Current Affairs - April 29, 2020 Current Affairs

Scientists from Copernicus European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reported that the largest hole in the Ozone layer spreading over 1 million square kilometers above the Arctic has closed due to unusual atmospheric conditions.The hole in Ozone was first identified by scientists in March 2020. The development of the hole was confirmed by Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) and Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Services (CAMS) by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF).

TCS iON offers free online self-certification course - Corona Warriors - for frontline health workers to deal with COVID-19 patient.

The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $1.5 billion loan that will support the government's response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has started the trial of Mycobacterium w (Mw), an anti-leprosy drug. The information was passed by the Director of CSIR Shekhar Mande. Under this one particular formulation, called "Mycobacterium w (Mw)", a heat-killed bacteria will be tried on different COVID-19 patients. CSIR has been granted approval to conduct the trial from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI).

Union Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar joins his counterparts from Brazil, Russia, China, and South Africa for a meeting on 28 April. The foreign ministers of BRICS member countries will hold an extraordinary video conference to discuss ways to jointly combat the coronavirus pandemic. The event will be chaired by Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister. The BRICS presidency was passed from Brazil to Russia from 1 January 2020.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S.Jaganmohan Reddy launched the Jagananna Vidya Deevena Scheme on 28 April. Under the scheme over Rs.4,000 crore of funds have been released along with Rs.1880 crore towards the pending amount left by the earlier government. The state government will provide Fee reimbursement for ITI, B.Tech, B. Pharmacy, MBA, MCA, and B.Ed Courses.

President of the United States Donald Trump nominated senior Indian-American diplomat Manisha Singh as America's next envoy to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

World Day for Safety and Health at Work is a UN international day that is celebrated every 28 April. The day aims to promote safe, healthy, and decent work. It has been observed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) since 2003.

States including Punjab, Kerala, and Delhi have sought the Government of India for extension of goods and services tax (GST) compensation to the states for two years beyond 2022 to overcome the crisis that is expected to be faced post-COVID-19 pandemic.

IIT-Bhubaneswar has designed a safe and multi-surface sanitizer using UV light for the disinfection of devices in the combat against COVID-19.

Saudi Arabia ends death penalty for crimes committed by minors.

Varanasi Smart City used the spraying of sanitizer in the selected areas of Varanasi City under Smart Cities Mission to contain COVID-19 spread. For this purpose, the city has engaged with Garuda Aerospace Private Limited, a Chennai based company. The move comes due to the limited options for transportation during the lockdown period.

World Health Organization (WHO) has partnered with Global Fund, UNTAID, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), etc. and launched the "Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator or the ACT Accelerator". ACT Accelerator initiative provides a global platform for action to enhance connections and leverage interdependencies for collective partnership. It also enhance problem-solving, mobilizing and guiding investments, and driving equitable access for new COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines.

India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) revises its 2020-21 economic growth forecast to 1.9% from 3.6% made on March 30.

Assam State government has announced an insurance cover of Rs.50 lakh for the frontline journalists who are covering COVID-19. The announcement was passed by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

Indian Railways has taken several measures to ensure that the interest of the passengers and all commercial clients are taken care of and national supply chains keep running. Indian Railways stopped passenger train operations during Lockdowns 1 & 2, to arrest the spread of COVID-19. Indian Railway has set up Railway Emergency Cell for COVID. Railway Emergency Cell for COVID is a nationwide Unit comprising of about 400 Officers and staff from Railway Board to Divisions.

Union Minister of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Narendra Singh Tomar issued guidelines regarding the SVAMITVA scheme, a new initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. The scheme aims to help in streamlining planning and revenue collection in rural areas and ensuring clarity on property rights. It will help in resolving property related disputes.

Pakistan Cricket Board bans Umar Akmal for three years for failing to report corrupt approaches.

CRISIL revises its 2020-21 economic growth forecast to 1.8% from 3.5% made in late March.

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has allowed the Common Service Centre (CSCs), an SPV under the Ministry of IT and Electronics, to begin the Aadhaar updation facility at its CSCs facility which operates as Banking Correspondents (BCs). The announcement was made by the Union Minister for Communications, MEITY, and Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad.