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April 2020 MONTHLY CURRENT AFFAIRS Prelims Dose WHAT'S INCLUDED • Fastest Revision of Exam Specific Current Affairs • Crisp & Comprehensive Subject-Wise Coverage • Multi-Dimensional Analysis Using Kipling's Method

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Table of Contents CQAS ...... 16 Polity & Governance ...... 4 BCG vaccine ...... 16 Stranded in India Portal ...... 4 CAWACH program ...... 16 PMRU ...... 4 Challenge COVID-19 Competition ...... 17 Punjab Village and Small Towns Act ...... 4 Prana-Vayu ventilator...... 17 Amitabh Kant group ...... 4 nCoVSENSEs (TM) ...... 17 COVID-19 Workshop ...... 4 GISAT-1 satellite ...... 17 Tribal Teachers ...... 5 Genome Sequence of CoV-2 ...... 18 Epidemic Diseases Act ...... 5 National Board for Wildlife ...... 18 SVAMITVA scheme ...... 5 Sex-specific Immune system...... 19 E- Gram Swaraj ...... 6 NeMO-Net ...... 19 Gond Education Scheme ...... 6 Covid Gyan Website...... 19 Working ...... 6 CollabCAD ...... 19 Economy ...... 7 Wormivet ...... 20 Fully Accessible Route ...... 7 Past Pandemics ...... 20 Corona Bonds ...... 7 Hot Spot districts ...... 21 Belt and Road Initiative ...... 7 Containment of COVID-19 ...... 21 Market Borrowing for States ...... 8 Chitra GeneLAMP-N ...... 21 SAFE PLUS ...... 8 Portable Sensor ...... 22 Targeted Long-term repo operations ...... 8 Rapid Antibody Test ...... 22 PM Garib Kalyan Yojana ...... 9 Pseudocapacitors ...... 22 Boost to Rural Economy ...... 9 Ionospheric electron density ...... 23 Kisan Rath ...... 9 Rechargeable metal-air battery ...... 23 SWAYAM ...... 9 TriboE masks ...... 23 New Development Bank ...... 10 Immune system response ...... 23 Nutrient Based Subsidy...... 10 Disinfectant on Humans ...... 24 Health Package ...... 10 Mobile Virology Diagnostics ...... 24 VidyaDaan 2.0...... 11 Anthurium ...... 25 Kasowal Bridge...... 11 Nano Blitz 3D ...... 25 Mid-day meals ...... 11 Planetary collision ...... 25 Mutual Funds ...... 11 Human Space Programme ...... 26 Priority Watch List ...... 12 Merger of Black holes ...... 26 Special 301 Report...... 12 AC Temperature ...... 26 Environment ...... 13 Assistive Robotic Device ...... 27 Jim Corbett National Park ...... 13 Herbal Products ...... 27 Rice to Ethanol ...... 13 VITAL ...... 27 National Policy on Biofuels, 2018: ...... 13 Alcohol withdrawal symptoms ...... 27 Great Barrier Reef ...... 13 Mobile virology research and diagnostics laboratory (MVRDL) ...... 28 Sea Turtles ...... 14 Geography ...... 29 Science & Technology ...... 15 Cauvery river ...... 29 Acute Encephalitis Syndrome ...... 15 Natuna Islands ...... 29 SARS-CoV-2 subspecies ...... 15 Dhauladhar range...... 30 Anti-smog guns ...... 15 Normal monsoon ...... 30 Anti-coronavirus coating ...... 16 Spratly islands ...... 30 AarogyaSetu app ...... 16 Tropical cyclones ...... 30 Project Prana ...... 16

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History, Art & Culture ...... 32 Chapter VII resolution ...... 35 Shab-e-Barat ...... 32 South Korean Model ...... 35 Gamosa masks ...... 32 Neighbouring Rights ...... 35 Bihu festival ...... 32 Bharat Padhe Online campaign ...... 35 Meru Jatra festival ...... 32 Interoperable Set-Top Boxes ...... 36 Maldhari Nomads...... 33 Need for Interoperability ...... 36 Intangible Cultural Heritage ...... 33 YUKTI Portal ...... 36 Miscellaneous ...... 34 Personal protective equipment ...... 37 Operation Sanjeevani ...... 34 Journalism Relief Fund ...... 37 CARUNA initiative ...... 34 COVID India Seva ...... 37 COVID 19 resolution ...... 34 Trilateral Ties ...... 37 Exercise NCC YOGDAN ...... 34 Thucydides and Tacitus Trap ...... 38 Madhuban Gajar carrot ...... 34

