Delhi Current Affairs 2020

State-Wise Current Affairs

Delhi Metro developed indigenous signalling technology The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has developed an indigenously built signalling technology for metro trains in line with the government’s flagship ‘Make in India’ initiative. The i-ATS (Automatic Train Supervision) is a computer-based system that manages train operation. This system is indispensable for high-density operations such as the metro, where services are scheduled every few minutes. i-ATS is indigenously-developed technology, which will significantly reduce the dependence of Indian metros on foreign vendors dealing with such technologies. It can work with train control and signalling systems of various suppliers. Additionally, it is suitable for introduction in Indian Railways, which is now introducing centralised train control on a large scale that uses ATS functions. Delhi Airport develops portal for all international arriving passengers Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has announced that it has developed a first-of-its-kind portal where India-bound international arriving flyers can fill the mandatory self-declaration form and also apply online for exemption from mandatory institution quarantine process. The GMR Group led, Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) is a consortium; comprising of GMR Group, Airports Authority of India and Fraport. The consortium has a mandate to finance, design, build, operate and maintain the Delhi Airport for 30 years with an option to extend it by another 30 years.

The Airport has been adjudged as the best airport by size and region (over 40 MPPA in Asia Pacific) by Airports Council International (ACI) in the Airport Service Quality Program for 2019. DIAL completed the modernization of Delhi’s IGI Airport including the commissioning of Terminal 3 (T3) – India’s largest building post-independence, in a record time of 37 months. DIAL launched country’s first Covid-19 testing facility at an airport Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has launched country’s first airport Covid- 19 testing facility at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi for arriving international passengers. The facility at the Terminal-3 of the airport offers a walk-in option and ensures a safe journey to all the passengers entering the city or scheduled for domestic connecting flights.

International passengers traveling without a valid COVID negative certificate can also book a slot in advance for testing at the Airport. The test results are available within four to six hours.

The test is not mandatory for International passengers but they can opt for it to get exemption from the mandatory seven-day institutional quarantine, in case tested negative. NO2 levels fell by more than 70% during COVID-19 lockdown in New Delhi

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Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels has fell down by more than 70% during the lockdown in New Delhi. According to a study report the environmental gains could be temporary if the cities re-open without policies to prevent air pollution and promote de-carbonisation. With an estimated 90 per cent of all reported COVID-19 cases, urban areas have become the epicentre of the pandemic.

It also pointed out that several new scientific studies suggest that poor air quality is correlated with higher COVID-19 mortality rates. The size of their populations and their high level of global and local interconnectivity make them particularly vulnerable to the spread of the virus. New evidence also points to impacts on pregnant women and newborn babies as well as maternal mortality, particularly among populations already facing socio-economic stress due to marginalisation. CCRGA issued notice to Government of NCT of Delhi The Supreme Court mandated Committee on Content Regulation in Government Advertising (CCRGA) has issued a notice to Government of NCT of Delhi on an advertisement of the Delhi Government which had appeared in newspapers on the 16th July, 2020. The front page advertisement that was published in multiple newspapers across editions on July 16, publicised performance of Delhi government schools in Class 12 board exams. The advertisement also carries a photograph and quote of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The committee has sought an explanation from the Delhi government within 60 days, explaining how this advertisement does not violate the Supreme Court guidelines of avoiding glorification of political personalities. Under the Supreme Court guidelines of May, 2015, “the content of government advertisements should be relevant to the governments’ constitutional and legal obligations as well as the citizens’ rights and entitlements”. Subsequently to Supreme Court directives of May, 2015, the Government of India in 2016 had set up a Three Member Body consisting of “persons with unimpeachable impartiality and who have excelled in their respective fields” to look into Content Regulation of Government funded advertisements in all media platforms.

The Committee is empowered to address complaints from the general public on violation of the Supreme Court guidelines and make suitable recommendations. It can also take suo-moto cognizance of any violation of the Supreme Court guidelines. Presently the CCRGA is chaired by Shri Om Prakash Rawat, former Chief Election Commissioner of India. Delhi Government released Guarantee card on free bus services, water & electricity Delhi Government released the guarantee card that consisted of 10 guarantees for the residents of Delhi. It included free bus services, electricity, water supply, pollution, etc. The card guaranteed uninterrupted power supply throughout the year. It also included free electricity for all the residents up to 200 units of consumption. The Government has also assured to replace the overhead electrical wires with underground cables.

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The card also assured supply of 24/7 clean drinking water to every household of the Territory by 2025. It also added that 20,000 litres of free drinking water scheme that is being currently implemented will continue along with other schemes The Guarantee card included free education, better health facility and mohalla clinics for those living in unauthorized colonies. It also promised to build pucca houses under “Jahan Jhuggi Wahin Makan” scheme for those living in slums.

The Guarantee card also aims at providing cheapest transport facilities. It has offered to run free bus services to all students and women in the national capital. It also guarantees to make Delhi safer for women by deploying “Mohalla Marshals”. Above all, the guarantee card lists to reduce air pollution of the capital region. Delhi Government to set up ‘Plasma Bank’ at ILBS, the First Plasma Bank in India Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was announced that a ‘Plasma Bank’ will be set up at the National Capital in the next two days to treat COVID-19 patients. The Plasma Bank will be set up at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS).

At the Delhi Government’s Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, 35 people have been administered with Plasma Therapy out of which 34 have survived. In order to meet the demand of Plasma, the Chief Minister has urged cured COVID-19 patients to come forward and donate plasma.

A person who has recovered successfully from the COVID-19 infection can donate his/her plasma. In the case of COVID-19, Convalescent Plasma is used to transfer antibodies to the patient suffering from the COVID-19 virus. This helps the patient’s body to develop similar antibodies for fighting the COVID-19 virus.

Trials with Plasma Therapy conducted to date have shown positive results. The patients suffering from the virus at the second stage have either a decline in oxygen levels or the respiration levels have increased. In both cases when the patient was given Plasma therapy, the levels have shown improvement.

Plasma donation does not cause any weakness in an individual. A person can donate plasma again in a gap of 10 days. World’s Largest COVID-19 Treatment Facility Inaugurated in New Delhi 10,000 bed Sardar Patel COVID Care Centre and Hospital (SPCCCH) was inaugurated in New Delhi on 5th July 2020. To date, SPCCCH is the World’s largest COVID-19 Treatment and Care facility. It was inaugurated by Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal. The infrastructure for the 10,000-bed facility was created in a record time of 10 days. With support from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the infrastructure was created by the South Delhi District Administration.

