CURRENT AFFAIRS
17 APRIL 2020
BY:GAZAL BHATNAGAR, VIDHYARTHI DARPAN
NATIONAL AFFAIRS:
1) India lifts export prohibitions for formulations manufactured from Paracetamol:
On March 3 the administration had placed export limits on 26 pharmaceutical ingredients and medications like paracetamol. On April 17, 2020, the Indian government lifted the prohibition on the export of formulations produced using Paracetamol amidst COVID-19 outbreak as the formulations produced using Paracetamol, including fixed-portion blends, will be made quickly accessible for trade.
2) India will send out hydroxychloroquine to 55 countries influenced by Covid-19:
India exports the medication industrially to 21 nations and the remainder will obtain it in very limited amounts on a grant. India has consented to supply 55 nations with anti- malarial medication ‘hydroxychloroquine,’ including the US, UK, Russia and France.
3) Chess expert Viswanathan Anand has named the ambassador of WWF India:
Chess expert Viswanathan Anand has been named as the new Environment Education program of India’s Ambassador for the World Wide Fund (WWF), which was created in 1976 to connect with younger students, youth and individuals over the world with the aim of promoting basic reasoning, critical thinking, and nature cognizant people.
4) RBI published OBICUS in 49th round:
The Reserve Bank of India announced the manufacturing part’s 49th round of quarterly OBICUS which incorporates the January-March 2020 reference period.
OB=order books
I= inventories
CUS= capacity utilization survey
5) Chhattisgarh propelled the site ‘Cghaat’ for basic conveyance and essential items online:
On 16 April, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel introduced the online distribution site ‘Cghaat’ which will encourage fruits and vegetables distribution at the doorstep during the lockdown process due to COVID-19 outbreak.
6) CCMB to create Novel Coronavirus Inactivated Virus Vaccine:
Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) is as of now creating an inactivated COVID-19 infection immunization known for its protection and simplicity of production. The pathogen can’t spread since they’re dead so it can’t cause a mild ailment and those with less insusceptibility, including the elderly ones and those with comorbidity, can be securely taken care of.
7) IASST creates nanomaterials for plasmonic semiconductors to extract harmful matter from liquids:
Assam’s Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST) aims to create plasmonic semiconductor nanomaterials for extracting poisonous natural mixes from water by reaping sunlight which are metal-like materials with free electrons on a superficial level, collectively oscillating when light reaches.
8) Pusa Decontamination and Sanitizing Tunnel built by ICAR:
Pusa Decontamination and Sanitizing Tunnel is being built by the Agricultural Engineering Division, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR), New Delhi, which was introduced on 16 April in New Delhi by the State Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare of the Union, Kailash Chaudhary.
9) CeNS designs portable devices for identification of heavy ions in water:
The Center for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) has built up a conservative strong solid-state sensor equipped for recognizing substantial metal particles in water created by a group of specialists drove by Dr. Pralay K. Santra at the Center for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences where heavy metal particles, for example, mercury, lead and cadmium display critical potential dangers to life.
10) SCTIMST creates GeneLAMP-N which makes the consequences of COVID-19 corroborative testing conceivable in 2 hours:
Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Trivandrum has built up an analytic test pack that can validate COVID-19 in 2 hours with ease where the strategy is relied upon to be the world’s initial scarcely any techniques.
11) DRDOs PPE research facility moved from DRDE Gwalior to Delhi INMAS:
Defence Research and Development Organization moved its testing office from the Defense Research Development Establishment, Gwalior to the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, New Delhi to address time delays and quicken the conveyance of Personal Protective Equipment and masks.
12) India will attend COVID-19 BRICS conference:
India is scheduled to attend a meeting of BRICS foreign ministers by the end of April 2020 where the participants will discuss financial impacts due to COVID-19 spread.
WORLD AFFAIRS:
1) In the midst of COVID-19, South Korea Election won by the ruling party:
South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s Democratic Party has succeeded in legislative elections where South Korea has become one of the first nation to hold national elections in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2) On 17 April, the World Haemophilia Day is celebrated:
World Hemophilia Day is being celebrated on 17 April with the goal of increasing attention to hemophilia, von Willebrand malady and other acquired bleeding issue where expanded mindfulness will improve analysis and access to treatment for the millions who stay untreated.
SPORTS AFFAIRS:
1) China launches 2022 mascot as ‘Fei Fei’ bird in 4th Asian Para Games:
On April 16, 2020, Hangzhou Asian Games’ panel announced the bird’s ‘Fei Fei’ as an official mascot for the fourth Asian Paralympic Games 2022, planned for October 9-15, 2022 in Hangzhou, China.