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Polity & Governance

Stranded in India Portal 1. Ministry of Tourism has launched the ‘Stranded in India’ portal to help foreign tourists stuck in various parts of India. 2. It seeks to disseminate information regarding the services that can be availed by foreign tourists stuck far away from their homeland. 3. The portal aims to act as a support network for foreign tourists stuck in various parts of the country 4. The portal provides a) Comprehensive information around COVID-19 helpline numbers or call-centres that the foreign tourists can reach out to for help. b) A variety of information around the Ministry of External Affairs control centres along with their contact information. c) Information around state-based or regional tourism support infrastructure. d) Help Support section to extend help to the ones in need of further information and connect foreign tourists to concerned authorities. PMRU 1. Price Monitoring & Resource Unit (PMRU) has been set up by National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) in Jammu and Kashmir territory. 2. The PMRU is a registered society that will function under the direct control and supervision of State Drug Controller of Jammu & Kashmir. 3. It will be funded by NPPA for its recurring and non-recurring expenses. 4. It will help NPPA and State Drug Controller in ensuring the availability and accessibility of medicines at affordable prices. 5. It will also collect samples of medicines, collect and analyze data and make reports concerning the availability and over-pricing of medicines. Punjab Village and Small Towns Act 1. Haryana authorities invoked the Punjab Village and Small Towns Act 1918 to curtail people’s movement during the ongoing lockdown. 2. It was first enacted in erstwhile Punjab to make provisions for nightly patrol duty by inhabitants of small villages and towns in cases of emergency. 3. Under this Act, the Deputy Commissioner of a district in Punjab or Haryana has the power to make an order requiring all ‘able-bodied adult male inhabitants’ to patrol the village. 4. The period of the applicability of the order is up to the Deputy Commissioner and the maximum period is up to one year. 5. The Deputy Commissioner also has the power to alter the number of persons required for patrol duty and the method of their selection. Amitabh Kant group 1. The Government of India set up an empowered group chaired by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant. 2. It is tasked to undertake discussions with the private sector and international organizations on actions planned and challenges faced in dealing with COVID-19. 3. It has opened up a cross-sectoral dialogue within the private sector and start-ups to engender collaboration among them to produce health equipment and PPEs. 4. It is collaborating with international organizations such as the U.N. agencies, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the civil society organizations and development partners. COVID-19 Workshop 1. Nearly 2.8 million community leaders in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana participated in online workshops to practice social behaviours necessary to curb the spread of COVID-19 in rural areas. 2. The initiative was carried out by National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR) in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). www.skholar.com www.skholar.com

3. The online training aimed at building the capacities of panchayati raj institutions (PRIs), self-help groups (SHGs), National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers and community radio stations. 4. The programmes also built awareness of the role these institutions can play in making village communities aware of the disease. 5. Participants were also briefed on the risk communication plan that these institutions can utilise to boost their role in spreading awareness. 6. The programme was conducted through a digital application for enabling video conference calls with district master trainers from the three states. About NIRD 1. The National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD&PR) is an autonomous organisation under the Union Ministry of Rural Development 2. It is a centre of excellence in rural development and Panchayati Raj. The Institute is located in Hyderabad, Telangana. 3. It is recognized internationally as one of the UN-ESCAP Centres of Excellence. 4. It builds capacities of rural development functionaries, elected representatives of PRIs, bankers, NGOs and other stakeholders through interrelated activities of training, research and consultancy. Tribal Teachers A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court held providing100% reservation for tribal teachers in schools located in Scheduled Areas across the country as unconstitutional. Sawhney judgment 1. The court held that 100% reservation is discriminatory and impermissible. 2. As opportunity of public employment is not the prerogative of few, 100% reservation to the Scheduled Tribes deprives Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes also of their due representation. 3. The court referred to the Indira Sawhney judgment, which caps reservation at 50%. 4. Citizens have equal rights, and the total exclusion of others by creating an opportunity for one class is not contemplated by the founding fathers of the Constitution of India. 5. The case was based on a legal challenge to the order issued by the erstwhile State of Andhra Pradesh Bench in 2000 providing 100% reservation to the Scheduled Tribe candidates for the post of teachers in schools located in the Scheduled Areas of the State. 6. The court said the 2000 notification was unreasonable and arbitrary. Epidemic Diseases Act 1. The President of India gave assent for the promulgation of the Ordinance to amend the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. 2. The ordinance provides for making acts of violence cognizable and non-bailable offences. 3. It also has provision for compensation in cases of injury to healthcare service professionals or damage to their property. 4. To ensure involvement of maximum doctors, nurses and paramedics, State Governments have been allowed to include other health care professionals involved in tackling COVID-19 to be covered under these provisions. 5. The amendment also makes a provision of imprisonment for up to 7 years and fine of up to two lakh rupees in cases of violence and damage. SVAMITVA scheme 1. The SVAMITVA scheme is a new initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. 2. It aims to provide rural people with the right to document their residential properties so that they can use their property for economic purposes. 3. The scheme will help in streamlining planning and revenue collection in rural areas and ensuring clarity on property rights. This will also help in resolving property related disputes. 4. The scheme will enable creation of better-quality Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs), leveraging the maps created under this programme.