SPCCCH is built on the campus of spiritual organization ‘Radha Soami Satsang Beas’. SPCCCH is located in South Delhi’s Chhatarpur area. SPCCCH is an air-conditioned facility that will be cooled by 18,000 tons of air-conditioners. SPCCCH has 200 enclosures. These enclosures have been further divided into three sections: Largest for treatment and care of Patients, second for Nurses, Doctors, and other healthcare workers, while the third as a command section. SPCCCH will have a total of 116 sections for patients. Each section will have 88 beds for patients. SPCCCH has about 600 toilets, 70 of which are portable.

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The treatment in SPCCCH to COVID-19 positive patients will be provided in two segments. In the first segment, out of 10,000 beds, 1000 beds will have an oxygen facility. In this 1000 beds segment symptomatic patients and patients, those who require oxygen support will be provided care and treatment. This segment will be known as Dedicated COVID Health Care (DCHC). The second segment will for mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients. Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is chosen as the nodal agency for operating the center.

For the admission and discharge of patients at SPCCCH, the National Informatics Centre (NIC) has built a smartphone-based application that will be used by the Authorities. The facility will also provide a center of recreation for patients that will have books, skipping ropes, board games, etc. World Book Fair, 2020 at New Delhi The National Book Trust has organized the New Delhi World Book Fair. The trust is an apex body of Government of India functioning under Ministry of Human Resource Development. The World Book Fair is to be held between January 4, 2020 and January 12, 2020. The fair is organized jointly by National Book Trust and India Trade Promotion Organization. More than 800 exhibitors and 40 foreign exhibitors are to participate in the fair. The fair also acts as a gateway to the intellectual world of South Asia. The theme of the fair is

The fair promotes readership policies and also supports the markets in neighboring countries. The fair is important for the Indian market as India is the third largest market for English publications with more than 12,000 publishers. The fair also attracts investors from other countries like USA, Japan, Bangladesh, France, Italy, Malaysia, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Singapore, Germany and Sri Lanka. The Indian Publishing House founded in 1957 functions under Ministry of Human Resource Development. It publishes reading material in several Indian languages that includes children books and new-literates. The Headquarters of the trust is located in New Delhi. High-Level Task Force to improve air quality in NCR Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Dr P K Mishra chaired the meeting of the High-Level Task Force constituted to improve the air quality in the National Capital Region of Delhi.

The meeting was called well in advance before the onset of harvesting and winter season to ensure proper precautionary and preventive measures to combat the causes of air pollution are taken well in time. A review of the main sources of air pollution, measures taken and the progress made by the State Governments and various Ministries was carried out. It was noted that the incidence of stubble burning has reduced by more than 50 per cent in the last two years and the number of Good AQI days have gone up. The efforts and plan made by the State of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh for control of crop residue burning were examined in detail, including ground level deployment and availability of machinery for in-situ management of crop residue.

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It was observed that after recent inclusion of residue based power or fuel plants under priority sector lending by Reserve Bank of India, both State and Central Governments should jointly work out action plans for rapid deployment of such units. Measures related to diversification of crop and strengthening of supply chains were also discussed. To control stubble burning, it was stressed that an adequate number of teams should be deployed at ground level and they should ensure that no stubble burning takes place especially in the State of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. These states need to put extra efforts and appropriate incentives especially in the relevant districts. IIT-Delhi developed first low cost probe free detection assay Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, developed the first probe free real time PCR diagnostic assay for detecting the COVID-19 to help reduce the cost of testing has got approval from the Indian Medical Council of Medical Researches (IMCR). The Minister of Human Resource and Development Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank felicitated the IIT- Delhi researchers team involved in the development of the COVID-19 testing kit.

The team of researchers includes Ph.D scholars – Prashant Pradhan, Ashutosh Pandey, Praveen Tripathi and Dr. Akilesh Mishra, Dr. Parul Gupta, Dr. Sonal Dhamija, Prof. Vivekanandan Perumal, Prof. Manoj B.Menon, Prof. Bishwajit Kundu, Prof. James Gomes of IIT-Delhi. The IMCR validated the assay with 100% sensitivity and specificity which makes the IIT Delhi to be the first academic institute to get the ICMR approval for a real time PCR based diagnostic assay. The probe free method developed by the IIT Delhi team reduces the testing cost without making any compromises on the accuracy than the current probe based testing.

The production can be easily increased since fluorescent probes are not required and the team is targeting large scale deployment of the kit at an affordable price with industrial partners. New Delhi has the Most Economic Impact in the World in the First Half of 2020 Environmental Groups has launched an Online Tool on 9th July 2020 as per which India’s Capital New Delhi has the most Economic Impact (based on Per Capita) in the World from Air Pollution during the first half of the year 2020. The online tool is named ‘Clean Air Counter’. To estimate the health impact due to Air Pollution, the Clean Air Counter tool uses models that have been devised under the epidemiological observational study of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD). The tool was launched under a combined effort of the Regional South East Asia Office of the global environmental organization- Greenpeace, Centre For Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA- Headquartered at Finland’s Helsinki) and IQAir AirVisual.

Clean Air Counter Tool has measured Smog Pollution in 28 major cities across the world. China’s Shanghai registered the highest an estimated 27,000 deaths due to Air Pollution among the 28 cities, followed by New Delhi with an estimated 25,000 and China’s capital Beijing with estimated 22,000 deaths.

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On Per Capita Basis: New Delhi has suffered the most economic impact. An estimated 5.8 percent of New Delhi’s annual GDP was lost due to Air Pollution. Beijing and Mumbai are ranked in 2nd and 3rd Place respectively in terms of annual GDP loss. USD 3.5 billion is the total estimated cost of air pollution in New Delhi during the first half of 2020. Out of USD 3.5 billion, USD 2.57 billion is the estimated cost in New Delhi due to Year of Life Lost (as a result of high PM2.5). Delhi to Launch ‘Podhe Lagao Prayavaran Bachao’ A 17 day campaign ”Podhe Lagao, Paryavaran Bachao” (Plant Trees, Save Environment) will be launched from July 10 to July 26 from the National Highway(NH) 20 near ITO to reduce air pollution in Delhi. During the campaign 31 lakh saplings will be planted.

