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Current Affairs Weekly PDF – April 2020 1st Week (1-7)

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Virtual Meeting of G20 Trade and Investment Ministers: Piyush Goyal participates
Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal participated the G20 Trade and Investment
Ministers meeting was held virtually through video conference. Members of the G-20 have agreed to the
emergency measures designed to tackle covid-19 & they will implement those measures which uphold
the principle of international solidarity, considering other countries’ growing needs for emergency
supplies and humanitarian aid. Saudi Arabia has assumed presidency of G20 for the year 2020.

MCA introduces the “Companies Fresh Start Scheme, 2020” and revised the “LLP Settlement
Scheme, 2020” as a relief measure from COVID-19 for companies and LLPs
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), has introduced the “Companies Fresh Start Scheme, 2020” and
revised the “LLP Settlement Scheme, 2020” to provide relief to law-abiding companies and Limited
Liability Partnerships (LLPs) from the COVID 19 impact. Both schemes provide a one-time waiver of
additional filing fees for delayed filings by the companies or LLPs with the Registrar of Companies (ROCs)
during the period starting from April 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020.
Read More Details Here: MCA introduces the “Companies Fresh Start Scheme, 2020” and revised the “LLP
Settlement Scheme, 2020” as a relief measure from COVID-19 for companies and LLPs

Govt extended upto Rs 3 lakh crop loan interest benefits to farmers till May 31
To provide relief to farmers amid COVID-19 crisis the central government has extended the benefit of 2%
interest subvention (IS) to banks and 3% prompt repayment incentive (PRI) to all farmers up to May 31,
2020 for all crop loans up to 3 lakh which have become due or are becoming due between March 1 and
May 31, 2020.

Finance Minister participates in the 2nd Extraordinary G20 FMCBG virtual meeting
Union finance & corporate affairs minister, Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the 2nd Extraordinary
G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) virtual meeting to discuss the impact of
COVID-19 in the global economy & coordinate efforts to respond to this global challenge. The meeting is
hosted by the Saudi Arabian.

Govt extends implementation of uniform stamp duty for capital market instruments to July 1,
2020 from 1 April 2020
The Department of Revenue under Ministry of Finance has postponed the implementation of the uniform
stamp duty on transfer of shares, debentures, futures, options, currency and other capital market
instruments by 3 months from 1 April 2020 to 1 July 2020. As part of the amendments, the stamp duty
rates levied by Maharashtra will be taken as a benchmark as it accounts for 70% of the total collection.

Central govt redefines domicile for J&K; Perks and Privileges of ex-CMs of J&K Withdrawn
The central government has derived a new definition for domicile for Jammu and Kashmir (J&K)was
introduced which has stated that a person residing in the Union Territory of J&K for at least 15 years or
has studied for a period of seven years in Jammu and Kashmir and appeared in Class 10 or 12
examinations will now be eligible to be a permanent resident of the UT. This new rule was issued under
the Section 3A of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Adaptation of State Laws Order 2020, under
the Jammu and Kashmir civil services decentralisation and recruitment Act.

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Read More Details Here: Central govt redefines domicile for J&K; Perks and Privileges of ex-CMs of J&K
Withdrawn

ICCR: “United Against Corona- Express through Art”

Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) launched a competition titled “United Against Corona-
Express through Art”, the art in the time of Corona. The aim of the competition is to unite citizens across
the world. The competition was announced by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and this soft-power
initiative is being organized by ICCR.

COVID-19 outbreak: DGFT extends foreign trade policy 2015-20 for one year till March 2021
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), the agency of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry
of the Government of India (GoI), has extended the existing foreign trade policy (2015-20) for one year
till March 2021.

Jitendra Singh launched DARPG’s National Monitoring Dashboard for COVID- 19 Grievances
Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh has launched
DARPG’s (Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances) National Monitoring Dashboard
on COVID- 19 grievances. The Dashboard was developed by DARPG based on the recommendations of
the Empowered Group of Officers 10 constituted under the Disaster Management Act 2005 to ensure
timely response for COVID-19 related grievances.

Government notifies regulation of 24 medical devices

The Central government has regulated 24 classes of medical devices notified under Drugs & Cosmetics
Act, 1940 and Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, 1945. Out of 24, for 4 scheduled medical devices- Cardiac Stents,
Drug-Eluting Stents, Condoms and, Intra-Uterine Device (Cu-T) the ceiling prices is been fixed. The
remaining non-scheduled medical devices which are notified and regulated as drugs, National
Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) is currently monitoring Maximum Retail Prices (MRP) to
ensure that no manufacturer or importer can increase the price by more than 10% in the preceding 12
months.

Lifeline Udan flights launched by MoCA transported 37.63 tonnes of medical cargo across India
in 6 days
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) launched Lifeline Udan flights on March 26, 2020 for movement of
medical and essential supplies across India. Over 6 days period i.e. till March 31, 2020, 74 flights have
been operated which had covered an aerial distance of over 70,000 km to transport 37.63 tonnes of
medical cargo, out of which more than 22 tonnes was transported on March 31, 2020. The flight operators
include Air India, Alliance Air, IAF, Pawan Hans and private carriers.

NIC to facilitate the implementation of Supreme Court order on Limited registration of BS-IV
vehicles: MoRTH
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has advised National Informatics Centre (NIC)
to assist the States /UTs in limited registration of BS-IV vehicles all over India except Delhi/National
Capital Region (NCR) on the lines with Supreme Court order dated 27.3.2020. On March 27, 2020,
Supreme Court bench consist of Justices Arun Mishra and Deepak Gupta has instructed automobile
manufacturers to sell their 10% of unsold BS-IV vehicles within 10 days after the end of the lockdown
period (April 14), except in Delhi-NCR.

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Donations for PM-CARES Fund granted 100% tax exemption under IT Act, 1961
The donations made under newly-formed Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency
Situations Fund (PM-CARES FUND) to aid the persons affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, are made
eligible for 100% deduction under section 80G of the Income Tax (IT) Act, 1961. The provisions of the IT
Act are amended through the Taxation and other Laws (Relaxation of Certain Provisions) Ordinance,
2020.

