Daily Current Affairs and GK | 11 April 2020

1. Central Government has exempted the marine industry from lockdown

• Recently the central government has exempted the marine industry from lockdown.
• This includes fishing or marine aquaculture industry which includes harvesting, selling, feeding and maintenance, processing, packaging, cold chain and marketing activities.
• Workers are exempted from lockdown for all these activities.
• However, it is mandatory for workers to follow the appropriate sanitation measures specified in the lockdown measures by the government.
• The decision has been taken by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, chairman of the National Executive Committee constituted under the Disaster Management Act 2005.

2. Ministry of Human Resource Development launches "Bharat Padhe Online Campaign"

• Recently, the Ministry of Human Resource Development launched the Bharat Padhe Online Campaign to improve online education in the country.
• The campaign has been announced by Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank in New Delhi.
• This campaign will run for a week.
• This campaign has been started with the objective of getting the views of the general public.
• Under this campaign, various talents and academics have been invited to share their views on removing barriers to online education and promoting available digital education.
• The objective of this campaign is to find out the shortcomings of the existing online education system and remove them.

3. National Commission for Women launched WhatsApp number for reporting domestic violence cases

• Recently, the National Commission for Women has started a WhatsApp number to report cases of increasing domestic violence in the country.
• The Commission has taken this step keeping in mind the increasing cases of domestic violence during the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The initiative is aimed at helping women victims of domestic violence in distress.
• This number will work for the duration of the lockdown.
• National Women Commission:
  • It is the statutory body which usually advises the government on all policy matters affecting women.
  • It was formed in 1992.
  • Its headquarters is located in New Delhi.
  • The chairperson of the National Commission for Women is Rekha Sharma.

4. Health Minister urged to promote the use of Aarogya Setu Mobile App

• Recently Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has urged all the states to promote the use of the Aarogya Setu mobile app with the aim of uniting the whole country in the struggle against Coronavirus.
• Aarogya Setu Mobile App:
  • This app has been created by public-private partnership.
  • It has been launched on the Google Play Store.
  • The main purpose of this app is to track cases infected with COVID-19.
  • Currently this app is available in 11 languages.

5. A machine called ‘TrueNat Beta Cov’ was allowed to be used for corona testing

• Recently the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has given permission to use a machine called 'TrueNat Beta Cov' for corona testing.
• This machine is used in the screening of drug resistant-TB.
• The virus 'lysis buffer', which is in the kit of the machine called TrueNat Beta Cov, is capable of neutralizing Nipah and H1N1 viruses.
• But to what extent it can inactivate SARS-Corona virus-2, it will be known only after the results of the stability report of the RNA of the virus are reported.
• Till then this machine will be used with precautionary biosecurity.
• Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR):
  • It is the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research.
  • The government funds it through the Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
  • Its headquarters is located in New Delhi.
  • Director General: Dr. Balram Bhargava
  • Establishment: 1911

6. IIT Kanpur developed personal protective equipment

• Recently Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur has developed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
• This device is cheap; it can be produced for less than Rs 100 only.
• This device can provide protection to the entire body.
• The kit has been developed based on a thin cylindrical roll of polythene, commonly used to make bags in the packaging and plastic industries in the industry.
• It has been developed under the direction of Dr. Nitin Gupta of the Department of Biological Engineering, IIT Kanpur.
• The design and production process of this kit is open-source, that is, anyone can set up a small or medium-scale factory anywhere in the country to start manufacturing in large quantities in a short time.

7. Initiatives for daily wage earners of West Bengal Gram Panchayat

• Recently Lalgola Gram Panchayat in Murshidabad district in West Bengal has taken unique steps during the ongoing lockdown against COVID-19.
• During this time, the Panchayat is striving to reduce the daily wages and reduce the hardships of older people.
• Here Lalgola Gram Panchayat is supplying food items and cooked food to the daily wage earners and laborers, besides supplying essential medicines for free.
• Lalgola is located near the India Bangladesh Boarder in Murshidabad district of West Bengal state. Most of the people here are involved in farming and daily wage earnings.
• Their earnings during the lockdown have dropped to almost zero. Therefore, this step has been taken to help them.
• West Bengal:
  • It is a state of eastern India.
  • It is located between the Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal.
  • Its capital is Kolkata, which was formerly established as the East India Company Trading Post and the capital of the British Raj.
  • The Chief Minister of West Bengal is Mamta Banerjee and Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar.
  • The state animal of West Bengal is the cat fish and the state bird is the white throated kingfisher.
  • The state tree of this state is Alstonia scholaris and the State Flower is Night-flowering Jasmine.

