Daily Current Affairs and GK | 03 April 2020

1. Government launched the Aarogya Setu mobile app

• Recently Government of India has launched Aarogya Setu App to track COVID-19 infection.
• The government has developed this app in a public-private partnership mode.
• ‘Aarogya Setu’ app has been brought under Digital India for the health and well being of the people.
• Currently this app is available in 11 languages.
• The design of the app ensures privacy, the personal data it collects is encrypted via state-of-the-art technology.
• This app will enable people to identify corona virus infection and assess risk. This will be calculated based on their interactions with others, using state-of-the-art Bluetooth technology, algorithms and artificial intelligence.

2. Central government has exempted some more services from restrictions under the lockdown

• Recently, some more services have been exempted from restrictions during the 21-day nationwide lockdown implemented due to Novel Coronavirus.
• These services include Anganwadi workers, persons engaged in direct selling of agricultural produce and AYUSH related health facilities.
• The government has stated that the people and logistics involved in the operation of these services will be given a rebate on the lines of other essential services.
• The government has said that once in 15 days Anganwadi workers will distribute food items and nutritional support to beneficiaries like children, women and lactating mothers.

3. United Nation’s COP-26 postponed for one year

• The UN COP-26 climate change summit has been postponed for a year due to the recent global pandemic COVID-19.
• The summit was scheduled to take place in November 2020 in Glasgow, the Scottish city.
• The British government said that now that the conference will be held in 2021, the dates would be announced later.
• A 10-day conference COP-25 was held in Spain in 2019 to curb rise in global temperatures.
• The United Nations panel in 2018 concluded that global carbon dioxide emissions required to decline by 45% by 2030 and reach a net zero by 2050, to cap rise in global temperature to 1.5 °C as the target in the Paris Agreement.

4. Government of India has launched 'Stranded in India' portal

• Recently the Government of India has launched the ‘Stranded in India’ portal to help foreign tourists stranded in India.
• This portal has been started by the Ministry of Tourism.
• The Stranded in India portal aims to create a support network for stranded tourists in various parts of the country.
• In the last two days, more than 500 questions and requests for help have come on this portal.
• Most of the requests received from foreign tourists are regarding travelling back to their countries or extension of visa to stay in India as they are unable to travel back at this time.
• The Ministry of Tourism is coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs and concerned embassies regarding the problems faced by tourists.
• Also, work is going on to provide emergency facilities such as food, medical and care needs for elderly tourists immediately.

5. New features of National Agricultural Market (e-NAM) platform were launched

• Recently, new features of the National Agricultural Market (e-NAM) platform were launched by the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar.
• This platform will help strengthen agricultural marketing.
• It will also reduce the need for farmers to go to wholesale mandis to sell their harvested produce.
• Also, in the wake of COVID-19, it will be helpful to avoid the crowd in the mandis.
• The added features are warehouses- based trading modules in e-NAM software and farmer producer organization (FPO) trading module in e-NAM.
• e-NAM:
  • e-NAM was launched on 14 April 2016.
  • It is an all-India electronic trade portal that provides an integrated national network for Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMCs).
  • It is being implemented by the Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

6. Wimbledon, the oldest Grand Slam tennis tournament, was cancelled

• Recently the Grand Slam tennis tournament Wimbledon was canceled due to the coronovirus pandemic.
• This is the first time since World War II that this tournament has been canceled.
• The tournament was to be played from 29 June to 12 July.
• Wimbledon Championship:
  • The Wimbledon Championship is the oldest tennis tournament in the world.
  • It is one of the four major Grand Slam tennis tournaments played in a year.
  • The other three Grand Slams are the French Open, the US Open and the Australian Open.
  • It was founded in 1877.
  • Its headquarters is located in London, United Kingdom.