Gopal Rai will inaugurate the plantation drive at ITO nursery near the Yamuna Bank on July 10. In addition to him, all the ministers, Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly and the MLAs will also be present in the inauguration. Out of the total sapling, 18 lakhs will be planted by various departments of the Delhi government, 9,40,000 will be sowed by Delhi Development Authority (DDA) Meanwhile, 2 lakh plant will be planted by Municipal Corporation and 2 lakh plants will also be planted by Delhi Metro, Northern Railways and BSES

Increase green cover-The plantation drive is likely to increase Delhi’s green area to 350 square kilometres(sq km) by 2021 from 325 sq km at present. In 2017, there was 299 sq km of green cover. Reduce dust pollution– Shrubs will be planted at the side of the roads. This will reduce the dust pollution which is the major contributor to increase in PM10 particles, which are very small to be filtered out of the body. Delhi Govt Launched an E-Portal,‘LEAD’ for its Students Delhi government launched an e- portal, ‘Learning through E-Resources Made Accessible for Delhi’(LEAD) for its students to strengthen the children’s online. education. The e- portal contains 10,000 instructional materials and course content for Classes I to XII. It is developed by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), the Delhi government.

The state government will upload its curriculum and share teaching-learning material on the ministry of Human Resource Development’s(HRD) online platform, DIKSHA through this portal. This portal will enable students to access the textbooks, study material and course content as per the syllabus of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and Delhi government’s curriculum online. It will include digital QR coded textbooks, explanatory videos, practice questions and evaluation.

The support study material produced by Delhi government teachers will also be available on this portal. Sero-Survey to determine the Spread of COVID-19 in New Delhi

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Delhi Government jointly with National Centre for Disease Control will conduct the Sero Survey across the National Capital from 27th June 2020. Amidst a rising number of COVID-19 cases over the last one month, the Survey will help in determining the extent of spread of the Coronavirus disease in New Delhi. 20,000 residents will be covered under the Survey from all the 11 districts of New Delhi.

ELISA (Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) based antibody kit developed by the National Institute of Virology (NIV) will be used for the Survey. A pilot Sero Survey was conducted in New Delhi by using the antibody kit earlier in the month. Good results were yielded during the pilot Survey by using the anti-body Kit. The antibody kit of NIV is known by the name ‘COVID Kavach ELISA’. A Sero Survey is for determining the presence of antibodies in the blood sample of an individual. The presence of the COVID-19 Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody in the blood sample of an individual will suggest past exposure to the COVID-19 virus.

The immune system develops the antibody Immunoglobulin G (IgG) in the blood and other body fluids for protection against bacterial and viral infections. The antibody IgG develops in 7 to 12 days after an infection or immunization. e-ICU Video Consultation Program of AIIMS Delhi gains traction AIIMS New Delhi has started a video-consultation program with ICU doctors across the country called e-ICU on 8th July, 2020 in order to strengthen the Government of India’s efforts to reduce COVID-19 mortality.

The program aims at holding case-management discussions among doctors who are at the frontline in treating COVID-19 patients in hospitals and COVID facilities around the country. Physicians who manage COVID-19 patients including those in the ICUs can raise queries, present their experience and share knowledge with other physicians and experts from AIIMS, New Delhi on this video platform. The “e-ICU’ video consultation program in the coming weeks would cover ICU doctors from smaller healthcare facilities (i.e. those having 500 beds or more) across the country.

Some of the other common concerns have been the methods of communication with patients, screening of health-care workers, managing new-onset diabetes, uncommon presentations such as stroke, diarrhoea and myocardial infarction etc. The team from AIIMS, New Delhi was able to act as a bridge for new knowledge from one group to the other at each VC, apart from advising from its own experience and the extensive literature reviews done by the domain experts. 1st in-depth review of India 2020 energy policy review in New Delhi International Energy Agency in partnership with NITI Aayog has released the first in-depth review of India’s energy policies 2020 in New Delhi. The IEA conducts review on energy policies of its member countries. This is the 1st time the review is done for India after it became an IEA-association country in March 2017.

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Data presentation: Dr Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the IEA presented the key findings of the review at an event in New Delhi. Renewable energy growth: India has strong growth in renewables in India accounting for almost 23% of the country’s total installed capacity.

Reduction in energy demand: The improvements made in energy efficiency helped India to avoid 15% of additional energy demand, oil and gas imports, and air pollution as well as 300 million tonnes of CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions between 2000 and 2018. Doubling of energy demand: India’s energy demand is expected to be doubled by 2040 and also the electricity demand may triple. Share of variable renewables: The share of variable renewables in India is already above 15%.

Single frequency power grid: India has the largest unified power grid operating in a single frequency. Govt achievements: IEA report reviewed in depth of Indian govt’s achievements in extending citizens’ access to electricity, affordable efficient lighting etc through schemes like SAUBHAGYA, Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) and Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) etc. 750 million people in India gained access to electricity between 2000 and 2019. Ethanol blend: India is on the way of achieving 20% ethanol blending in petrol and 5% biodiesel in diesel by 2030. Energy consumption: India is now the 3rd largest energy consumer in the world.

Recommendations: The report also offers a wide range of recommendations in support of India’s energy reforms. These include building strong regulators to ensure non-discriminatory access, moving from state allocation to market pricing, and further rationalizing energy subsidies. Oil consumption: Indian oil consumption is expected to grow faster than that of any other major economy. The top performing profit making Public Sector Units(PSU) were Indian Oil Corporation limited (IOCL) ranked at 1st and followed by ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation) and NTPC (formerly National Thermal Power Corporation Limited) in the 2nd & 3rd places respectively. India 2020 plans: India has set national for the year 2022 such as achieving 100 smart cities, LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) connections to all housing, universal electricity access and 175 GW (Giga Watts) of renewable electricity capacity.

