government will pay salaries for all contractual staff, daily wage staff and guest teachers employed at places which have been closed in view of the coronavirus outbreak. Those receiving ration from fair-price shops would get 50 per cent extra for next month. CM Arvind Kejriwal has doubled the pension for widows, differently-abled and elderly for this month. The goods and services tax would be waived to make it more affordable for those who needed to be quarantined and were opting for the paid hotel facility.
• Himachal Pradesh: Himachal Pradesh government has announced Rs 500-crore relief package for the poor and the needy, and Rs 30 crore for construction workers who are likely to face financial troubles due the coronavirus outbreak. About 105,000 workers registered with the Building and Construction Workers Board will be provided Rs 2,000 as one-time relief. Besides this, ration including flour and rice for two months will be given to targeted public distribution system card holders. In the same way, Rs 160.2 crore as first quarter pension will be released to social security pension holders in the first week of April. Moreover, Rs 3,000 as first quarter pension will be provided within a fortnight to about 534,000 social security pension holders including about 125,000 widows and disabled persons.
10. Nagaland CM announces cash assistance
• Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has announced immediate relief in the form of cash assistance to the distressed and stranded citizens presently outside Nagaland because of the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown.
• The scale of cash assistance will be 20 thousand rupees for a patient, 4000 for a professional or working person and 3000 for a Student.
• Any citizen of the State who is presently outside and is facing distress due to the Nationwide Lockdown may go to the portal iamstranded.nagaland.gov.in and apply for assistance directly.
• The Chief Minister also announced that measures being undertaken for alleviating the distress faced by the daily wagers will continue.
• Rio said government will continue to provide the daily wagers with relief packets consisting of rice, dal and other essential items through District Administration. Any employee of the State Government including any personnel of Nagaland Police and Urban Local Bodies in the State, who suffers fatality due to COVID-19 while performing frontline duties, will be paid an ex-gratia amount of 10 lakh rupees.
11. Tripura becomes the third state after Goa and Manipur to be Corona free
• Days after Goa and Manipur became India's first two states to have zero covid-19 cases, Tripura Chief Minister announced that the state has become coronavirus- free after its second Covid-19 patient tested negative.
• Tripura is third state in India to have zero Covid-19 cases.
• The coastal state of Goa had a total of seven positive cases, of whom six had travel history and one was the brother of a positive patient.
• Goa is the first green State in the country with no case of coronavirus being reported from April 3.
12. MP Anganwadi workers, Assistants to get benefit of Yoddha Kalyan Yojana
• In Madhya Pradesh, around one lakh Anganwadi workers and Assistants of the state will get the benefit of Chief Minister COVID-19 Yoddha Kalyan Yojana.
• Under this initiative, they will also get a special health insurance cover of Rs 50 lakhs. It is noteworthy that special insurance scheme has been launched by the Central Government for health workers who are fighting against COVID-19 epidemic.
• State Government has already asked the Collector of all the districts to declare the Anganwadi workers and assistants eligible under the Chief Minister COVID-19 Yoddha Kalyan Yojana because of their exposure and active role in fight against corona virus.
• Meanwhile, the state government has given one year exemption to the private schools for renewal of accreditation due to COVID-19 infection. Now the recognition of such schools will be valid till 31 March 2021.
For all such schools, the prescribed fee for renewal has also been postponed till the next session.
13. UP govt orders complete sealing of Delhi-Noida border
• The Gautam Buddh Nagar district administration decided to seal the Delhi-Noida border as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19.
• The announcement came hours after Ghaziabad also closed its border with Delhi as per the lockdown orders.
• However, certain services will be allowed to continue travelling across the border. Health workers and essential services personnel with valid passes issued by government authorities will be allowed to travel.
• Media personnel in possession of specific passes issued by the District Information Officer or Additional Superintendent of Police of Gautam Buddh Nagar will also be allowed.
• Other exceptions include ambulances, small and heavy vehicles carrying essential commodities, officials of the central government with passes issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and doctors and health workers employed with hospitals and emergency services in the district.
14. SC dismisses interim bail plea of Christian Michel James
• The Supreme Court dismissed a plea of Christian Michel James, an alleged middleman arrested in connection with the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam cases, seeking interim bail on the grounds of risk of contracting coronavirus in Tihar jail.
• A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and B R Gavai, which took up the interim bail plea through video conferencing, said that as per the criteria fixed by high powered committee constituted by government in pursuance of directions of apex court, the petitioner (Michel) cannot be granted bail. Michel, extradited from Dubai, was arrested by the ED on December 22, 2018.
• On January 5 last year, he was sent to judicial custody in the ED case. He is also lodged in judicial custody in another case registered by the CBI in connection with the scam.
• Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the ED and the CBI. The other two are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. On April 1, the apex court had asked Michel to first approach the high court with his plea.
15. Interactive platform 'COVID INDIA SEVA' launched to provide real time solutions
• The Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has launched an interactive platform, COVID INDIA SEVA aimed at providing real time solutions to Covid-19 related queries. People can post their queries to the COVID INDIA SEVA twitter handle for getting swift replies from the team of trained experts.
• This initiative is aimed at enabling transparent e-governance delivery at large scales especially in crisis situations like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
• Through this platform, trained experts will be able to share authoritative public health information swiftly at scale, helping to build a direct channel for communication with citizens. Commenting on the launch of the social handle he said that Twitter has proved to be an essential service for both the government and citizens to interact and exchange information, especially in times of need.
• The responses by the experts will be available for everyone and users will not be required to share any personal details or health records on this account.
16. MEA playing key role in ensuring availability of essential medical equipment
• The Ministry of External Affairs has been playing a key role in ensuring availability of essential medical equipment to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and due to the proactive actions of the Indian missions abroad test kits, personal protection equipment and masks will be procured in the coming weeks.
• Six SUV-sized high-speed testing machines, which are in high demand, are being sourced from Roche in the US, and India's research and development labs are in touch with their counterparts in Israel and Germany which are undertaking cutting edge work.
• As part of the government's response to the COVID-19 situation, eleven empowered groups have been set up for an integrated all-of-government approach.
• The MEA has been playing a key role in the empowered group that deals with ensuring availability of essential medical equipment and supplies.
• Indian missions' role extends from scouting the market, tapping commercial opportunities, facilitating supply contracts, closely coordinating on the ground in ensuring that deliveries take place in a timely manner.
17. All Ministries are open, clarifies Govt
• Press Information Bureau has set up a portal - COVID 19 Fact Check Unit -- which will receive messages by email and send its response in quick time.
• The Portal was set up a portal for fact-checking issues related with the novel coronavirus pandemic, and it will receive messages by email and send its response in quick time.
• The PIB will also release a daily bulletin at 8 pm everyday to inform regarding Centre's decisions and developments and progress on the deadly COVID 19.
• The PIB's bulletin is in line with the Supreme Court directive to check fake news, a daily bulletin system with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic be made active within 24 hours by the government through all media avenues, including social media and forums, to clear people''s doubts.
• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has set up a technical group consisting of professionals from AIIMS, et al, to clarify any doubts in the minds of the general public on any technical aspect of COVID 19.
• The ministry has also issued detailed guidelines to deal with psychological issues among migrants.
18. HRD Minister launches VidyaDaan 2.0 for inviting e-learning content contributions
• The Union Human Resource Development Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal'Nishank' e-launched VidyaDaan 2.0 program for inviting e-learning content contributions in New Delhi.
• The programme has been launched due to the increasing requirement for e-learning content for stu-dents(both school and higher education) especially in the backdrop of situation arising out of Covid- 19 and also due to the urgent need to integrate digital education with schooling to augment learning.