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5. SVAMITVA scheme is a collaborative effort of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, State Panchayati Raj Departments, State Revenue Departments and Survey of India 6. It aims to provide an integrated property validation solution for rural India, engaging the latest Drone Surveying technology, for demarcating the inhabitant (Aabadi) land in rural areas. 7. The program is currently being implemented in six states - Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. 8. Under this, mapping of rural housing land can be done using the latest survey methods and drones. 9. In Punjab and Rajasthan, 101 Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) will be set up this year for undertaking actual survey and mapping of inhabited areas of villages next year. E- Gram Swaraj 1. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj released a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) regarding e-Gram Swaraj. 2. Following this procedure, it will be ensured that the funds given to the panchayats are not misused and transparency can be maintained in its use. 3. This process will help in establishing a strong financial system by integrating the Priya Soft and PFMS, the payment portals of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. 4. The application aims to bring in better transparency and strengthening of the e-Governance in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) across the country through decentralized planning, progress reporting and work- based accounting. 5. It will also assist in enhancing the credibility of Panchayats that would induce greater devolution of funds to PRIs. Also it provides a platform for effective monitoring by higher authorities. 6. It will be a single platform for all planning and accounting needs of the Panchayats. 7. The key focus areas of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj over the last few years has been to track the fund flow of the Central Finance Commission grants and also to ensure timely payments on real-time basis to the service providers in the Panchayats. 8. The Online Payment Module (erstwhile PRIASoft-PFMS Interface (PPI)) is one of its kind whereby Gram Panchayats are carrying out online payments to the vendors and service providers. 9. The main objective of introducing such a module is to have a sound financial management system in the Panchayats leading to their greater credibility and image. 10. These efforts are also in line with the Digital India Programme to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy - “Faceless, Paperless, Cashless”. Gond Education Scheme 1. Quashing of the Andhra Pradesh government order of 2000 to reserve 100 % government jobs for tribals in Scheduled Areas by the Supreme Court will have far reaching consequences. 2. It is being considered as a setback to socio-economic development of the tribals living in Scheduled Areas in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana States. 3. The 100 % reservation of teacher jobs for tribals in Scheduled Areas was to provide focussed development for this grossly under developed section of society. 4. In the 1940s the need for education among tribals in Adilabad district, which had formed part of the erstwhile Hyderabad State ruled by the Nizam, received attention. 5. The Gond Education Scheme was launched by the Austrian Anthropologist Christoph von Furer- Haimendorf who had come to these parts to study various problems besetting the aboriginal people. 6. This concept was evidently an Anthropologist’s approach to the problem. The subsequent failure of modern education in improving the condition of the tribals in terms of education necessitates a relook into achievement of this model. 7. Professor Haimendorf had formulated the Gond Education Scheme (GES) in 1943 to improve literacy among the aboriginal people to handle exploitation by non-tribals. Working 1. Under the GES, a training centre was established at Marlavai headed by a Gond teacher. It worked well as the new set of tribal teachers-patwaris (trainees) worked harmoniously with old leaders trainers. 2. The GES identified and trained Gondi speakers to become primary school teachers. 3. The accession of Hyderabad in the Indian Union saw a change in the education policies.

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Economy

Fully Accessible Route 1. RBI has introduced a ‘Fully Accessible Route’ (FAR) channel to enable non-residents to invest in specified government bonds from April 1. 2. The move follows the Union Budget announcement that certain specified categories of government bonds would be opened fully for NRI investors without any restrictions. 3. Eligible investors can invest in specified Government securities without being subject to any investment ceilings. 4. This scheme would operate along with the two existing routes a) Medium Term Framework (MTF) b) Voluntary Retention Route (VRR) 5. It will substantially ease access of non-residents to Indian government securities markets and facilitate inclusion in global bond indices. Corona Bonds 1. Many European countries are considering the issuance of Corona Bonds to mitigate the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak. 2. Corona bonds are proposed joint debt issued to member states of the European Union. At present, there are 27 members of the organization. 3. The funds would be common and would come from the European Investment Bank. 4. Nine EU countries have been calling for such bonds to be issued EU wide: Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland, Portugal, Greece, and Slovenia. 5. ‘Frugal four group countries’ which are financially conservative generally oppose such measures. a) Germany b) Netherlands c) Austria d) Finland Belt and Road Initiative 1. Various projects under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been halted due to the ongoing pandemic. 2. It is the modern Silk Road that aims to link China with the rest of Asia, Europe and beyond through is a network of rail, road, and ports. 3. It was initiated in 2013 and known as ‘One Belt and One Road Project (OBOR)’. It has been renamed as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2016.

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5. It comprises of a) Silk Road Economic Belt- A trans-continental passage that links China with Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Russia, and Europe by land. b) Maritime Silk Road- A sea route connecting China’s coastal regions with southeast and south Asia, the South Pacific, the Middle East, and Eastern Africa, Europe. 6. The initiative defines five major priorities: a) Policy coordination b) Infrastructure connectivity c) Unimpeded trade d) Financial integration e) Connecting people. Market Borrowing for States 1. The Finance Ministry has allowed all states to borrow a cumulative Rs 3.20 lakh crore from the market between April-December. 2. This was done as the states' were demanding higher funds from the Centre to meet the expenses in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. 3. The states are permited to raise open market borrowing on the basis of 50 per cent the Net Borrowing Ceiling fixed for the year 2020-21 for financing the states' annual plan for the fiscal. 4. 28 states have been allowed to borrow a cumulative Rs 3,20,481 crore from markets on an ad-hoc basis for the first nine months of the current fiscal. 5. RBI permitted state governments and Union territories (UTs) greater flexibility for availing overdraft facilities with immediate effect till September 30. The facility will now be available for 21 days as against the earlier 14 days. SAFE PLUS 1. The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) will provide emergency working capital of up to 1 crore rupees to small and medium enterprises(MSMEs) against their confirmed government orders. 2. The SIDBI Assistance to Facilitate Emergency response against Coronavirus - SAFE PLUS will be offered collateral-free and disbursed within 48 hours. 3. The loans will be offered at an interest rate of 5%. 4. The limit of SAFE loans has also been enhanced from 50 lakh rupees to 2 crore rupees. 5. The scheme was launched to provide financial assistance to MSMEs engaged in manufacturing of hand sanitizers, masks, gloves, head gear, bodysuits, shoe-covers, ventilators and goggles used in dealing with COVID-19. Targeted Long-term repo operations 1. RBI said banks need to deploy funds raised under the targeted long-term repo operations (TLTRO) within 30 days of the auction or face penal interest. 2. This is expected to deter banks from delaying their investments and help liquidity-starved companies from accessing funds. 3. If a bank fails to deploy funds within 30 days, the interest rate on un-deployed funds will increase to the policy repo rate plus 200 basis points for the number of days these funds remain unused. Long-term repo operations (LTRO) 1. Under LTRO, Banks can borrow money from RBI for over a year at the policy rates (repo rate). 2. Under the TLTRO scheme, banks will have to invest the amount borrowed under TLTROs in the fresh acquisition of securities from primary or secondary market. 3. The TLTRO was introduced to help companies, including financial institutions, manage their cash flow issues in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.