Annual event proposal: Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan proposed an annual event where NITI andIEA could collaborate and bring global energy stakeholders to have a structured energy dialogue. ‘Paudhe Lagao, Paryavaran Bachao’ Campaign held in New Delhi Delhi Government has been announced a mega tree plantation drive. The name of the campaign is ‘Paudhe Lagao, Paryavaran Bachao’ meaning ‘Plant Trees, Save Environment’. The campaign will begin on 10th July 2020 and will continue until 26th July 2020. In the last few years, the National Capital has recorded a high level of air pollution. The campaign is to reduce air pollution by increasing the green cover in and across New Delhi.

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In 2017, green cover in New Delhi was 299 square kilometers, this was increased to 325 in 2019. The Delhi Government’s Environment Ministry has set a target of 350 square kilometers of green cover by 2021. In 17 days, 31 lakh (3.1 million) saplings will be planted under the campaign. Near ITO in National Highway 20 (NH 20) the campaign will be launched.

Out of the 31 lakh saplings, Delhi Government’s various departments will be planting 18 lakh, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will be planting 9 lakh 40 thousand saplings, 2 lakh by Delhi Municipal Corporation and another 2 lakh will be planted in combine by Delhi Metro, Northern Railways and BSEB. Out of the 31 lakh saplings, 20 lakh saplings will be of big trees while the remaining 11 lakh saplings will be of shrubs that will be planted on both sides of the roads. “Indian Heritage in Digital Space” exhibition in New Delhi Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Prahalad Singh Patel launched the first International Heritage Symposium and Exhibition (IHSE). The exhibition will be held until February 15, 2020 on “Indian Heritage in Digital Space “ and the first international heritage symposium will be held for two days in the National Museum in New Delhi. The exhibition was organized along with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT),Delhi. The exhibition is developed under the Indian Digital Heritage (IDH) initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India in the cultural heritage domain of the country. iii. The exhibition demonstrate the outcome of two flagship projects namely a digital mini-spectacle to showcase the glory of Hampi and Augmented reality based interactions with physical models of monuments; that are completed under the DST mentored initiative Indian Heritage in Digital Space (IHDS).

Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, National Institute of Design Bengaluru, CSIR-CBRI Roorkee, Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology, and a women-led, IDH start-up Vizara Technologies, New Delhi are multi-disciplinary teams which are responsible for these flagship project. The project aims to create digital installations using 3D laser scan data, AR, holographic projections and 3D fabrication, to provide interactive and immersive experiences showcasing the glory of Hampi and five Indian monuments namely KashiVishwanath Temple, Varanasi; TajMahal, Agra; Sun Temple,Konark; Ramachandra Temple, Hampi ; and RaniKiVav, Patan. Installation of ‘ViRaasat’ which consists of a scaled down 3D printed replica using laser-scanning, 3D modelling and rendering, 3D printing, computer vision and spatial AR provides a mixed reality experience to visitors in selected monuments. “Operation SHIELD” in 21 Containment Areas against COVID-19 Delhi government has launched “Operation SHIELD” in 21 identified Containment Areas of the state to control the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. It deals with sealing, home quarantine, isolation & tracking, essential supply of commodities, local sanitisation and door-to-door health checkups. Acronym of SHIELD S– Sealing of the immediate area/surroundings after geographical marking.

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H– Home quarantine of all the people living in the area. I– Isolation and tracing of people who have been first and second contacts.

E– Essential supply of commodities is ensured. L– Local sanitisation of the area by authorities. D– Door-to-door health checks of everyone living in the area.

The government has made it compulsory to wear masks while stepping out of the houses & also stated that punishment will be given for those who misbehave with healthcare personnel. ‘Assess Koro Na’ app for door-to-door survey in containment zones Delhi Chief Secretary Vijay Dev has asked all district magistrates (DM) to use the new “Assess Koro Na” app for door-to-door survey in COVID-19 containment zones to speed up decision-making by analysing real-time data. The first phase of the app-based assessment will be launched in South Delhi. Since there is a delay in collecting and analysing the data of a person in a physical form during the door-to-door survey. With this app, the data collected can be uploaded on the servers in real-time and immediate analysis. This app helps in making a quick decision on requirement of ambulances, other medical equipment and personnel in the area.

During the process, surveyors will ask questions about travel and contact history, flu-like symptoms and shortness of breath and 60 containment zones had been notified in Delhi. The data will be then updated on a real-time basis on a server which can be analysed by desktop tools to make decisions for mobilization of ambulances to shift severe cases to hospital or Covid care centers and conduct tests on suspected persons. ‘Saksham’ Campaign launched in New Delhi Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan launched ‘Saksham’ a month long People-centric fuel conservation mega campaign of Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in New Delhi. Under this campaign PCRA and Gas companies will conduct various workshops, seminars, cyclothons to adapt the measure of using less fuels. This campaign programs will be also broadcast in social media to create awareness among the people in conservation of fuels.

PCRA along with the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has prepared a comic book on the theme ‘Fuel Conservation’ aimed at younger generation especially the school children which is available on EPathshala on NCERT website. PCRA in association with the Institute of Petroleum-Dehradun has developed high energy efficient Piped Natural Gas (PNG) burner for household which will save gas as compared to modified Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stove for PNG. PCRA also has developed attractive messages and animated documentary ‘Pollution Ka Solution” which is available on PCRA website and YouTube.

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The annual Saksham National Competition will be conducted in the month of July, involving schools and students in Essay, Painting and Quiz competition and nearly 1.48 crore students are expected to participate in the event. PCRA also carried out an awareness Campaign on 100 busiest intersections of Delhi through Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) on encouraging switching-off engine at red light and the outcome of this campaign was remarkable with encouraging results of approx. 22% reduction in idling fuel losses for petrol fuel “before” and “after” the campaign phase.

Nearly 14%, 12% and 19% reduction in Diesel, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and LPG were observed due to awareness campaign. 1st Session of India-Norway Dialogue on Trade & Investment Held in New Delhi The 1st ever session of the India-Norway dialogue on Trade & Investment (DTI) was held from January 15-16 in New Delhi. The session was conducted based on the Terms of Reference (ToR) which was signed by India and Norway on 8th January 2019 in New Delhi at time of Norway Prime Minister Erna Solberg’s visit to India.

