NATIONAL NEWS
1. Chemicals, Petrochemicals industry becomes top exporting sector for 1st time
• Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers D V Sadananda Gowda has congratulated the chemicals and petrochemicals industry on becoming the top exporting sector of the country for the first time.
• He informed that during April 2019 to January 2020, the export of chemicals grew by 7.43 per cent over previous corresponding period.
• The total export of chemicals during this period reached 2.68 lakh crore rupees which constitutes 14.35 per cent of the total exports.
2. COVID-19 may affect central nervous system causing loss of smell and taste: IIT Jodhpur
• Scientists of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Jodhpur have explored the neuroinvasive nature of the COVID-19 virus SARS-CoV-2 highlighting that loss of smell and taste of infected patients makes their entire Central Nervous System (CNS) and the underlying structures in the brain more prone to viral infection with devastating effects.
• SARS-CoV-2 is known to interact with a specific human receptor known as hACE2 (human angiotensin-converting enzyme-2) which also happens to be the entry point of the virus and has an almost ubiquitous presence in most human organs ranging from lung parenchyma to nasal mucosa. The brain is also known to express this receptor.
• They have attributed the loss of smell or taste to the fact that nose and mouth both are very important entry points of the virus, which then may be slowly making its way to the olfactory bulb using the neurons of the olfactory mucosa. The olfactory bulb located in the forebrain is the structure that is chiefly responsible for the sense of smell. This explains the loss of smell associated with many asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 and also may be exposing the CNS to viral infection.
3. IITs and IIITs not to hike tuition fee for academic year 2020-21
• The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) will not increase the tuition fee for any course for the academic year 2020-21, HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal "Nishank" said.
• In case of the IIITs, it has been decided that for those which are centrally-funded, the standard 10-per cent hike in the tuition fee for undergraduate programmes will not be implemented this year. I have also requested them not to increase the fee for other courses.
4. Production capacity of coveralls for medical personnel ramped up
• The capacity to produce coveralls in the country has been ramped up to more than one lakh units a day, according to an official press release.
• Bengaluru has emerged as the hub for manufacture of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), accounting for nearly 50% of the production.
• Other places that have a large number of approved production units are Tiruppur, Chennai, Coimbatore, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Ludhiana and Bhiwandi. Large-scale garment units in Bengaluru had taken to PPE coverall production in a big way. Some of these companies, that have scale of manufacturing, have invested in additional machinery as well.
• A large number of non-woven textile manufacturers in Coimbatore-Erode belt in Tamil Nadu supply fabric to the coverall producers.
• Four laboratories in India have the synthetic blood penetration resistance test facilities and necessary approvals to conduct tests and certify body coveralls required for COVID-19.
• These are, the South India Textile Research Association in Coimbatore, Defence Research and Development Establishment in Gwalior, and two laboratories under the Ordnance Factory Board - Heavy Vehicles Factory at Avadi and Small Arms Factory at Kanpur.
• A unique certification code is generated for the prototype samples sent to these labs by the manufacturers of fabric and coveralls and the results are published on the websites of DRDO, OFB and SITRA.
• The laboratories now accept the sample of testing only on submission of an affidavit in the prescribed format by the organisation that wants to get the sample tested.
5. India hands over 3rd tranche of medical supply to Bangladesh
• India has handed over third tranche of emergency medical assistance to Bangladesh to help the country in containing the spread of COVID-19.
• The supply consists of 30,000 RT-PCR Covid-19 test kits.
• These RT-PCR test kits are domestically manufactured in India by 'My Lab Discovery Solutions PrivateLimited' and is widely used in India for Covid-19 detection.
• Bangladesh is the first country to receive these test kits from India on priority, which reflects the importance of Dhaka to New Delhi.
• The test kits were brought to Bangladesh in an Indigo cargo flight and dispatched to the Institute of Epidemiological Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).
• The first tranche of Indian emergency medical assistance containing 30,000 surgical masks and 15,000 head caps was handed over to Bangladesh on March 25 while the second one consisting of 50,000 sterile surgical latex gloves and 1,00,000Hydroxychloroquine medicine tablets arrived here on April 26.
6. Stand alone and neighborhood shops open in non-hotspot zones in many states
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) clarified that all shops in rural areas, except those in malls, could open.
• In urban areas, all standalone and neighbourhood shops and those in residential complexes are allowed to open but not those in markets, market complexes and shopping malls.
• The MHA said that all restaurants, salons and barber shops would remain closed as they "render services" and relaxation given under lockdown restrictions pertain only to shops selling items.
• The MHA added that liquor shops continued to be prohibited and e-commerce platforms could only be used for the sale of essential items.
• After MHA order issued the order late, it had to issue two subsequent clarifications the next day as people were confused as to what it implies. Since the kind of shops that will be allowed to open was not specified in the order, people took to social media to know if mechanics, garages, beauty salons and restaurants will also be allowed to function.
• Several district officials said they would stick to the ongoing restrictions and will not immediately implement the order.
7. UGC to issue guidelines for current, next academic sessions
• A meeting was held via video conferencing at the University Grants Commission (UGC) to discuss the report of expert committee and guidelines on exams, academic calendar for universities, the report of expert committee on promoting online education and suggestive implementation plan on its recommendations in view of Covid-19.
• Both reports, guidelines and implementation plan were discussed at length during the meeting and some suggestions were given by the Commission members. After appropriately incorporating all the suggestions given by them, UGC will soon issue the guidelines for universities and colleges.