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PM Garib Kalyan Yojana 1. More than 30 crore poor people have received financial assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana to protect them from the impact of the lockdown. 2. As part of the ₹1.70 lakh crore relief package, the government announced free food grains and cash doles to women and poor senior citizens and farmers. 3. Of the total disbursement, ₹13,855 crores have gone towards payment of the first instalment of PM- KISAN. 4. Under the PM KISAN scheme, nearly 6.93 crores out of the 8 crores identified beneficiaries got ₹2,000 directly in their account. 5. National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) disbursed about ₹1,400 crores to about 2.82 crore old age persons, widows and disabled persons, it added. 6. About 2.16 crore construction workers received financial support from the Building and Construction Workers’ Fund managed by state governments. 7. The government, under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana, will also provide free LPG refills for the next three months to over 8.3 crore poor women under Ujjawala scheme. Boost to Rural Economy 1. The massive grain purchases by official agencies and injection of direct cash transfers of ₹1 lakh crore into villages will boost the rural economy. 2. Also, steps to ease restrictions on farm products during the lockdown gives relief as the harvest is already delayed. 3. Farmers have suffered as perishable products like fruit and vegetables could not reach the market because of labour scarcity and transport bottlenecks following the lockdown. 4. The Centre is also transferring Rs 16,000 crore directly into bank accounts of 80 million farmers under the PM-KISAN scheme that provides them a cash benefit of Rs 6,000 a year in 3 equal instalments. 5. The Centre has also sanctioned Rs 1,250 crore for buying pulses at minimum support price to help farmers during the lockdown when access to the market is blocked. 6. Another Rs 20,000 crore will be paid to farmers for insurance claims following crop damage because of floods last year. 7. Official procurement is vital for the rural economy at this juncture as farmers are not able to sell their produce to private traders due to the countrywide lockdown. 8. Food Corporation of India (FCI) is the government agency for buying and distributing food grains. Kisan Rath 1. To ease the disruption of agricultural supply chains, especially for perishable produce, the Agriculture Ministry has launched a Kisan Rath mobile application that will connect farmers and traders to a network of more than 5 lakh trucks and 20,000 tractors. 2. The application is developed by the National Informatics Centre and is meant to help farmers and traders searching for vehicles to move their produce. 3. This includes primary transport from the farm to the mandis, local warehouses or the collection centres of farmer producer organisations, as well as the secondary transport from the local mandis to intra-and inter-State mandis, processing units, railway stations, warehouses or wholesalers. 4. The application will lead to on-boarding of over 5 lakh trucks through transport aggregators as well as 20,000 tractors from the custom hiring centres run by farmer groups. Refrigerated vehicles will also be available. 5. It will be a move towards provision of timely transportation service at competitive rates for farmers and traders, besides achieving a reduction in food SWAYAM 1. SWAYAM is a programme initiated by Government of India and designed to achieve the three cardinal principles of Education Policy viz., access, equity and quality. 2. The objective of this effort is to take the best teaching learning resources to all, including the most disadvantaged.

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3. SWAYAM seeks to bridge the digital divide for students who have hitherto remained untouched by the digital revolution and have not been able to join the mainstream of the knowledge economy. 4. Currently, over 26 lakh students are taking 574 courses on offer. In all, 1509 courses are available for self- learning. SWAYAM 2.0 also supports the launch of Online degree programmes. 5. It was decided that all the SWAYAM Courses and SWAYAM PRABHA videos would be translated into ten regional languages and made available to the students so that more benefits can be derived from the same. 4. It was also decided that UGC and AICTE will follow up with Universities and institutions to accept SWAYAM credits. This will enable students to do part of their course though MOOC and part in various colleges. 5. Also, to encourage faculty to provide more courses under SWAYAM, appropriate incentives for their career will be provided. Further, UGC has been asked to prepare guidelines regarding online and Distance learning guidelines to increase Gross Enrolment Ratio. SWAYAM Prabha: It is a group of 32 DTH channels devoted to telecasting high-quality educational programmes on 24X7 basis using the GSAT-15 satellite. New Development Bank 1. The New Development Bank has made efforts to fast track financial assistance of about 5 billion dollars to BRICS countries including Emergency Assistance of one billion dollar to India to combat COVID-19 pandemic. 2. The NDB was established by the BRICS countries -Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa in 2014. 3. NDB has so far approved 14 indian projects for an amount of 4,183 million dollar. 4. The purpose of the Bank is to mobilise resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and other emerging market economies and developing countries to complement the existing efforts of multilateral and regional financial institutions for global growth and development. Nutrient Based Subsidy 1. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for fixation of Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) rates for Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) Fertilizers for the year 2020-21. 2. The CCEA also approved the inclusion of a complex fertilizer namely Ammonium Phosphate under the NBS Scheme. 3. The subsidy on the P&K will be provided on the subsidy rates approved by the CCEA to the fertilizer companies. 4. Government is making available fertilizers, namely Urea and 21 grades of P&K fertilizers to farmers at subsidized prices through fertilizer manufacturers/importers. 5. The subsidy on P&K fertilizers is being governed by the NBS Scheme from 2010. 6. The subsidy would be released to fertilizer companies so that they can make available fertilizers to farmers at a cheaper price. Health Package 1. The Union Cabinet approved a Rs. 15,000-crore investment package for the COVID-19 emergency response and health system preparedness. 2. The funds will be used in three phases, with Rs. 7,774 crore for immediate use and the rest for medium- term support, that is one to four years. 3. The key objectives of the package include mounting emergency response to slow and limit COVID-19. 4. The plan includes: a. developing diagnostics and COVID-19-dedicated treatment facilities, b. centralising the procurement of essential medical equipment and drugs, c. strengthening the healthcare systems nationally and in States, d. biosecurity preparedness and pandemic research. 5. The network of diagnostic laboratories had been expanded and orders for 13 lakh diagnostic kits had been placed. 6. Health workers, including ASHA workers, have been given insurance cover under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana.

