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Top 15 Current Affairs of 9 April 2020
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
HRD Ministry along with AICTE initiated “Samadhan” challenge for students to fight covid-19
In order to empower innovation among students the Innovation Cell of the Ministry of Human Resources Development (HRD) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in collaboration with Forge and InnovatioCuris launched a mega online challenge – SAMADHAN.
- Its objective is to search and develop measures for government agencies, health services, hospitals and other services for quick solutions to the COVID-19 epidemic and other such calamities.
- Applications to participate in this competition started from 7 April 2020 till 14 April 2020. The names of the contestants going forward in this competition will be declared on 17 April 2020 and such contestants are expected to submit their entries between 18-23 April 2020. The final list will be released on 24 April 2020, after which the grand online jury will decide the winners on 25 April 2020.
- The challenge constitutes: Track 1 is called Ideate-Simulate-Win where applications are invited by innovators, educators and researchers along with startups to share their ideas to solve the challenges posed by the pandemic. The second section also known as Track 2 called Validate-pitch-Deploy invites applications from student innovators, researchers, educators, and startups with a working prototype of technologically advanced solution which can be validated and deployed immediately to support the fight against the pandemic…Click Here for link to SAMADHAN Challenge
DGFT lifted export restriction on 24 pharma ingredients, medicines
On April 6, 2020, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under Ministry of Commerce & Industry has removed export restrictions on 24 pharma ingredients including 12 active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and 12 formulations by exercising the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act, 1992. In this regard, amendment has been made in the chapter 29 and 30 of the Schedule 2 of the ITCHS (Indian Trade Clarification based on Harmonized System) Export Policy, 2018 which is related APIs and formulations.
- It should be noted that the outbound shipments of paracetamol and its formulations continue to remain restricted or need a license from the government to get exported.
- The APIs which got free from restrictions include vitamins B1, B6 and B12, tinidazole, metronidazole, acyclovir, progesterone, chloramphenicol etc. Click here to get full list.
Background:
DGFT had restricted the exports of 26 bulk drugs and their formulations on March 3, 2020 to ensure there is no shortage of drugs in India. Importantly, almost 30% of India’s pharma are exported to North America, 16% to Europe and 17% to Africa.
About DGFT:
Establishment– 1991
Director General– Amit Yadav
Headquarter– New Delhi
Smart cities joining hands with medical practitioners to provide online consultation; Ahmedabad India’s No.1 Smart City
To keep the social distancing norm fulfilled amid COVID-19, smart cities are collaborating with certified doctors and health experts to provide online medical consultation facilities to citizens. This decision of collaboration was taken on the lines of guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) along with NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog and Indian Medical Council (ICM) to allow remote delivery of medical services during the lockdown period….Click here to Read More
India’s 40.59% environment-related crimes reported in Rajasthan during 2014-16: CAG
In accordance with the report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for the year ended March 31, 2018, 40.59% of the crimes related to the environment in the country were committed in Rajasthan (RJ) during 2014-16. The major crimes were violation of Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and Wildlife Protect Act, 1972 which resulted in using of forest land for non-forest purposes without approval of government and capturing, poisoning, snaring or trapping of wild animals respectively.
- A total of 15,723 crimes related to the environment were registered in the country during 2014-16 and the number of cases in RJ during this period was 6,382, which is 40.59%….Click here to Read More
Ministry of Health to divide health centers into 3 categories for corona patients
On April 8, 2020, In order to ensure maximum use of resources in the care of coronavirus (COVID-19) patients, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) has proposed to divide the health centers into 3 categories namely- COVID Care Centre, Dedicated COVID Health Centre and Dedicated COVID Hospital.
Key Points:
i.Under these facilities, it will be ensured that the capacity of hospital beds is used only for moderate and severe patients of infection.
ii.1st type- Covid Care Center: Patients suspected of corona or patients with mild or very mild symptoms will be placed here. These centers can be built in hostels, hotels, schools, stadiums, lodges and other places. A basic life support ambulance (BLSA) equipped with life-saving equipment will be available at every Covid Care Center at all times. Ayush doctors can be deployed under the supervision of allopathic doctors.
iii.2nd type- Dedicated COVID Health Centre: Patients with moderate symptoms of coronavirus will be admitted here. These centers can be built in a separate block of a hospital or hospital with separate entry and exit doors. Here also an ambulance equipped with life-saving equipment will be available at all times.
iv.3rd type- Dedicated COVID Hospital: Serious patients infected with the corona virus will be admitted here. These will be full hospitals or separate blocks within hospitals. These will include a fully equipped intensive care units (ICU), ventilator and oxygen-supported beds.
