NATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
Government Approves Rs 15,000 crore for ‘India COVID-19 Emergency Response and
Health System Preparedness Package’: Government of India (GoI) has sanctioned
Rs.15000 crores for the project named ‘India COVID-19 Emergency Response and
Health System Preparedness Package’ aimed at strengthening national and state
healthcare systems amid coronavirus crisis. The four-year project is a 100
percent centrally funded package for states and Union Territories. From the
total funds sanctioned, Rs.7774 crores will be utilized for immediate COVID-19
Emergency Response and rest for medium-term support (1-4 years) to be provided
under mission mode approach. The project will be implemented in three phases
from January 2020 to March 2024 in the following manner:
Phase 1: January 2020 to June 2020
Phase 2: July 2020 to March 2021
Phase 3: April 2021 to March 2024
Note: Union Minister of Health and Family
Welfare: Harsh Vardhan.
2.
Hindustan Unilever partners with UNICEF to support India’s fight against
COVID-19: Hindustan
Unilever Limited (HUL) collaborated with the United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF) to undertake a mass communication campaign and to inform and empower
the general public against the current pandemic situation. Mass media campaign
is titled as ‘#BreakTheChain’ / #VirusKiKadiTodo’ and is based on three key
themes - Social Distancing, Handwashing and Generosity. The campaign will act
as a communication tools that can help people change behaviours and stay safe.
Note: Executive Director of UNICEF:
Henrietta H. Fore; Founded: 11 December 1946
3.
Delhi Government Launches “Operation SHIELD” for Containment of COVID-19: Delhi Chief
Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced the launch of an initiative called
“Operation SHIELD” in the capital city to curb the spread of the coronavirus
pandemic. The Operation SHIELD will be implemented in 21 containment zones as a
necessary action to protect the people of Delhi from COVID-19. Here SHIELD
stands for:
S: Sealing of the immediate
area/surroundings after geographical marking
H: Home quarantine of all the people living
in the area
I: Isolation and tracing of people who have
been first and second contacts
E: Essential supply of commodities is
ensured
L: Local sanitisation of the area by
authorities
D: Door-to-door health checks of everyone
living in the area
Note: Chief Minister of Delhi: Arvind
Kejriwal; Lieutenant Governor of Delhi: Anil Baijal.
4.
MHRD launched Bharat Padhe Online campaign: Union Minister for Human Resource
Development Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has launched the 'Bharat Padhe
Online' campaign in New Delhi. The campaign aimed for crowd sourcing of Ideas
for Improving the Online Education ecosystem of India. A week-long campaign
aims to invite all the best brains in India to share suggestions and solutions
directly with the Ministry of Human Resource Development to overcome
constraints of online education while promoting the available digital education
platforms. Ideas can be shared on bharatpadheonline.mhrd@gmail.com and on
twitter by using #BharatPadheOnline up to 16 April 2020. While using Twitter
one must tag @HRDMinistry and @DrRPNishank so that the ideas can be notified to
the Ministry.
Note: Minister for Human Resource
Development: Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’.
5.
Ladakh LG launches IT based applications to combat the current situation: Union territory
Ladakh administration is taking the help of Information Technology enabled
services in the fight against COVID-19 and containment of the spread. UT has
launched app and web based platforms namely, connect.ladakh.gov.in and
covid.ladakh.gov.in. National Analytical platform for Dealing with Intelligent
Training, Tracking (NAADI App) developed by C-DAC has also been launched to
public in quarantine with health tips and advisories.
6.
Telangana launched India's first automated "COVID-19 Monitoring System
App":
Public Health and Family Welfare Department of Telangana deployed India's first
automated "COVID-19 Monitoring System App" by Vera Smart Healthcare.
This will identify patients, undertake live surveillance, track, monitor, and
provide real-time analytics to the chief minister and the state health
department. The system also empowers each health worker to handle 1,500+ phone
calls, and simple chatbot conversations each day with a patient.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
ADB announced USD 2.2 billion to support India to combat coronavirus pandemic: Asian Development
Bank (ADB) has announced that it is to fiund $2.2 billion (about Rs.16,500
crore) support to India in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. ADB is
committed to supporting India's emergency needs. It aims to help the health
sector of India and to help alleviate the economic impact of the pandemic on
the poor. The fund will benefit informal workers, micro, small, and
medium-sized enterprises, and the financial sector of India. ADB has announced
that is to meet India's needs by considering all financing option including
emergency assistance, policy-based loans, and budget support to facilitate
swift disbursement of ADB funds.
Note: ADB Formed on: 19 December 1966;
Headquarters: Philippines; President: Masatsugu Asakawa; Membership: 68
countries
2.