The 1st Session on January 15, 2020, was preceded by an industry interaction with representatives of various organizations/sectors like Information and Communications Technology(ICT), renewable energy, fisheries and the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MSME). The main session on 16th January 2020 was co-chaired by Joint Secretary of Department of Commerce(DoC), Nidhi Mani Tripathi, and Director General (DG) of Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Fisheries, Mr. Erling Rimestad from Norway. The Foreign Direct Investment(FDI) inflows to India from Norway were around $257million during April 2000-September 2019. Delhi court allows foreigners from 5 countries to walk free on fine A Delhi court has allowed some foreign nationals from five countries to walk free on the plea bargaining process after they accepted mild charges in connection with a Tablighi Jamaat congregation at Nizamuddin Markaz.

Accused of violating visa conditions by attending a religious congregation in Delhi, these foreign nationals have walked free after pleading guilty to minor offences and paying the fines imposed by the court. These cases have brought the focus on plea bargaining as a practice by which time consuming trials can be avoided. Even though plea bargaining is available to those accused of criminal offences in India for over a decade, it is not yet common.

Plea bargaining refers to a person charged with a criminal offence negotiating with the prosecution for a lesser punishment than what is provided in law by pleading guilty to a less serious offence. The practice would ensure speedy trial, end uncertainty over the outcome of criminal cases, save litigation costs and relieve the parties of anxiety. It could also increase the conviction rates as seen in the United States where the practise is common. It may help offenders make a fresh start in life.

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Pragati Maidan metro station renamed as Supreme Court metro station in New Delhi The Delhi Government’s renaming committee has renamed Pragati Maidan metro station as Supreme Court metro station. The demand was made by the Supreme court in September 2019. The committee has also decided to rename Mukarba Chowk and its flyover after Kargil war martyr Captain Vikram Batra, MB Road as Acharya Sri Mahapragya Marg and The Lajpat Nagar flyover to Jhulelal Setu. The committee has been constituted in 2017 based on the approval of Lieutenant governor Anil Baijal, and the committee was headed by the Deputy CM Manish Sisodia. It comprises 34 members, The Union home secretary, The Union HRD secretary, the DDA vice-chairman, the Delhi PWD secretary and the Delhi Principal secretary (Home).

Captain Vikram Batra was an officer of The Indian Army who died while fighting Pakistani troops kargil war in 1999, was awarded India’s highest and most prestigious award “Param Vir Chakra”, for his actions during the war. Delhi launched a 10-point shorter election manifesto “Kejriwal Ka Guarantee Card” Delhi government has launched the “Kejriwal Ka Guarantee Card”, a 10-point shorter election manifesto of the party, ahead of Delhi Assembly elections 2020 to be held on Feb 8, 2020. The detailed manifesto will be released after January 26, 2020.

List of 10 “guarantees” assured by Delhi CM is as follows: 24 hours of electricity will continue – 200 units of free electricity for all people will continue, Delhi will be freed from the mess of high-tension wires Delhi people will be provided 24-hour pure piped drinking water to each house in the next 5 years and the scheme of providing 20,000 liters of free water will continue.

Every child born in Delhi can access a world class education facility till graduation – whether it is a private school/ a government school child. The Guarantee Card also promised better health facilities for all people. Delhi government to implement traffic control at the international level – Delhi Metro’s network will be built & more than 11,000 buses and 500-kilometer Metro stretch in the city, security of women will also be arranged, free bus travel for women will continue for the next 5 years, students will also be given free travel. The party will make effort to reduce pollution – more than 2 crore trees will be planted &Yamuna will also be freed from pollution, at the end of 5 years. Delhi will be garbage-free, street, drain and paths are free from garbage.

For security of women, one and a half million cameras &one and a half lakh street lights will be installed, Mohalla Marshals will be deployed in buses. Road , water, drain, mohalla clinic will be built in Kutchi Colony Where slum dwellers will build houses The party will give ‘pucca’ houses to people living in slums under the ‘Jahan Jhuggi Wahin Makan’ scheme. Government inaugurated Rajkumari Amrit Kaur OPD building at AIIMS, New Delhi Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has inaugurated the newly constructed Rajkumari Amrit Kaur OPD building at the premises of AIIMS, New Delhi on Jul 16, 2020. It is the first public sector

State-Wise Current Affairs hospital in the country with this entire building is dedicated to service and Physiotherapy service for the elderly. Built on an area of approximately 6,300 sqm, RAK OPD is the largest known OPD in India.

The new OPD building has 18 departments out of which 16 are clinical and 2 diagnostic departments. It has 270 counselling room as well 50 treatment and procedure rooms and 13 minor operation theatres. The new OPD is named after Smt. Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur, renowned freedom fighter and the first Health Minister of Independent India. Outpatient Department (OPD) is a hospital department designed to be a first contact point between the patient and the hospital staff. Urban forest created in Delhi at polluted ITO A “dense” urban forest has been created at one of the national capital’s most polluted areas, in a park adjacent to the ITO metro station, by the government’s official auditor comptroller and auditor general. The Urban Forest is made up of trees that are native to the area.

There are three dimensional, multi-layered communities having 30 times the surface area of the greenery of single-layered lawns, and have more than 30 times the ability to protect against natural disasters and to conserve the environment. The move comes as the Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi has become an increasing cause of concern in the past years. Also, the ITO crossing of New Delhi has recorded particularly high air pollution levels. The forest creation will help in reducing the temperature by as much as 14 degrees & increase the moisture by more than 40%.

Urban forest has the capacity to restore habitat for bees, butterflies, birds, and microfauna. Health Minister visits Sardar Patel COVID Care Centre & Hospital at Chhattarpur Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, visited the Sardar Patel COVID Care Centre (SPCCC) at Chhattarpur, New Delhi and reviewed the status of COVID-19 management at the Centre. A 10,200-bedded “Sardar Patel COVID Care Centre” has been developed at Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) in Chhatarpur, Delhi as part of coordinated efforts of the Centre and Delhi Government to bolster the containment measures. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has built the facility – which was formally inaugurated on July 5 – from scratch in just 12 days.

The healthcare facility follows naturopathy and protocols of Ayurveda for boosting immunity of the in-patients at the Centre. In-house psychological counselling and psychiatry services are being provided by NIMHANS trained counsellors. All medical treatment at the hospital will be free for patients.

