Current Affairs Today 07th April 2020| Current Affairs News

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

United Nations International Day of Conscience

• The United Nations General Assembly has designated 5 April to be observed as an International Day of Conscience every year.
• This day aims to remind people to self-reflect, follow their conscience, and do the right things.
• 2020 Theme: Change the World with Conscience

World Health Day

• The World Health Day is a global health awareness day celebrated every year on 7 April, under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization, as well as other related organizations.
• Thetagline for World Health Day is: Support nurses and midwives.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

NHAI achieves highest ever construction of National Highways in FY 2019-20

• National Highway Authority of India, NHAI has achieved highest ever construction of National Highways in financial year 2019-20.
• NHAI stated, it has accomplished construction of three thousand 979 kilometre of national highways and this is the highest ever highway construction achieved in a financial year by NHAI.
• The authority stated, in 2018-19, NHAI had constructed three thousand 380 Kilometre. It stated, NHAI is committed to provide a smooth ride on national highways in the country.

About National Highway Authority of India:

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Agency executive: Sanjeev Ranjan (Chairperson)

Cabinet approves ordinance to reduce salaries of PM, Ministers, MPs by 30% for a year

• The Union Cabinet approved a 30% cut in the salaries of all Members of Parliament and a two-year suspension of the MP Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme so that the amount saved can go to the Consolidated Fund of India to fight COVID-19, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar
• Javadekar stated the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved an ordinance to amend the Salaries, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954, to cut the salaries of MPs by 30%.
• He stated all MPs, including the Prime Minister and his Council of Ministers, would take the salary cut for financial year 2020-2021. In addition, the Cabinet had decided to suspend the MPLAD funds for 2020-2021 and 2021-2022. Many MPs had already pledged to use their MPLAD funds, Rs.5 crore a year, for efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
• Javadekar stated President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu, as well as all Governors, had decided of their own volition to take a 30% salary cut. All the amount saved would go to the Consolidated Fund of India.

Govt removes restrictions on export of 12 pharma items

• DGFT allows export of APIs, formulations including vitamins, antibiotics after producers say they have surplus stocks
• The Centre has allowed export of a dozen active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), including antibiotics, vitamins and hormones as well as their formulations, that were placed under restriction early last month to avoid a domestic shortage due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
• A notification, amending the one issued on March 3, was put up by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) specifying that export of the 12 identified APIs was now free.
• These APIs include Tinidazole, Metronidazole, Acyclovir, Vitamin B1, B6, B12, Progesterone, Chloramphenicol, Erythromycin salts, Neomycin, Clindamycin salts and Ornidazole.
• The notification is amended to the extent that the above-mentioned APIs and formulations made from these are made free for export with immediate effect, noted the amended notification issued by the DGFT
• Following the restriction imposed on exports of several antibiotics, vitamins and hormonal medicines on March 3, a number of drug companies, including pharmaceutical body Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, had sought the removal of the prohibition on the ground that domestic companies had surplus stocks for export.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL

UN Security Council to discuss Covid-19 pandemic in closed session

• The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will hold a closed session to discuss the Covid-19 pandemic, the first time the powerful UN organ is holding a meeting on coronavirus that has killed more than 74,000 people and infected over 1.3 million globally.
• Council President for the month of April, the Dominican Republic, stated it has formally scheduled a closed video-teleconferencing (VTC) “regarding the impact of Covid-19 on the issues that fall under the UNSC mandate“.
• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will participate in the session as a briefer. It remains to be seen whether any press statement on the Covid-19 situation is issued after the meeting.
• Special Envoy from Dominican Republic to UN Ambassador Jose Singer and President of Security Council for April stated that a Council meeting on the coronavirus situation had been requested by five or six ambassadors and the Dominican Republic was working to schedule the discussion.
• The Dominican Republic assumed the rotating presidency of the 15-nation Council for the month of April, taking the baton from permanent and veto-welding member

About United Nations Security Council (UNSC):

• The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations(UN), charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending that the General Assembly accept new members to the United Nations,  and approving any changes to its charter.
• Headquarters: New York, United States
• Founded: 24 October 1945

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Tata Power Solar bags NTPC contract for Rs.1,730 crore

• Tata Power Solar will build the 300 MW CPSU-II for NTPC at an all-inclusive price of 1,730.16 crore.
• The Commercial Operation Date (COD) for this grid-connected solar photovoltaic project is set for September 2021 (18 months). With this order, the order book of Tata Power Solar stands at approximately 8541 crore, including external and internal orders.
• In September 2019, post reverse auction, Tata Power Solar had received a Letter of Award to develop a 105MWp Floating Solar Project worth approximately Rs.343 crores including three years O&M.
• This project is one of the most prominent floating solar projects in the country. This venture is executed on the reservoir of NTPC Kayamkulam District in Alappuzha, Kerala and is to be commissioned no later than 21 months.