• The two committees which were earlier formed have submitted their reports and announced it will issue guidelines next week to universities and colleges regarding the measures to be taken for the current and next academic session.
• The first committee under the chairmanship of Professor RC Kuhad, former member UGC and Vice-Chancellor, Central University of Haryana, was given the responsibility to look into the issues related to examinations and academic calendar.
• The second committee under the chairmanship of Professor Nageshwar Rao, Vice-Chancellor, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) was asked to look into issues related to promoting online education.
8. Patients with very mild Covid-19 symptoms will have home isolation option
• In tune with guidelines of the Indian Council of Medical Research, persons clinically categorised as having very mild or pre-symptomatic coronavirus disease (COVID-19) will have the option of home isolation provided they have the requisite facility at their residence.
• They will have to submit an undertaking to adhere to self-isolation norms.
• The patient should be clinically assigned as a very mild case/pre-symptomatic case by the treating medical officer. They should have requisite facilities at their residence for self-isolation and also for quarantining family members, and a well-ventilated single-room, preferably with an attached/separate toilet.
• A caregiver should be available 24 x 7, and a communication link between the caregiver and hospital is a prerequisite for the entire duration of home isolation. The caregiver and all close contacts should take hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis as per protocol and as prescribed by the treating medical officer. The patient and caregivers should be given a course of zinc, vitamin C/multivitamin tablets for 10 days including herbal concoctions nilavembu kudineer and kabasura kudineer.
• They should download the Aarogya Setu app on their mobile phone and it should remain active at all times through bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The patient should agree to monitor his/her health and inform his/her health status to the District Surveillance Officer/Deputy Director of Health Services for follow-up, and fill in an undertaking on self-isolation and follow home quarantine guidelines.
• The patient should self-monitor his/her health with daily temperature monitoring and report promptly in case of any deterioration of symptoms. They should use a triple-layer medical mask at all times, and discard after eight hours of use or earlier if it becomes wet or visibly soiled. Masks should be discarded only after disinfecting them.
• They should stay in the identified room and away from other persons in the home especially the elderly and those with co-morbid conditions such as hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and renal disease. They should follow respiratory etiquette and wash hands often with soap and water. Their clothes and other linen should be washed and dried separately. Surfaces should be cleaned with disinfectants.
• They should restrict movement within the house and should not attend any social/religious gathering such as weddings or condolences. The caregiver too, should wear a triple-layer medical mask when in the same room as the patient and use disposable gloves. They should follow hand hygiene and self-monitor their health.
• Both the patient and caregiver should seek immediate medical attention if they develop the following signs and symptoms -- persistent cough/continuous fever of above 102 degrees/difficulty in breathing, persistent pain/pressure in the chest, mental confusion or inability to arouse the patient, somnolence and poor feeding in children, seizures, decreased urine output, persistent or worsening of initial symptoms beyond 72 hours and developing bluish discolouration of lips/face.
• The home isolation will come to an end once the symptoms are clinically resolved and a medical officer certifies the patient to be free of infection after laboratory testing.
9. Narendra Singh Tomar releases SOP for e-Gram Swaraj Yojana platform and mobile App
• Union Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Narendra Singh Tomar issued a detailed guideline of the SVAMITVA Scheme aimed at providing people residing in Rural parts with the right to document their residential properties.
• He also released a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) regarding the e-Gram Swaraj Yojana platform and mobile App.
• Both these schemes were inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day.
• SVAMITVA scheme, a collaborative effort of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, State Panchayati Raj Departments, State Revenue Departments and Survey of India, aims to provide an integrated property validation solution for rural India, engaging the latest Drone Surveying technology, for demarcating the inhabitant (Aabadi) land in rural areas.
• The aim of this program is to provide rural people with the right to document their residential properties so that they can use their property for economic purposes.
• This scheme will help in streamlining planning and revenue collection in rural areas and ensuring clarity on property rights. This will also help in resolving property related disputes.
• The scheme will enable creation of better-quality Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs), leveraging the maps created under this programme.
• The pilot phase of the scheme will extend to six states namely Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand covering approximately one lakh villages.
• The e-Gram Swaraj Yojana would be a single platform for all planning and accounting needs of the Village Panchayats.
10. HCARD, a robot, to assist frontline COVID-19 healthcare warriors
• HCARD stands for Hospital Care Assistive Robotic Device.
• It is developed by Durgapur-based CSIR lab, Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute.
• The device is equipped with various state-of-the-art technologies and works both in automatic as well as manual modes of navigation.
• The robotic device can help frontline healthcare workers in maintaining physical distance from those infected by coronavirus.
• This robot can be controlled and monitored by a nursing booth with a control station having such features as navigation, drawer activation for providing medicines and food to patients, sample collection and audio-visual communication.
• The cost of this device is less than Rs 5 lakh and the weight is less than 80 kilograms.
11. Tripura develops mobile COVID19 sample collection kiosk
• Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) with Agartala Smart City developed a mobile COVID19 sample collection kiosk.
• A three-wheeler heavy-duty auto rickshaw has been turned into a kiosk where medical staff can collect swab samples without coming into physical contact with patients.
• The Agartala Municipal Council (AMC) handed over the kiosk to the health department of Tripura.
• AMC has built the kiosk taking a cue from Kerala model of testing where stationary testing kiosks are placed in front of the hospitals.
12. New Delhi rejects observations in USCIRF Annual Report on India
• India rejected the observations made in the USCIRF Annual Report on India
• The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has designated India as a Country of "Particular Concern" (CPC) in its annual report of 2020, saying the country was "engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing and egregious religious freedom violations”.