• The DIKSHA Platform of MHRD has been operating since September 2017 with 30+ States/UTs leveraging DIKSHA for augmenting teaching and learning processes.
• With the unprecedented crisis due to the spread of the Novel Coronavirus and Covid-19 impacting upon school and higher education in many different ways, it is the right time and opportunity for all user states/UTs to strengthen their e- learning content for school and higher education on DIKSHA and leverage its potential use by students and teachers of your states/UTs.
• VidyaDaan has a content contribution tool that provides a structured interface for the contributors to register and contribute different types of content (such as, explanation videos, presentations, competency-based items, quizzes etc.), for any grade (from grade 1 to 12), for any subject as specified by the states/UTs.
19. HRD Minister releases Alternative Academic Calendar for upper primary stage
• In order to engage students meaningfully during their stay at home due to COVID-19 through educational activities at home with the help of their parents and teachers, the alternative academic calendars at primary and upper primary stage (Classes VI to VIII) have been developed by the NCERT under the guidance of the MHRD.
• This Alternative Academic Calendar for upper primary stage was released by Union Human Resource Development Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ in New Delhi.
• This Calendar provides guidelines to teachers on the use of various technological tools and social media tools available for imparting education in fun-filled, interesting ways, which can be used by learner, parents and teachers even while at home. However, it has taken into account, the varying levels of access to such tools-Mobile, Radio, Television, SMS and various social media. It is a fact that many of us may not have internet facility in the mobile, or may not be able to use different social media tools- such as whatsapp, facebook, twitter, google etc., the calendar guides teachers to further guide parents and students through SMS on mobile phones or through voice call.
• Parents are expected to help elementary stage students to implement this Calendar. Calendar includes link for Chapter wise e-content available on the e-pathshala, NROER and DIKSHA portal of GoI.
• NCERT has already started having live interactive sessions with students, parents and teachers through the TV channel Swayam Prabha (Kishore manch).
• This Calendar will empower our students, teachers, school principals and parents to find out positive ways to deal with Covid-19 using on-line teaching-learning resources and also improving their learning outcomes getting school education at home.
20. Ayush Ministry announces mechanism to support short-term research projects
• The Ministry of AYUSH has announced a mechanism to support short-term research projects for evaluating the impact of AYUSH interventions/ medicines in the prophylaxis and clinical management of COVID-19.
• Hospitals/Institutions involved in the management of COVID-19 cases have been invited to participate in this scheme which falls under the extramural (i.e., for those from outside the AYUSH Ministry establishment) research category. The proposals should be related to evaluating the role and impact of AYUSH interventions/medicines in the prophylaxis and clinical management of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease.
• Project proposals of a maximum of six months duration with Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC) clearance will be considered for support up to Rs. 10.00 lakhs to meet the expenditure on engaging AYUSH clinicians, technical manpower, laboratory investigations and related contingencies.
• The details including eligibility criteria, mode for submission of application, application form are uploaded on Ministry of AYUSH website, ie. ayush.gov.in.
21. PM Modi hails contribution of Rural India in fight against Coronavirus
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the contribution of Rural India to the fight against Coronavirus in his address on National Panchayati Raj Day i.e. 24 April.
• The Prime Minister launched the e-Gramswaraj Portal and Mobile app as a portal to prepare and plan Gram Panchayat Development Plans. The portal will ensure real time monitoring and accountability. The portal is a major step towards digitisation down to the Gram Panchayat level. The Swamitva scheme was also launched in pilot mode in 6 states to map rural inhabited lands usings drones and latest survey methods. The scheme will ensure streamlined planning, revenue collection and provide clarity over property rights in rural areas.
• The interaction was an opportunity to establish direct dialogue between the Prime Minister and the Gram Panchayat representatives.
• PM launched two mobile portals E-Gram Swaraj Portal & Swamitva Scheme on April 24, 2020. The portals can be accessed at egramswaraj.gov.in and can be downloaded on the mobile. The portal has been launched for the improvement of society.
• The E-Gram Swaraj Portal will mark the complete digitization of the villages to strengthen e-governance in Panchayati Raj institutions in the whole country.
• The egramswaraj.gov.in portal is one single interface on which the details will be listed panchayat wise. The platform will provide records of work from planning to the implementation in every village panchayat under Gram Panchayati Development Plan (GPDP).
• Monitoring and recording all the work via Gram Swaraj Portal/App will help speed-up the implementation of projects in village areas.
• As it will contain the details of ongoing development works and the fund allocated for the projects, one can access and know about the groundwork.All the details related to Panchayat Sachiv and Panch can be viewed on Gram Swaraj Portal.The works of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj will be accessible through Gram Swaraj Portal.
• The Gram Swaraj Portal and application will provide a boost in transparency by decentralized planning of development projects, with progress reports updates and increased accountability.
22. India looks forward to pursue unified efforts with G20 member countries
• India has reiterated its support to global health agenda and said it looks forward towards working with G20 member countries to pursue unified efforts towards mitigation of COVID-19.
• In his statement at G20 Health Ministers meeting, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said, India as a global leader in pharmaceuticals, has stepped to make sure supplies of drugs like Hydroxychloroquine to countries around the world. India is working with global partners to ensure that effective drugs and vaccines can be developed, and made available as soon as possible.
• The Minister said the scale of impact of COVID 19 is unprecedented and therefore calls for cooperation between nations to attain normalcy.
• The Health Minister said India has successfully tackled public health emergencies in the past as well and this time, the hallmark of its approach has been fivefold.
• He said the government is stressing on maintaining a continuous situation awareneness, pre-emptive and proactive approach, graded response, inter-sectoral coordination and creating people's movement. Dr Harsh Vardhan highlighted that the country started surveillance of flights from COVID affected countries twelve days before it had its first COVID 19 case on the 30th of January.
23. India, Afghanistan share special friendship, will combat COVID-19
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, India and Afghanistan share a special friendship, based on ties of history, geography, and culture.
• Responding to Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, who thanked India for providing medial and other support, Mr. Modi said, for long, the two countries have fought jointly against the scourge of terrorism and they will similarly combat COVID-19 together, with solidarity and shared resolve.
• Earlier, Afghanistan President thanked Prime Minister Modi for providing 500K tablets of hydroxychloroquine, 100K tablets of paracetamol, and 75,000 metric tons of wheat.
24. G-20 Agriculture Ministers decide to ensure continuous flow
• Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar participated in a virtual meeting of G-20 Agriculture Ministers to address the issue of Covid-19 impacts on food security, safety and nutrition.
• The G-20 Agriculture Ministers virtual meeting was organized through video conferencing by the Saudi Presidency to deliberate on the ways and means of ensuring continuity of the food supply value chain including livelihood of farmers.
• Agriculture Ministers of all G-20 members and the representatives of some guest countries and International organizations attended the meeting.
25. President approves ordinance to protect healthcare workers
• President Ram Nath Kovind has approved The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020, aimed at protecting healthcare professionals against violence during health crises such as the covid-19 pandemic now ravaging the world.
• The approval followed the Union cabinet nod to the ordinance, which makes not just attacks on healthcare personnel, but also those on their property, including their living and working premises, cognizable, non-bailable offences.
• The ordinance also provides for compensation for injury and damage to or loss of property in such cases.
• The amendment states that any commission or abetment to acts of violence shall be punished with imprisonment of three months to five years and a fine of ₹50,000 to ₹2 lakh.
• If the attackers cause grievous hurt, they can be imprisoned for six months to seven years with fine of ₹1 lakh to ₹5 lakh.
• The offender will also be liable to pay compensation to the victim and twice the fair market value for damage of property.
