Current Affairs Today 19th & 20th April 2020| Current Affairs News

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

Union Minister Prahlad Singh Patel launches the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of India in New Delhi

  • Union Minister for Culture (I/C) Shri Prahlad Singh Patel launched the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of India in New Delhi.
  • The National ICH List is an attempt to recognize the diversity of Indian culture embedded in its intangible heritage.
  • It aims to raise awareness about the various intangible cultural heritage elements from different states of India at national and international level and ensure their protection. This initiative is also a part of the Vision 2024 of the Ministry of Culture.

Following UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, this list has been classified into five broad domains in which intangible cultural heritage is manifested:

  • Oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage;
  • Performing arts;
  • Social practices, rituals and festive events;
  • Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe;
  • Traditional craftsmanship.
  • The present items in the list have been collated from the projects sanctioned under the scheme for ‘Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage and Diverse Cultural Traditions of India’ formulated by the Ministry of Culture in 2013. As of now the list has more than 100elements, It also includes the 13 elements of India that have already been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
  • Further information on how to contact M/o Culture for the same can be found on its website https://www.indiaculture.nic.in/national-list-intangible-cultural-heritage-ich
  • The support provided by Sangeet NatakAkademi (SNA) and Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) in building this list. It would also like to thank the researchers under the ‘Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage and Diverse Cultural Traditions of India’ whose work has contributed immensely in this list.
About UNESCO
  • Headquarters- Paris, France
  • Head- Audrey Azoulay
  • Founded- 16 November 1945
About Union Minister for Culture
  • Minister of Culture and Minister of Tourism of India- Prahlad Singh Patel
  • Constituency- Damoh Loksabha Constituency in Madhya Pradesh

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPS AND PORTALS

Delhi govt uses ‘Assess Koro Na’ app for door-to-door survey in containment zones

  • The Delhi government has asked officials to use the new ‘Assess Koro Na’ app for door-to-door survey in coronavirus containment zones to speed up decision-making by analysing real-time data, removing a major obstacle in the efforts to contain the virus.
  • With this app, the data collected can be uploaded on the servers in real-time and immediately analyse.
  • This will help the control centres in making a quick decision on requirement of ambulances and other medical equipment and personnel in the area.
  • The first phase of the app-based assessment will be launched in South Delhi.
Recent News
  • Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a 5T plan to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. The 5T plan includes testing, tracing, treatment, teamwork and tracking.
  • Delhi government has come up with a term for its strategy to contain the spread of novel coronavirus – Operation Shield.SHIELD stands for sealing, home quarantine, isolation and tracing, essential supply, local sanitation and door-to-door checks.
About Delhi
  • CM- Arvind Kejriwal
  • Governor- Anil Baijal

IIM-Kozhikode student-led team develops one-stop COVID-19 platform for accessing emergency services

  • An international team led by an Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK) student has developed a vital digital tool to fight misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The website ‘COVID FYI’ (covidfyi.in) is a one-stop digital directory for all COVID-19 related services and helplines.
  • The website aims to bring the right information from the right sources to the right people, as only official information from government organisations is put on this platform to ensure authenticity and credibility.
  • The platform is for citizens, government organisations/ institutions alike and provides authenticated information on — authorised laboratories near you, designated hospitals, grocery stores, mental health helplines, , emergency helplines, field officers’ contact, emergency doctors to call, fever clinics near you, etc.
  • The additional features in the pipeline would enable the user to book appointments with doctors, schedule sample collections, find helplines for an emergency, all while staying at home and maintaining social distancing.
  • The core team of 16, led by a Postgraduate programme student of IIMK, Simran Soni, also consists of researchers, medical students and developers working tirelessly from countries like Germany and USA with the support of many more volunteers who assist them in timely updating of COVID FYI.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATION

SC Collegium Recommends Appointment Of New Chief Justices For Bombay, Meghalaya and Odisha High Courts 

  • The Supreme Court collegium, recommended the appointment of new chief justices to 3 high courts – Bombay, Odisha and Meghalaya.
  • Calcutta high court judge, Justice Dipankar Datta was recommended for elevation as chief justice of Bombay high court.
  • Justice Datta will take over from the current chief justice of Bombay, Justice BP Dharmadhikari who will retire from office on April 27.
  • The collegium also recommended the appointment of Justice Biswanath Somadder as chief justice of Meghalaya high court. Justice Somadder who originally hails from Calcutta high court is currently serving as a judge of Allahabad high court.
  • The current chief justice of Meghalaya, Justice Mohammad Rafiq was recommended by the collegium for transfer to Odisha high court as its chief justice.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMITS AND CONFERENCE

44th Session of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee postponed

  • The 44th session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO was scheduled to be held the city ofFuzhou, Fujian province, China June 29-July 9, 2020.
  • In light of recent developments in the world related to pandemic COVID-19, UNESCO decided that the event will be postponed to a later date. Consultations are currently under way to determine the exact dates of the session.
  • The event is notable for its adoption of new world heritage sites as well as the potential for delisting sites that are not fulfilling their commitments.
About World Heritage Committee
  • The World Heritage Committee selects the sites to be listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties.
  • Headquarters location- Paris, France
  • Founded- November 1976

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Kerala Institute Makes New Diagnostic Test Kit That Can Confirm Covid-19 Samples in 2 Hrs for Rs 1,000

  • Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, (SCTI) Trivandrum has developed a diagnostic test kit which can confirm COVID-19 cases in just two hours at a cost as low as Rs 1,000.
  • The test kit, called ‘Chitra GeneLAMP-N,’ is highly specific for SARS-CoV-2 N-gene or the novel coronavirus and is designed to detect two regions of the gene. The test is to give accurate results even after viral gene undergoes mutation during the spread.
  • The testing kit’s detection time as 10 minutes, and the time of ‘sample to result’ (from RNA extraction in swab to RT-LAMP detection time) is stated to take less than two hours.
  • A total of 30 samples can be tested in a single batch and the machines are estimated to cost Rs 2.5 lakh.
  • The testing facility can be easily set up in the laboratories of district hospitals with limited facilities and trained laboratory technicians.
  • Sree Chitra has also additionally developed the specific RNA extraction kits along with GeneLAMP-N test kits and testing devices.
Recent News
  • A Pune-based company, Mylab Discovery Solutions Pvt Lab,  has developed India’s first COVID-19 detection kit. The kit called Mylab PathoDetect Covid-19 qualitative PCR kit.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARY

Abba Kyari Chief of staff to Nigeria’s president Buhari Passes away

  • Abba Kyari, the trusted chief of staff to Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari has passed away from complications related to Covid-19.
  • Kyari had widely been seen as one of the three most powerful people in Africa’s largest economy.

Recent News

  • Spanish Princess Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Parma has become the first royal to pass away due to Covid-19 complications.

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