Agriculture Ministry launched 3 new features of e-NAM platform to prevent crowding in mandis
Narendra Singh Tomar, the Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Rural Development and
Panchayati Raj has launched three new features of National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) Platform to
enable farmers to sell their harvested produce directly from warehouse which will prevent crowding in
mandis amid COVID-19 outbreak. The 3 features are as follows Negotiable Warehouse Receipt (e-NWRs)
module, Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) trading module, Logistic Module.
Read More Details Here: Agriculture Ministry launched 3 new features of e-NAM platform to prevent
crowding in mandis

NCC volunteer cadets to fight COVID-19 under ‘Exercise NCC Yogdan’

National Cadet Corps (NCC – Under Ministry of Defence) has offered its volunteer cadets to assist the
civilian authorities to fight COVID-19 under ‘Exercise NCC Yogdan’. Only senior division cadets above 18
yrars can be part of the initiative and they will be employed in small cohesive groups of 8 to 20 under the
supervision of Permanent Instructor Staff or/and an Associate NCC Officer activities.

Coronavirus outbreak: Kerala based SCTIMST joins hands with Wipro 3D to make automated
ventilators
Kerala based Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), an institute
of National Importance under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has partnered with
‘Wipro 3D’ to build a portable and lightweight emergency ventilator system based on Artificial Manual
Breathing Unit (AMBU). This ventilator system is essentially a hand-held device also called as AMBU bag
or bag-valve-mask (BVM) to provide positive pressure ventilation to a corona patient with breathing
difficulties.

Dr Jitendra Singh released National Corona Survey conducted in 410 districts

Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions released the COVID-
19 National Preparedness Survey 2020 (conducted in 410 districts – prepared by District collectors and
IAS officers of Batch 2014-18). The objective of the survey is to develop a comparative analysis of COVID-
19 preparedness across States. The reports of the survey are available https://darpg.gov.in.

Sanjay Dhotre launched “Hack the Crisis – India” online Hackathon to find working solutions to
beat COVID-19
Sanjay Dhotre the Minister of State (Mos) Electronics & Information Technology, Communications and
Human Resource Development has launched a 48 hours online hackathon named “Hack the Crisis – India”
to solve the problems arised due to COVID-19 crisis. Its key focus is to develop Non-Medical Solutions to
deal with the aftermath of Coronavirus (Covid-19). The Hackathon is organised by ‘Hack A Cause – India’
and ‘Ficci Ladies Organization Pune’ and supported by Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology,
Government of India (MEITY).

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Civil services associations form an initiative called ‘Caruna’ to fight COVID-19

Central Civil Services officers association has created an initiative named ‘Caruna [Civil Services
Associations Reach to Support in Natural Disasters]’ to asssit and supplement the government’s efforts
to battle against Corona Virus (COVID-19).

Finance Ministry issues Rs 17, 287 crores to states to tackle COVID-19

Finance Ministry has released Rs 17,287.08 crore to the states to consolidate their financial resources. Of
this amount, Rs 11,092 crore has been given to the States for the State Disaster Response Mitigation Fund
(SDRMF). At the same time, the remaining Rs 6,195.08 crore has been released to 14 states under the
distribution of ‘Revenue Deficit Grants’ as per the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission.
Read More Details Here: Finance Ministry issues Rs 17, 287 crores to states to tackle COVID-19

COVID-19: NHA partnered with Uber India to provide transport services to frontline healthcare
workers
The National Health Authority (NHA) under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has partnered with
Uber India to provide 24/7 free UberMedic transport services to India’s frontline healthcare workers and
hospitals engaged in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

IAF transports 6.2 tons of essential medicines to Maldives under ‘Operation Sanjeevani’
Indian Air Force (IAF) has launched ‘Operation Sanjeevani’ and air-lifted 6.2 tonnes of essential medical
supplies to Maldives via transport aircraft C-130J as assistance in fight against the virus. India has already
sent a 14-member Rapid Response Team of doctors and specialists to Maldives to set up a viral testing
laboratory. In addition, 5.5 tons of essential medicines were presented as gifts to the Maldives by the
Government of India (GoI).

1st time Blue chip VC firms & startup CEOs to set up ‘Action Covid-19 Team’ Grants
Founders of leading startups, independent advisors, investors, supporters & blue-chip venture capital
firms jointly set up a Rs 100 crore ‘Action Covid-19 Team’ (ACT) Grants a first-of-its-kind initiative
globally aims to seed over 50 initiatives to support companies who work on products & services to
combat COVID-19 pandemic. Nachiket Mor, Indian head of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF),
is heading the leadership team for ACT Grants.

Tamil Nadu topped in micro-irrigation coverage under PMKSY for FY 2019-20

Tamil Nadu has topped the all-India level for micro-irrigation (MI), under Pradhan Mantri Krishi
Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), with a coverage of 2,06,853.25 ha for the year financial year 2019-20 & It is
followed by Karnataka and Gujarat respectively. In the cumulative coverage of MI from 2015-20,
Karnataka topped with coverage of 8,15,690.31 ha.

ICMR approves TB machines for COVID-19 testing

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has given its approval to Diagnostic machines used to test
drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) for conducting Covid-19 tests. In this regard, Truenat beta CoV test on
Truelab workstation will be used for screening test of COVID-19. Currently India is using real time
Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) testing approved by United States and Food and Drug
Administration (FDA).

COVID-19 testing, treatment free for Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries

The National Health Authority (NHA) nodal agency of implementation of AB-PMJAY has announced that
more than 50 crore eligible citizens under the health insurance scheme of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan

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Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) will avail free testing through private labs and treatment for
COVID-19 in empanelled hospitals to increase the supply of testing and treatment facilities in the country.