About Tata Power Solar:

• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Parent organization: Tata Group
• Founded: 1989

L&T bags larger order from Indian Army

• The smart world and communication business of L&T Construction has bagged a large order from the Indian Army to establish a unified network management system to manage, support and operate the countrywide armed forces network under the Network for Spectrum (NFS).
• L&T has pegged the deal to be in the range of 2,500-5,000 crore. This network is a part of the armed forces’ modernisation push.
• The project involves the creation of a Cloud based IT infrastructure on Infrastructure as a service (IAAS) model. The scope also includes Next Generation Operations System and Software (NGOSS) based Unified Network Management System, Eight Network Operations Centers (NOCs) consisting of National NOCs, Disaster Recovery NOCs, Regional NOCs, Security Operation Centers, Tier III Data Centres and Training Infrastructure.
• The facilities under this project will allow real time monitoring of the complete IT network backbone of the Indian army and provide complete visibility of deployed Network assets, leading to optimal utilization of resources.
• The project is to be implemented in 18 months followed by three years of warranty and seven years of annual maintenance during which L&T will provide Managed Maintenance Services including SLA monitoring, service impact analysis and root cause analysis for the countrywide Armed Force Next Generation Network.

About L&T constructions:

• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman : A.M. Naik
• N. Subrahmanyan : (MD & CEO)

Likee launches dedicated Covid-19 dashboard with WHO-sourced data

• The dashboard of the short video app will also carry the latest news snippets related to the pandemic from prominent media organisations
• In the prevailing situation, a short video platform – Likee – has launched a dedicated dashboard ‘Fight Corona’, providing the latest and authenticated data related to the pandemic.
• The data will be sourced from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare along with the World Health Organisation (WHO).
• Likee, the short video platform by BIGO Technology Pte Ltd, has launched an H5 page, furnishing comprehensive data related to the novel coronavirus, such as the number of new cases, number of recovered patients and the death toll.
• One tab in the section furnishes state-wise data, giving details from across all states and Union Territories in India. Whereas another tab furnishes details with respect to different countries across the world.
• Apart from the numbers, the dashboard will also carry the latest news snippets related to the pandemic from prominent media organisations.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES

Disinfectant tunnel installed at DGP office in Hyderabad

• 3V Safe Tunnel, a disinfectant tunnel was installed at the Director General of Police’s office in Telangana State by S3V Vascular Technologies Private Limited.
• Police personnel and healthcare professionals are in the front-line in the fight against COVID-19 and installing this disinfection tunnel is a step towards protecting them by minimizing transmission. This is the first-of-its-kind tunnel to be installed in Telangana State.
• S3V Vascular Technologies Private Limited is a Medical Device company that manufactures devices for the brain and heart.
• 3V Safe Tunnel is one of the many methods to reduce local transmission of COVID-19 virus.
• The tunnel uses an aerosol technology wherein the disinfectant solution is atomized into aerosol with a particle size of 1.5 microns to 20 microns.
• The flow pattern of the disinfectant solution is designed to provide maximum protection to people passing through the tunnel in around 20 seconds. The atomized liquid spray saturates the environment and thus disinfects all surfaces, even those that are not directly exposed to the nozzles.
• The disinfectant used consists of a combination of a water-soluble polymer and iodine. The disinfectant is non-volatile, having no detectable vapor pressure, forms a film which releases free iodine, thus enabling prolonged viricidal and bactericidal activity and sanitizing the surfaces. The solution has been proved to be effective against SARS, MERS and Ebola viruses.