About Ministry of Health and Family Welfare:
Headquarters– New Delhi
Union Minister– Harsh Vardhan
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
SAARC Development Fund allocates USD 5 million for COVID-19 projects
On April 7, 2020 The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Development Fund (SDF) has allocated USD 5 million (about Rs 38 crore) for COVID-19 projects in 8 member countries, in an effort to mitigate the financial losses and severe socio-economic impact of the pandemic.
Key Points
i.The approval process, project implementation, funding disbursement, management, monitoring and reporting will be in accordance with the existing SDF-Board approved policy and the procedures of the SDF and social Window.
ii.This project will be funded by the SDF under its Social Window thematic areas. SDF’s social window primarily funds projects on poverty alleviation, social development focusing on education, health, and human resource development, among others.
iii.Currently, SDF operates 90 projects in SAARC countries under its 3 funding windows, with a total financial commitment or allocation of USD 198.24 million.
About SAARC:
8 members– Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Headquarters– Kathmandu, Nepal
Secretary General– Esala Ruwan Weerakoon
About SDF:
The 1st funding mechanism of SAARC was created in 1996 in the name of- South Asian Development Fund (SADF), merging the SAARC Fund for Regional Projects (SFRP) and the SAARC Regional Fund. The SADF was reconstituted into the SDF. It is created to promote the welfare of the people of the SAARC region. It has 3 funding windows- Social Window, Economic Window and Infrastructure Window.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Sunil Motiwal,Headquarters– Thimphu, Bhutan
BANKING & FINANCE
Bank of Baroda initiated four schemes for agri sector to tackle COVID-19 impact
In a bid to provide financial relief to the agriculture sector which is under distress due to COVID-19, the Bank of Baroda (BoB) has initiated four agro schemes for Women Self Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO/FPC) and farming community. It should be noted only the existing borrowers of BoB whether individual or FPO or SHG are eligible for the schemes. Following are the four schemes launched by bank:
- Additional Assurance to SHGs- COVID19
- Baroda Emergency Credit Line for Farmer Producer Organization (FPO/FPC)
- Baroda Special Scheme for existing Agriculture Investment Credit borrowers
- Baroda Special Scheme for existing BKCC borrowers impacted by COVID-19….Click here to Read More
SIDBI offers emergency working capital of up to Rs 1 crore to SMEs
On April 7, 2020 The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has announced that it will provide emergency working capital of up to Rs 1 crore to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The SIDBI Assistance to Facilitate Emergency response against coronavirus, SIDBI Assistance to Facilitate Emergency response against coronavirus (SAFE) loan limit has been increased to 2 crores from Rs 50 lakhs.
Gist about SAFE scheme
i.It is a financial assistance program launched by SIDBI for (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises)….Click here to Read More
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
Parag Raja appointed as MD & CEO of Bharti AXA Life Insurance
On April 8, 2020, Bharti AXA Life Insurance Company appointed Parag Raja as the new MD (Managing Director) & CEO (Chief Executive Officer). The appointment will be subject to the requisite approval from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI). Parag Raja will be the successor of Vikas Seth.
Key Points:
i.About Parag Raja: Raja served as the Chief Distribution Officer at Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance (ABSLI) where he is responsible for planning & executing the strategic direction for expanding the company’s footprint across India.
ii.He was also one of the founding members of the Max Life Insurance and worked with the company for 15 years.
iii.Raja has a total experience of nearly 21 years, including 19 years in the life insurance industry.
About Bharti AXA Life Insurance:
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra.
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS
CCI approves Hitachi’s acquisition of 80.1% stake in ABB’s power grid business
On April 7, 2020 The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the proposed acquisition of 80.1% share capital of ABB Management Holding AG by Hitachi Limited from ABB Ltd, where ABB Management will hold the entire power grid business of ABB. The acquisition values its grid business at $11 billion (Rs 78,763 crore). The deal is expected to be complete by the first half of 2020.