• Several states have enacted special laws to protect doctors and other medical personnel in the past. However, existing state laws “do not have such a wide sweep and ambit. They generally do not cover harassment at home and workplace and are focused more on physical violence only.
• The ordinance covers public and clinical healthcare service providers, such as doctors, nurses, paramedical workers, community health workers, and persons empowered under the Epidemic Diseases Act, to take outbreak prevention measures.
26. Pune municipal corporation develops ‘Saiyam’ app to track home-quarantine
• To track home quarantine people on a real-time basis, Pune Municipal Corporation has developed a mobile application named ‘Saiyam’.
• The mobile application has GPS tracking so that whenever quarantined citizens leave their homes, city administration gets alerted and the local ward or the local police station gets informed, who then visit the family.
• The teams will now check if those under home quarantine have downloaded the Saiyam Mobile Application. Through the mobile application, the administration can access the real-time data of the home-quarantine like movement, meeting other people and inform the local ward or police to take necessary action.
• All the home quarantined citizens are given the mandate to download the app and install it. These identified citizens are advised to keep the GPS feature on the device always switched-on and the mobile device should be switched-on throughout the 24 hours, during the quarantine period. Citizens’ movements can be monitored centrally real-time from the monitoring cell and are marked as Red, Amber or Green. Red signifies that the person has ventured out for a longer duration; Yellow signifies that the person has limited movements and Green signifies that the person is confined to house limits.
27. IIFPT making nutrient-rich foods for COVID-19 patients
• The Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT) is making nutrient-rich foods for patients affected by COVID-19 and also those who have recovered from the disease.
• IIFPT, which is a national-level academic and research institution under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, is making products like bread, rusks and cookies and millet pops, which are enriched with spices and other natural immunity-booster ingredients. The institute, which has its main campus at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, and liaison offices at Bathinda, Punjab, and Guwahati, Assam, offers various services in areas of food processing, value addition, food quality and safety, and business incubation.
• The institute has been making such nutrient-rich foods for COVID-19 patients under medical examination and those who recently recovered from the pandemic after treatment at Thanjavur Medical College, Tamil Nadu, the statement said.
• IIFPT has been supporting the efforts of the district administration, Thanjavur and Thanjavur Medical College (TMC) in combating COVID-19.
• Its Director C Anandharamakrishnan said scientists from IIFPT have come up with novel food product formulations that have been packed with a range of indigenous foods.
• Breads, cookies, rusks and millet pops are being prepared on a daily basis at IIFPT's HACCP and ISO Certified Food Processing Business Incubation Center (FPBIC) and are being supplied to the Medical College and Hospital.
• The initiative kicked off on April 21 in the presence of the district collector and the Dean, TMC.
• Bread loaves are being enriched with dried moringa leaves, groundnut powder and whey protein to make up to around 9.8 per cent protein and 8.1 per cent fibre, apart from natural immunity-boosters like garlic, turmeric, ginger, pepper, and other spices. Cookies have around 14.16 per cent protein and 8.71 per cent fibre, apart from the benefits of spice extracts.
• With around 12.85 per cent protein and 10.61 per cent fibre, the rusks were equally good in terms of organoleptic attributes.
• In addition, IIFPT also houses a FSSAI referral laboratory and the Department of Food Safety and Quality Testing is preparing hand sanitisers for the District Police Department and other officers who are involved in various duties.
28. MHA makes Spitting offence under Section 51 b of the Disaster Management Act
• The Government of India has announced Spitting in public act a punishable offence under the strict Disaster Management Act in its revised guidelines for lockdown issued to contain COVID-19. The announcement was made by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in its revised guidelines.
• The guidelines also mandated the wearing of face masks in public places.
• MHA has made spitting punishable with a fine under Section 51 (b) of the Disaster Management Act.
• Spitting in public has been already made an offence under municipal laws in various cities. This has been hardly taken seriously by the people in the country. Measures have been taken by the Municipal corporations of Delhi and several other states.
• Assam, Bihar, Haryana, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Jharkhand, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand have already issued orders to ban tobacco products and spitting in public places amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
• MHA imposed a strict ban on the sale of liquor, 'gutka', tobacco, etc. It strictly prohibited spitting in public places. The directives shall be implemented by district magistrates through fines and penal action given under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. Anyone refusing to comply with the order of government orders under the Disaster Management Act will result in imprisonment up to one year or a fine, or both.
ECONOMY, BUSINESS AND DEFENCE NEWS
1. DA hike for Central Govt employees, pensioners put on hold till July 2021
• The government announced its decision to put on hold the hike in dearness allowance (DA) for the year. In March, the union cabinet had approved an increase of 4 per cent in DA to 21 per cent. Central government employees and pensioners will now continue to receive DA at current rates, i.e., 17 per cent as part of their salary/pension. The memorandum further states that no arrears will be paid from January 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021. However, any hike in DA due to revision on July 1, 2021 will take into account the previous hikes as well.
• The decision to hike DA was announced in March, which was effective from January 1, 2020.
• Apart from government employees, the reversal in hike of DA will also impact the central government pensioners and even those who receive family pensions from the central government.
• Dearness allowance is usually received by government employees and pensioners to compensate for the rising inflation. The DA is revised twice during the year in the month of January and July.
• Recently, government has announced that various members of Parliament, the President and Vice President have taken cuts in their salaries.
2. 33 cr poor given financial assistance under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana
• More than 30 crore poor people have received financial assistance of Rs.28,256 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman last month to protect them from the impact of the lockdown.
• As part of the Rs.1.70 lakh crore relief package, the government announced free foodgrains and cash doles to women and poor senior citizens and farmers. The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) disbursed about Rs.1,400 crore to about 2.82 crore old age persons, widows and disabled persons.
• Each beneficiary received an ex-gratia cash of Rs 1,000 under the scheme.
• As many as 2.16 crore construction workers received financial support from the Building and Construction Worlers' Fund managed by state governments. Under this Rs 3,066 crore were given to beneficiaries.
• The government, under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana, is in the process of releasing 12 million MT of food grain during April-June.
• The package included free LPG refills for the next three months to over 8.3 crore poor women under Ujjawala scheme and Rs 50 lakh insurance cover for healthcare workers.
3. Rural Electrification Corporation steps up relief work amidst lockdown
• Rural Electrification Corporation, REC, a public sector unit under Power Ministry has stepped up relief work amidst lockdown.
• REC Foundation, the CSR arm of REC Limited is distributing cooked food, ration, utility packets, masks, sanitizers and shelter to the needy people.
• These efforts of the foundation have benefitted 76 thousand daily wagers and their families so far.
• REC has also tied up with Delhi Police to provide 500 food packets. It has also donated 150 crore rupees to the PM-CARES Fund to support India's fight against coronavirus.
4. IMA welcomes Cabinet's decision to approve ordinance to protect healthcare workers
• Indian Medical Association (IMA) has welcomed the Union Cabinet's decision to approve an ordinance to protect the healthcare workers.
• IMA President Dr Rajan Sharma lauded the ordinance and thanked the Prime Minister, Home Minister and Health Minister for keeping their promise.
• IMA's Maharashtra chapter has also welcomed the central government’s move that will make acts of violence against healthcare workers a cognizable and non-bailable offence.
• Its president Dr Avinash Bhondwe described it as a long awaited decision in favour of doctors.
PEOPLE IN NEWS
1. US Prez Trump appoints Indian-American to country's top science board
• U.S. President Donald Trump appointed Indian-American Sudarsanam Babu to country's top science board. Mr. Babu, who is from the prestigious Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), has been appointed as a member of the National Science Board for a six-year term, the White House said as it announced several key administrative appointments.
