NATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
Cabinet Approves Ordinance to Reduce Salaries of President, PM, Governors,
Ministers, MPs by 30% for 1 year Effective from April 1: The Union Cabinet,
on April 6, 2020, approved an ordinance to amend the Salary, Allowances and
Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954, to reduce the allowances and
pension of all MPs by 30% for a period of one year, with effect from April 1,
2020. The President, Vice President, Governors of States have also voluntarily
decided to take a pay cut of 30 percent as a social responsibility for one
year. Sharing this information, the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister
Prakash Javadekar also announced that all these money will go to Consolidated
Fund of India, for managing health and the adverse impact of outbreak of
COVID-19 in India. Besides, this, the Cabinet has also decided to temporarily
suspend the MPLAD (Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme) Fund
for two years, that means during 2020-21 & 2021-22. The consolidated amount
of MPLAD Funds accumulated during this 2 years period will be Rs 7900 crores.
This amount will also go to Consolidated Fund of India to fight COVID-19.
2.
Govt approves Rs 11,092 crore for all states to deal with COVID-19 challenge: Union Home Minister
Amit Shah approved release of Rs 11,092 crore to all states under the State
Disaster Risk Management Fund (SDRMF) for setting up quarantine facilities and
arranging other facilities for checking the spread of coronavirus. This fund is
allowed to be utilised for setting up quarantine facilities, sample collection
and screening; setting up additional testing laboratories, cost of consumables;
purchase of personal protection equipment for healthcare, municipal, police and
fire authorities; purchase of thermal scanners, ventilators, air purifiers, and
consumables for government hospitals.
3.
DRDO Laboratory designs full body disinfection chamber: Vehicle Research
Development Establishment (VRDE), DRDO Laboratory has designed full body
disinfection chamber called as PSE for personnel decontamination. This is a
portable system equipped with sanitizer and soap dispenser. The system has been
manufactured with the help of M/s Dass Hitachi Ltd, Ghaziabad, within a time
span of four days. This can be used in controlled ingress and egress like
entry-exit to hospitals, malls, office buildings, etc.
4.
Anurag Srivastava takes charge as the MEA Spokesman: Senior diplomat
Anurag Srivastava (1999 batch IFS officer) took charge as the spokesperson of
the Ministry of External Affairs succeeding Raveesh Kumar. He was Indian envoy
to Ethiopia and was part of the Finance Division of the MEA which is tasked to
administer it''s annual budget of about USD 2 billion. He had also served at
the India's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva.
5.
Nation observed ‘9pm 9minute’ by lightening diyas and candles: Millions of Indians
across the country switched off lights at their homes and lit candles and diyas
or turned on mobile phone torches on Sunday night, responding to Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's appeal to show the nation's "collective resolve and
solidarity" in its fight against coronavirus with this symbolic gesture.
6.
FCI sets all-time record in transportation of food grains: FCI has sets
record in single day movement by moving 70 rakes carrying 1.93 Lakh Metric
Tonnes (LMT) continuously to ensure food grain stocks during countrywide
lockdown. Punjab accounted for about 46% of total food grain movement followed
by Haryana, Telangana and Chhattisgarh. FCI is providing food grains under
National Food Security Act (NFSA) and PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY) with
wheat and rice at Open Market sale rates.
7.
Bengaluru startup launches home screening kit for COVID-19: Bengaluru-based
startup firm Bione Ventures Pvt Ltd has launched a rapid at-home screening kit
for COVID-19 that delivers results within minutes. The simple point-of-care
home screening kit renders quick results, without having to step out in the
wake of the lockdown. It will foster timely detection of the disease while
acting as a preventive tool for others in proximity to the user, by isolating
the carrier immediately.
8.
UGC directs Universities to set up mental health helplines for students: The University
Grants Commission (UGC) has directed all universities and colleges to set up
mental health helplines to address psycho-social concerns of students during
the COVID-19 lockdown. Helpline will be regularly monitored and managed by
counsellors and identified faculty members.