• The USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan US federal government commission. It makes policy recommendations based on its review of global religious freedom to the US President, the Secretary of State and the US Congress.
• The list includes 14 nations that have been flagged as "countries of particular concern". These include nine countries that the State Department designated as CPCs last December -- Myanmar, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan -- as well as five others -- India, Nigeria, Russia, Syria, and Vietnam.
• The annual report makes a mention of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and Assam's National Register of Citizens (NRC).
13. AYUSH Ministry instructs for herbal treatments
• With spreading pandemic of COVID-19, Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Sidha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) has come up with various measures to provide herbal drinks to strengthen the immunity in people to help them fight the viral infection.
• Under its directives, AYUSH Ministry has instructed officials of Saranda Forest Division in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand - a house to many medicinal plants, to come up with novel ideas from the long-practiced traditional herbal treatments.
• The department has come up with immunity booster herbal drinks made from barks of Arjun trees, Tulsi leaves, Guava leaves and other immune building herbs to be consumed by our frontline warriors.
• Such drinks will help everyone restore their immune system. The immunity booster drinks are prepared to increase the general health of people as well.
• The traditional practice of preparing herbal drinks from medicinal plants is turning out to be a popular tool in increasing the immunity of the human body during the Corona pandemic time.
• Ministry of AYUSH in its important directives have instructed the forest officials of Saranda Forest Division to prepare such drinks with connivance with the tribal community practising them since long.
• Saranda Forest has been house to several medicinal plants, and the immunity booster drink prepared by the team comes from the same. The idea is being taken from Kilimili, a word used in local language for a traditional tribal herbal medicine house. These herbal drinks have helped restore the medicinal values of our rich flora and reaffirmed the faith in our traditional practice of herbal treatment.
14. Punjab govt makes 21-day quarantine compulsory for all those returning to state
• Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has announced compulsory 21-day quarantine for all those returning to the state from other places.
• All pilgrims returning from Nanded, and students and labourers coming from Rajasthan, will be stopped at the border.
• They will be sent to Government quarantine centres for 21 days.
• Radha Soami Satsang Deras would also be used to quarantine these people. He also indicated that his government could go for certain relaxations, while taking all precautions, based on the report of the Expert Committee formulating the state’s Covid-19 curfew/lockdown exit strategy.
15. Govt calls upon States UTs to facilitate inter-state movement of trucks and lorries
• Union Minister Nitin Gadkari asked state governments to take urgent action to facilitate inter-state movement of vehicles carrying essential goods amid the coronavirus lockdown.
• States and union territories were also asked to expedite land acquisition and utilise funds worth Rs 25,000 crore allocated for the purpose to help regain momentum in road construction.
• Transportation of labour to factories etc may be facilitated by duly following the health protocols of maintaining minimum one metre distance, wearing masks, use of sanitisers, etc besides stressing the need for providing food and shelter to labour while fully observing the norms of social distancing and hygiene.
16. India tells Pakistan to vacate All Areas Of J&K Under Illegal Occupation and protests 'Material Changes' In PoK
• In a recent order, the Pakistan Supreme Court allowed the amendment to the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan Order of 2018 to conduct the general elections in the region.
• India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a demarche to Islamabad protesting Pakistan Supreme Court's order on Gilgit-Baltistan.
• India has also asked Pakistan to vacate the illegally occupied territories.
• Gilgit-Baltistan is part of the greater Kashmir region, which is the subject of a long-running conflict between Pakistan and India.
• The territory shares a border with Azad Kashmir, together with which it is referred to by the United Nations and other international organisations as "Pakistan administered Kashmir”
• India’s Union External Affairs Minister-Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
17. Famous Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai of Tamil Nadu gets GI tag
• Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai was granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
• It is a mouth-watering and healthy snack made of groundnuts and jaggery in parts of Thoothukudi district in Tamil Nadu. It uses carefully selected quantities from selected specific locations in Tamil Nadu along with water from river Thamirabarani which enhances the taste naturally.
• The granting of GI tag to manufacturers of Kadalai Mittai could not have come at a better time for the cottage industry which completes 100 years of existence this year.
• Launched in 1920 by S S Ponnambalam, Kovilpatti and adjoining areas have nearly 150 small and medium enterprises that manufacture the sweet candy.
• GI Tag is a name or sign used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). Darjeeling tea was the first product to be given GI tag.
• A GI tag is a Certificate of Registration by Registrar of Geographical Indication, Chennai, Government of India.
18. King George Medical University, Lucknow becomes first govt. hospital to launch Plasma Therapy for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
• King George Medical University, Lucknow has become the first government hospital in India to launch Plasma Therapy for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
• The process of donating plasma is the same as the process of donating blood, which just takes about an hour.
• Convalescent Plasma Therapy is an experimental treatment procedure for COVID-19. In this, a blood component from a cured patient of COVID-19 has been transfused to the critically ill Coronavirus patient.
• The reason behind the treatment is that the blood of a cured patient has developed antibodies to battle the virus which helps in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
• Once the blood plasma of the recovered patient has been infused in the sick patient, the antibodies will start fighting against the virus present in the sick patient’s body.
19. Govt extends invitation of nominations for Sardar Patel National Unity Award till 30th June
• Government has extended the invitation of nominations for Sardar Patel National Unity Award till 30th June.