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India’s Clinical Protocol has focused on early detection through widespread testing, surveillance, prompt triaging and clinical management of cases. This has resulted in one of the lowest Case Fatality Rate of 2.66%. Our success can be seen in the Recovery Rate which is almost 63% with more than 5.3 lakh patients recovered. Delhi airport gets a new women-only cab service namely “Women with Wheels” ‘Women with Wheels’ cab service has been started at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), New Delhi by ‘Sakha cabs’ for the safety of women.

The taxis are operated by women drivers and the services are provided only to women or men with family. The cab had been installed with GPS(Global Positioning System) and panic button to help the women drivers & women passengers. Sakha Consulting wings also provide women cab service in Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Jaipur (Rajasthan), and Kolkata (West Bengal). All the women drivers have been trained by Azad foundation, partner of Sakha Consulting Wings Pvt Ltd. 5th edition of Raisina Dialogue 2020 held in New Delhi The 5th edition of the Raisina Dialogue 2020 which is India’s annual global conference on geopolitics and geoeconomice was held in New Delhi from January 14-16, 2020. The dialogue was jointly organised by the Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF). India & Finland signed Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) in order to enhance cooperation in the field of production, procurement, research and development in defence sector.

India’s defence secretary Ajay Kumar and and the Finnish Defence Ministry’s Permanent Secretary. Jukka Juusti signed the MoU. This MoU was previously under discussion since the 2018 Defence Expo (Defexpo) and has been finally formalised in the run up to Defence Expo 2020 which is to be held in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh from February 5-9, 2020. The Minister of External Affairs (MEA) Shri S.Jaishankar met foreign Minister of Denmark Jeppe Sebastian Kofod and held discussions on ‘Green Strategic Partnership’ between the two countries. National Organic Food Festival held in New Delhi Government of India is to host the National Organic Food festival from February (21 to 23, 2020) at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi, India. The festival will be inaugurated by Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Minister of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI).

The 3 day festival is celebrated for the 1st time in order to boost organic products and to promote women entrepreneurship in the area of production & processing of organic products. Theme: Unleashing India’s Organic Market Potential.

The festival will be organized by (MoFPI) and (MoWCD) Ministry of Women and Child Development.Organic Food Segment grows at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10% during 2016-20.

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Around 150 women Entrepreneurs and Self Help Groups (SHG’s) from all over the country will be exhibiting their organic products such as fruit & vegetables, ready to eat products, spices and condiments, Honey, cereals, dry fruits etc., The festival will focus on facilitating business linkages & women entrepreneurs through B2B (Business-toBusiness) and B2G (Business-to-Government) meetings.

India is the 9th largest agricultural organic production in the world and produced 1.70 million tonnes of organic products namely Oil Seeds, Sugar cane, Cereals & Millets, Cotton, Pulses, Medicinal Plants, Tea, Fruits, Spices, Dry Fruits, Vegetables, Coffee etc. 1st single-use plastic-free airport of India Delhibased Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has become the 1st airport in India to be completely free of single-use plastic usage. It is inline with India’s target to abolish all single-use plastic from India by 2022.

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) -ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development (CESD) also recognized DIAL for successfully implementing the campaign to make the airport voluntary plastic free. With the resolve to ‘Beat plastic pollution’ on the occasion of World Environment Day in the year 2019, the IGIA campus has also become the first airport in the country to complete it by launching a campaign to make plastic singlefree. Arvind Kejriwal sworned as Delhi CM for 3rd time Aam Aadmi Party leader Shri Arvind Kejriwal sworn as Chief Minister (CM) of New Delhi on February 16, 2020 at Ramlila Maidan, Delhi, with his cabinet members. He was CM of Delhi for consecutively 3 times during the period of 2013, 2015 and 2020. The party sent a letter to the Lieutenant Governor Shri Anil Baijal staking claim to form the government. The AAP won 62 of the 70 seats in the 2020 Assembly election & in 2015, it had won 67 seats.

Kejriwal was a graduate in Mechanical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharapur, West Bengal. He had worked in the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) as a Joint Commissioner of Income Tax in New Delhi. Kejriwal also led anti-corruption agitation in 2011 along with Anna Hazare (Indian social activist). 35th edition of the International food and hospitality fair ‘AAHAR 2020’ The 35th edition of the International Food and Hospitality fair ‘AAHAR 2020’ has commenced in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi which was inaugurated by Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal. This fair has been specially focused on promoting the agriculture-community as well as tourism sectors especially hospitality companies. The fair, open for business visitors from 10 am to 6 pm, is being jointly organized by India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) in partnership with the Agriculture and Processed Food Products Development Authority (APEDA), Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries and several apex industry associations.

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It saw the participation over 750 people from India and from countries like Hong Kong, Israel, Indonesia, Japan, Poland, Russia, Switzerland, UK (United Kingdom), UAE(United Arab Emirates) etc. At this much awaited international food and hospitality fair in Asia, visitors got a chance to interact with world- class food traditions including a all kinds of food products, machinery, hospitality, Food and Beverage Equipment and Decoration items, and Confectionery items. IIT Delhi developed Dashboard PRACRITI to predict Covid-19 spread Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Delhi developed a web-based mobile-friendly dashboard named Prediction and Assessment of Corona Infections and Transmission in India “PRACRITI” to predict the spread of Covid-19 in India and gives a state-wise and district-wise predictions.

The dashboard development team was led by Prof. N M Anoop Krishnan of IIT Delhi’s Civil Engineering Department with Prof. Hariprasad Kodamana, along with Hargun Singh, Ravinder, Devansh Agarwal, Amreen Jan and Sourabh Singh – a team of volunteers from IIT-Delhi.

The projections are given for a three-week period which is updated on a weekly basis which will be used by the healthcare institutes, local and central authorities to plan for the future. The effects of lockdown implemented in different levels in different states and districts are also taken in account by the model which helps in taking rigorous measures in the states having higher R0 and sustain measures in states with R0 value. The prediction classifies the population into four categories using a newly developed mathematical model Susceptible: people who have not been exposed to coronavirus.

Exposed: people who have been exposed to viruses from an infected person. Infected: people who are actively infected Removed: people who are no longer carriers of virus. The model will be updated on weekly basis to adapt to the effects like administrative interventions, virulence of viral strain, change of weather patterns which affects the accuracy in prediction. Delhi Police got India’s first ‘Thermal Corona Combat Headgear’ Delhi Police has launched India’s first ‘Thermal Corona Combat Headgear’ to ensure the safety of frontline warriors and enforce social distancing. The initiative has been launched by the Delhi police in collaboration with Indian Robotics Solution.