About Telangana

• Capital- Hyderabad
• CM- Chandra Sekar Rao
• Governor- Tamilisai Soundarajan

Kerala installs Walk in Sample Kiosks for Covid-19 testing in Ernakulam district

• Kerala has installed Walk in Sample Kiosks (WISK) for mass collection of samples for Covid-19 testing  in Ernakulam district based on South Korean model.
• A  Walk-in Sample Kiosk or WISK is a mobile cubicle with a sealed glass front, and have extended gloves attached in the front, through which a medical practitioner standing in the cubicle can collect samples. The healthcare professionals in the kiosk can collect throat swabs of people who will stand outside the kiosk.
• The swab can be collected without direct exposure and contact. After the swab collection, the gloves can be sanitized from outside.This drastically reduces the need for PPE kits and protects the medical practitioner and the patient and enables mass collection of samples.
• The Walk-in Sample Kiosks , are being developed by Doctors of Kalamsessry Medical College. Presently two kiosks  are being installed at Ernakulam Medical College and will be placed in other hospitals too which isolation wards and testing facility.
• According to the Ernakulam district administration, the model installed in Kochi is one of the first of its kind in India. Meanwhile presently 266 patients are under treatment for Covid-19 in Kerala. and over 1, 52000 people are under observation in the State.

About kerala:

• Chief minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
• Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan
• Capital: Thiruvananthapuram

Delhi lab launches India’s 1st drive-through coronavirus test centre

• In a first of its kind in the country, Dr Dang Labs launched a testing drive through a COVID-19 testing Centre on the western side of the national capital’s Punjabi Bagh area.
• The testing Centre can conduct about 35-40 tests in a day. This Centre ensures maximum safety and minimum exposure to both the patients and the sample collectors, stated Dr Arjun Dang, CEO, Dr Dang Labs.
• The whole process completes in less than half an hour and the reports thereafter are available online.

About Delhi:

• Chief Minister- ArvindKejriwal
• Governor- Anil Baijal

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATION

Infosys COO UB Pravin Rao appointed Nasscom Chairman for 2020-21, Rekha Menon as vice chairperson

• IT industry body Nasscom has appointed Infosys Chief Operating Officer UB Pravin Rao as its chairman for 2020-21, succeeding WNS Global Services Group CEO Keshav Murugesh.
• Also, Rekha M Menon, chairman and senior managing director of Accenture in India, has been named as the vice-chairperson for 2020-21.

About NASSCOM

• Headquarter- New Delhi
• Chairperson- UB Pravin Rao

Anurag Srivastava takes charge as MEA Spokesman

• Senior diplomat Anurag Srivastava took charge as the Spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs, succeeding Mr Raveesh Kumar.
• Mr Srivastava, a 1999-batch Indian Foreign Service Officer, was serving as India’s Ambassador to Ethiopia brfore this appointment.

About Ministry of External Affairs:

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Officeholders: Subrahmanyam Jaishankar ( union Minister),
• Muraleedharan (Minister of State),

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHORS

Two new books to hit the stands in May of understanding  CORONA

• The books, “How Contagion Works: Science, Awareness and Community in Times of Global Crisis” by Italian physicist Paolo Giordano and “Deadliest Enemy: Our War Against Killer Germs” by epidemiologist Michael Osterholm and author Mark Olshaker, will hit the stands in May.
• It is published by
• The “Deadliest Enemy” is an attempt to explore the “resources and programs” to keep people safe from infectious diseases.
• “How Contagion works”, a slim read, is a mix of author’s moving account of putting up under lockdown Italy, decoding maths behind the contagion and interconnected lives in the times of globalization.
• “Contagion by numbers” — explaining how contagion works and why people should limit their exposure to the outside world which contributed to a shift in the public discourse around the virus in Italy.
• Giordano’s first novel, “The Solitude of Prime Numbers”, was translated into more than 40 languages worldwide and won the Premio Strega, the most prestigious Italian literary award.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

IIT Hyderabad incubated startup develops low-cost & portable ventilator

• Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad Center for Healthcare Entrepreneurship (CfHE) incubated startup, Aerobiosys Innovations has developed a low-cost, portable, emergency-use ventilator Called ‘Jeevan Lite’.
• This device offers protection to healthcare providers as well as it is Internet of Things-enabled and can be operated through a phone app. It can also be battery-operated, enabling its deployment in areas without assured power supply.
• The ‘Minimal Viable Product’ with the required functionality of this ventilator has already been developed.
• Jeevan Lite can perform both the invasive and non-invasive ventilation across a comprehensive set of modes and settings. It can be used for pediatric and adult patients and will work on rechargeable lithium-ion Batteries in an uninterrupted manner for five hours without power supply.
• Aerobiosys Innovations plans to provide Jeevan Lite at a price of Rs. 1 lakh (USD $1,315 approx.) which is significantly economical compared with existing products in the market.
• This would provide enough isolation to the patient and protection to healthcare providers and family members. The ventilator can be controlled using the app and provides real-time display of the waveforms. Each breath of the patient is recorded and transmitted to the doctors via a connected App to enable telemedicine support. The device has a provision for attaching an oxygen cylinder and can operate on its own in ambient air.