Hitachi
It is a Japanese firm & is the parent company of Hitachi group of companies. It is active in business segments, including IT solution, energy solution, industry solution, mobility solution, and smart life solution.
Headquarters– Chiyoda, Tokyo
President & CEO– Toshiaki Higashihara
ABB
It is a Swiss company which involves development, engineering, manufacturing and sale of products, systems and projects in the power grids sector.
Headquarters– Zurich, Switzerland
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Björn Rosengren
What is AG?
It is an abbreviation of Aktiengesellschaft, a German term used for a public limited company.
About CCI:
Headquarters– New Delhi, India
Chairman– Ashok Kumar Gupta
CCI approves 100% acquisition of GMR Kamalanga Energy Limited by JSW Energy Limited
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved 100% acquisition of Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao (GMR) Kamalanga Energy Limited (Ltd) by Jindal South West (JSW) Energy Ltd under section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002.
JSW Energy Ltd
It is a division of JSW group & is involved in power generation, power transmission, power trading, coal mining and power equipment manufacturing & has a power generation capacity of 4,541 MegaWatt (MW) out of which thermal (3,140 MW), hydro (1,391 MW) and solar (10 MW).
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) & Joint Managing Director (MD)– Prashant Jain
GMR Kamalanga Energy Ltd
It is a subsidiary of GMR group & is one of the largest diversified Infrastructure Conglomerates in India. It is engaged in generation of power through its coal based thermal power plant & has an operating capacity of over 4400 MW & plants of over 2300 MW generation capacity are under various stages of development in India and Nepal
is engaged in generation of power through its coal based thermal power plant
Headquarters– New Delhi, India
Chairman– Srinivas Bommidala
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Commerce Ministry designs online platform to issue certificate of origin for exporters
On April 7, 2020 the Commerce Ministry created an online platform to issue key documents required for exports to countries with which India has trade agreements. It is designed as a single-point access for all Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs), all designated Certificate of Origin (CoO) issuing agencies and for all export products to facilitate shipment during the COVID-19 crisis.
Key Points
i.The designated agencies will issue digitally signed electronic CoO only and no hard copy will be provided.
ii.It is accessible at https://coo.dgft.gov.in, with effect from April 7, 2020.
iii.Export Certificates from India to Chile under the PTA , Export to Nepal under South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA) and export to Korea under the India-Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement have already been applied and issued through this online platform.
iv.India has implemented such agreements with regions including ASEAN, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, South Asian Free Trade Area, and Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement.
What is a CoO?
This is a document that states in which country a product is produced or good is manufactured, contains information about the product, its destination and the country of exporting & helps determine whether certain goods are eligible for import or are subject to goods obligations. An exporter has to submit CoO at the importing country’s landing port & is important to claim duty concessions under FTAs.
Larsen & Toubro gets big contract from Indian Army to install state-of-the-art IT enabled network
On April 7, 2020,The Smart World and Communication Business Unit (SW&C BU) of Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T), an Indian multinational conglomerate company, has received a large order from the Indian Army to install state-of-the-art IT(Information Technology) based state-of-the-art systems, which will be used to operate the armed force network under the ‘Network of Spectrum (NFS)’.
Key Points:
i.However, the company has not disclosed the transaction amount but, according to its project classification, large orders are in the range of Rs.2,500 crore to Rs.5,000 crore.
ii.The project,which is a very important and sensitive project for the Ministry of Defense (MoD), involves creating a centralised network monitoring, management and control system for all the 7 layers under NFS which connects 414 Defence stations.
iii.According to L&T, the project will be implemented in 18 months. It is a 3-month warranty and a seven-year maintenance contract.
About Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T):
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
CMD– SN Subrahmanyan
About Indian Army:
Headquarters– New Delhi
Chief of the Army Staff (COAS)– General Manoj Mukund Naravane.
DRDO & Wipro 3D team together to create full face shield for healthcare personnel treating coronavirus patients
On April 7, 2020, The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), an agency of the Government of India charged with the military’s research and development,has partnered with private firm Wipro 3D to create a full face shield, which is meant to be helpful for doctors and nurses who are treating patients infected with coronavirus (COVID-19).