This equipment helps police personnel to detect the temperature of a large number of people from a distance of 10-15 metres. Through this equipment, live imagery can also be sent to a centralised control centre. IRS founder Sagar Gupta Naugriua also added that the frontline workers can scan people without coming in close contact with them in public areas such as hospitals, supermarkets and crowded areas.

The Delhi Police has also launched a ‘Thermal Corona Combat Drone-(TCCD)’ in collaboration with the same startup. The drone is fitted with a day-vision camera that can see the real image of the personnel, a disinfectant tank to sanitise an area when a suspected person is taken away for further tests.

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The drone also comprises a spotlight with a night utility camera, a loudspeaker for giving instructions and a medical box to carry essentials like medicines or portable coronavirus testing kits. The drone has been successfully tested at Majnu ka Tila Basti, three slums in Noida Sector 15 & 16, and Gurugram where over more than 150 people were screened effectively as a sample size. “Ekam Fest” held in New Delhi The first “EKAM Fest” organized by National Handicapped Finance Development Corporation (NHFDC) under Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment held in Emporia Complex, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, New Delhi-1 from 2nd March to 9th March 2020.It was inaugurated by Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot.

EKAM, an acronym for Entrepreneurship, Knowledge, Awareness, Marketing, was aimed to showcase products made with extra ordinary determination by the divyang (differently-abled) crafts persons and entrepreneurs.

82 Divyang artisans and entrepreneurs from 17 States/ UTs showcased their products. They include 44 Men and 38 Women Divyang artisans and entrepreneurs. NHFDC Swavalamban Kendra (NSK): NHFDC has taken an initiative to establish PWD owned micro skill training Centers throughout the country for skill training of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). These NSKs will have a capacity to provide quality skill training to around 120 PwDs per year. The PwD owner of the NSK is expected to earn around Rs 20,000 per month.

Safe Cabs in Delhi and Indore: NHFDC has made arrangement with Sakha Cabs where the PwD owned commercial vehicles will be driven by the Women drivers to provide safe taxi option for the women, children and senior citizen commuters. The vehicles here are financed by NHFDC. Safe Drinking Water E Carts: NHFDC will finance E-carts fitted with RO water dispensing vending machines. These carts will sell water in paper glasses maintaining the hygiene. The carts will be supported in operation by Bharat Jal. The PwD owner is expected to earn Rs 10,000/- to Rs 15,000/- per month in the operation of these carts. The fest displayed the products ranging home Décor and Lifestyle; Textiles; Stationery and Eco Friendly products; Packed Food and Organic Products; Toys and Gifts; and Personal Accessory – Jewellery, Clutch Bags etc.

There were astrological consultations and foot massage by Divyang professionals along with number of activities like cultural extravaganza including performances by Divyang artists and well known professionals. On the occasion of International Women Day (8th March), a free camp was ogranised by NAB (National Association for the Blind), Hauz Khas, New Delhi for examination for early breast cancer by trained visually impaired women. iv.The fest had a collective sales of more than Rs. 8 lakhs Krishan Pal Gurjar, Minister of State (MoS) for Social Justice & Empowerment presented awards to Divyangs artisan and entrepreneurs who participated in the fest. 5T plan to control the spread of COVID-19 Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a 5T plan which includes- Testing, Tracing, Treatment, Teamwork & Tracking and monitoring to control the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

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Testing- Only through testing, the infected person can be detected & aggressive testing is crucial to prevent the spread of the virus. Tracing- Persons associated with a positive patient are identified and asked for self-quarantine. iii.Treatment- If someone is infected with COVID-19, they will be provided treatment. iv.Teamwork- The virus can be combated & defeated through teamwork.

Tracking & Monitoring- Active tracking & monitoring the developments will help to take action to deal with the spread of the virus. Delhi Police & AIIA jointly launched ‘Ayuraksha’ programme to fight COVID-19 The Delhi Police has run the program called ‘Ayuraksha – Corona se Jung, Delhi Police ke sang’ with the aim of providing all possible health-related help to all those Delhi Policemen working in the frontline to fight against coronavirus (COVID-19). Under this programme, Ayurveda immunity-boosting kit, which contain medicine formulations, method of use and advisory, will be distributed by Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) to the Delhi Police in 4 different phases. It includes,

 Phase I: All quarantined police officers and officials  Phase II: Police officials/officers deputed in containment zones  Phase III: Police officials/officers deputed in quarantine zones  Phase IV: All policemen working as front line workers in field. The simple medicines of recommended formulations like Chyawanaprasha (Amla as main content), Anu Taila and Sanshamani Vati (prepared from Guduchi) which are time-proven and scientifically to promote immunity.

These drugs will be procured from Indian Medicines Pharmaceutical Corporation Ltd (IMPCL) under the Ministry of AYUSH. The Secretary of Ministry of AYUSH Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha & Delhi Police Commissioner Shri S N Shrivastava were also present during the launch of this programme and highlighted the role of Giloy as Vayasthapana (Anti-aging herb), Ministry is working for AYUSH medicines to be given as add-on therapy for COVID 19 positive cases. There are around 80000 policemen in the capital Delhi, who are posted in 15 districts. In view of this, the AIIA nominated three Coordinators from the Director of Institute to 15 nodal officers to work closely with 15 Nodal Officers of Delhi Police. IIT-Delhi startup launched reusable antimicrobial mask NSafe Indian Institute of Technology- Delhi startup company named Nanosafe solutions has developed and launched an antimicrobial and washable face mask “NSafe” that can be reused upto 50 launderings.

The team that developed the mask consists of Dr Anasuya Roy, an IIT Delhi alumnus, Founder and CEO of Nanosafe Solutions and Professor Mangala Joshi, Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering, IIT Delhi. The mask is a highly engineered triple-layered product consisting of inner hydrophilic layer for comfort, middle layer having antimicrobial activity & outer most layer having water and oil repellent behaviour.