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7. Personal protection equipment, N95 masks and ventilators, testing kits and drugs are being procured centrally. Source: The Hindu VidyaDaan 2.0 1.The Union Human Resource Development Minister e-launched VidyaDaan 2.0 program for inviting e- learning content contributions. 2. The programme has been launched due to the increasing requirement for e-learning content for students(both school and higher education) following COVID- 19 and also due to the urgent need to integrate digital education with schooling to augment learning. 3. The DIKSHA Platform of MHRD has been operating since 2017 with 30+ States/UTs leveraging DIKSHA for augmenting teaching and learning processes. 4. Realizing the scale and potential of DIKSHA, multiple institutions, organizations and individuals over the years have expressed interest in contributing digital resources on DIKSHA. 5. The use of crowdsourcing tools to obtain high-quality content under VidyaDaan from expert teachers/individuals and organizations has been stressed upon. 6. VidyaDaan is conceptualised as a common national program for individuals & organizations across the country to donate/contribute e-learning resources for both school and higher education to ensure continuity of quality learning. 7. The content will be used on the DIKSHA app to help millions of children across the country to continue their learning anytime and anywhere. 8. VidyaDaan has a content contribution tool that provides a structured interface for the contributors to register and contribute different types of content (such as, explanation videos, presentations, competency- based items, quizzes etc.), for any grade (from grade 1 to 12), for any subject as specified by the states/UTs. Kasowal Bridge 1. Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed and opened a new permanent bridge on the river Ravi connecting Kasowal enclave in Punjab to the rest of the country. 2. The pontoon bridge used to be dismantled every year prior to the Monsoon or else it would have got washed away in the strong currents of the river. 3. This resulted in thousands of acres of fertile land across the river not being tilled by farmers during the Monsoon. 4. The local population and the Army required a permanent bridge to give all-weather connectivity to the enclave. 5. Border Roads Organisation had planned to open the Kasowal bridge in time for Vaisakhi so that the farmers could transport their harvest to the market comfortably. Mid-day meals 1. Government has announced around 11% increase in annual central allocation of cooking cost under Mid- day meal scheme to 8100 crore rupees in view of the situation arising out of COVID-19. 2. Considering the health of the students, during the lockdown, ration is being provided under mid-day meal for the children to get adequate and nutritious food. 3. The mid day meal Scheme, is a Centrally-Sponsored Scheme, aimed at increasing enrolment, retention and attendance of students in schools. 4. The scheme covers more than 12 crore children studying in over 11 lakh schools across the country. 5. The cooking cost per child per day has been increased. 6. The approval is also being given for providing mid-day meal during summer holidays of schools, on which an additional expenditure of about 1600 crores will be made. Mutual Funds 1. Commercial banks have borrowed Rs. 2,000 crore from the liquidity window that was offered by the Reserve Bank of India for mutual funds (MFs). 2. Recently, the RBI had announced a special window of Rs. 50,000 crore for mutual funds in view of the redemption pressure that the fund houses are facing.

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3. Funds availed under this facility will be used by banks exclusively for meeting the liquidity requirements of MFs. 4. The scheme was made available from April 27, 2020 till May 11, 2020 or up to utilisation of the allocated amount, whichever is earlier. 5. There are two issues currently — liquidity and crisis of confidence. Banks are risk averse and so will be selective on taking the papers on their books. 6. There is stress that will lead to redemptions and hence a signal needs to be given out by the government that no mutual fund or for that matter no NBFC is going down. 7. The window was opened by RBI after Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund decided to wind up six debt funds . These funds have combined assets under management of nearly Rs. 26,000 crore, on account of illiquid, low-rated instruments in their portfolio, last week. 8. The fund house had said that it decided to wind up the schemes to preserve the value at least at the current levels, as it was getting eroded due to a combination of redemption pressures and mark-to-market losses. 9. These stemmed from the lack of liquidity on account of the COVID-19 impact on the markets. Priority Watch List 1. India continues to be on the ‘Priority Watch List’ of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) for lack of adequate intellectual property (IP) rights protection and enforcement. 2. According to the US, India remained one of the most challenging economies for IP enforcement and protection. 3. Algeria, Argentina, Chile, China, Indonesia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and Venezuela are also on the Priority Watch List. 4. India has made “meaningful progress” to enhance IP protection and enforcement in some areas over the past year 5. But, it did not resolve recent and long-standing challenges, and created new ones. Special 301 Report 1. The Special 301 Report identifies trading partners that do not adequately or effectively protect and enforce intellectual property (IP) rights or otherwise deny market access to U.S. innovators and creators that rely on protection of their IP rights. 2. Trading partners that currently present the most significant concerns regarding IP rights are placed on the Priority Watch List or Watch List.