Key Points:
i.This would prove effective in protecting healthcare personnel from direct infection. DRDO has earlier made masks, full-body suits and many PPE (personal protection equipment ) for medical staff including doctors having a specific type of fabric with coating.
ii.It is to be known that earlier, scientists working in different laboratories of DRDO have jointly created Bio Suite which will work like PPE for medical personnel.
iii.DRDO is also working on a multi patient-ventilator to handle shortage of key equipment for corona victims.
About Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO):
Headquarters– New Delhi
Chairman– Dr G. Satheesh Reddy
About Wipro 3D:
Headquarters– Bengaluru, Karnataka
OBITUARY
1960s ‘James Bond’ girl Honor Blackman passed away at 94
On April 7, 2020, Honor Blackman, one of the memorable co-stars of the early James Bond films, passed away at the age of 94 in Lewes, Sussex, England. She was born on August 22, 1925 in Plaistow, Essex, England.
Key Points:
i.About Honor Blackman: Honor Blackman shot to fame in her late 30s after playing legendary Bond girl Pussy Galore in the 1964 movie Goldfinger.
ii.She was well known in Britain for playing the character Cathy Gale in the popular 1960s Television (TV) spy series The Avengers and she had guest appearances on TV shows such as “Doctor Who”, “Colombo” and “Coronation Street”.
iii.Blackman also played the goddess Hera in the 1963 film “Jason and the Argonauts”, & appeared in “Bridget Jones’s Diary”.
Former Real Madrid, Atletico and Barcelona coach Radomir Antic passed away at 71
On April 7, 2020, Radomir Antic, Serbian football manager and player, the only man to have coached Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, passed away at the age of 71 in Madrid, Spain. He was born on November 22, 1948 in Zitiste, Serbia.
Key Points:
i.About Radomir Antic: Antic managed Atletico on three separate occasions, winning the league and cup double in 1995-96 and only one of two people to coach EL Clasico rivals Real and Barca during his career after Enrique Fernandez Viola.
ii.He coached Real Madrid from March 1991 until January 1992 and took charge of Barcelona in 2003, as well as managing Real Zaragoza, Real Ovideo, Celta Vigo and the Serbia national team at the 2010 World Cup.
IMPORTANT DAYS
International Romani Day 2020: April 8
The International Romani Day is observed on April 8 globally to raise awareness of the issues faced by Romani people and to celebrate Romani culture.
Key Points:
i.The International Romani Day was officially declared at the fourth World Romani Congress of the International Romani Union (IRU) in Serock, Poland, in 1990.
ii.The day also remembers the first major international meeting of Romani representatives held between April 7 to 12, 1971 in Chelsfield, England.
iii.Romani is an itinerant ethnic group from India, they have their own language and culture. For Romani people, their extended families, their customs called the Romanipen & their religion is of greatest importance.
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Current Affairs Today (AffairsCloud Today) | |
S.no | Current Affairs 9 April 2020 |
1 | HRD Ministry along with AICTE initiated “Samadhan” challenge for students to fight covid-19 |
2 | DGFT lifted export restriction on 24 pharma ingredients, medicines |
3 | Smart cities joining hands with medical practitioners to provide online consultation; Ahmedabad India’s No.1 Smart City |
4 | India’s 40.59% environment-related crimes reported in Rajasthan during 2014-16: CAG |
5 | Ministry of Health to divide health centers into 3 categories for corona patients |
6 | SAARC Development Fund allocates USD 5 million for COVID-19 projects |
7 | Bank of Baroda initiated four schemes for agri sector to tackle COVID-19 impact |
8 | SIDBI offers emergency working capital of up to Rs 1 crore to SMEs |
9 | Parag Raja appointed as MD & CEO of Bharti AXA Life Insurance |
10 | CCI approves Hitachi’s acquisition of 80.1% stake in ABB’s power grid business |
11 | CCI approves 100% acquisition of GMR Kamalanga Energy Limited by JSW Energy Limited |
12 | Commerce Ministry designs online platform to issue certificate of origin for exporters |
13 | Larsen & Toubro gets big contract from Indian Army to install state-of-the-art IT enabled network |
14 | DRDO & Wipro 3D team together to create full face shield for healthcare personnel treating coronavirus patients |
15 | 1960s ‘James Bond’ girl Honor Blackman passed away at 94 |
16 | Former Real Madrid, Atletico and Barcelona coach Radomir Antic passed away at 71 |
17 | International Romani Day 2020: April 8 |
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