• Mr. Babu earned his master of technology (industrial metallurgy - welding) from IIT-Madras in 1988 and a bachelor of engineering (eetallurgy) from PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore in 1986.
• He holds a PhD in materials science and metallurgy from the Cambridge University, and is currently director of the Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education, as well as ORNL Governor's Chair of Advanced Manufacturing.
• In this role, he bridges ORNL expertise, including Department of Energy's manufacturing demonstration facility, to develop a collaborative research ecosystem locally and employ engineering solutions to manufacturing industries.
• He has 21 years of experience in advanced manufacturing, additive manufacturing, physical metallurgy and computational materials modeling.
• Mr. Babu would be the third Indian American in this prestigious board. The other two being Sethuraman Panchanathan from the Arizona State University and Suresh V Garimella from University of Vermont.
2. Kapil Dev Tripathi appointed Secretary to President Ram Nath Kovind
• Kapil Dev Tripathi was appointed Secretary to President Ram Nath Kovind. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointed of Mr Tripathi as Secretary to the President on contract basis, for a term co-terminus with the tenure of the President.
• Mr Tripathi, a 1980 batch IAS officer ( Retired) of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, is at present the Chairman of Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB).
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. 1 in 6 American workers jobless
• 1 in 6 American workers are now out of a job due to the coronavirus outbreak, according to new data released in the US.
• This takes unemployment in the US to levels last seen during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
• In response to the deepening economic crisis, the House passed a nearly USD 500 billion spending package to help buckled businesses and hospitals.
• More than 4.4 million laid-off Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, the US government reported. In all, roughly 26 million people have now filed for unemployment aid in five weeks
2. Novel Coronavirus likely to remain for a long time to come: WHO
• World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that the novel coronavirus is likely to remain on the planet for a long time to come.
• WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that countries which thought that coronavirus is under control are witnessing a resurgence in the number of cases and the trends in Africa and America are still upwards. Although numbers are low, there is a worrying upward trends in Africa, Central and South America, and eastern Europe. Most countries are still in the early stages of their epidemics.
• And some that were affected early in the pandemic are now starting to see a resurgence in cases.
• Tedros said that the WHO had warned on a global emergency well in time on January 30.
• The clarification came after the body was accused by the US of colluding with China and downplaying the severity of the pandemic.
3. Facebook launches third party fact checking in Bangladesh
• Facebook announced the launch of its third party fact checking system in Bangladesh to discourage the spread of fake news in the country.
• Facebook in partnership with Boom Fact check will review and rate the stories, including photos and videos.
• The fact checking will build a more informed community in the region.
• It will debunk misinformation on topics from health and medicine to current affairs so that Facebook users in Bangladesh are able to identify factual information and news online.
When third party fact-Checkers rate a post as false or fake, it will appear less or at the bottom of news feed. This will reduce the spread of the post.
• In case a certain news item or post or video is suspected to lack authenticity, the third party fact checkers will write articles about the content which is shown in the related articles immediately below the story.
• If a person shares a news or item with false information, they will receive a notification about its lack of authenticity.
• Boom is an Indian fact checking website which is available in English, Hindi and Bengali.
• Facebook started its fact-checking programme in 2016 and now it covers 60 partners in 50 languages.
4. South Korea relaxes some of social distancing rules
• South Koreans are returning to work and crowding shopping malls, parks, golf courses and some restaurants as South Korea relaxes social distancing rules amid a continued downward trend in coronavirus cases.
• A growing list of companies, including SK Innovation and Naver, has ended or eased their work from home policy in recent weeks, though many continue to apply flexible working hours and limit travel and face-to-face meetings. Parks, mountains and golf courses brimmed with visitors over the weekend, while shopping malls and restaurants were slowly returning to normal.
• South Korea extended its social distancing policy for another 16 days on Sunday but offered some relief for religious and sports facilities previously subjected to strict restrictions.
• The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 13 new cases on Monday, a day after posting just eight - the first single digit daily rise since the Feb. 28 peak of 909. The death toll stands at 236.
5. Trump administration, Congress near 450 billion deal
• In the United States, the Trump Administration and the Congress are nearing an agreement on an aid package of up to 450 billion dollars to boost a small-business loan programme that has run out of money and add funds for hospitals and COVID-19 testing.
• President Donald Trump said, he is getting close to a deal.
• With small-business owners reeling during a Corona virus outbreak that has shuttered much economic activity, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said earlier that he was hopeful of a deal that could pass Congress quickly and get the Small Business Administration programme back up by midweek.
• The emerging draft measure — originally designed by Republicans as a $250 billion stopgap to replenish the payroll subsidies for smaller businesses — has grown into the second largest of the four coronavirus response bills so far.
6. US wants to send team of experts inside China to investigate Coronavirus
• The U.S. wants to send a team of experts to China to investigate coronavirus, President Donald Trump has said, a day after he warned Beijing of "consequences" if it was knowingly responsible for the spread of COVID-19 which has killed more than 165,000 people globally, including over 41,000 in America.
• The US has launched an investigation into whether the deadly virus "escaped" from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
7. New York city to form response team to address anti-Asian harassment
• New York city is forming a new response team to address the growing incidents of harassment and discrimination against Asian-Americans in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• More than 14,000 people have died in the city and over 200,000 people have contracted the deadly virus. The number of the coronavirus cases in the US has gone up to 787,370, while over 35,000 people have died from the disease.
• The response team will consist of staff from the Law Enforcement Bureau and the Community Relations Bureau working in coordination to quickly and efficiently track and respond to the sharp increase in reports of harassment and discrimination connected to the pandemic.
8. Sri Lanka to conduct parliamentary polls on June 20
• Sri Lanka's Election Commission has set the country's parliamentary election for June 20, after it postponed the April 25 polls in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Sri Lanka has reported 309 coronavirus cases and seven deaths so far. A total of 33 infections were detected, the highest number to be recorded on a single day, prompting authorities to move 1,010 people from a working class neighbourhood in Colombo to quarantine.
• The Election Commission's announcement came two days after Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said in a statement that the Commission was "mandatorily required" to fix a new date for the polls. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's secretary too wrote to the Commission on April 9, emphasising citizens' right to franchise, and the Commission's "responsibility" to fix the date for the election.
9. Donald Trump to temporarily suspend immigration to US
• US President Donald Trump has said he will be signing an executive order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States as the country tries to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
• It’s the latest measure taken by Trump and his administration to restrict the U.S. border amid the pandemic.
• Trump has imposed broad travel restrictions on China, Europe, Canada and Mexico to curb the virus’s spread, and the State Department last month temporarily suspended routine visa services at embassies and consulates.
• President Donald Trump said his forthcoming executive order barring new immigration will apply only to people seeking green cards, last 60 days and won't affect workers entering the country on a temporary basis. Instead, he said the provision would amount to a 60-day pause only on people seeking permanent resident status in the United States.
• The order only addresses green cards because the temporary work visa portion is more complicated and needs more time to sort out, particularly given the fact that many of those currently in the US on work visas are working in industries related to the pandemic, from workers at food processing plants to health care workers.
10. Mexico and US agree to extend restrictions on non-essential travel
• Mexico and the United States agreed to extend restrictions on non-essential travel across their border by another 30 days.
• The move covers "all non-essential land traffic" on the common border "after reviewing the development of the spread of COVID-19 " in both countries, the ministry said in a statement. The measures first went into effect on March 21.
• US President Donald Trump said at the time the move was necessary to prevent the spread of the infection "to our border agents, migrants and to the public at large."
11. Iran says it successfully launched a military satellite-NOOR into Orbit
• Iran claims to have launched its first military satellite-NOOR into orbit.