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Environment

Jim Corbett National Park 1. A Malayan tiger was tested positive for COVID-19 in the United States. 2. Following this, India's oldest National Park Jim Corbett, situated in Uttarakhand has built isolation wards for animals. 3. The cameras installed in the vicinity of the national park will record the cold and cough symptoms of animals and will be quarantined 4. There is less risk of animals, especially tigers, getting infected in forest areas. But the animals living near the human population has the possibility of getting infected if it comes into contact with an infected person or thing. 5. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has issued a direction for all workers in contact with tigers and elephants to be tested for novel coronavirus. Rice to Ethanol 1. The government approved that surplus rice available with Food Corporation of India (FCI) can be converted into ethanol in order to manufacture alcohol-based hand sanitisers and also for blending with petrol for Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme. 2. National Policy on Biofuels, 2018 envisages that during an agriculture crop year when there is projected over supply of food grains, the policy will allow conversion of these surplus quantities of food grains to ethanol, based on the approval of NBCC. 3. The government allowed sugar companies and distilleries to make hand sanitizers using ethanol. Sugar companies supply ethanol to oil marketing companies for blending with petrol. 4. A majority of sugar companies decided to make hand sanitizers to supply to hospitals and institutions by using a part of the ethanol/ENA production.Some of them are supplying the sanitizers at cost price or even free of cost. 5. The foodgrains stock is much higher than the required norm of maintaining a reserve of about 21 million tonnes as on April 1. 6.Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the government is supplying 5 kg of foodgrains per month to over 80 crore people at a highly subsidised price of ₹2-3 per kg. 7. The Centre has also decided to distribute 5 kg of foodgrains per person free of cost for the next three months to provide relief to poor people during the ongoing lockdown period. National Policy on Biofuels, 2018: 1. The Policy categorises biofuels as "Basic Biofuels" viz. First Generation (1G) bioethanol & biodiesel and "Advanced Biofuels" - Second Generation (2G) ethanol, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to drop-in fuels, Third Generation (3G) biofuels, bio-CNG etc. to enable extension of appropriate financial and fiscal incentives under each category. 2. The Policy expands the scope of raw material for ethanol production by allowing use of Sugarcane Juice, Sugar containing materials like Sugar Beet, Sweet Sorghum, Starch containing materials like Corn, Cassava, Damaged food grains like wheat, broken rice, Rotten Potatoes, unfit for human consumption for ethanol production. 3. Farmers are at a risk of not getting appropriate prices for their produce during the surplus production phase. Taking this into account, the Policy allows use of surplus food grains for production of ethanol for blending with petrol with the approval of National Biofuel Coordination Committee. Great Barrier Reef 1. The Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem located in Australia, recently experienced its third major bleaching event in five years. 2. It is considered to be the most widespread coral bleaching event owing to the rise in temperatures due to climate change. 3. The Great Barrier Reef contains the world’s largest collection of coral reefs, with 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 types of molluscs. No other World Heritage property contains such biodiversity.

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4. It has suffered several mass bleaching events in the past due to warmer than normal ocean temperatures. Sea Turtles 1. Sea turtles are the most gullible creatures of the sea. They are likely to confuse plastic floating in the ocean for food and eat it. 2. They are not the only ones being fooled into eating plastic trash. Many sea birds and fish get confused and eat plastic. 3. The source of all the confusion is the smell that ocean plastic emits. Dimethyl sulfide, a chemical gas that the ocean plastic releases is also produced by phytoplankton, a key food source for many marine animals. 4. Once a turtle swallows plastic they are unable to throw it back up. As a result, most of the ingested plastic gets stuck in the turtle’s gut and limits its ability to absorb and digest food. 5. Research shows that ingesting just over a dozen pieces of plastic can kill turtles. Young turtles are particularly vulnerable because they tend to swim in currents where loads of plastic accumulate. 6. More than 8 million tonnes of plastic are dumped into the oceans every year.A lot of it comes from the world's rivers, which serve as direct conduits of trash from the world's cities to the marine environment. 7. The Brahmaputra and Ganga rivers of India and the Megnna river flowing through Bangladesh empty over 70,000 tonnes of plastic into the oceans, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). 8. These three water bodies along with seven other rivers in Asia and Africa account for 90% of the plastic waste entering oceans.If the current trends continue, the oceans could contain more plastic than fish by 2050.

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Science & Technology

Acute Encephalitis Syndrome 1. Few children have died in Bihar due to ‘Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES)’, also known as brain fever. 2. It is characterized by an acute onset of fever and clinical neurological manifestation that includes mental confusion, disorientation, delirium, or coma. 3. Viruses have been mainly attributed to being the cause of AES in India although other sources such as bacteria, fungus, parasites, and toxins have been reported also. 4. It predominantly affects the population below 15 years. SARS-CoV-2 subspecies 1. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) stated that a mixture of three quasi-subspecies of SARS-CoV- 2 is in circulation in India. 2. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the cause of the respiratory coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

3. India’s COVID-19 cases are mainly from people with a travel history and their immediate contacts. 4. These imported subspecies showed no differences from how they behaved in the place of origin. But these are yet to classify a SARS-Cov-2 variant as an Indian strain. Anti-smog guns 1. The Supreme Court ordered the installation of anti-smog guns at all large construction sites in New Delhi to reduce dust pollution. 2. The anti-smog gun sprays nebulized water droplets into the air through high-pressure propellers which help dust particles settle down.