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NSafe mask has 99.2% bacterial filtration efficiency (at 3 microns) and complies with ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) standards of breathability and splash resistance. The mask is extremely comfortable and breathable. Elastic band in the chin region and wire in the nose region provides adequate fit of the mask to the wearer.

The mask enhances protection to the wearer through 3 different mechanisms: mechanical filtration, antimicrobial decontamination and repulsion of aerosol droplets Delhi Police integrated with Uber launched “Himmat Plus app” Delhi Police along with Uber launched “Himmat Plus app”, at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport, New Delhi, to ensure safety and security of the people travelling in cabs. The police headquarters will receive the real time location of a driver or rider in case of emergency through this app so that PCR (Police Control Room ) van can be assigned to provide assistance. Nearly, 1000 Himmat QR (Quick Response) verification cards were distributed among drivers. Once a rider scans the QR card, they can access a driver’s details and vehicle information on the Himmat app & can report their journey directly to police. New Delhi hosted India Smart Utility Week 2020 India Smart Grid Forum has been organizing India Smart Utility Week 2020 (ISUW) as an International Conference and Exhibition on Smart Energy and Water for Smarter Cities in New Delhi from March 3-7, 2020. The program aims to bring together India’s leading Electricity, Gas and Water Utilities, Policy Makers, Regulators, Investors and world’s leading Smart Energy Experts and Researchers to discuss trends, share best practices and showcase new age technologies and products in smart energy and smart cities domains.

A number of plenaries, keynotes, interactive workshops, high level roundtables and technical sessions are the key attraction of this program. It saw the participation of over 1800 + delegates and 288 speakers from 41 countries. Prof Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science & Technology (DST) and European Union Ambassador to India Mr Ugo Astuto also graced the event. India-European Union joint work on Integrated Local Energy Systems was announced

India and European Union (EU) called upon the Integrated Local Energy System during ISUW 2020, in which they will jointly work upon clean energy and climate & will strengthen the cooperation in energy research and innovation, especially in renewable energy and its integration in the energy system. This partnership is in line with Mission Innovation (MI) involvement of both the countries. IM is a global initiative of 24 countries and the European Commission (on behalf of the European Union), aimed to revive and accelerate global clean energy innovation in order to make clean energy widely affordable to all. India-Sweden collaboration on industrial Research & Development (R&D) Programme announced

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During ISUW 2020, India and Sweden are also agreed to jointly work on Smart Grids Programme, which is to be funded by Department of Science and Technology (DST), a department within the Ministry of Science and Technology in India. This tie-up will led Research & Development collaborative programme on Smart Grids at a cost of $5 Million to transform the clean energy sector into a secure, adaptive, sustainable and digitally enabled ecosystem and provide reliable and quality energy for all.

The DST has set up a total of 3 major international smart grids in 24 countries during the past 5 years & spent an investment of $60 million US $ in Smart Grids. It also assisted 9 MI projects with the partnership of 17 Indian and 20 Foreign Institutions across 9 nations. IIT-Delhi to offer research-based solution to storage, supply of food grains Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and the United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP) India have joined hands to support state and national governments in achieving food and nutrition security.

The overall objective of this partnership is to use advanced analytics and operations research to develop practical solutions that support long term strategic planning of procurement, storage, and movement of food grains by agencies such as the Food Corporation of India (FCI). It also focuses on to create cost-effective supply chain networks for distribution of food grains under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) at the state level. The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization committed to saving lives in emergencies and changing lives through sustainable development. In India, WFP has been working in partnership with the Government for more than 50 years to contribute to its efforts to achieve food and nutrition security. India’s First Plasma Bank for COVID-19 Treatment Delhi governemnt launched India’s first Plasma Bank for the treatment of the patients tested positive for coronavirus.

The Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences(ILBS) will house the plasma bank facility which will be available to government and private hospitals. The facility will coordinate the donors and recipients and helps in connecting the donors and recipients. The plasma bank will start its operation by 2nd July 2020.

The government will bear the conveyance for people to commute to the facility to donate plasma. The helpline to answer the queries regarding the plasma donation is to be set up by the government of Delhi. Plasma therapy is the most discussed method of treatment for COVID-19 patients.

The Delhi government has conducted the clinical trials of plasma therapy on more than 29 patients who were tested positive to COVID-19, which gave a positive result.

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The treatment involves the transfusion of plasma from a convalescent patient of COVID-19 to the patients of COVID-19 who are in critical condition. The clinical trial for Plasma therapy was initiated in Delhi in April 2020. Mukhya Mantri Ghar Ghar Ration Yojana, doorstep delivery of ration scheme Delhi cabinet approved ‘Mukhya Mantri Ghar Ghar Ration Yojana’ to deliver ration directly to the homes of beneficiaries. This scheme and Centre’s ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ scheme will be implemented on the same day in Delhi.

After the completion of the tendering process and other formalities, the doorstep delivery of ration scheme will be implemented. This will take around 6 to 7 months. Under the scheme, wheat, flour( instead of wheat grains), rice and sugar will be packed hygienically in bags and delivered to the doorstep of people The residents who currently collect rations from the Public Distribution System(PDS) will get the same ration delivered to their homes. The Beneficiaries will be given an option of taking ration from shops or getting it delivered to their homes. Delhi govt launched a free website portal named ‘Rozgaar Bazaar’ Delhi government launched a free website http://jobs.delhi.gov.in named ‘Rozgaar Bazaar 2020’ via video conference. The portal connects the job seekers and the recruiters on one platform. Aim- To boost the economy and employment in Delhi.

In this website, the employers and companies can post their jobs and vacancies. Also, those who are searching for a job can update their information of their qualification, experience and area of interest. The job portal is free of cost and no fee for registration would be required.

Traders and industrialists are requested to join hands under ‘Rozgaar Bazaar’ to boost the economy of Delhi. v.These measures are finalised by a 12-member committee headed by the vice chairman of Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDC), Jasmine Shah. HRD &Urban development ministries & AICTE jointly launches 1st of its kind student internship programme, “The Urban Learning Internship Program (TULIP)” to provide opportunities for ULB and Smart Cities. Under the joint initiative by the MSDE, MoCA and MEA, the Union govt has launched a new initiative Skilled Workers Arrival Database for Employment Support(SWADES) to conduct a skill mapping exercise of the returning citizens under the Vande Bharat Mission (VBM).

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