• If true, the mission would be Iran’s first successful rocket launch in some time after repeated failed attempts to put a vehicle into space.
• In the past, Earth-imaging satellites have spotted the country’s launch preparations, but there was no public heads-up about this particular mission.
• Iran says the satellite, called Noor, took off on top of a relatively unknown rocket called Ghased, or “Messenger,” from Iran’s Central Desert and reached an altitude of 425 kilometers, or 265 miles, above the Earth.
12. South Korean firm starts production of COVID-19 Rapid Antibody Testing kits in India
• SD Biosensor Healthcare Pvt Ltd, a South Korean firm has started production of the COVID-19 rapid antibody testing kits in its Indian subsidiary plant to meet the growing demand of the medical equipment in India and other parts of the world.
• SD Biosensor Healthcare Pvt Ltd is producing the test kits with a capacity of 500,000 tests per week and the first batch was rolled out on April 19.
• Its Indian subsidiary is located in Manesar, Gurgaon. This is an excellent example of India's 'Make in India for the World' as the company plans to ramp up production to meet growing demand in India as well as other parts of the world.
• The strategy and corporate structure of this company exemplifies the strong partnership between the two countries specially in the field of medical technology.
13. Trump threatens to terminate trade deal over coronavirus crisis
• US President Donald Trump has threatened to terminate the trade deal with China if Beijing did not honour its provisions in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that originated in the country. The deal, which calls on China to buy USD 200 billion worth of US products, is set to move ahead as planned.
• However, the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission in a report said China could invoke a clause in the agreement that allows for fresh trade consultations between the two countries "in the event of a natural disaster or other unforeseeable event.” Trump said such a clause could lead to the cancellation of the deal.
• Trump launched the trade war with China in 2018, demanding Beijing to reduce the massive trade deficit, which was USD 375.6 billion in 2017. The two countries so far have imposed additional tariffs on nearly USD half-trillion worth of goods.
• The US has imposed tariffs on more than USD 360 billions of Chinese goods, and China has retaliated with tariffs on over USD 110 billions of American products.
14. Spain's bull running festival cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic
• Spain's best-known bull running festival in the northern town of Pamplona has been cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
• Hundreds of thousands of people typically attend the centuries-old San Fermin celebration, which sees half-a tonne fighting bulls chase hundreds of daredevils, many wearing traditional white shirts and scarves, though the narrow streets of the city each morning.
• Pamplona's municipal council decided to call off the event, held each year between July 6 and 14, because the fight against COVID-19 has become a global priority and there is no other possible option for such massive festivities.
15. US Senate approves 484 billion dollar in fresh relief for economy and hospitals
• US Senate has unanimously approved 484 billion dollar in fresh relief for the economy and hospitals hammered by the coronavirus pandemic.
• The bill was hurried along shortly after congressional leaders and the White House brokered an agreement.
• The measure, which passed by unanimous consent after more than a week of negotiations between Democrats, Republicans and the White House, now heads to the House of Representatives where a vote could occur.
16. Cats in New York state test positive for coronavirus
• Two pet cats in New York state have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, marking the first confirmed cases in companion animals in the United States.
• The cats, which had mild respiratory illnesses and are expected to recover, are thought to have contracted the virus from people in their households or neighbourhoods, the US Department of Agriculture and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
• The finding, which comes after positive tests in some tigers and lions at the Bronx Zoo, adds to a small number of confirmed cases of the virus in animals worldwide. US authorities say that while it appears some animals can get the virus from people, there's no indication pets are transmitting it to human beings.
• Still, the CDC is recommending that people prevent their pets from interacting with people or animals outside their homes -- by keeping cats indoors and dogs out of dog parks, for instance.
17. Saudi King approves reduced number of Taraweeh prayers
• The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has approved performing a reduced version of Taraweeh prayers in the Two Holy Mosques in Mecca and Medina.
• These will be limited to the authority’s employees and workers, and will be shortened to five Tasleemat (i.e. 10 Rakat). However, the general entry of the worshippers to Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina will continue to remain suspended to contain the spread of coronavirus.
• The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia had earlier asked the public to perform the Taraweeh and Eid Al Fitr prayers at home.
18. S.Korea to strap electronic wristbands on people ignoring home-quarantine orders
• South Korea will strap electronic wristbands on people ignoring home-quarantine orders.
• Those who refuse to wear the bands after breaking quarantine will be sent to shelters where they will be asked to pay for accommodation. Around 46,300 people are currently under self-quarantine.
• The number ballooned after the government began enforcing 14-day quarantines on all passengers arriving from abroad on April 1.
• Although quarantined individuals have been required to download a tracking app that s authorities if they leave their homes, some of them have been caught slipping out by leaving their phones behind.
• The wristbands will communicate with the phone apps through Bluetooth and authorities when people leave home or attempt to remove the bands.
19. Pakistan receives USD 1.39 billion emergency loan from IMF
• Cash-strapped Pakistan has received an emergency loan of USD 1.39 billion from the IMF to boost its foreign exchange reserves in the wake of the further economic downturn due to the coronavirus crisis.
• The USD 1.39 billion loan is in addition to the USD 6 billion bailout package that Pakistan has signed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in July last year to stave off a balance of payment crisis.
• Pakistan in March had requested the global money lender for a low-cost, fast-disbursing loan under its Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) to deal with the adverse economic impact of COVID-19.
• The RFI is used to provide financial assistance to IMF member countries facing an urgent balance of payments need without requiring them to put a full-fledged programme in place. The USD 1,39 billion loan will push Pakistan's foreign currency reserves apparently to a one-month high above USD 12 billion.
• The World Bank has earlier approved USD 1 billion and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) USD 1.5 billion for Pakistan to keep its economy afloat.
20. China announces additional USD 30 million grant for WHO
• China announced an additional USD 30 million grant to the World Health Organisation, days after Beijing expressed "serious concern" over US President Donald Trump's decision to freeze the funding for the global health agency over its handling of the COVID-19 crisis.
• The grant will be in addition to the USD 20 million provided by China earlier to the WHO.
• China hinted at stepping up its monetary contribution to the UN health agency on April 15. Beijing's response came a day after Trump announced to put a "very powerful" hold on US' funding to the WHO, accusing the UN agency of being "very China-centric" and criticising it for having "missed the call" in its response to the coronavirus pandemic.
• Both China and the WHO faced serious criticism over lack of transparency especially about the discovery of the coronavirus in December last year and its silent spread in Wuhan until Beijing imposed lockdown in the city on January 23.
• By that time, over five million people from Wuhan were reported to have left for holiday destinations at home and abroad to celebrate the Chinese new year, which many allege resulted in the spreading of the deadly virus worldwide.
• China has denied the allegations of any cover-up, saying it was the first country to report the COVID-19 to the WHO.
21. Hubble Space Telescope celebrates 30th anniversary
• Hubble Space Telescope celebrates the 30th anniversary on 24 April 2020. The unique design of the telescope has allowed being repaired and upgraded with advanced technology by astronauts.
• The telescope is one of NASA's longest-living and most valuable observatories. It has beamed transformational astronomical images to Earth for decades.
• Hubble is expected to sustain through the 2020s. Also, a second-generation space telescope named "James Webb Space Telescope" has been scheduled to launch in 2021.
• Hubble was named after astronomer Edwin Hubble who confirmed the Universe was expanding, among other findings. The space telescope was launched into space aboard the space shuttle Discovery on 24 April 1990. The idea of an orbiting telescope was first conceived by Lyman Spitzer in 1946.
• Hubble has allowed the astronomers to measure the acceleration of the universe. It has provided evidence of dark matter and observed atmospheres around exoplanets. So far, the telescope has made 1.4 million observations with data used in more than 17,000 peer-reviewed papers.