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3. Smog is a type of air pollution caused by the tiny particles present in the air. 4. It is formed by the particulate matter present in the atmosphere mainly ground-level ozone and fine particles emitted through the fossil fuels from automobiles, factories and power plants. Anti-coronavirus coating 1. Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) has developed a one-step curable anti-microbial coating that can kill a range of virus types including COVID 19. 2. JNCASR is an autonomous institution under the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology. 3. This coating has been found to completely kill the influenza virus as well as resistant pathogenic bacteria and fungi etc. 4. Coronavirus is also an enveloped virus. So, the coating may inactivate SARS-CoV-2 upon contact and can help prevent contamination if coated on various surfaces. AarogyaSetu app 1. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has launched ‘AarogyaSetu- a mobile app’. 2. It has been developed in public-private partnerships to bring the people of India together in a resolute fight against COVID-19. 3. It will enable people to assess themselves the risk for their catching the Corona Virus infection. 4. It will calculate this based on their interaction with others using cutting edge Bluetooth technology, algorithms and artificial intelligence. 5. It will help the Government take necessary timely steps for assessing the risk of the spread of COVID-19 infection and ensuring isolation where required. Project Prana 1. The Scientists and Students in the Indian Institute of Science have developed a prototype of an indigenous ventilator under project Prana. 2. It is a voluntary effort to develop ventilators. 3. The prototype has mass flow sensors and controllers that accurately calculates the volume of oxygen flowing and volume inhaled by the patient in one breath. 4. Pneumatics is built around mass-produced water filter hardware. The control system is built around an open-source industrial controller. CQAS 1. The Department of Telecommunication and the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) in coordination with Telecom Service Providers have developed COVID Quarantine Alert System (CQAS). 2. It is an application that automatically triggers an email or SMS if any identified corona positive person moves away from their quarantine location. 3. This geofencing system will collate phone data, including the device’s location, on a common secured platform and alert the local agencies in case of a violation by COVID patients. 4. A geofence is a virtual perimeter for a real-world geographic area. It could be dynamically generated as in a radius around a point location. BCG vaccine 1 Scientists in India have expressed caution on a study which argues that countries that have deployed the BCG-tuberculosis vaccine have seen fewer deaths from COVID19. 2. Bacillus Calmette–Guerin (BCG) vaccine is a vaccine primarily used against tuberculosis (TB). 3. It has also a documented protective effect against meningitis and TB in children. 4. It does not prevent primary infection, reactivation of latent pulmonary infection and the principal source of bacillary spread in the community. So, its impact is limited. CAWACH program 1. Ministry of Science and Technology approved setting up of a Centre for Augmenting WAR with COVID-19 Health Crisis (CAWACH) to combat COVID-19 global pandemic. 2. It aims to evaluate and support the innovations and start-ups that address COVID-19 challenges.

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3. The Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE) at IIT Bombay supported by DST has been identified as the Implementing Agency of the program. 4. It aims to boost innovations offering comprehensive solutions like Ventilators, Diagnostics, Therapeutics, Informatics, and other interventions. 5. CAWACH will identify up to 50 innovations and startups working in the above areas. Challenge COVID-19 Competition 1. National Innovation Foundation (NIF) has invited innovative citizens to participate in its Challenge COVID- 19 Competition (C3). 2. NIF is an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. 3. Anyone can participate with the creative ideas and innovations for problems or issues like reducing transmission of Coronavirus etc. 4. These ideas should supplement the efforts of the government in slowing or eliminating the spread of the disease further. 5. The initiative will intimately engage a wide cross-section of society with diverse backgrounds in providing and implementing solutions. Prana-Vayu ventilator 1. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Roorkee and All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Rishikesh has developed a low-cost ventilator ‘Prana-Vayu’. 2. It has been designed especially for the COVID-19 pandemic. It is low-cost, safe, reliable, and can be quickly manufactured. 3. It can be used for both infants and even overweight adults. 4. It does not require compressed air for functioning and can be especially useful in cases when hospital wards or open areas are converted into ICUs. nCoVSENSEs (TM) 1. The Union Ministry of Science and Technology has funded a Pune-based healthcare startup ‘Module Innovations’ to develop ‘nCoVSENSEs(TM)’ devices. 2. It is a rapid test device for the detection of antibodies that have been generated against COVID 19 in the human body. 3. The device will help in the mass-screening of people in the country and confirm infection in patients. 4. It will also determine the recovery of an infected patient and identify the stage of infection in the patients.

5. The current confirmatory method of Real-Time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT- PCR) though a gold standard is costly and time-consuming. 6. This new rapid test will help manage the problem more efficiently at a lesser cost. GISAT-1 satellite 1. The launch of the GISAT-1 satellite has been postponed due to lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of coronavirus. 2. It is an earth observing satellite developed by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and has a lifespan of seven years. 3. It will have hyperspectral imagery along with the Ritchey-Chretien telescope for earth observation and data collection as well as the high-resolution camera.