World Homeopathy Day: 10 April: The World Homeopathy Day is celebrated each
year on April 10 to honor the birth of the father of the Homeopathy system of
medicines Dr. Samuel Hahnemann. The theme of World Homoeopathy Day 2020 is
“Linking research with education and clinical practice: Advancing scientific
collaborations”. Homeopathy is one of the Medicine systems in the AYUSH
Ministry – ‘Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy’. The
way to heal in homeopathy is by the doctrine of 'similia similibus curantur'
i.e likes are cured by likes.
Note: Minister of Ayurveda, Yoga and
Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH): Shripad Yesso Naik.
3.
IIL partners with Griffith University of Australia to develop vaccine for
coronavirus: Vaccine
manufacturer Indian Immunologicals (IIL) partnered with Australia's Griffith
University to do research and develop a vaccine for COVID-19. The two entities
have signed a pact regarding this. Under the partnership Scientists from India
and Australia will develop a 'live attenuated SARS–CoV-2 vaccine' using the
latest codon deoptimization technology. The vaccine is expected to provide
long-lasting protection with a single dose administration with an anticipated
safety profile similar to other licensed vaccines for active immunization. Upon
the completion of the research, the vaccine strain will be transferred to ILL.
It will work with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), to
conduct clinical trials. IIL intends to use its Vero cell platform tech for
mass production of the vaccine.
Note: Headquarters of Indian Immunologicals
Limited (IIL): Hyderabad, Telangana; Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL)
founded: 1982; Chairman of Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL): Dilip Rath.
4.
Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Mary Jordan Pens book on Melania Trump: Pulitzer
Prize-winning reporter Mary Jordan, who works for The Washington Post, has
written an unauthorized biography of US first lady Melania Trump. The book
titled “The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump” is based upon
more than 100 interviews to present a surprising portrait of a determined
immigrant and the life she had before she met Donald Trump. The book is scheduled
to be released on June 16, 2020.
5.
Google to launch new virtual Braille Keyboard: Google has
announced the launch of a virtual Braille keyboard for Android users with low
vision or blindness and enable these people to type on their phones without
additional hardware. For the virtual Braille keyboard, Google has collaborated
with braille developers and users to create it and also ensured that the
keyboard can be used anywhere, where a user would normally type such as social
media, text messaging, and email apps.
Note: Google CEO: Sundar Pichai;
Headquarters: California, United States.
OTHER UPDATES:
BANKING AND FINANCE
1.
India’s GDP for FY21 projected at 4.8%: UN ESCAP 2020: A UN report titled
The UN ‘Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) 2020:
Towards sustainable economies’ has been released. The survey projected India’s
GDP growth rate for FY21 at 4.8%. For FY20 it is predicted at 5%. And for FY22
it is predicted at 5.1%. Preliminary estimates by ESCAP suggest that the
Asia-Pacific region's GDP could experience declines of 0.6-0.8% (valued at $132
billion to 172 billion).
2.
Anamika Roy Rashtrawar Appointed as MD and CEO of IFFCO Tokio General
Insurance: Anamika
Roy Rashtrawar been appointed as the MD and CEO of IFFCO Tokio General
Insurance with effect from March 27. She will suceed Warendra Sinha who was
leading the company from past three years. She is the first woman MD and CEO of
a large private sector general insurance company in India. IFFCO Tokio General
Insurance is a joint venture between Indian Farmers Fertilizer Co-operative
(IFFCO) and Tokio Marine Group.
OBITUARIES
1.
Former Madhya Pradesh minister Hazarilal Raghuwanshi passes away: Former Madhya
Pradesh minister Hazarilal Raghuwanshi (93 years) passes away. Raghuwanshi was
a five-time MLA from the Assembly constituency and also served as a minister in
various Congress-led governments in the state. The senior leader was elected as
an MLA for the first time in 1977 and he also served as a deputy speaker in the
MP Assembly from 2003-2008.
2.
American folk singer John Prine passes away: American folk singer and song writer
John Prine (73 years) has passes away due to the COVID-19 complications. He won
two Grammy awards for best contemporary folk albums “The Missing Years (1991)”
and “Fair & Square (2005)”. He was bestowed with Grammy Lifetime
Achievement Award and was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
3.
BDJS secretary, TV Babu passes away: TV Babu (62 years), Secretary of the
Kerala-based NDA ally BDJS, passes away. He was a Dalit leader and began his
career as a Communist Party of India (CPI) leader in Anthikkad in Thrissur
district and later he become General Secretary of the KPMS. He also served as
village panchayat president and then he joined NDA. The Bharat Dharma Jana Sena
(BDJS) is a constituent of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in
Kerala.
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