Central government constitutes 10-member group headed by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant to
fight corona
To deal with Covid-19 epidemic, the central government has constituted a 10-member group under the
chairmanship of NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog CEO (Chief Executive Officer)
Amitabh Kant. The work of this group will primarily identify issues through 3 groups of stakeholders, the
empowered group set up for coordination with private sector, NGOs and international organisations then
present effective measures to address solutions to the issues related to the formulation of plans for
counter-activities related to COVID-19.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

World will go into recession except India and China due to COVID-19, USD 2.5 trillion rescue
package needed: UNCTAD
According to new analysis from United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) titled
‘The COVID-19 Shock to Developing Countries: Towards a ‘whatever it takes’ programme for the two-
thirds of the world’s population being left behind” the year 2020 will face world recession, mainly
developing countries due to COVID-19 pandemic with an exception to India and China. The exporting
countries will face $2 trillion to $3 trillion drop in investment from overseas in the next two years. Also,
United Nations (UN) asked USD 2.5 trillion rescue package for developing countries facing economic
damage from the corona virus crisis.

Poverty to increase by 11 mn in East Asia and Pacific due to COVID-19: World Bank April 2020
Update
World Bank in its April 2020 Economic Update for East Asia and Pacific (EAP) titled “East Asia and Pacific
in the Time of COVID-19″has stated that if the economic situation become worsen further due to COVID-
19 consequences then the poverty is estimated to increase by about 11 million people in the EAP region.
Read More Details Here: Poverty to increase by 11 mn in East Asia and Pacific due to COVID-19:World
Bank April 2020 Update

UNSC firsts: Adopts 4 resolutions remotely; including “2518” on safety, the security of
peacekeepers
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) unanimously adopted four resolutions, voting for the first
time remotely or through video-conferencing as the United Nations (UN) staff work from home due to
the coronavirus outbreak. UNSC is currently under China’s Presidency and China’s Ambassador to the UN
Zhang Jun is the Council President.
Read More Details Here: UNSC firsts: Adopts 4 resolutions remotely; including “2518” on safety, the
security of peacekeepers

United Nation’s COP 26 climate change summit postponed till 2021

The 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 26) to the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which was planned to take place from 9-19 November 2020, in Glasgow,
Scotland in the United Kingdom (UK) has been postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19. The date and location
for the same is unspecified. Pre-COP and ‘Youth for the Climate’ event supposed to be held in Italy also
postponed.

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UNGA adopts ‘Global solidarity to fight the COVID-19’ resolution

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopts a resolution– ‘Global solidarity to fight the coronavirus
disease 2019 (COVID-19)’, co-sponsored by 188 nations including India. It is the 1st document adopted
by world organisation on the global pandemic. The objective of the resolution is to intensify international
cooperation to mitigate & defeat the pandemic which includes exchange of information, scientific
knowledge & best practices in accordance with the guidelines recommended by the World Health
Organization (WHO).

BANKING & FINANCE

FPI limit in corporate bonds enhanced to 15% from 9% for FY21; FAR initiated for investment
in G-Secs by non-residents
To strengthen the segment of the corporate bonds the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has increased the
foreign portfolio investment (FPI) limit in corporate bonds from 9% to 15% for FY21 (2020-2021), The
changes were made under sections 10(4) and 11(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (42
of 1999). At present an investor can invest Rs 3.17 lakh crore in Indian corporate bonds through FPI now
due to the hike investor can hold Rs 4.29 lakh crore of corporate bonds for the half year ended September
2020, and Rs 5.41 lakh crore for the half year ending March 2021.
Read More Details Here: FPI limit in corporate bonds enhanced to 15% from 9% for FY21; FAR initiated
for investment in G-Secs by non-residents

ICICI Bank launches banking services on WhatsApp

Private sector bank, ICICI has launched its banking operations in WhatsApp to provide banking service
to its customers through Whataspp during the lockdown. The customers need to save ICICI Bank’s
Verified WhatsApp profile number, 9324953001 to their contacts and send ‘Hi’ to this number using the
mobile number registered with the bank.

In a 1st, BhartPe partners with ICICI lombard to launch ‘COVID-19 protection insurance cover’ for
shopkeepers
Delhi based payment transaction business company ‘BharatPe’ has entered into partnership with general
Insurance company ‘ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited’ to introduce ‘COVID-19
Protection Insurance Cover’ for shopkeepers, who are most affected financially due to Coronavirus
(COVID-19) outbreak. The premium starts from Rs 199 with a sum assured of Rs 25,000 and value-added
benefits and people aged between 18-65 can avail this insurance cover.

ADB grants $60 million to Aavas financiers to improve women’s access to housing in India
Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a loan agreement worth of $60 million with Aavas Financiers
Ltd (an affordable housing loan provider) to provide housing finance to women in low-income
communities either as primary borrowers or co-borrowers. Earlier the ADB announced to invest $100
million in Indian infrastructure sector through National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF).

Centre reduced small savingsschemes interest rates for Q1FY20-21; PPF interest lowered to
7.1%
The Centre government has decreased the Interest rates on small savings schemes for the first quarter
(Q1-April to June) of FY 2020-21 by exercising the powers conferred under Rule 9(1) of the Government
Saving Promotion General Rules, 2018. Important among them is Interest rate on public provident fund
(PPF) scheme has been lowered to 1% (revised to 7.1%) for Q1FY 20-21 (April-June) which is the lowest
interest rate offered since 1977 or lowest in 43 years.

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Read More Details Here: Centre reduced small savingsschemes interest rates for Q1FY20-21; PPF
interest lowered to 7.1%

RBI increases WMA limit to Rs 1.2 lakh crore for the first half of FY21
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in consultation with the Government of India (GoI), has hiked the limit
of Ways and Means Advances (WMA) for the centre to Rs 1.2 lakh crore for the first half of the financial
year 2020-21(FY21), up from Rs 75,000 crore in the first half of FY20, and Rs 35,000 crore for the second
half of 2019-20.
Read More Details Here: RBI increases WMA limit to Rs 1.2 lakh crore for the first half of FY21

RBI has revised norms for appointment & reappointment of MD & CEO
Reserve of Bank (RBI) has revised the norms for appointment and reappointment of Managing Director
(MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of private sector & foreign banks. As per new norms, Proposal of
re-appointment should be submitted 6 months in advance instead 4 months (earlier) and the proposal
for appointment of new MD & CEO or CEO should consist of a panel of at least 2 names in the order of
preference (earlier was 3 names) & the proposal to be submitted at least 4 months before the expiry of
the term of present incumbent office.