22. China’s Mars mission named Tianwen-1, appears on track for July launch
• China has named its first independent interplanetary mission Tianwen-1, with the combined Mars orbiter and rover spacecraft apparently proceeding towards launch in July.
• The name and mission logo were unveiled at a China National Space Administration online ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of the launch of the country’s first satellite.
• DFH-1 launched on a Long March 1 rocket from Jiuquan April 24, 1970, making China the fifth country to independently launch a satellite.
• Tianwen-1, meaning ‘questions to heaven’, is taken from the name of a long-form poem by Qu Yuan, a poet born in the fourth century B.C.
• The ‘Lanxingjiutian’ logo includes representations of the Latin letter ‘c’, referring to China, cooperation, and the cosmic velocity required to undertake planetary exploration. Further Chinese planetary missions will also carry the Tianwen name.
• China is understood to be planning a Mars sample return mission, a Jupiter orbiter and considering possible missions to icy giants and interstellar space. A joint near-Earth asteroid sample return and comet rendezvous mission has also been proposed.
23. Lebanon becomes first Arab country to legalise cannabis farming for medical use in bid to beat economic crisis
• Lebanon has become the first Arab country to legalise cannabis farming for medical and industrial purposes – a move that could generate lucrative exports and foreign currency as the country struggles to cope with a financial crisis.
• Although growing the plant was previously illegal, cannabis has long been farmed openly in the fertile and impoverished Bekaa Valley. According to the United Nations, the country is the world’s third largest supplier of cannabis resin, or hashish, after Morocco and Afghanistan.
• The new law will regulate the already existing cultivation efforts and help stem unlawful production of the plant, with all recreational production and use remaining illegal.
• The legislation aims to build a multimillion-dollar industry that could generate products ranging from textiles to pharmaceuticals, and even such items as cannabidiol (CBD) oil.
ECONOMY, BUSINESS AND DEFENCE NEWS
1. Govt constitutes 6 Inter-Ministerial Central Teams
• The Centre has constituted 6 Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCTs), two each for West Bengal and Maharashtra and one each for Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to make on-spot assessment of situation and issue necessary directions to State Authorities for its redressal and submit their report to Central Government in larger interest of general public.
• The Committees have been constituted by the Central Government in exercise of the powers, conferred, inter alia, under Section 35(1), 35(2)(a), 35(2)(e) and 35(2)(i) of the Disaster Management Act 2005.
• It is reiterated that in the Orders on lockdown measures, as well as in the Guidelines/ Consolidated Revised Guidelines, strict implementation of the lockdown and other measures has been stressed; and Governments of States! UTs have also been advised that while they can impose stricter measures than contemplated in these Guidelines, they shall not dilute these Guidelines issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
• It may be recalled that the Hon'ble Supreme Court in its Order dated 31.03,2020 in the Writ Petition (Civil) No 468 of 2020 is also pleased to observe that (quote) we trust and expect that all concerned viz. State Governments, Public Authorities and Citizens of this country will faithfully comply with the directives and orders issued by the Union of India in letter and spirit in the interest of public safety" (unquote). The observation, which must be treated as directions of the Apex Court, was conveyed to all States/ UTs Governments.
• It is again emphasized that the aforesaid IMCTs will focus their assessment on the compliance and implementation of lockdown measures as per guidelines issued under the Disaster Management Act 2005; they will also focus on issues like the supply of essential commodities, social distancing in movement of people outside their homes, preparedness of the health infrastructure, hospital facility and sample statistics in the District, safety of health professionals, availability of test kits, PPEs, masks and other safety equipment, and conditions of the relief camps for labour and poor people. IMCTs will commence their visits at the earliest.
2. Govt committed to ensure availability of fertilizers before sowing time
• Despite lot of movement restrictions due to National level COVID-19 lockdown, with the concerted efforts of Department of fertilizers, Railways, States and Ports, production and supply of fertilizers in the country is going on to meet demand of the farmers. Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers D V Sadananda Gowda said, that the government is committed to ensure availability of Fertilizers to farmers before sowing time.
• This is also in line with the commitment made by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers to ensure sufficient availability of fertilizers to farmers for the upcoming Kharif season as the despatches also match with despatches during normal times.
• Government of India, Under Essential Commodities Act has allowed operation of Fertilizers plant in the country so that agriculture sector may not feel the heat of lockdown.
3. Lockdown relaxations come into force with certain conditions
• The Centre's revised guidelines to restart some economic activity come into force but there will be no relaxations in the lockdown in most of the big urban centres, including Delhi and Mumbai, since these fall in red zones.
• Broadly, red zones are areas where Covid-19 patients are increasing, orange zones are areas where patients have been found but numbers are not rising, and green zones are where there are no positive cases.
4. FCI to use surplus rice to make alcohol-based sanitizers
• The government approved that surplus rice available with Food Corporation of India (FCI) can be converted into ethanol in order to manufacture alcohol-based hand sanitisers and also for blending with petrol.
• The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Biofuel Coordination Committee (NBCC).
• National Policy on Biofuels, 2018 envisages that during an agriculture crop year when there is projected over supply of food grains, the policy will allow conversion of these surplus quantities of food grains to ethanol, based on the approval of NBCC.
• Recently, the government allowed sugar companies and distilleries to make hand sanitizers using ethanol. Sugar companies supply ethanol to oil marketing companies for blending with petrol.
• According to an official data, the government has a total of 58.49 million tonne of foodgrains in the FCI godowns. Out of this, rice is 30.97 million tonnes and wheat 27.52 million tonnes.
• The foodgrains stock is much higher than the required norm of maintaining a reserve of about 21 million tonnes as on April 1.
• Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the government is supplying 5 kg of foodgrains per month to over 80 crore people at a highly subsidised price of ₹2-3 per kg.
• That apart, the Centre has decided to distribute 5 kg of foodgrains per person free of cost for the next three months to provide relief to poor people during the ongoing lockdown period.
5. ICMR scales up testing facilities with approval of 201 govt labs
• ICMR is continuously scaling up its testing facilities for Covid-19 by giving approval to government and private laboratories.
• As of now, 201 government laboratories, three collection centres and 86 private laboratories' chains have been given approval to conduct the test for Covid-19.
• ICMR has said that the daily Covid-19 testing capacity at various laboratories in the country will be scaled up in the future and it is expected to reach one lakh tests per day by the end of the next month.
• So far, ICMR has validated 33 real-time PCR kits manufactured by 15 companies including My lab, Altona Diagnostics, SD biosensor, Helini Biomolecules and other.
6. Post Offices gear up to provide essential items beside postal, financial services
• All post offices in the country are providing basic postal and financial services during the lockdown. During the lockdown to curtail the spread of COVlD-19, Post Offices are providing basic postal and financial services. Priority is being given to delivery of essential items through the postal network.
• The government is allowing restricted movement of people during the lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus.
• Post Office customer can also avail facility of withdrawal as well as deposit in Post Office Savings Bank and India Post Payments Bank. ATM facility and AEPS (Aadhaar Enabled Payment System) are made available in Post Offices for withdrawal of cash from accounts standing in any bank.
• Post office network is also used by e-commerce companies for delivery of parcels. The ministry has prioritised delivery of essential services during the lockdown.
• Department of Posts is also ensuring that essential services are provided by implementing safety measures across its supply chain to protect its employees and effecting safe delivery of services to the citizens.
7. MoRTH launches dashboard to provide 'dhabas and repair shops' details
• Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has created a dashboard link on its website for providing list and details of Dhabas and Truck repair shops available across the country by various organisations like NHAI, States, Oil Marketing companies. The list can be accessed at www.morth.nic.in.