• Government of India has instituted Sardar Patel National Unity Award as the highest civilian award in the name of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, for contribution in promoting unity and integrity of India.
• The award seeks to recognize the notable and inspiring contribution made by individuals or institutions or organizations in this field and reinforces the value of strong and united India.
• National Unity Day in India-31 October (Birthday of Sardar Vallabhai Patel)
20. Third phase of lockdown with relaxations in green, orange & red zones comes into effect
• The third phase of lockdown has come into effect from 4th May 2020 till 17th May 2020 according to the orders of Ministry of Home Affairs.
• The Union Health Ministry has listed 130 districts across the country in the red zone, 284 in orange zone and 319 in green zone based on coronavirus.
• Based on this, the government has divided the states into three zones -- red zone, orange zone and green zones.
• The classification will determine the kind of restrictions placed on the movement of people and supply of goods in a district.
• Red-The districts with substantial numbers of positive cases would fall under the red zone. The coronavirus red zone will see no activity. Also, areas that show a high rate of infection, which double in less than four days - will also come under this category.
• Orange-The areas with limited number of cases in the past and with no surge in positive cases recently would be included under the orange zone. Only restricted activities such as limited public transport and farm product harvesting is expected to be allowed in coronavirus orange zone.
• Green-The districts with no coronavirus positive cases would fall under the green zone. These Zones didn't report any cases in the last 21 days.
21. Draft guidelines for satellite TV channels launched
• The Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry has issued draft guidelines to overhaul its nine-year-old uplink and downlink policy for private satellite TV channels.
• The Ministry has listed out 11 violations.
• For any of the 11 violations, the penalty ranges from warning, prohibition to broadcast up to 10 days and even cancellation of permission.
• All channels have to take security clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which was the case earlier too.
• Once granted, the clearance is valid for 10 years. However, the MHA can withdraw the clearance which would mean that the permission to uplink would stand terminated automatically.
A welcome change is the relaxation offered for non-news category channels to broadcast live events. Instead of seeking permission, now the channel merely has to register online at Broadcast Seva with the necessary document five days prior to the telecast.
22. Prime Minister participates at the online Summit of NAM Contact Group
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the online Summit of Non Aligned Movement (NAM) Contact Group held on the evening of May 4, 2020 to discuss response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
• The online NAM Contact Group Summit on the theme of "United against COVID-19”. was hosted by the current Chairman of NAM, President of Republic of Azerbaijan HE Ilham Aliyev.
• The objective of the Summit was to promote international solidarity in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and to mobilise efforts of States and international organisations to address the pandemic.
• NAM is a forum of 120 developing world states that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide
23. Covid-19: TikTok launches Mat kar forward campaign to fight misinformation
• To fight the fake news circulation for COVID 19, short video app TikTok has released a campaign 'Mat kar forward’ urging netizens to stop forwarding videos which do not have verified information.
• Directed by filmmaker Anurag Basu, the film opens with celebrities Virat Kohli, Kriti Sanon, Ayushmann Khurrana, and Sara Ali Khan talking about how dangerous the virus is and how easily it can spread. As the video progresses, it is revealed that they are talking about misinformation and fake news which often push people into making ill-informed choices, eroding trust and impacting communities.
• Recently, to fight the menace of misinformation, it had introduced a 'Misleading Information' category along with a covid-19 sub-category, within the in-app reporting feature. Last year, a similar awareness campaign called #WaitASecToReflect was launched, urging users to pause and think before sharing anything online.
24. First Case of African Swine Flu Detected in India; 2,500 Pigs Killed in Assam
• The Assam government said the first instance of African Swine Flu has been detected in the state and it has already killed around 2,500 pigs across 306 villages.
• The National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, has confirmed that it is African Swine Flu (ASF). The virus spreads through pig's meat, saliva, blood and tissue. So there will be no transportation of pigs between districts.
• Despite a go-ahead from the Centre, the state government will not resort to culling of the pigs immediately and will adopt an alternate mechanism to prevent the spread of the highly contagious disease.
• The disease has no relation at all with COVID-19.
• The disease was detected during the last part of February. However, it started in April 2019 in China at a village of Xizang province bordering Arunachal Pradesh. It is suspected that the disease crossed over to Arunachal Pradesh and then reached Assam.
25. eCovSens developed by National Institute of Animal Biotechnology
• Researchers from Hyderabad-based National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB) have developed a portable device ‘eCovSens’ that could possibly be used as a diagnostic tool for detection of COVID-19 antigens from saliva samples of suspected coronavirus patients within 30 seconds.
• Developed by a group of scientists, led by Sonu Gandhi from NIAB, Department of Biotechnology is at present in validation stage.
• A paper on the application of ‘eCoVSens’ with respect to detection of COVID-19 antigens was recently published in a free online archive and distribution service ‘bioRxiv’ meant for unpublished preprints i.e. non-peer reviewed medical articles.
26. Maharashtra govt will provide free health insurance scheme to all citizens-first state in India to do so
• Amid coronavirus outbreak, Maharashtra government announced free health insurance scheme to all its citizens.
• It is the first state in India to take such initiative.
• Under the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana, people in the state can avail the benefits of free and cashless health insurance. Documents such as ration card and domicile certificate are essential to apply for the scheme.
27. Covid Pharma: Andhra launches app to trace people buying medicines for fever, cold
• The medical and health department of Andhra Pradesh has launched a mobile application, Covid Pharma, to keep track of people purchasing medicines over-the-counter (OTC) from medical stores for cough, cold and fever.