World Banks offers USD 1 billion for proposed COVID-19 Indian project
The World Bank has offered USD 1 billion to India for the proposed a 4-year COVID-19 emergency
response & health systems preparedness project which aims to develop the preparedness of India’s
health care systems in the time of the pandemic & also to respond and mitigate the pandemic.

RBI announced additional measures to tackle the economic fallout of COVID-19

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced additional measures namely- relax the export norms,
increase in Ways & Means (WMA) limit & implement the counter cyclical capital buffer (CCyB) to tackle
the economic fallout due to COVID-19.
Read More Details Here: RBI announced additional measures to tackle the economic fallout of COVID-19

Corona Care: India’s first coronavirus hospitalization insurance by PhonePe for Covid-19
treatment
Digital payments company PhonePe has launched India’s first COVID-19 hospitalization insurance policy
called Corona Care in collaboration with Bajaj Allianz General Insurance for people who have been
infected and hospitalised for covid-19 treatment. The policy will provide an insurance cover of 50,000 on
a one-time payment with the premium of Rs 156 for people who are under 55 years of age.

SBI lists green bonds of USD 100 million on India INX

State Bank of India (SBI) has listed green bonds of USD 100 million (about Rs 750 crore) under its USD
10 billion global medium term note programme on India International Exchange Limited’s (INX) Global
Securities Market Green Platform (GSM).

All standard health insurance policies to cover COVID-19 hospitalization treatment including
“Arogya Sanjeevani”: IRDAI
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has made the coverage of
hospitalization treatment costs of COVID-19 mandatory under standard health insurance product
“Arogya Sanjeevani” [Policy Coverage between 1 Lakh to 5 Lakh in multiples of 50,000 for age group of
18-65]. Apart from this, Indemnity based health insurance products offered by all general and health
insurance companies will also cover the costs of hospitalization treatment because of covid-19.

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Govt nominated IOB & HDFC Bank for collecting donations of PM CARES Fund
State-owned Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) and private lender Housing Development Finance Corporation
(HDFC) Bank have been nominated for the collection of donations for Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance
and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES Fund) – Earlier State Bank of India (SBI) was
announced as the Banking partner of PM-CARES fund. The contributions can be made by RTGS, NEFT,
IMPS, cheques and demand drafts were drawn in favour of PM-CAR Fund.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

S&P lowers India’s growth forecast for FY21 to 3.5% from 5.2%
Standard & Poor (S&P) Global Ratings has slashed down India’s growth forecast to 3.5% from 5.2% for
the FY21 and expects a sharp growth at 7.3% for FY22.

India’s 8 core industries growth registers 11-month high of 5.5% in February 2020
According to the ‘Index of Eight Core Industries (Base: 2011-12=100) ‘released by the Ministry of
Commerce & Industry, India’s 8 core industries grew 11 months high by 5.5 % to 132.9 in February 2020
as compared to the index of February 2019 with 125.9 due to increased production of coal, refinery
products and electricity.

Global economy may shrink by almost 1% in 2020: UN-DESA

United Nations (UN) Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) World Economic Forecasting
Model estimates that the global economy could shrink by 1% in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic
from an earlier forecast of 2.5%. For the Best case the global growth will be 1.2% and for Worst case it
will be 0.9% for the year 2020.

India’s fiscal deficit likely to reach 6.2 % of GDP in 2020-21: Fitch solutions
According to the Fitch Solutions, Inc, India’s fiscal deficit is expected to go up to 6.2 % of gross domestic
product (GDP) in fiscal year FY21 (April 2020 to March 2021), from 3.8 % of previous GDP estimates. The
reason for this is the economic stimulus package given to deal with the economic impact of the
coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic.

India’s economic growth decelerated to 4 pc in FY21 due to COVID-19 pandemic: ADO 2020
Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2020 has forecasted a
slowdown in Indian economic growth to 4% for the FY21 and for FY22 it has forecasted economic growth
of 6.2%.

Fitch declined India growth forecast to 2% for FY21 from 5.1%

Fitch Ratings has trimmed the Indian growth forecast for fiscal year (FY) 2020-2021 to 2% from 5.1%
following the economic recession caused due to lockdown amid COVID-19 pandemic. This would be the
slowest growth in India over the past 30 years.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Chittaranjan locomotive works of Indian Railways creates world record of making 431
locomotives for FY 20
Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW), the manufacturing unit of Indian Railways based in Asansol, West
Bengal (WB), has set the Limca Book of Records for producing record 431 locomotives in the financial
year 2019-2020 (FY20) in 292 working days. It is 2.15 times its installed capacity of 200 locomotives per
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year. The unit has surpassed its own previous year (2018-2019) record when it produced 402
locomotives in 297 working days.

Indian NGO ARMMAN among 4 winners to clinch Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship 2020
ARMMAN, an India-based non-profit organization (NPO), has been awarded the Skoll Award for Social
Entrepreneurship 2020 in recognition of its exceptional work in the maternal and child health space in
India, along with 4 other awardees. ARMMAN is the only organization from Asia and Africa, selected from
700 organizations.
Read More Details Here: Indian NGO ARMMAN among 4 winners to clinch Skoll Award for Social
Entrepreneurship 2020

Naveen Patnaik conferred PETA’s “Hero to Animals Award” for feeding community animals
Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha, has been conferred with Hero to Animals Award by People for
the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India for allocating funds to feed community animals in five
municipal corporations and all 48 municipalities of Odisha during the COVID-19 lockdown. He has
allocated Rs 54 lakhs from a relief fund for the same.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Lakshminarayanan appointed as MD of Sundaram Home Finance

D. Lakshminarayanan, whole-time director of Sundaram Finance Limited, was appointed as the MD
(Managing Director) of its wholly owned home finance subsidiary, Sundaram Home Finance. He will take
charge on April 1, 2020 and will replace Srinivas Acharya.

Paytm Money CEO-MD Pravin Jadhav resigns

Pravin Jadhav, the MD (Managing Director) and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Paytm Money, resigned
due to the issues related to employee stock options (ESOPs), annual salary and remuneration.