2) Coaches practicing online for the first time during COVID-19 lockdown:
As a major aspect of the Sports Ministry’s first ever online activity by India’s Sports Authority and National Sports Federations to update mentor skills, India’s Archery Association has started first-historically online coach training on the web by specialists where Sanjeeva Singh, the Arjuna and Dronacharya grant winner, will conduct mental sturdiness training.
CURRENT AFFAIRS
18 APRIL 2020
BY:GAZAL BHATNAGAR, VIDHYARTHI DARPAN
NATIONAL AFFAIRS:
1) Scientists from Kerala create the low cost diagnostic test kit for COVID-19:
The Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala has created a less expensive and quicker COVID-19 infection diagnostic test pack called ‘Chitra Gene LAMP-N.’
2) Union Health Ministers advise New Delhi hospitals to take patients who are not in COVID:
Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan held a comprehensive meeting with Delhi Medical Superintendents of different emergency clinics in New Delhi to take good care of non-COVID patients where he received complaints about refusal of treatment from patients with critical conditions other than COVID-19 who need dialysis or have coronary illness.
3) CBDT is repaying more than five thousand 204 crore rupees to support MSME:
CBDT told that income tax refunds would be acquired more than eight lakh independent ventures worth in excess of 5,000 204 crore rupees released over the most recent ten days that will empower MSME carry on its business without pay cuts and cutbacks in COVID-19 pandemic circumstances.
4) Group of Ministers is revising COVID-19 management behavior:
The group of ministers surveyed the present status and the executives activities of COVID-19 where, under the chairmanship of Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan, the New Delhi Committee addressed in depth the control and the management of COVID-19 and the steps being taken and the present status of social separating initiatives being taken by the Government including the spread of COVID-19.
5) ICMR issues warning for Rapid Antibody Kits in COVID-19 hotspot regions:
Recently, the Indian Medical Research Council released a warning expressing the convention for the utilization of Rapid Antibody Test Kits in COVID-19 hotspot territories across states to utilize such units in influenced zones where the National Task Force has deliberately audited information on the utilization of these kits from various nations and is changed based on accessible proof.
6) GBRC scientists discover three new COVID-19 mutations:
The researchers at the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Center (GBRC) discovered three new COVID-19 infection transformations on April 17, 2020 and with this, GBRC turns into the nation’s first government lab to succession whole COVID-19 genome.
WORLD AFFAIRS:
1) United Nations Chief Antonio Guterres praises India for helping others in battling COVID-19:
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commended India for exceptional initiative in supporting others in the worldwide battle against the COVID-19 pandemic after India sent supplies of the anti- malarial medication ‘life-saving’ Hydroxychloroquine to numerous countries, including the United States. On April 17, Indian government likewise evacuated trade controls on all Paracetamol details empowering Indian pharmaceutical firms to explore medications to remote countries.
2) U.S. President Donald Trump proposes a three-phase lockdown strategy:
US President Donald Trump launched a three-stage strategy to restart the economy of the nation after the outbreak of COVID-19 where the new framework urges governors to gradually facilitate the lockdown in their states because America needs to be open and a national shutdown is definitely not a feasible long term arrangement.
3) Dubai is extending the lockdown of coronavirus by a week for 24 hours:
Dubai’s Supreme Committee on Crisis and Disaster Management declared the expansion of the 24-hour National Sterilization System to monitor the spread of COVID-19 in Dubai for one more week beginning 4 April.
4) The 18th of April is World Heritage Day:
18 April is praised as the World Heritage Day, which is likewise celebrated as the International Day of Monuments and Sites to bring issues to light of the diversity, legacy and vulnerability of landmarks and heritage sites where World Heritage destinations are characterized as man-made regions or natural zones that are of global significance and require specific protection.
5) Pioneers of ASEAN held Special Summit and ASEAN Special plus 3 COVID-19 Summit by means of video meeting:
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Member States held the Special ASEAN Summit on April 14, 2020 by means of video meeting led by Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Vietnam’s Prime Minister in his ability as ASEAN Chairman.
SPORTS AFFAIRS:
1) Under ITTF’s 2020 world rankings, India’s No.1 Table Tennis player stood at the 31st place and China stood first:
On April 16, 2020 According to the ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation) Senior Male Players’ World Ranking 2020, India’s table tennis star Achanta Sharath Kamal has become the top-positioned player in 31st spot with 6460 points by beating Sathiyan Gnanasekaran who slid one spot to number 32.