9. 3D
protection shields for health workers designed: 3D protection
shield for doctors and health workers working to prevent and treat COVID-19
pandemic have been designed in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The design is formulated
by Shri Ebin of Eachanari, a suburb of Coimbatore. The design has been given to
60 organizations in various parts of the country and efforts are on to produce
20,000 shields as soon as possible.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
UNSC to hold its first meeting on coronavirus pandemic: UN Security Council
will hold its first meeting on the coronavirus pandemic on April 9, after weeks
of divisions among its five permanent members. Last week resolution titled
'Global solidarity to fight the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)' was the
first such document on the global pandemic to be adopted by the world
organization. Also exasperated by the back-and-forth that has paralyzed the
Council between China and the United States, nine of the 10 non-permanent
members formally requested a meeting featuring a presentation by
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
2.
International Day of Sport for Development and Peace: 6 April: The International
Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) is observed annually on April 6,
to celebrate the power of sport to drive social change, community development
and to foster peace and understanding. To celebrate International Day of Sport
for Development and Peace 2020, a request has been made by the United Nations
to people around the world asking them to be active, stay healthy and exhibit
solidarity during this period of physical and social distancing as this team
spirit is going to help us all in getting through the current challenges
together. For the International Day of Sport 2020, the UN has appealed to
people to #BeActive and healthy to beat #COVID19.
Note: This day was created by the United
Nations General Assembly in 23 August 2013, and supported by the International
Olympic Committee since 6 April 2014. The date commemorates the inauguration of
the first Olympic games of the modern era, in Athens, (Greece) in 1896.
3.
Tiger at New York's Bronx Zoo tested positive for COVID-19: Global pandemic
COVID-19 has not even left animal kindgdom untouched. A tiger at New York's
Bronx Zoo has tested positive for COVID-19 and is believed to have contracted
the virus from a caretaker who was asymptomatic at the time. The Wildlife
Conservation Society that runs the city's zoos said that the four-year-old
Malayan tiger named Nadia along with her sister Azul, two Amur tigers and three
African lions all developed dry coughs and are expected to fully recover. It is
not known how this disease will develop in big cats since different species can
react differently to novel infections, but the zoo will continue to monitor
them closely and anticipate full recoveries.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1.
2021 World Games Shifted to 2022 to Avoid Clash with Rescheduled 2020 Toyko
Olympics: The
2021 World Games, which were scheduled to take place in Birmingham, Alabama,
from 15–25 July 2021, have now been postponed to 7-17 July, 2022. The games
have been pushed back to 2022 to avoid clashing with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
which were rescheduled to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The World Games
are held every four years and feature 32 sports that are not part of the
Olympic program. The World Games are organised and governed by the
International World Games Association (IWGA), recognized by the International
Olympic Committee (IOC).
BANKING AND FINANCE
1.
Airtel Payments Bank ties up with Bharti AXA General Insurance for health
insurance plans: Airtel
Payments Bank said it has partnered with Bharti AXA General Insurance to offer
health insurance plans to provide cover and give financial protection against
COVID-19. Under the tie-up, the companies are offering two health insurance
plans — Bharti AXA Group Health Assure which offers lump sum benefit of Rs
25,000 and Group Hospital Cash which provides daily benefit starting Rs 500 per
day — to provide protection against COVID-19.
2.
SBI pegs FY21 growth at 2.6%: SBI house economists have pegged the growth
forecast for January-March at 2.5 per cent and for 2020-21 at 2.6 per cent
given the massive disruptions to businesses and the economy due to the
COVID-19-driven lockdowns, which has upended at least 70 per cent of the
economy. The 21-day lockdown will cost the economy at least Rs 8 lakh crore,
according to a report by SBI Research, which says at least 70 per cent of the
economy is on a standstill because of this. The country’s share in global GDP
currently is 3.5 per cent.
OBITUARIES
1.
Former Honduras President Rafael Callejas passes Away: The former
President of Honduras, Rafael Callejas, has passed away of heart attack. He was
76. Callejas served the country from 27 January 1990 to 27 January 1994,
representing the National Party of Honduras (PNH). He was the head of country’s
football federation from 2002 to 2015 and was also accused of the vast football
corruption scandal known as FIFAgate.
No comments:
Post a Comment