Government extends tenure of NCLT acting President for another 3 months

The government extended the tenure of National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) acting President B.S.V.
Prakash Kumar for another 3 months (with effect from April 5, 2020) or till the joining of new President,
whichever is earlier.

SEBI whole time member (WTM) Madhabi Puri Buch gets 6 months extension
The Government has extended the appointment of Madhabi Puri Buch as a whole-time member (WTM)
of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) by a period of 6 months (till October 4, 2020). She
was the 1st women & 1st person from private sector appointed as whole-time member of SEBI in 2017.

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

IAG sold its 26% stake in SBI General Insurance for $310 mn
Insurance Australia General (IAG) has sold its entire 26% stake in the SBI (State Bank of India) General
Insurance Co Ltd for USD 310 million (about Rs 2,325 crore) to Napean Opportunities LLP (an affiliate of
Premji invest) – 16.01% stake and WP Honey Wheat Investment Ltd (Warburg Pincus Group) – 9.99%
stake. SBI is the largest stake holder of SBI General Insurance with 70% stake.

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HDFC Trustee company acquires 5.45% stake in SpiceJet

HDFC Trustee Company Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Housing Development Finance Corporation
Limited (HDFC), has acquired 3.4 crore shares or 5.45% stake in Indian low-cost airline SpiceJet.

Hindustan Unilever completes its merger with GSKCH India

Hindustan Unilever (HUL), India’s largest fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company, has completed
the merger of Glaxo SmithKline Consumer Healthcare Limited (GSKCH India) with itself. Apart from this
merger, HUL has also acquired the famous health drink brand Horlicks for India from GSK for an amount
of 375.6 mln Euro (Rs. 3045 Crore).

CCI approves Joint Venture between Adani Green Energy Limited and Total S.A
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the formation of Joint Venture (JV) between
Adani Green Energy Limited and French oil and gas company Total S.A. for solar power generation in
India. The proposed combination predicts that Adani Green Energy will transfer certain of its subsidiaries
to a newly incorporated company (JV) & then the total S.A. will acquire 50% of JV’s equity share capital,
either directly or indirectly.

Trishikhar ventures acquisition of 18.95 % stake in Religare health insurance gets CCI nod
The Commission of India (CCI), a non-departmental public body responsible for investigating mergers,
has approved the acquisition of 18.951 % equity stake in Religare Health Insurance Company Limited
(RHICL) by Trishikhar Ventures LLP under the green channel route. The approval was done under the
sub-section (2) of Section 6 of the Competition Act, 2002 (Act) read with regulation 5A of the Competition
Commission of India, Regulations, 2011.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Ministry of Tourism launched ‘Stranded in India’ portal to help foreign tourists stuck in India
The Ministry of Tourism has launched a portal ‘Stranded in India’ as a support network to help foreign
tourists who are stuck in various parts of India through the web address strandedinindia.com. The portal
consists of information about Covid-19 helpline numbers and call centres that foreign tourists can reach
out for help, information around Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) control centers along with their
contact information and information around state-based/regional tourism support infrastructure.

Pune Woman behind First Indian made testing tool “Pathodetect Covid-19 Kit”
Virologist Minal Dakhave Bhosale the research and development chief of Mylab Discovery Solutions in
Pune, headed the team which designed corona virus testing kit called ‘Mylab PathoDetect COVID-19
Qualitative PCR kit’ in just 6 weeks and it can provide results in just 2.5hours. The kit is also known as
the Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests. MyLab is the first Indian company
has received full approval to make and sell Covid-19 testing kits.

Government of India launches coronavirus tracking app Corona Kavach

The Government of India has launched a Coronavirus risk-tracking Application (app) called “Corona
Kavach”. The app was jointly developed by the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
(MeitY) & the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). The app uses a person’s location
to assess whether they are in the high-risk geographical zone or not.

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NASA to launch new mission ‘SunRISE’ to study the Giant Solar Particle Storms
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to launch its new mission called the Sun
Radio Interferometer Space Experiment (SunRISE), a very large radio telescope to study how the sun
generates & releases the giant space weather storms (solar particle storms) into planetary space. The
study will help to protect the astronauts that travel to the moon & mars by providing better information
on how the Sun’s radiation affects the space environment in which they travel.

Government launches its 1st comprehensive COVID-19 tracking app called Aarogya Setu
The Government of India (GoI) has launched its 1st comprehensive coronavirus (COVID-19) tracking app
called ‘Aarogya Setu (A bridge of health)’ to connect health services with the people to fight the novel
coronavirus outbreak. The app has been developed by the National Informatics Center (NIC) in
collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) & it is available in 11
launguages.

IISc Bengaluru develops indigenous ventilator prototype: COVID-19 crisis

The scientists and students of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru have developed a prototype
of an indigenous ventilator under project “Praana”, to help patients with lung damage due to COVID-19
infection. Ventilators are developed to avoid a shortage of internationally imported components
(pneumatic and electronic hardware, sensors & actuators) that will halt the mass production of
ventilators in the country.

DRDO develops bio suit with seam sealing glue for personnel in front line combat COVID-19 safe
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a bio suit with self-sealing
seam to keep the medical, paramedical and other personnel engaged in combating COVID-19, safe from
the deadly virus. This Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has been prepared with the help of textile,
coating and nanotechnology. The suit has cleared the testing for protection against synthetic blood which
follows the criteria defined for body suits by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

Geo-fencing app to locate quarantine violators

The government has tested an application named, “Geo-fencing” to trigger emails and SMS alerts to an
authorised government agency, if a person has jumped quarantine or has escaped from isolation, based
on the person’s mobile phone’s cell tower location. Also, Maharashtra government has launched similar
kind of app named MahaKavach to track suspected covid-19 cases & Gujarat government has launched a
Geographic Information System (GIS)-based app which will monitor the movement of those in
quarantine.
Read More Details Here: Geo-fencing app to locate quarantine violators

Union HRD Minister launches MHRD AICTE COVID-19 for students

Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ the Union Minister of Human Resource Development (HRD) has launched a
unique MHRD All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) COVID-19 Student Helpline Portal to
address the difficulties faced by students due to closure of colleges & hostels since the national lockdown
(March 25). The website was launched with a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) https://helpline.aicte-
india.org

PIB sets up COVID-19 fact check unit, started daily bulletin

Press Information Bureau (PIB) under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has constituted a
COVID-19 Fact Check Unit (FCU) to prevent dissemination of fake facts and news related to the COVID-
19 pandemic. The unit is headed by the PIB Director General (DG), Nitin Wakankar.