8. Proposal to cut 10 million barrels per day in oil production in May and June by OPEC members

• Recently OPEC members have proposed 10 million barrels per day reduction in oil production in May and June in view of falling world oil prices.
• But Mexico does not agree with this proposal.
• It is known that the global fuel demand has decreased by 30 million barrels per day due to the lockdown imposed due to Coronavirus infection. This is about 30% of the global supply.
• OPEC:
  • It is an intergovernmental organization of petroleum exporting countries.
  • It was founded on 14 September 1960 in Baghdad.
  • It is headquartered in Vienna, Austria.
  • It now has 13 members after Qatar renounced its membership on 1 January 2019.

9. ADB has assured assistance of US $ 2 billion to India

• Recently, the Asian Development Bank has assured India $ 20 billion in aid to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
• On 18 March 2020, ADB announced financial assistance of six billion five hundred million US dollars to India and other developing countries.
• The Asian Development Bank has also assured further assistance if needed.
• Asian Development Bank (ADB):
  • It is a regional development bank.
  • It was established on 19 December 1966.
  • Its headquarters are located in Mandaluyong, Philippines.
  • Its President is Masatsugu Asakawa.

10. New Year Cheiraoba is being celebrated in Manipur

• In Manipur, the new year Cheiraoba is being celebrated with pomp.
• On this occasion, the government has given permission to open markets and shops in the state despite nationwide lockdown.
• Cheiraoba festival:
  • It is a ritual of the Meitei tribe, celebrated on the first day of the lunar month Shajibu in Manipur.
  • This festival is celebrated every year in March or April.
  • On the day of the festival people of the Meitei tribe offer traditional dishes to the local deities at the entrance of the houses.
  • The Meiteis are the ethnic groups of Manipur.

11. Freedom fighter H.S. Doreswamy's 102^nd birthday was celebrated

• On 10 April 2020, freedom fighter H.S. Doreswamy's 102^nd birthday was celebrated.
• He celebrated his 102^nd birthday live on Facebook from his residence due to the lockdown.
• Harohalli Srinivasaiah Doreswamy is an Indian activist and journalist.
• He was a freedom fighter in the Indian independence movement.
• He celebrated his 100^th birthday in April 2018.
• He has been awarded the Basava Award.
• Basava Award:
  • It is an award given by the Government of Karnataka.
  • This award is given to a person on the basis of contribution made for social reform, change and religious harmony.

12. Apple and Google came together against Coronavirus

• Recently Apple and Google have come together to reduce the spread of coronavirus.
• Two major Silicon Valley companies are planning to develop software to reduce the spread of coronavirus.
• The use of this software will help in rapidly quarantining potentially infected individuals by identifying and testing them.
• The work of developing contact tracing technology will be done by both companies.
• The purpose is to slow the spread of coronavirus by logging in from a phone that users have.
• Health experts say that this software can play an important role in managing virus tracing.
• But there is also a threat to privacy by this technique.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. Recently, which industry has been exempted from lockdown by the Central Government?

A. Textile Industry

B. Information and technical industry

C. Marine Industry

D. Iron Steel Industry

2. By which ministry has the Bharat Padhe Online campaign started?

A. Ministry of Human Resource Development

B. Ministry of Home Affairs

C. Ministry of Women and Child Development

D. Ministry of Social Justice and Development

3. What type of body is the National Commission for Women?

A. Constitutional

B. Statutory

C. Quasi-judicial

D. Judicial

4. What is the Aarogya Setu that has been in the discussion recently?

A. Mobile App

B. A new government scheme

C. New name of bridge between India and Sri Lanka

D. Mars satellite

5. A machine called TrueNat Beta Cov is used to detect which disease?

A. Jaundice

B. TB

C. AIDS

D. Cancer

6. Recently which Indian Institute of Technology has developed personal protection equipment?

A. Delhi

B. Kanpur

C. Bombay

D. Guwahati

7. What is the state animal of West Bengal?

A. Cat Fish

B. Bengal Tiger

C. Sambar

D. Macac

8. Where is the headquarters of OPEC located?

A. Doha

B. Vienna

C. Abu Dhabi

D. Baghdad

9. Who is the current chairman of Asian Development Bank?

A. Mautse Tung

B. Hee Min

C. Masatsugu Asakawa

D. S. Marikova

10. Cheiraoba is the festival of which Indian state?

A. Assam

B. Kerala

C. Tamil Nadu

D. Manipur

11. Who is Harohalli Srinivasaiah Doreswamy, who recently celebrated his 102^nd birthday?

A. Painter

B. Politician

C. Journalist and freedom fighter

D. South Indian Actor

12. Which company plans to develop software to reduce the spread of coronavirus?

A. Apple

B. Google

C. Microsoft

D. Both A and B

Solution:

1. C

2. A

3. B

4. A

5. B

6. B

7. A

8. B

9. C

10. D

11. C

12. D