• Using the app, pharmacies will have to take down details of persons and their mobile numbers, who are making OTC purchases of medicines, including Paracetamol, for common ailments, and report that to the government.
• This will help us easily trace persons with any kind of likely symptoms of coronavirus.
• This also includes buying medicines with prescriptions. The medical shops association has consented to collect details of persons making such purchases and share those with the health department for better monitoring.
28. Gujarat govt launched Umbare Aanganwadi to help children during lockdown
• In view of increasing coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in India, the Women and Child Development Ministry (WCD) of Gujarat State Government has launched a unique initiative called ‘Umbare Aanganwadi (means doorstep Aanganwadi) under ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services) programme to reach out to children during the lockdown.
• Under this initiative, the ICDS department of the state will mainly offer ready to eat nutritious food packets through AMUL (an Indian dairy cooperative society) to its beneficiaries including 14 lakh children between 3-6 years of age, pregnant and nursing women and adolescent girls through the network of around 53 thousand Aanganwadi.
• In addition to this, ICDS Department has also initiated a TV programme called ‘Umbare Aanganwadi’ which is telecast every alternate day through Vande Gujarat channel as well as on Jio TV &You Tube, where the regular theme-based modules of Aanganwadi are being taught in an interactive the way.
29. IIT -Ropar designs ‘WardBot’ to deliver food, medicines to Covid -19 patients
• A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Ropar in Punjab’s Rupnagar district has come up with a design of an autonomous ‘WardBot’ which can deliver medicines and food to COVID-19 patients in isolation wards without human intervention.
• Its deployment in hospitals will help in minimising the risk of the frontline health staff getting infected with the deadly virus.
• Based on the smart line following, WardBot, fitted with sensors, can work on a known path and can carry food items and medicines for delivery at different beds to patients in a ward.
• The ‘WardBot’ uses simple gesture sensors for a quarantined person to wave a bye to the bot, as an indication of receiving the material.
• Patients will get the intimation through bed-IDs being displayed on small LCD units.
• The design of an autonomous WardBot is such that it can be instructed to receive and deliver food and medicines and necessary equipment from one room to the other from the remotely located control room.
• The control room can instruct multiple bots to accomplish tasks simultaneously on different floors.
• WardBot also has a feature of self-sanitising on the return path and could be used for sanitising walls of the hospitals, said the researchers, adding it can also work under low-light conditions.
• WardBot can serve as a support structure to the healthcare sector at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on minimising human interaction with the coronavirus patients
30. Team led by IIT Bombay student develops low-cost mechanical ventilator Ruhdaar
• A team of engineering students from IIT Bombay, NIT Srinagar and Islamic University of Science & Technology (IUST), Awantipora, Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir is one such group of creative individuals who have come forward to solve the problem of ventilator requirement.
• The team has come up with a low-cost ventilator named Ruhdaar using locally available materials.
• The cost of producing the prototype is around Rs 10,000 & the cost will be reduced when producing it in lump. It will be subject to medical testing for clearance and validation, after the approval will be taken for mass production.
• The main idea is to design and develop a low-cost alternative to the high-end ventilators used in hospitals costing in lakhs of rupees. It’s design is made using advanced software and will not be charged any royalty.
31. IIT-Delhi develops web dashboard to predict coronavirus spread in country
• Indian Institute of Technology Delhi has developed a web-based dashboard for tracking and predicting the spread of COVID-19 in India.
• The PRACRITI (Prediction and Assessment of Corona Infections and Transmission in India) dashboard will provide the R0 values of each district and state in India based on the data available from sources such as the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and World Health Organisation (WHO).
• A key parameter of interest on COVID-19 is the basic reproduction number R0 and its countrywide variability. R0 refers to the number of people to whom the disease spreads from a single infected person. For instance, if an active COVID-19 patient infects two uninfected persons, the R0 is two. Hence, reduction of R0 is the key in controlling and mitigating the COVID-19 in India.
• Getting the district-wise R0 is crucial as this will enable authorities to know the exact rate of spread in India locally.
• The projections are given for a three-week period, which is updated on a weekly basis.
• The researchers believe that such a platform will be highly useful for healthcare bodies, local and central authorities, to efficiently plan for different future scenarios and resource allocation.
32. Minister of HRD launched the #MyBookMyFriendcampaign
• Union Minister of Human Resource Development Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' launched the #MyBookMyFriendcampaign on social media on 23 April on the occasion of World Book Day.
• World Book Day was celebrated amid the lockdown in India.
• The campaign aims to support the students at the time of lock down.
• The students must read some books of interest in addition to course books so that they will be given the opportunity to learn something new.
• Various Union Ministers and prominent personalities from various parts of India were suggested to join the campaign.
• The campaign is expected to inspire all the countrymen.
• #MyBookMyFriend campaign will run for the next 7 days.
• People across India can join the campaign and gain benefits
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. Animals at two mink farms in Netherlands tested positive for COVID-19
• Animals at two mink farms in the Netherlands have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
• The Dutch Ministry of Agriculture said that some staff at the two farms had earlier displayed symptoms of the disease so it is assumed that these are human-to-animal infections.
• As a precaution, authorities are closing roads within 400 meters (yards) of the affected farms in North Brabant, which is the Dutch region the hardest hit by the coronavirus.
• The minks are not the first animals infected with the coronavirus. The findings come after positive tests in two pet cats in New York state and in some tigers and lions at the Bronx Zoo, adding to a small number of confirmed cases of the virus in animals worldwide.
