Daily Current Affairs and GK | 27 March 2020

1. Government set the maximum retail price of sanitizer

• Recently the central government has set the maximum retail price of sanitizer.
• The government has said that the retail price of a 200 millileterbottle of hand sanitizer will not exceed Rs 100.
• Also, the Central Government has asked distilleries and sugar mills to make maximum of hand sanitizers.
• The government has taken all these steps to ensure supply of essential commodities during lockdown to deal with Novel Coronavirus.
• Maximum Retail Price (MRP):
  • The maximum retail price is the highest price that can be charged for a product sold in India and Bangladesh. However, retailers can choose to sell products for less.
  • The maximum retail price is now governed by the Packaged Commodities Rules, 2011.

2. Central Government announced a relief package of one lakh 70 thousand crores

• The Central Government has recently announced a relief package of Rs 1,70,000 crore for the poor people affected by COVID-19.
• Insurance of Rs 50 lakh will also be done for 3 months for those coming in contact with the coronavirus (doctors, para-workers, health workers, sweepers),
• Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Yojana, which was launched on 24 February 2019, 8 crore 70 lakh farmers and others will be given Rs 2000 in their account by the first week of April.
• Also, the MNREGA, which was started in 2006, has also announced an increase in the wages of workers by the central government, which will benefit 5 crore families.

3. Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar has launched Project Isaac

• Recently Indian Institute of Technology, IIT-Gandhinagar has launched Project ‘Isaac’.
• The project is launched to engage students in creative projects and to enhance their skills while being confined to their homes due to the coronavirus.
• The project is inspired by Sir Isaac Newton, who was sent home in 1665 by Trinity College, Cambridge due to the Great Plague of London.
• During this time, Newton discovered and developed the principles of optics and gravity.
• Under this project, students of IIT Gandhinagar will be able to participate voluntarily in various competitions of writing, painting, coding, music etc. sitting at home.

4. Scientists from ARI, Pune developed a new variety of wheat-MACS 4028

• Scientists at ARI, Pune, have developed a new bio-fortified, high protein-rich wheat variety - MACS-4028.
• It is a semi-dwarf variety of wheat.
• This species is resistant to various diseases occurring in wheat.
• It has shown improved and stable yield potential.
• Bio-fortification is a process by which the nutritional quality of agricultural crops is improved through agronomic practices, traditional plant breeding, or modern biotechnology.

5. Minor Forest Produce scheme can be effective in protecting the tribals

• According to experts, the Minor Forest Produce Scheme can provide relief to forest-dependent laborers affected by the outbreak of coronavirus.
• Minor Forest Produce Scheme (MFP):
  • The scheme was launched by the central government in August 2013.
  • The scheme provides fair prices for the minor forest produce collected by the tribals through the MSP.
  • According to the Forest Rights Act, 2006, MFP includes bamboo, brush wood, stump, cane, tussar, cocoon, honey, wax, lac, tendu or kendu leaves, medicinal plants and herbs, roots, tubers, etc. As such, all non-wood forest produce of plant origin are included.

6. Sikkim's glaciers are rapidly melting

• A study conducted by scientists at an institute in Dehradun has found that the glaciers in Sikkim are melting faster than other parts of the Himalayan regions.
• The study, conducted under the Ministry of Science and Technology, found that glaciers in Sikkim have retreated significantly from 1991 to 2015.
• Most glaciers in India are located in Sikkim.
• Lonak, Rathong and Zemu Glaciers are located in Sikkim.

Topic of the Day- “Blood”

Blood is a fluid connective tissue. It is transmitted through the blood vessels throughout the human body. Human blood contains plasma (liquid part) and blood cells (red, white and platelets).

Human blood groups A, B, O (A, B, O) were discovered in 1901 by Austria-born American biologist Karl Landsteiner.

Plasma- It is the main constituent of blood (55%) and consists mostly of water (90%) with proteins, ions, nutrients and mixed wastes. Molecules found in plasma are important for maintaining blood pH and osmotic balance, in which albumin plays an important role.

Red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen and carbon dioxide. Red blood cells, or erythrocytes, are specialized cells that move around the body and deliver oxygen to tissues. It does not include mitochondria or nuclei. The red color is due to the presence of iron containing protein called haemoglobin that binds with oxygen molecule. The production of red blood cell is controlled by the hormone erythropoietin, released by the kidneys. The average life span of RBCs is 120 days.

White blood cells are part of the immune system and function in the immune response. White blood cells, also known as leukocytes, are much lower than red blood cells and less than 1% in the blood. Their roles are mainly in immune responses that identify and neutralize invaders such as bacteria and viruses.

White blood cells are larger than red blood cells, and unlike red blood cells, they have a normal nucleus and mitochondria. Some of the WBCs live only for hours or days while some live for years.

Platelets, also called thrombocytes, are cell particles involved in blood clotting. On injury, platelets are attracted to the wound site, where they form a sticky plug. Ultimately, the water-soluble protein in the blood plasma, fibrin, forms a clot that prevents loss of blood.

Functions of blood

• Transmission of oxygen to various tissues of the body.
• Distribution of water from one part of the body to another.
• Regulate the pH and temperature of the body.
• Helps in removing the excretory substances like urea, carbon dioxide, lactic acid etc. from the body.
• Taking nutrients like glucose, amino acids and fatty acids to different parts of the body.
• Simultaneously performing immunological functions.
• To transport hormones to the destination.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. How much has the price of a 200 millileter hand sanitizer bottle recently been set by the government?

A. Rs. 50

B. Rs. 100

C. Rs. 200

D. Rs. 75

2. In which year was the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Yojana launched?

A. 2015

B. 2016

C. 2019

D. 2018

3. Which IIT has launched Project Isaac?

A. Gandhinagar

B. Patna

C. Indore

D. Guwahati

4. Recently developed MACS 4028 is a species of which crop?

A. Wheat

B. Paddy

C. Arhar

D. Gram

5. In which year was the Minor Forest Produce Scheme started?

A. 2008

B. 2009

C. 2013

D. 2015

6. Where are the Lonak Glaciers located?

A. Himachal Pradesh

B. Sikkim

C. Uttarakhand

D. Arunachal Pradesh

Solution:

1. B

2. C

3. A

4. A

5. C

6. B