• This is intended to facilitate the truck / cargo drivers and cleaners in their movement while traveling between different places of the country for delivering required goods.
• National Highway Authority of India's centralized call number 1033 has also been activated to answer calls and provide information about the dhabaas and repair shops along National Highways.
• The Ministry said, people have to follow all necessary precautions and healthcare protocols of social distancing at these spots and use masks.
8. Indian Railways starts providing 10000 water bottles per day to Delhi Police
• Indian Railways, the country's largest transporter along with IRCTC and others has started to provide 10000 water bottles per day to the personnel of Delhi Police . This comes at a time when the entire country is under lockdown till 3 May.
• The water bottles are being provided by the catering arm of railways, Indian Rail Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), and it has distributed 10,000 Rail Neer water bottles per day since April 16 from its Nangloi plant in Delhi. These 10000 Railneer water bottles are of one litre each.
• Till now 50000 water bottles have been distributed. With the onset of summer in the national capital these police men have worked round the clock to not only ensure that lock down is implemented as required but also accompany the doctors and paramedics in various locations in challenging circumstances.
9. No FIR against factory in case of coronavirus detection: Prakash Javadekar
• The government has withdrawn the clause allowing filing of an FIR against a company and its management if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, following concerns raised by India Inc.
• The policy has been revised and the FIR clause removed.
10. Lifeline Udan flights deliver tonnes of essential goods
• Lifeline Udan flights have delivered around 552 tonnes of essential goods amid the lockdown. Operated by Civil Aviation Ministry, these flights transport essential medical cargo to remotest parts of the country to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.
• 330 flights have been operated under Lifeline Udan by Air India, Alliance Air, Indian Air Force and private carriers. Helicopter services including Pawan Hans Limited have been operating in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Islands and North East region transporting critical medical cargo and patients.
• Pawan Hans have carried 1.90 tons of cargo covering a distance of 6537 kilo meters so far. The domestic Lifeline Udan cargo includes COVID-19 related reagents, enzymes, medical equipment, testing kits, Personal protective equipment, PPE, masks, gloves, other materials of Indian Council of Medical Research, cargo requisitioned by State and Union Territory governments and postal packets.
• Domestic Cargo Operators Spice Jet, Blue Dart and Indigo are operating cargo flights on a commercial basis. Spice jet operated 447 cargo flights, Blue Dart- 160 domestic cargo flights, Indigo- 35 cargo flights so far. This also includes medical supplies carried free of cost for the government.
• An air-bridge has been established for transportation of pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and Covid-19 relief material and through this 322 tonnes of essential goods have been brought in India from the various countries. Air India operated its second flight between Mumbai and Frankfurt on 15th April under the Krishi Udan program, carrying 27 tons of seasonal fruits and vegetables to Frankfurt and returned with 10 tons of general cargo.
• Air India will operate dedicated scheduled cargo flights to other countries for transfer of critical medical supplies, as per the requirement.
11. Banking declared as public utility service for six months
• The government has declared banking industry as a public utility service for six months till October 21 under the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act.
• Bringing banking services under the provisions of this Act means that the banking sector would not see any strikes by employees or officers during the operation of the law starting from April 21.
• With the latest move, employees and officers of the highly unionised banking sector would not be able to go on strike besides certain other activities.
12. States can use FRBM ‘escape’ clause to fight Covid: Finance panel chief
• States can use the escape clause under their Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRBM) to raise additional resources to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission NK Singh said.
• The Centre and States have their own FRBM Acts, respectively. However, there are two similarities. One, the limit for the fiscal deficit is 3 per cent and, two, there is an escape clause to raise the deficit up to 50 basis points in exceptional situations.
• “Using the escape clause will give expeditious process,” Singh said after the meeting of the Economic Advisory Council of the Commission. On whether some States are asking for a higher borrowing limit such as 5 per cent, he said this would require a new Act, which would take time to enact. The Commission held online meetings with its Advisory Council members and discussed various issues.
• All the members were unanimous in suggesting that the real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth projections made before March 2020 need to be relooked and revised downward considerably.
• Once the lockdown is lifted, only a gradual recovery can be expected, depending on how soon the workforce returns to work, restoration of supplies of intermediates and cash flows and the demand for output takes place.
• The Council apprised the Commission of its various suggestions on public expenditure support to the economy. It felt that since small-scale enterprises were cash-starved even before the Covid-19 crisis, it is important that a support mechanism is devised to tide over their cash flow problems.
• Secondly, measures are also needed to avoid bankruptcies and deepening of non-performing assets (NPAs) in the financial sector. Measures such as partial loan guarantee can be considered, it said.
• Thirdly, the finances of the Centre and State governments need a careful watch. As of now, adequate provision for ways and means advances can help governments to manage cash-flow mismatches.
• The Council also felt that it is likely that States may come out of the severity of the pandemic impact in different stages. Hence, the pace of revival in different States will vary.
13. BRO constructs bridge in record time on a key road connecting strategic areas in Arunachal Pradesh
• Daporijo bridge over Subansiri river has been constructed by Border Roads Organisation (BRO), keeping in mind utmost precautions against COVID-19 so as to connect this strategic Line of Communication in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Bridge on Daporijo River is a strategic link towards the LAC between India and China. All supplies, rations, constructional material and medicines pass over this bridge.
• Old Bridge developed cracks which could lead to a major catastrophe like on 26 Jul 1992 when a passenger bus fell off the bridge leaving no survivors.
• With the intervention of DGBR and CE Arunank expeditious sanctions were obtained from the MoD and Arunachal Government. The difficult and dangerous launch was completed in record time adhering to all COVID-19 precautions.
• Work had started for construction of the bridge on March 17, 2020 by 23 BRTF.
• Finally after 27 days on April 14, 2020 the bridge was jacked down successfully and safely on the supports. It has been successfully upgraded from class 24 tons to class 40 tons thereby allowing heavier vehicles to pass catering for not only Army requirements but the future Infrastructure development requirements of Upper Subansiri district.
14. BRO builds 484-meter permanent bridge connecting Kasowal enclave in Punjab with rest of the country
• Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed and opened a new permanent bridge on the river Ravi connecting Kasowal enclave in Punjab to the rest of the country much ahead of its schedule.
• The enclave of around 35 square kilometres had hither to been connected via pontoon bridge of limited load capacity.
• The pontoon bridge used to be dismantled every year prior to the Monsoon or else it would have got washed away in the strong currents of the river. This meant thousands of acres of fertile land across the river could not be tilled by farmers during the Monsoon.
• The local population and the Army (by virtue of the sensitivity of the enclave) required a Class 70 permanent bridge to give all weather connectivity to the enclave. Border Roads Organisation conceived and planned for a permanent bridge.
• The 484-meter bridge was built by 141 Drain Maintenance Coy of 49 Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) of Project Chetak. The bridge costing Rs 17.89 crore excluding the approaches, consist of 16 cells of 30.25-metre length each.
• Border Roads Organisation had planned to open the Kasowal bridge in time for Vaisakhi so that the farmers could transport their harvest to the market comfortably.
• The 16th and last Cell Division was completed on the March 15, 2020 and construction of protective works was under progress when the work came to a halt on March 23 due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
• To ensure locals do not suffer during the harvest season and also to ensure the bridge does not get damaged because of the heavy discharge of water and the tendency of the river to change course in the monsoons, Border Roads approached Punjab government and Gurdaspur district administration and obtained necessary approvals to continue the work.
PEOPLE IN NEWS
1. Sanjay Kothari appointed Central Vigilance Commissioner
• Retired bureaucrat Sanjay Kothari was sworn in as the next Central Vigilance Commissioner by President Ram Nath Kovind at an official oath-taking ceremony.