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Pune based company develops technology- “Scitech Airon negative ion generator”
Jclean weather Technology private limited, company of Science & Technology (Scitech) Park, Pune has
developed a technology- “Scitech Airon negative ion generator” to control viral, bacterial and fungal
infections in closed environments can clean the air & disinfect areas caused by COVID-19 positive cases
& suspects. It is devoped under Department of Science and Technology’s (DST) NIDHI-PRAYAS program.

Bione launches India’s 1st home screening test kit for COVID-19
Bengaluru based startup Bione, a genetic and microbiome testing firm has launched India’s 1st home
screening test kit for COVID-19 & is approved by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The catridge
provided can read the results within 5-10 minutes. The prices of the kit range from Rs 2,000 to 3,000 &
it will be delivered within 2-3 days of ordering.

Coronavirus: IIT Roorkee in association with AIIMS-Rishikesh prepares low-cost portable

ventilator ‘Prana-vayu’
IIT (Indian Institute of Technology)- Roorkee, Uttarakhand in collaboration with AIIMS (All India
Institute of Medical Science) Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, has developed a low-cost portable ventilator called
‘Prana-vayu’ costing just Rs.25,000.

Indian Railways’ RCF unit developed low-cost ventilator ‘Jeevan’ to fight COVID-19
The Indian Railways’ coach producing unit Rail Coach Factory (RCF), Kapurthala in Punjab has developed
a low-cost ventilator ‘Jeevan’ to combat covid-19 crisis. The cost of “Jeevan” is around Rs 10,000 without
the compressor and it will not rise over Rs 30,000 even after adding a few more indicators. The ventilator
is now awaiting the final clearance from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Jeevan will
produce low cost-effective service as other ventilators cost between 5-15 lakhs.

Start-up Aerobiosys Innovations at IIT-Hyderabad develops low-cost ventilator called ‘Jeevan

Lite’
Aerobiosys Innovations Private Limited, a start-up incubated at The Center for Healthcare
Entrepreneurship (CfHE) in the Indian Institute of Technology-Hyderabad (IIT-H)– Telangana, has
designed a low-cost portable emergency ventilator called ‘Jeevan Lite’ which can be run through mobile
app with Internet access and it can run on battery for 5 hours in case of power cut.

NASA’s Artemis: First human base camp on Moon’s South Pole by 2024
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) unveiled its plan to setup ‘Artemis’, the first
human base camp on Moon’s South Pole by 2024 through a 13-page report titled “NASA’s Plan for
Sustained Lunar Exploration and Development”. The Artemis program aims to land first woman and next
man on the moon by 2024. The program is carried out by NASA along with European Space Agency (ESA),
the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the Australian Space
Agency (ASA).

SPORTS

IOC: Tokyo Olympics rescheduled to July 23- August 8 in 2021

The IOC (International Olympic Committee) and the Japanese organisers of Tokyo Olympic & Paralympic
games headed by Yoshiro Mori, announced the rescheduled dates of the 32nd edition of Tokyo Olympics
that will be held in Tokyo, Japan from July 23 to August 8, 2021& the Paralympics was scheduled from
August 24 to September 5, 2021. The International Swimming Federation has postponed the World
Swimming Championships to 2022 (July 16- August 1,2021) in Fukoka, Japan & World athletics

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championships which was scheduled to be conducted at Eugene, Oregon, US in 2021 is postponed to

2022.

Wimbledon Tennis Tournament cancelled for the first time since World War II due to COVID- 19
The organizers of Wimbledon (The oldest tennis tournament in the world) have cancelled the 134th
Edition (conducted since 1877) of Wimbledon Tennis Tournament for the first time since WWII (World
War II) due to the threats of Coronavirus (COVID- 19). The next edition of the tournament was scheduled
from June 28 to July 11, 2021.

Asian Youth Games to be held in China from November 20 to 28, 2021

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has announced the 3rd edition of Asian Youth Games, which will be
hosted in Shantou in China from November 20 to 28, 2021. This edition of games consists of 18 sports.

2022 Asian Games mascot “smart triplets” unveiled at digital ceremony in Hangzhou, China
Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has unveild the official mascots of the 19th Asian Games (September 10 to
25, 2022) in a digital ceremony in Hangzhou, China. There are three mascots namely Congcong, Lianlian
and Chenchen (Collectively called as ‘smart triplets’) which represents the UNESCO World Heritage sites
of Hangzhou in eastern China.

2021 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama postponed to 2022

The International World Games organisers announced that 2021 World Games to be held in Birmingham,
Alabama, United States has been postponed to the year 2022 due to the conflict of rescheduled dates of
the Tokyo Olympics. The rescheduled dates of World Games are from July 7 to 17, 2022.

American Basketball player Kobe Bryant inducted into Naismith Hall of Fame
Kobe Bryan the American Basketball player & 5-time NBA champion, will be posthumously inducted into
the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Springfield, Massachusetts, United States on August 29,
2020 along with 8 other honourees.

IWF bans Thailand & Malaysia from weightlifting at Tokyo Olympics

International Weightlifting Federation’s (IWF) Independent Member Federation Sanctions Panel
(IMFSP) has banned Thailand (Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association (TAWA) – for 3yrs) and Malaysia
(Malaysian Weightlifting Federation (MWF) for 1year) from participating in weightlifting events at the
Tokyo Olympics due to multiple doping offences.

Former Australian Test spinner Stephen O’Keefe retires from 1st class cricket
Former Australian Test Spinner Stephen Norman John O’Keefe, 35 years old, has retired from first-class
cricket after being omitted from New South Wales’ list of contracted players for the next domestic season.