2. No evidence that recovered patients are immune to COVID-19 infection: WHO
• World Health Organization (WHO) has said that there is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection.
• WHO said no study has evaluated whether the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 confers immunity to subsequent infection by this virus in humans.
• According to the UN agency, laboratory tests that detect antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in people, including rapid immunodiagnostic tests, need further validation to determine their accuracy and reliability.
3. Saudi Arabia ends death penalty for crimes committed by minors
• Saudi Arabia's King Salman has ordered an end to the death penalty for crimes committed by minors.
• The decision comes on the heels of another ordering judges to end the practice of flogging, replacing it with jail time, fines or community service and bringing one of the kingdom's most controversial forms of public punishment to a close.
• King Salman's son and heir, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is seen as the force behind the kingdom's loosening of restrictions and its pivot away from ultraconservative interpretations of Islamic law known as Wahhabism, which many in the country still closely adhere to.
• The crown prince has sought to modernize the country, attract foreign investment and revamp Saudi Arabia's reputation globally. He's also overseen a parallel crackdown on liberals, women's rights activists, writers, moderate clerics and reformers. The 2018 killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey by agents who worked for the crown prince drew sharp criticism internationally.
4. UK sets up new insurance scheme for National Health Service workers families
• The UK has announced a 60,000-pound insurance scheme for the families of National Health Service workers who lose their lives on the frontlines of fighting the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed over 21,000 people in the country.
5. UK: FM unveils 100% state-backed 'Bounce Back Loan Scheme' for small businesses
• UK's Finance Minister Rishi Sunak has unveiled a 100% state-backed 'Bounce Back Loan Scheme' for the country's small businesses to help them tide through the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.
• The new fast-track finance scheme would help bolster the existing package of support available to crisis-hit UK businesses.
• Under the scheme, qualifying small businesses can apply online to borrow between 2,000 funds and50,000 pounds as interest-free loans for the first 12 months.
• The scheme has been designed to ensure that small firms who need vital cash injections to keep operating can get finance in a matter of days. It comes alongside the6 billion awarded in business grants, supporting 4 million jobs through the job retention scheme and generous tax deferrals supporting hundreds of thousands of firms.
• Firms will be able to access these loans through a network of accredited lenders.
• The government will work with lenders to ensure loans delivered through this scheme are advanced as quickly as possible and agree a low standardised level of interest for the remaining period of the loan.
6. Russia to launch first Arktika-M satellite for monitoring Arctic climate this year
• Russia will be launching its first Arktika-M satellite to monitor the Arctic climate and environment later this year.
• The Arktika M is a series of planned remote-sensing and emergency communications satellites that Russia plans to operate in a highly elliptical 12-hour orbit.
• It will help collect meteorological data from the polar regions of the Earth. The data will help improve weather forecasts and enable scientists to better study climate change.
• Russia’s territory stretches along the Arctic Ocean for thousands of km and the nation faces many challenges while trying to balance the economic development and environmental protection of its northern regions.
7. FDA Authorizes Emergency Use of Remdesivir for COVID-19
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave emergency use authorisation (EUA) for the use of investigational anti-viral Remdesivir in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
• Remdesivir is authorised for the treatment of hospitalised patients with severe COVID-19 disease.
• Under the EUA, both five-day and 10-day treatment durations are suggested, based on the severity of disease.
8. WHO map shows Ladakh's Aksai Chin as part of China
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reportedly shown parts of Ladakh as Chinese territory.
• WHO's website shows the Aksai Chin region as a part of China with a dotted line and colour code. Furthermore, the WHO map also marks Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) with dotted lines, suggesting it as a disputed territory. Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and the rest of India are marked in different colour codes.
• While several United Nations (UN) maps have shown parts of Kashmir as ‘disputed’ territory in the past, this is probably the first time that Ladakh and J&K are shown in different colour codes than the rest of India.
• In one such previous instance, China recently included parts of Arunachal Pradesh — which it calls a part of South Tibet — within its international boundaries, according to an updated version of the Sky Map.
9. G20 launches ‘Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator’ Initiative
• The group of 20 (G20) launched “Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator”, an international initiative to accelerate development, production, and access to health tools needed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• The G20 is working towards reinforcing global cooperation on all fronts, and most importantly, on closing the immediate health financing gap.
• Already the group is working hard to bridge approximately $8 billion funding gap to battle the pandemic. Earlier, Saudi Arabia, as the Chair of the G20 in 2020, pledged USD 500 million to support global efforts to tackle this disastrous outbreak.
• Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator’ initiative will be a global platform for action to enhance connections and leverage inter-dependencies for collective partnership, problem-solving, mobilising and guiding investments, and driving equitable access for new COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.
ECONOMY, BUSINESS AND BANKING NEWS
1. RBI announces Special Liquidity Facility for Mutual Funds
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced a special window of Rs.50,000 crore for Mutual Funds in view of the redemption pressure that the fund houses are facing.
• Under the scheme, the RBI will conduct repo operations of 90 day tenor at the fixed rate repo.
• Funds availed under this facility will be used by banks exclusively for meeting the liquidity requirements of MFs by extending loans, and undertaking outright purchase of and/or repos against the collateral of investment grade corporate bonds, Commercial Papers (CPs), debentures and Certificates of Deposit (CDs) held by MFs.
• The scheme is available from April 27, 2020, till May 11, 2020, or up to utilisation of the allocated amount, whichever is earlier. The RBI will review the timeline and amount, depending upon market conditions.