• Photographs released by the Rashtrapati Bhavan showed strict physical distancing protocols being followed in seating of guests including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu, who attended the ceremony.
• President Kovind administered the oath wearing a face mask.
DAYS AND EVENTS
1. World Immunization Week 2020
• World Immunization Week – celebrated in the last week of April (24 to 30 April) – aims to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease.
• The theme this year is #VaccinesWork for All and the campaign will focus on how vaccines – and the people who develop, deliver and receive them – are heroes by working to protect the health of everyone, everywhere.
• The main goal of the campaign is to urge greater engagement around immunization globally and the importance of vaccination in improving health and wellbeing of everyone, everywhere throughout life.
2. Earth Day-22 April
• Every year World Earth Day is celebrated on April 22. The day is celebrated to demonstrate environmental protection. It is being celebrated since 1970.
• Theme: Climate Action
• On the World Earth Day, 2016, the famous Paris Agreement was signed by more than 120 countries. The day was proposed by peace activist John McConnell in 1970. The day is celebrated by World Earth Day Network. Around 193 countries join the celebrations.
• This year the 50th anniversary of World Earth Day is celebrated through digital mobilizations.
3. English Language Day, Spanish Language Day, and World Book Day-23 April
• The Day is celebrated as English Language Day to observe both birth and death anniversary of William Shakespeare.
• The day is an initiative by the Department of Global Communications. Language Days are observed for each of the six official languages of the UN. The six official languages of the United Nations are Arabic, English, Chinese, Spanish and Russian. The Spanish Language Day was established by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).
• World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day, or International Day of the Book, is an annual event organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organiza-tion (UNESCO) to promote reading, publishing, and copyright.
• The first World Book Day was celebrated on 23 April in 1995, and continues to be recognized on that day.
4. International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace-24 April
• The International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace was established on 12 December, 2018 and and was first observed on April 24, 2019.
• Preserving the values of multilateralism and international cooperation, which underpin the UN Charter and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, is fundamental to promote and support the three pillars of the UN - peace and security, development and human rights.
• The International Day is a reaffirmation of the UN Charter and its principles of resolving disputes among countries through peaceful means. It acknowledges the use of multilateral decision-making and diplomacy in achieving peaceful resolutions to conflicts among nations.
5. National Panchayati Raj Day 2020-24 April
• The National Panchayati Raj Day is observed on 24th April every year.
• The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act,1992 came into force from 24 April 1993. Panchayati Raj Day paved the way for the 3 tier Panchayati Raj System in the country i.e. Gram Panchayat at the village level, Panchayat Samiti at Block level, and Zila Parishad at District level.
• In order to fulfill this requirement; a committee was constituted in 1957 under the chairmanship of Balwantrai Mehta. The Committee recommended the democratic decentralization of power. Hence the concept of Panchayati Raj was constituted in India for the first time in history.
• The Committee recommended a 3 tier Panchayati Raj System in the country;
A. Gram Panchayat at the village level
B. Panchayat Samiti at Block level
C. Zila Parishad at District level
• Rajasthan was the first state in the country where the Panchayati Raj system was implemented.
6. International Delegates Day-25 April
• International Delegate's Day is observed on 25 April. On 2 April 2019, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed 25 April as International Delegate’s Day.
• The day aims to raise awareness of the role of the representatives and delegates of the Member States to the United Nations.
• International Delegate's Day marks the anniversary of the first day of the San Francisco Conference which is also known as the United Nations Conference on International Organization.
• On 25 April 1945, delegates from 50 countries came together for the first time in San Francisco. The conference happened after the devastation of the second world war. The delegates aimed to set up an organization that would restore world peace and imposes rules on the post-war world order.
• On 26 June 1945, the Charter of the United Nations was signed by representatives of the 50 countries that attended the conference. The agreement resulted in the creation of the United Nations (UN). The UN comprises 193 Member States and serves as the main international venue for collective dialogue between the delegates of its Member States.
7. International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day-26 April
• International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day is observed on 26 April.
• The day aims to raise awareness of the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster and the risks of nuclear energy in general.
• The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant was built in 1977. It was built to help make electricity for the infrastructure of the Soviet Union (present Pripyat, Ukraine) to develop economic growth. On 26 April 1986, a reactor in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant experienced a catastrophic explosion and fire.
• It released unprecedented levels of radioactive materials into the atmosphere.
• The accident caused a relatively small number of casualties but left long-lasting, damaging consequences. The main danger that caused radiation exposure to over 8.4 million people was due to air pollution.
• The day was first observed in 2016 with an aim to teach people about the history of this incident, observe the consequences of what happened, and prevent future events from happening again.
8. Manipur govt commemorates ‘ Khongjom Day’ at Khongjom War Memorial Complex
• In Manipur, remembering the people who valiantly fought in the Anglo-Manipuri War in 1891, state government commemorated ‘ Khongjom Day’ on 23 April 2020.
• The Anglo-Manipur was an armed conflict between the British Government and the Kingdom of Manipur. The war was fought between 31 March and 27 April 1981. It resulted in victory of British.
• The Khongjom Day, being a state holiday is celebrated every year on April 23 by the State government to pay tribute to the war heroes of Anglo-Manipuri War 1891 who had sacrificed their lives fighting against the British to protect freedom of Manipur. The site is about 35 KM south of Imphal in Thoubal district where the battle was fight between Manipuri and British.
SPORTS NEWS
1. BCCI Creates Team Mask Force To Promote Wearing Of Masks And Fight Coronavirus, PM Modi Urges To Join The Team
• Amid the coronavirus crisis, the government of India has mandated the use of face masks, especially while venturing out of the house.
• Lending its support to the government and promoting the use of masks to fight the infectious disease COVID-19, BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) has created a video titled ‘mask force’.
• The video featuring India’s most revered cricketers including Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid urges fellow countrymen to join the team mask force and help the nation fight against the novel coronavirus.
2. BWF names PV Sindhu as an ambassador for awareness campaign
• World Champion P V Sindhu was unveiled as one of the ambassadors for Badminton World Federation (BWF)'s 'i am badminton' awareness campaign.
• The campaign provides a platform for players to express their love and respect for badminton by advocating and committing to clean and honest play.
• Besides Sindhu, other ambassadors include Canada's Michelle Li, Chinese duo of Zheng Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiong, England's Jack Shephard, Germany's Valeska Knoblauch, Hong Kong's Chan Ho Yuen and Germany's Marc Zwiebler, who is Athletes' Commission Chair.
3. Viswanathan Anand named new ambassador of WWF India
• Chess legend Viswanathan Anand has been named as the new ambassador for World Wide Fund (WWF) India's Environment Education program.
• The five-time World Chess Champion will support wildlife conservation and work to educate children across India on issues related to the environment.
• The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) was constituted in 1961. The NGO has its headquarters in Vaud, Switzerland. It works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment.
• WWF India has become the world's largest conservation organization.
RANKINGS & INDEX
1. World Press Freedom Index 2020: India ranks 142, drops down by two places
• India has ranked 142 out of 180 in the Global press freedom index.
• The report was released on April 21 in the annual Reporters without borders analysis.
• Norway has ranked first in the list for the fourth year while China is at 177 position, which is just three places above North Korea at 180th.
• ‘World Press Freedom Index 2020’ stated as there were no murders of journalists in India in 2019 as compared to 6 in 2018, it showed that the security system in India seemed to have improved.
• Reporters without borders is a non-profit organisation that works to document attacks on journalists around the world. South Asia is generally featured poorly in the index.