East Bengal F.C contracts Indian-origin Iranian footballer Omid Singh

East Bengal F.C (Football Club), a professional football Club based in Kolkata, West Bengal (WB), has
signed Iran’s Indian-origin footballer Omid Singh (29) for a 2-year deal. Omid hails from Punjab and will
join the I-League heavyweights from Naft Masjed Soleyman FC in the Persian Gulf Pro League.

China’s High Jumper Zhang Guowei retires at 28

China’s world silver- medallist high jumper Zhang Guowei (28) renowned for his flamboyant twerking
celebrations, announced his retirement in high jumping. He has won silver at the Beijing 2015 World
Championships and represented China in the London Olympics 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics.

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OBITUARY

Legendary historian Arjun Dev passes away at 81

Professor Arjun Dev (81), the legendary historian and educationist passed away in Noida, Uttar Pradesh
(UP). He was born on November 12, 1938 in Leiah, West Punjab (now in Pakistan). He served as a
historian at the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) and member secretary of
National Steering committee on Textbook evaluation. “History of the World: From the Late 19th to the
Early 20th century”, has remained a widely read text of him.

Nobel laureate Phillip Anderson passed away at 96

Philip Warren Anderson (96), a Nobel Prize- winning physicist who expanded the world’s understanding
of magnetism, superconductivity and the structure of matter, passed away in Princeton, New Jersey, US
(United States). He was born on December 13, 1923 in Indianapolis, Indiana, US. He received Nobel Prize
in Physics in 1977, along with Nevill Francis Mott of Britain & the American John Hasbrouck van Vleck,
for their contribution on fundamental theoretical investigations of the electronic structure of magnetic
and disordered systems.

Tony Lewis of ‘DLS method’ cricket fame passed away at 78

Tony Lewis (78), one of the men behind the Duckworth- Lewis- Stern (DLS) method, the mathematical
formula used in weather-affected limited-overs cricket matches, passed away on April 1, 2020. He was
born on February 25, 1942 in Bolton, Lancashire, UK (United Kingdom). Tony along with Frank
Duckworth, developed the Duckworth- Lewis method in 1997. He received an MBE (Member of the Order
of the British Empire) for his services to cricket and mathematics in 2010.

Padma Shri awardee and Former ‘Hazoori Raagi’ Bhai Nirmal Singh passed away at 62
Bhai Nirmal Singh Khalsa (62), Padma Shri awardee (In 2009, for his contribution in field of Arts) and
former “Hazoori Raagi” at the Golden Temple, passed away in Amritsar, Punjab. He was born on April 12,
1952 in Ferozepur, Punjab.

Emmy award-winning musician Adam Schlesinger passed away at 52

Adam Lyons Schlesinger (52) the American singer-songwriter, record producer and bassist, was passed
away due to Covid-19 in Poughkeepsie, New York, US (United States). He was born on October 31, 1967
in New York City, US. He has won Grammy awards for 3 times.

Prominent virologist Gita Ramjee passes away

World-renowned virologist Gita Ramjee (63) passed away in Johannesburg, South Africa, due to
Coronavirus. She was born on April 8, 1956, in Kampala, Uganda. She was the stellar vaccine scientist and
an HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus) prevention research leader. In 2018, She was presented with
the Outstanding Female Scientist Award in Lisbon by the European Development Clinical Trials
Partnerships (EDCTP) for her lifetime contribution in finding new HIV prevention methods.

American singer & 3-time Grammy awardee Bill Withers passed away at 81
Bill Withers (81) the American songwriter, singer, guitarist & 3-time Grammy award winner passed away
due to heart complications in Los Angeles. He was born on July 4, 1938, in the coal-mining town of Slab
Fork, West Virginia, United States. He is well known for these compilations- Lean on Me, Ain’t No
Sunshine, Just the two of us (for which he received Grammy awards) & Lovely Day.

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Libya’s former PM Mahmoud Jibril passed away at 67

Libya’s former Prime Minister (PM) Mahmoud Jibril el-Warfally (67) passed away in Cairo, Egypt due to
Coronavirus. He was born on May 28, 1952 in Benghazi, Libya. He served as the interim Prime Minister
(PM) of Libya for almost a year during the Libyan Civil War in 2011.

Malayalam Music composer M.K. Arjunan passed away at 84

Famous Malayalam Music Composer M.K. Arjunan (fondly called as Arjunan Master) passed away at the
age of 84 in Kochi, Kerala. He was born on March 1, 1936 in Fort Kochi, Kerala. Arjunan was awarded
Kerala State award for the best composer in 2017 for Jayaraj’s Bhayanakam.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Shokoofeh Azar authored a book titled- The Enlightenment of The Greengage Tree
Iranian Author Shokoofeh Azar’s The Enlightenment of The Greengage Tree was originally published in
2017 by ReadHowYouWant.com, Limited & has been reprinted by Europa Editions in January 2020. The
book has been named (among 13) in the longlist of Booker Prizes (annual) 2020 for a £50,000 (USD
98,000) prize, which is shared between the author & translator of the winning book. She becomes the 1st
Iranian author to be named in the Prize.

The book titled- ‘Backstage: The Story Behind India’s High Growth Years’ authored by Padma
Vibhushan Montek Singh Ahluwalia
Montek Singh Ahluwalia the Economist, civil servant & Deputy Chairman of the Indian Planning
Commission, with the rank of Cabinet Minister, from July 2004 to May 2014 & Padma Vibhushan awardee
(2011) has authored a book titled ‘Backstage: The Story Behind India’s High Growth Years’ which
captures the essence of policymaking between 1985 and 2014.

Satyarth Nayak authored a book- ‘Sridevi: The Eternal Screen Goddess’

Satyarth Nayak the author and screenwriter has written his 1st non-fiction book titled as ‘Sridevi: The
Eternal Screen Goddess’ which is about the late actress Sridevi. It is published by Penguin eBury Press.
Satyarth has won the Youth Inspiration Award (Literature) 2017, Shri Award for Men Achievers
(Literature) 2016, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Heal Honour Award 2008.