7. Former Wales cricketer Tony Lewis passed away

• Recently, former cricketer Tony Lewis died at the age of 78.
• He was one of the founding fathers of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in cricket.
• Tony, along with fellow mathematician Frank Duckworth, devised the Duckworth – Lewis method in 1997.
• It was officially adopted by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1999.
• The mathematical formula was renamed the Duckworth – Lewis – Stern method in 2014 in limited overs cricket games worldwide.

8. Food Corporation of India assures supply of wheat and rice throughout the country during the lockdown

• The Food Corporation of India (FCI) is ensuring uninterrupted supply of wheat and rice throughout the country during the lockdown.
• FCI will also supply 5 kg of food grains per month to the beneficiary under the National Food Security Act across the country.
• Along with this, FCI is also ready to cater to the additional demand for the next 3 months to more than 81 crore people under the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.
• Food Corporation of India (FCI):
  • Food Corporation of India is an organization created and operated by the Government of India.
  • It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
  • Deepak Kumar Panwar is the current Chairman of FCI.
  • It was established on 14 January 1965.

9. Geo-Fencing App to detect Quarantine Violators

• A geo-fencing app will be used by the government to detect violators who have been quarantined to prevent infection of COVID-19.
• The geo-fencing app technology tracks the cell tower location of a person's mobile phone and that person's location using the Global Positioning System, GPS.
• This technology provides accurate information in a range of up to 300 meters.
• All states have been asked to seek the approval of their home secretaries under the provisions of Section 5 (2) of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, so that this technology can be used uninterruptedly.
• Kerala is one of the first few states in the country, which is using this technology to monitor quarantined people.

10. Defence Research and Development Organization has developed a bio suit for personnel fighting COVID-19

• Recently, a bio suit has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) to protect medical, paramedical and other personnel fighting the COVID-19 from the virus.
• This bio suit is designed with the help of Kusumgarh industry and has undergone rigorous testing of textile parameters and protection against infection from synthetic blood.
• This bio suit fully complies with the norms set by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Currently, the production capacity of bio suit is 7,000 suits per day. Efforts are being made to increase this to a capacity of 15,000 suits per day.
• Defence Research and Development Organization:
  • An agency of the Government of India, it deals with the research and development work of the Army in India.
  • G. Sateesh Reddy is the current chairman of DRDO.
  • It was founded in 1958.
  • Its headquarters is located in New Delhi.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. Recently Indian government has launched which app to track COVID-19 infection?

A. Jan Aarogya

B. Aarogya Setu

C. Jan Kalyan

D. Kalyan Setu

2. The central government has exempted some other services from restrictions during lockdown, which of the following is included?

A. Agricultural produce sellers

B. Anganwadi Workers

C. AYUSH related Health Workers

D. All of the above

3. A 10 day conference COP-25 was held in 2019 in which country?

A. Spain

B. India

C. America

D. Japan

4. Recently Government of India has started 'Stranded in India' portal to help who among the people?

A. Older and female

B. Foreign Students

C. Foreign tourists stranded in India

D. Farmer

5. In which year was the e-NAM portal launched?

A. 2014

B. 2016

C. 2018

D. 2020

6. When was the oldest and prestigious Grand Slam tennis tournament Wimbledon started?

A. 1877

B. 1896

C. 1976

D. 1945

7. Recently Tony Lewis died at the age of 78, to which sport did he belong?

A. Hockey

B. Volleyball

C. Cricket

D. Tennis

8. What type of body is the Food Corporation of India?

A. Constitutional

B. Non-Constitutional

C. Statutory

D. Non-Statutory

9. To prevent infection of COVID-19, which app will be used to detect the violators who have been quarantined?

A. Geo Fencing App

B. Geo Mapping App

C. Geo Chasing App

D. Live tracking App

10. Recently which organization has developed bio suits for personnel fighting COVID-19?

A. DRDO

B. ISRO

C. CSIR

D. ICMR

Solution:

1. B

2. D

3. A

4. C

5. B

6. A

7. C

8. C

9. A

10. A