2. Automobile giant Maruti Suzuki producing low cost ventilators in country
• Maruti Suzuki, the Automobile giant is now spearheading the production of low cost ventilators in country and helping the government in the fight against COVID-19.
• The production is going on in Gautam Bhuddh Nagar of Uttar Pradesh where company is supporting Agva Healthcare, a start-up to scale-up ventilator production.
• Maruti Suzuki is now using its expertise and capabilities for large scale manufacturing of low cost ventilators which will be used in saving lives of patients suffering with COVID-19.
• The low cost ventilators were designed by Agva Healthcare and Maruti Suzuki is enhancing the production by pouring in the vendors and doing the quality control.
3. NLC India commences coal production in Odisha
• Public sector firm NLC India has started the production of coal for the first time from two mines in Odisha that were allocated to it in 2016.
• The company has started coal production from its Talabira II and III mines in Odisha, which have a capacity of 20 million per annum.
• The mines will be used to meet the requirement of its existing and future coal fired power plants. The coal block has been developed on the mine development operator (MDO) model that has been implemented by NLC team.
• This mine has a low stripping ratio of 1.09 and coal is of G12 grade, which will enable the company to generate competitive power in the time to come.
• By achieving success on this project during the difficult time of the Covid-19 lockdown situation, our team has not only helped the company on its growth path, but has also contributed to the country's energy security, especially when avoiding import of coal is the top most priority.
• NLC India had earlier commissioned one of the two lignite based power plants (1000 MW- two units of 500 MW each), the first of its kind in the country. During 2019-20, the company has achieved renewable energy generation of 1,404 Mw, of which 1,353 Mw is solar and 51 Mw is wind power.
4. More than 90% CKP Co-op Bank depositors to get back money, says RBI
• More than 99 per cent of the depositors in CKP Co-op Bank will get full payment of the deposits back from the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC).
• Deposits up to Rs 5 lakh are guaranteed by the DICGC. This portion is 99.2 per cent.
• The RBI cancelled the licence of CKP Co-op Bank on April 28, and notified the cancellation on its website. CKP Co-op Bank, Mumbai, has been under the all-inclusive directions of the RBI since 2014. As there was no scope for revival of the bank, its licence has been cancelled. Out of 132,170 depositors of the bank, about 99.2 per cent will get full payment of their deposits from their DICGC.
• The bank failed to meet the regulatory requirement of maintaining a minimum capital adequacy ratio of 9 per cent and reserves.
• Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Reserve Bank of India.
• It insures all bank deposits, such as saving, fixed, current, recurring deposit for up to the limit of Rs. 500,000 of each deposits in a bank.
5. EPFO employees contribute Rs 2.5 crore towards PM-CARES Fund
• Employees of retirement fund body EPFO have collectively contributed Rs 2.5 crore towards the PM-CARES Fund to support fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is a statutory body formed by the Employees' Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 and is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India.
• The Government of India has set up a public charitable trust under the name of the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES Fund) with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation.
• Union Minister of Labour- Santosh Kumar Gangwar
6. Bharat Market: CAIT to launch national e-commerce marketplace for retail traders
• The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has announced that it will be launching ‘Bharat Market', a new national e-commerce marketplace, for all the retail traders.
• The traders body will be launching the portal in collaboration with several technology partners.
• The national marketplace will integrate the capabilities of various technology companies to provide end-to-end services to retailers. It will support retail logistics and supply chains from manufacturers to end consumers, including facilitating doorstep deliveries.
• The ‘Bharat market’ e-commerce portal will include participation from retailers across the nation. The initiative will receive active support and guidance of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
7. HDFC Bank releases song to keep up hopes up amidst Covid-19 pandemic
• To keep up hopes up amidst the ongoing national lockdown and coronavirus pandemic, HDFC Bank released a collaborative song titled #HumHaarNahiMaanenge (We will not lose).
• Composed by Oscar and Grammy Award-winning musician AR Rahman, with lyrics by Prasoon Joshi, the song is “a tribute to the indomitable spirit of India and millions of Indians who are standing together to fight the Covid-19 pandemic”.
8. Narendra Singh Tomar launches “The Saras Collection” on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal
• The Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, launched “The Saras Collection” on the Government e Marketplace (GeM) portal.
• It is a unique initiative of GeM and the DeenDayalAntyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), Ministry of Rural Development.
• It showcases daily utility products made by rural self-help groups (SHGs) and aims to provide SHGs in rural areas with market access to Central and State Government buyers.
• Under this initiative, the SHG sellers will be able to list their products in 5 product categories, namely (i) handicrafts, (ii) handloom and textiles, (iii) office accessories, (iv) grocery and pantry, and (v) personal care and hygiene.
• DAY-NLRM aims to reduce poverty through promotion of diversified and gainful self-employment while creating skilled wage employment opportunities.
• Government e Marketplace (GeM) is a 100 percent Government owned online and end to end solution y set up as the National Public Procurement Portal for procurement of goods and services required by Central and State Government organizations.
9. Ministry of Coal launches Project Monitoring Unit for facilitating early operationalisation of coal mines
• Ministry of Coal (MoC) launched a Project Monitoring Unit (PMU) for facilitation of early operationalisation of coal mines allocated by the Central Government.
• This is an important step forward to promote Ease of Doing Business as it will hand-hold and support Coal mines allocatees in obtaining timely approval/permissions to operationalise the mines.
• This will lead to ramping up of coal production in the country.