Two new books providing a better understanding of COVID-19 will release in May 2020
To provide better understanding and prevention of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), two new books are all
set to release in May 2020. The books are: “How Contagion Works: Science, Awareness and Community
in Times of Global Crisis” by Italian physicist Paolo Giordano. “Deadliest Enemy: Our War Against Killer
Germs” by epidemiologist Michael Osterholm and author Mark Olshaker. Both books will be published by
Hatchette, US.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Autism Awareness Day 2020: April 2

World Autism Awareness Day is observed every year on April 2 globally to raise awareness about autism
and problems faced by people suffering from it. The day has been observed since 2008. The day is one of
the seven health-based UN (United Nations) days. As per WHO report 1 in 160 children around the world
lives with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Theme for the year 2020: “The Transition to Adulthood”.

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International Transgender Day of Visibility: March 31

The International Transgender Day of Visibility is observed every year on March 31 globally since 2009,
to celebrate transgender people to raise awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people
worldwide and their contributions to society. The day was founded by US (United States) based
transgender activist Rachel Crandall of Michigan in 2009. This year Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV)
has the theme and hashtag #MoreThanVisibility.

International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action 2020: April 4
The International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action is observed every year on April
4 globally to create awareness on landmines, other threats and progress towards their eradication. In
2005, the UN (United Nations) General Assembly declared April 4 as the International Day for Mine
Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.

Army Medical Corps celebrates its 256th Raising Day: April 3, 2020
On April 3, 2020, The Army Medical Corps (AMC) celebrated its 256th Raising Day and the day was raised
based on the Royal Medical Corps. The 256th Raising Day was held with the motto “Sarve Santu
Niramaya”, meaning “Let all humans be free from disease and disability”.

National Maritime Day 2020: April 5

The 57th Edition of National Maritime Day (NMD) was celebrated on April 5, 2020 (celebrated since
1964). The day is observed annually to raise awareness in supporting intercontinental commerce and the
global economy as the most well- organized, safe & sound, environmentally responsive approach of
transporting goods from one corner to another corner of the world. The World Maritime Day 2020 was
observed on September 24, 2020 (last Thursday of September annually).

International Day of Conscience 2020: April 5

On April 5, 2020 The International Day of Conscience (IDC) is observed for the 1st time to recognize the
need to establish stability, well-being, peaceful and friendly relations on the basis of respect for human
rights and fundamental freedoms for all, irrespective of race, gender, language or religion & also to
remind people to self-reflect, follow their conscience, & do the right things.

International Day of Sport for Development and Peace 2020: April 6

The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSP) is celebrated every year on April 6 to
recognize the power of sport in promoting social change, community development and to encourage
peace and understanding. IDSP 2020 marks its 7th edition. FIFA has joined forces with the United Nations
(UN) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in supporting” #BeActive campaign” launched on the UN
International Day of Sport for Development and Peace to encourage people to be #HealthyAtHome as the
world comes together in the fight against COVID-19.

STATE NEWS

Nagaland CM launched Self Declaration COVID-19 App

Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio launched the Self Declaration COVID-19 application at Kohima, Nagaland. The
app is crucial for tracking and surveillance of high-risk cases. It will be mandatory for any person who
entered Nagaland after March 6, 2020.

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COVID 19: Jharkhand Government launched PRAGYAAM app to issue e-passes for essential
deliveries
The Jharkhand Government launched a mobile application (app) named PRAGYAAM to issue e-passes to
everyone associated with the delivery of essential services during the national lockdown to combat
COVID-19 (Coronavirus).

Andhra Pradesh to purchase ‘Portable Multi-feed Oxygen Manifold’

Andhra Pradesh (AP) government has proposed to buy a novel contraption, ‘Portable Multi-feed Oxygen
Manifold (MOM)’ developed by Personnel of the Naval Dockyard Visakhapatnam (NDV) to address the
need for oxygen supply to covid-19 patients. It is designed using a 6-way radial header fitted to a single
cylinder to deliver oxygen to 6 patients simultaneously.

25 lakh poor in AP to get house sites under Navaratnalu- Pedalandariki Illu programme
The Andhra Pradesh (AP) Government has issued a modified set of guidelines for the distribution of 25
lakh house sites to urban and rural poor under the Navaratnalu- Pedalandariki Illu (Houses for All Poor)
programme. The beneficiaries with white ration cards will be allotted house sites at a concessional rate
of Rs 1 & a sum of Rs 20 will be charged for other costs. The sale of vacant home sites is prohibited but
beneficiaries after 5yrs of construction of home & occupying can transfer.

Odisha Govt in collaboration with UNICEF launches “Mo Prativa” programme to engage kids
during lockdown
The Odisha state government in collaboration with UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), has
launched a creative skill competition programme called “Mo Prativa” (My talent) to keep children
engaged in some creative work during 21-days lockdown due to coronavirus (COVID-19).

AC GAZE

PM Modi holds first ever video conference with 130 heads of Indian missions
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a video conference with 130 heads of India’s diplomatic missions and
urged them to assist Indian nationals who are stranded in various countries that are severely affected by
the outbreak COVID-19 pandemic.

Princess Maria Teresa of Spain becomes 1st royal to pass away from COVID-19
Spanish Princess Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Parma who was born on July 28, 1933 has become the first
royal to pass away due to Covid-19 complications.

Govt launches dedicated Twitter handle: COVID-19 updates

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has set up a dedicated Twitter handle for sharing news and
updates about the novel coronavirus. The account is named #IndiaFightsCorona and uses the handle
@CovidnewsbyMIB.

India, China mark 70 years of diplomatic relations

India and China have marked 70 years of diplomatic relations, both countries exchanged warm words of
greetings and spoke of the partnership between the world’s two most populous nations. India became
the first non-Communist country in Asia to establish diplomatic ties with China on April 1, 1950.

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Three quasi-subspecies of the virus in circulation in India: ICMR

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has stated that a mixture of three quasi-subspecies of SARS-
CoV-2(COVID-19) is in circulation in India. These imported variants showed no differences from how they
behaved in the place of origin. Scientists are yet to classify a SARS-Cov-2 variant as an Indian strain

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