Recent News

• IIT Roorkee has developed a low-cost portable ventilator that can be useful for COVID-19 patients. Named ‘Prana-Vayu,’ the closed-loop ventilator is developed in collaboration with AIIMS, Rishikesh, and is equipped with state-of-the-art features.

NASA unveils plan for Artemis ‘base camp’ on the moon beyond 2024

• NASA is forging ahead with its Artemis programto land humans on the moon by 2024, but the agency has also just offered its first plan for what a U.S. lunar presence may look like after that milestone.
• The new plan comes from a 13-page report submitted on April 2 to the National Space Council, an advisory group to President Donald Trump chaired by Vice President Mike Pence.
• Much of the report, titled “NASA’s Plan for Sustained Lunar Exploration and Development,” summarizes the vision NASAhas laid out for justifying and accomplishing the 2024 moon landing. But the report also looks farther out to focus on what a long-term presence on the moon and in lunar orbit would permit the U.S. to accomplish.
• For years to come, Artemis will serve as our North Star as we continue to work toward even greater exploration of the moon, where we will demonstrate key elements needed for the first human mission to Mars.

About NASA:  

• Jim Bridenstine, Administrator
• James Morhard, Deputy Administrator
• Jeff DeWit, Chief Financial Officer
• Head quarters : Washington, D.C., United States

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING

Tamil Nadu finishes on top in micro-irrigation coverage

• In the just-concluded financial year 2019-20, the TN State finished on top at the all-India level for micro-irrigation coverage.
• This has been achieved as part of implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), a programme aimed at promoting the “more crop per drop” concept by focussing on water-saving technologies.
• The overall figure was 2.06 lakh ha, surpassing the performance of consistently high-performers such as Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
• The cumulative total coverage under the PMKSY during 2015-2020, Tamil Nadu occupies the fourth spot with about 5.62 lakh ha.
• The first place goes to Karnataka (8.16 lakh ha) followed by Andhra Pradesh (7.17 lakh ha) and Gujarat (7 lakh ha). At the all-India level, 43.71 lakh ha of lands were brought under micro irrigation in the last five years.

Extra incentive By TN govt

• The State government had given subsidy in addition to what was provided by the Centre to small and marginal farmers and big farmers. For example, for sugarcane, small and marginal farmers get 100% subsidy for laying drip system and big farmers,75%.
• By developing an exclusive website “Micro Irrigation Management Information System” (MIMIS), the implementation — from registration of beneficiaries to the final round of release of funds — has been made online, simplifying the procedure and speeding up the approval process.
• The State government has absorbed the cost of 12% goods and services tax (GST) on micro irrigation components.

About Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)

• Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana is a national mission to improve farm productivity and ensure better utilization of the resources in the country. The scheme has been approved with an outlay of 50000 crore for period of 5 years(2015-16 to 2019-20).
• Formed- 2015

About TN

• Capital – Chennai
• CM- Edappadi K Palanisamy
• Governor- Banwarilal Prohit

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS

IWF: Thailand, Malaysia banned from weightlifting at Tokyo Olympics

• The Independent Member Federation Sanctions Panel (IMFSP) of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has imposed disciplinary sanctions on Thailand and Malaysia and banned both the countries to from participating in weightlifting events at the Tokyo Olympics.
• The IMFPS also suspended the Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association (TAWA) for three years, while the Malaysian Weightlifting Federation (MWF) has been given a one-year ban.
• However, both the federations have a 21-day window to challenge the decision and appeal in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
• Additionally, the Thai federation has also been fined USD 2,00,000, half of which “shall be used by IWF to offset IWF costs already incurred in connection with the TAWA matter and for additional IWF testing of TAWA athletes”, the panel stated.
• The Thailand federation had already withdrawn from the Tokyo Olympics voluntarily after nine of its weightlifters were caught for doping violations at the 2018 World Championships. On March 24, for the first time in the history of the mega global event, the Olympics were postponed by a year.
• The decision was confirmed by the IOC after the organising body for the event and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to reschedule the Tokyo Olympics in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The IOC had, however, stated that the original name of Tokyo 2020 will remain intact irrespective of the fact that it will take place next year.
• The Tokyo Olympics 2020 will now commence from July 23 to August 8 next year while the Paralympics Games will be held from August 24 to September 5, 2021.

