Current Affairs - May 12, 2020 Current Affairs

Data released by the Registrar General of India stated that India's infant mortality rate (IMR) has improved very marginally from 33 per 1,000 live births in 2017 to 32 in 2018.The report stated that Madhya Pradesh has the worst IMR in the country at 48 and Nagaland stands the best at 4. In 2017, Madhya Pradesh's IMR stood at 47. Among large states, Kerala has performed best with an IMR in single digits at 7. Also, only Kerala state has now achieved the United Nations' sustainable development goal in this regard.

Department of Biotechnology and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) had invited applications for COVID-19 Research Consortium to urgently develop safe and effective Biomedical solutions against SARS CoV-2. The move aims to provide an accelerator approach for vaccine development. Under the research consortium, DBT and BIRAC evaluated applications with an intent to support Industry/ Academia and Jointly Academia & Industry for developing Diagnostics, Vaccines, Novel Therapeutics, Repurposing of Drugs or any other intervention for control of COVID-19.

Government of India launched "Mission Sagar" on 10 May. The aim is to provide assistance to Indian Ocean Region Nations amid the coronavirus crisis. The operation is being progressed in coordination with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The mission is in line with the Prime Minister's vision of SAGAR.

Data from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) stated that April Immediate Payment System (IMPS) numbers have reduced to a two-year low. The dive in the retail interbank transfers is due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Founded in 2008, the NPCI is a not-for-profit organisation registered under section 8 of the Companies Act 2013, established by Reserve Bank of India & IBA.

The Registration Committee (RC) under the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC) recommended a complete ban on the use of antibiotics streptomycin and tetracycline on crops with immediate effect. It suggested that other options were available for bacterial disease control. The decision was made at the 414th meeting of the RC held on 1 May 2020. The report will be shared with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Department of Agriculture Cooperation for necessary action on suggesting alternatives.

Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers reported that National Fertilizers Ltd, a PSU under GoI, registered a 71% growth in fertilizer sales in April 2020. The stringent restrictions in April due to COVID-19 lockdown Company recorded fertilizer sale of 3.62 Lakh MT in April 2020 compared to 2.12 Lakh MT in the same period 2019.

Mother's Day was celebrated on May 10 (2nd Sunday of May every year).

Ratan Khatri, who reigned supreme from the early 1960s till the 1990s as the 'matka king', passed away at his residence in south Mumbai on 9 May. He was 88. He had suffered a brain stroke and was recovering when he died. Khatri is said to be the person who spread a particular form of gambling, which was based on picking chits from matkas (earthern pots), from Mumbai to different parts of the country.

The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) announced a research collaboration with Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Ltd (BBIL) to develop a COVID-19 vaccine.

Eminent historian Hari Shankar Vasudevan died at a private hospital on 10 May. He was 68. Vasudevan had tested positive for novel coronavirus on May 6 after being admitted with high fever and breathing difficulty symptoms on May 4, but had other chronic ailments also.

Indu Shekhar Chaturvedi assumed charge as new Secretary, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy on 11 May 2020. Chaturvedi met senior officers of the Ministry and took stock of the work and issues before the Ministry. Chaturvedi succeeded Anand Kumar in the Ministry who earlier took charge as Secretary, Ministry of Culture.

Hyderabad based Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) premier lab, has developed Defence Research Ultraviolet Sanitiser (DRUVS), an automated contactless ultraviolet (UVC) sanitisation cabinet.

Ministry of Tourism organized the 17th session of the Dekho Apna Desh webinar on 9 May 2020. The webinar was titled 'Exploring River Nila' was about showcasing meaningful travel experiences for travelers that are offered by relatively unvisited places. The webinar took the participants on a journey into lesser-known towns and villages along the "River Nila" also known as Bharathapuzha in Kerala. The river offers authentic and unique experiences to the discerning travellers and explorers.

Pharmaceutical exports from India grew 7.57% to $20.58 billion in 2019-20 according to Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil).

National Technology Day is observed on 11 May. The day highlights the importance of science in daily life. It also encourages youngsters to get into the field for their career options.

The biography of Britain's Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle "Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of A Modern Royal Family" by royal reporters Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand has been scheduled to be released worldwide on 11 August. The book reveals details of the couple who stepped back as frontline royals to settle down in the US in April 2020. The book provides a glimpse into the lesser-known aspects of their romance and decision to go their separate way from Buckingham Palace.

Health Ministry has decided to deploy Central teams to 10 states that are witnessing high case load and high spurt of COVID-19 cases. The teams will assist the State Health departments to facilitate management of COVID-19 outbreak. The states are Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will initiate a study in the worst-affected 75 hotspot districts to check for community transmission.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune has developed and validated the indigenous IgG ELISA test 'COVID KAVACH ELISA' for antibody detection for COVID-19.

Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) to facilitate the movement of persons by train amid lockdown imposed to contain COVID-19 spread. As per the SOP, all the passengers entering the railway station will undergo a compulsory medical screening for COVID-19 infection.On 30 May 2019, G. Kishan Reddy