• This move is also expected to go a long way in attracting bidders for the ensuing auction round of commercial blocks. This measure will improve production and business environment in the coal industry.
• KPMG, has been appointed as the Consultant, in Project Monitoring Unit (PMU) through a transparent bidding process.
10. Vodafone Idea ties up with Paytm to launch ‘Recharge Saathi’
• Vodafone idea ties up with Paytm have launched the ‘Recharge Saathi’ program.
• This program will help individuals and small businesses to earn additional income. Vodafone Idea will also give an assured cashback to merchant partners for multiple recharges.
• Under this programme, any Paytm customer can sell Vodafone and Idea recharges on Paytm app after registration. This will help him earn some amount as commission.
• Individuals and small businesses such as pharmacists, milk booth operators, newspaper vendors and individuals would be able to earn up to ₹5,000 every month under the programme.
11. Axis Bank set to acquire 29% stake in Max Life Insurance for Rs 1,592 crore
• Private sector lender Axis Bank would acquire an additional 29 per cent stake in Max Life Insurance for an estimated price of Rs 1,592 crore, raising its total holding in the life insurer to 30 per cent after the completion of the deal.
• Max Financial Services will hold the remaining 70 per cent in the joint venture.
12. HDFC acquires 6.43% stake in Reliance Capital
• Mortgage lender HDFC has acquired 6.43 per cent stake in debt-trapped Reliance Capital by invoking pledged shares.
• These shares were acquired pursuant to invocation of pledge by security trustee on behalf of the corporation, which was pledged against a loan given by the lender in its normal course of business, HDFC Ltd said in a regulatory filing.
• Following this, the company acquired 25.27 crore shares of Rs 10 each, it said, adding that the total value of these shares are Rs 252 crore.
• It further said the requisite disclosure had already been made on March 27, and since the shares have now been credited to the account of the Corporation, the disclosure was being made once again.
DEFENCE NEWS
1. Defence forces to express gratitude to COVID-19 warriors by conducting flypast
• Indian Army, Navy and Air Force conducted activities on May 3 to express their gratitude to COVID-19 warriors.
• The Navy had its warships deployed in formations in coastal areas in the evening on May 3. Navy warships will also be lit up and their choppers will be used for showering petals on the hospitals treating COVID patients.
• In Delhi representatives of the three services laid wreaths at the National Police Memorial honouring the efforts of police for their exceptional and heroic efforts in country's fight against the pandemic. Indian Air Force chopper showered petals on the National Police Memorial saluting the efforts of police.
• Sukhoi 30 MKIs, MiG 29s and Jaguars conducted a flypast over Rajpath, orbited over the city for over half an hour. The jets showering petals could be clearly seen in the sky, and warmed the heart of many a people in these difficult times.
• The Indian Army band also performed at the COVID-19 quarantine centre at Narela. The Armed Forces' efforts to lift the morale of corona warriors have garnered praise from everyone, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
2. DRDO develops Ultraviolet disinfection tower "UV Blaster”
• An Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection tower has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• It is designed and developed by the Laser Science and Technology Centre (LASTEC).
• LASTEC is a Delhi based premier laboratory of DRDO and the equipment was developed along with the help of New Age Instruments and Materials Private Limited, Gurugram.
• It will help in the chemical-free and rapid disinfection of high infection-prone areas. The UV Blaster will be helpful in the disinfection of high tech surfaces such as computers, electronic equipment, and other forms of gadgets in laboratories and offices. These are the items that are not suitable for disinfection through chemical methods.
• The product will also be useful for the areas with a large flow of people such as metros, airports, shopping malls, hotels, factories, offices, etc.
• The tower is known as ‘UV Blaster’ which is a UV based area sanitizer.
• The equipment has six lamps each with 43 watts of UV-C power at 254 nm wavelength for 360-degree illumination. For a room of about 12 x 12 feet dimension, the disinfection time is about 10 minutes and 30 minutes for 400 square feet area by positioning the equipment at different places within the room.
3. Australia cancels premier multilateral air combat training exercise Pitch Black 2020: COVID-19
• Australia has informed India that their premier multilateral air combat training exercise Pitch Black 2020 scheduled from July 27 to August 14 has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 situation.
• This was conveyed by Air Marshal Meg Hupfeld, Chief of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), in a letter to Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, in mid-April.
• Exercise Pitch Black is a biennial warfare exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
• The aim of the exercise is to practice Offensive Counter Air (OCA) and Defensive Counter Air (DCA) combat, in a simulated war environment.
• In the last edition of Pitch Black in 2018, the IAF for the first time participated with its Su-30MKI fighters, one C-130 and one C-17 transport aircraft.
• It provided a unique opportunity for an exchange of knowledge and experience with these nations in a dynamic warfare environment.
• The next edition of Pitch Black is scheduled in 2022.
SPORTS NEWS
1. Former World Snooker champion Peter Ebdon announces retirement
• Former World Snooker Champion Peter Ebdon has announced his retirement from professional snooker.
• He has announced his retirement after suffering from various neck and back injuries.
• Peter Ebdon was the winner of 2002 World Snooker championship when he defeated Stephen Hendry in an 18-17 final thriller. He also ended as a runner up in the championship for the record two times in his professional career of 29 years. He also won the UK Championship in 2006.
PEOPLE IN NEWS
1. Shiv Das Meena becomes new CMD of HUDCO
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, additional secretary, Shiv Das Meena has been appointed as chairman and managing director of Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) for a period of six months with immediate effect.