About IWF:

• Headquarters– Budapest, Hungary
• President– Tamas AJAN

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARY

Former Libya interim prime minister Mahmoud Jibril Passes away

• Mahmoud Jibril, the former leader of the opposition Libyan government during the civil war has passed away after being hospitalised with the coronavirus.
• Jibril had been interim prime minister for about seven months in 2011 and resigned after Gaddafi was captured and killed in the city of Sirte.
• In 2012, Jibril became a member of the newly founded political union of National Forces Alliance (NFA).

Pro Football Hall of Famer Bobby Mitchell passes away 

• Pro Football Hall of Famer Bobby Mitchell passed away at 84 years.
• Mitchell was enshrined into the Hall of Fame in 1983. He spent 11 seasons in the NFL playing as a halfback for the Cleveland Browns (1958-1961) and as a flanker for the Washington Redskins (1962-1968).

Former New Zealand Wicketkeeper Jock Edwards passes away

• Former New Zealand wicket-keeper batsman Jock Edwards passed away at the age of 64.
• Edwards also played six ODIs, between 1976 and 1981.
• Edwards managed to score 377 runs in the eight Test matches he played, and in the ODI format, he played 6 ODIS and scored 138 runs.

Former England all-rounder Peter Walker passes away

• Former England and Glamorgan County Cricket Club all-rounder Peter Walker has passed away at the age of 84.
• The following year he won three Test caps for England, playing in the series against South Africa and in 1961 Walker scored 1,347 first-class runs, took 101 wickets in all games and held 73 catches.

DAILY CA 5th and 6th  Apr

• National Maritime Day- 5th april
• International Day of Sport for Development and Peace- 6th april
• Indian Railways develops low-cost ventilator
• Govt constitutes Empowered Group for coordinating COVID-19 related Response Activities
• Google maps partners with government, highlights public food, night shelters across 31 Indian cities
• IAS, IPS officers’ associations form ‘Caruna‘, an initiative to fight Coronavirus
• UAE officially asks to postpone Expo 2020 Dubai, likely to be held in October 2021
• IMF to open USD 1 trillion war chest to aid fight against the coronavirus
• Bione launches India’s first COVID-19 home screening test kit
• Uber partners NHA to provide dedicated transport service to COVID-19 healthcare workers
• SEBI whole-time member Madhabi Puri Buch gets six-month extension
• Indian-origin Lisa Nandy appointed UK shadow foreign minister
• Indian NGO ARMMAN wins prestigious USD 1.5 million Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship
• Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik gets PETA award for allocating funds to feed community animals
• Kobe Bryant inducted into NBA Hall of Fame
• Operation Sanjeevani: IAF airlifts medical and hospital consumables for the Maldives
• Army Medical Corps celebrates its 256th Raising Day
• All India Football Federation submits bid to host AFC Asian Cup 2027
• World Games in Birmingham, Alabama postponed until 2022
• Bill Withers, Grammy-winning writer and singer passes away
• Ex-Honduras President Disgraced By FIFAgate passes away
• Veteran Malayalam music director MK Arjunan Master passes away

DAILY CA 7th  Apr

• United Nations International Day of Conscience-5th april
• World Health Day- 7th april
• NHAI achieves highest ever construction of National Highways in FY 2019-20
• Cabinet approves ordinance to reduce salaries of PM, Ministers, MPs by 30% for a year
• Govt removes restrictions on export of 12 pharma items
• UN Security Council to discuss Covid-19 pandemic in closed session
• Tata Power Solar bags NTPC contract for 1,730 crore
• L&T bags larger order from Indian Army
• Likee launches dedicated Covid-19 dashboard with WHO-sourced data
• Disinfectant tunnel installed at DGP office in Hyderabad
• Kerala installs Walk in Sample Kiosks for Covid-19 testing in Ernakulam district
• Delhi lab launches India’s 1st drive-through coronavirus test centre
• Infosys COO UB Pravin Rao appointed Nasscom Chairman for 2020-21, Rekha Menon as vice chairperson
• Anurag Srivastava takes charge as MEA Spokesman
• Two new books to hit the stands in May of understanding CORONA
• IIT Hyderabad incubated startup develops low-cost & portable ventilator
• NASA unveils plan for Artemis ‘base camp’ on the moon beyond 2024
• Tamil Nadu finishes on top in micro-irrigation coverage
• IWF: Thailand, Malaysia banned from weightlifting at Tokyo Olympics
• Former Libya interim prime minister Mahmoud Jibril Passes away
• Pro Football Hall of Famer Bobby Mitchell passes away
• Former New Zealand Wicketkeeper Jock Edwardspasses away
• Former England all-rounder Peter Walker passes away