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4. It will help in near real-time observation of the Indian subcontinent under the cloud-free conditions. 5. The satellite has been designed to obtain spectral signatures of agriculture, forestry, mineralogy, disaster warning, cloud properties, snow, glaciers, and oceanography. Genome Sequence of CoV-2 1. India has shared nine whole genome sequences of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) with the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) 2. GISAID is a public platform started by the WHO in 2008 for countries to share genome sequences. 3. All the sequences have been shared by the Pune-based National Institute of Virology. 4. So far, the sequences of the virus isolated from humans have been shared by 57 countries. The U.S. has shared the most number of sequences, followed by the U.K. (350), Belgium (253) and China (242). 5. Sequencing the genome of SARS-CoV-2 will help understand the origin of virus, different strains circulating in India, and how the virus has spread. 6. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) allowed all national research laboratories including those under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to conduct testing for the novel coronavirus. 7. Since the CSIR labs will now have access to virus samples, they will be in a position to sequence the genome too. 8. The Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB) and the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), Delhi have already started sequencing the virus. 9. The genome of the novel coronavirus is small. So sequencing and analysis are simple. 10. The CCMB has both biosafety level (BSL)-2 and BSL-3 labs. The virus is isolated and deactivated in BSL- 3 facility and sequenced in BSL-2 facility. 11. Besides sequencing, there will also be culturing the virus. This will help to study the virus and will be useful while testing vaccines and drugs. National Board for Wildlife 1. Infrastructure projects in 11 States were cleared by the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) through a video-conferencing meet. 2. Two were infrastructure proposals related to setting up power transmission lines and constructing a highway in Goa that would boost tourism. 3. Other projects included a. the Nagpur-Mumbai superhighway, b. an Indian railways project to build a railway bridge in Madhya Pradesh and Telangana,

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4. Projects that encroach into forests or protected reserves require NBWL nod as part of the government’s environmental clearance process. Projects are appraised at the State level and then subsequently presented to a large committee of wildlife experts. Sex-specific Immune system 1. A study on mice visceral adipose tissue that is similar to humans reveals that there is a difference in the way the immune system act in the body fat of male and female. 2. Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in humans was regarded as an energy storage organ. 3. But also VAT has an endocrine function, meaning it secretes adipokines and hormones that play key roles in energy balance and metabolism. 4. The perigonadal VAT from male have many more regulatory T cells (Treg) than that of the female. 5. These cells play a role in controlling the immune response to the self and external cells, thereby protecting the body from autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. 6. The Treg cells in the male VAT also showed a distinct phenotype, functional parameters and gene expression pattern compared to Treg cells in female VAT, resulting in elevated expression of inflammatory genes in male VAT. 7. For instance, Men are more susceptible to metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, this is linked to higher adipose tissue inflammation in men compared to women. 8. This finding can help in tailoring drugs to gender-specific for better health care. NeMO-Net 1. NeMO-Net is a video game developed by NASA in which players can identify and classify corals using 3D images while virtually navigating the ocean and help NASA to build a coral map. 2. The game uses real NASA data including 3D images of the ocean floor with corals, algae, and seagrass, captured from drones or aircraft on expeditions to Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and elsewhere. 3. Anyone can play the game and the players' input will allow NASA to build a global coral map using its Pleiades supercomputer. Covid Gyan Website 1. CovidGyan is a multi-institutional, multi-lingual science communication initiative created to bring the scientific and factual aspects of the pandemic outbreak on to public domain. 2. It is an outcome of an initiative of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), and Tata Memorial Centre (TMC). 3. CovidGyan serves as a hub to bring together a collection of resources in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. 4. These resources are generated by public supported research institutions in India and associated programs. 5. The content presented here relies on the best available scientific understanding of the disease and its transmission. 6. It would aid as a ‘go-to’ repository of information regarding COVID-19. 7. It is designed with multi-faceted aspects to ‘right information’ through talks from eminent scientists in audio/podcast formats, infographics, posters, videos, FAQs and mythbusters, and even links to scientific papers. CollabCAD 1. Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog and National Informatics Centre (NIC) jointly launched CollabCAD. It is a collaborative network, computer enabled software system, providing a total engineering solution from 2D drafting & detailing to 3D product design. 2. The aim of this initiative is to provide a platform to students of Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) across the country to create and modify 3d designs with free flow of creativity and imagination. 3. This software would also enable students to create data across the network and concurrently access the same design data for storage and visualization. 4. ATLs established across India, provide tinkering spaces to children to hone their innovative ideas and creativity.

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5. It is a great platform for students to utilize indigenous, state-of-the-art made-in-India software for 3D modeling/slicing to use 3D Printing. 6. A customized version of CollabCAD for ATLs with features that are most relevant to school students to materialize their ideas and creativity into physical solutions has been developed to enable designing without constraints and, thus, allowing creativity and innovation to thrive. 7. The ATL program has launched a ‘Tinker from Home’ campaign to ensure that the children across the county have access to useful easy-to-learn online resources to keep themselves fruitfully occupied. 8. The objective of the initiative is to harness the creativity and innovativeness of children by encouraging learning through self-initiation. 9. AIM also launched the Game Development module in partnership with DELL Technologies and Learning Links Foundation. It is an online platform where students can start their learning journey while tinkering from home. 10. Through the platform they can learn to create their own games and also share it with others. This platform envisages to make students transition from ‘game players’ to ‘game makers’ Wormivet 1. National Innovation Foundation India (NIF) has released an indigenous herbal medication (dewormer) in the form of commercial product for livestock owners as an alternative to the chemical method of treatment of worms. 2. To make the indigenous herbal dewormer titles ‘wormivet’ available for livestock owners, NIF worked on medication in the treatment of endoparasite (worm) infestation among livestock. 3. The anthelmintic activity of this medication in naturally infested helminthiasis was assessed. The results demonstrated the successful impact of this medication. 4. The patent was granted in 2016. In order to diffuse this technology to control endoparasite infestation among livestock, NIF value-added and promoted the development of a commercial product 'Wormivet'. 5. The internal parasite is a significant health problem as it causes diarrhoea, loss in body weight, anaemia, reproductive health concern thereby limiting productivity and growth. 6. Inappropriate use of chemical dewormer generates resistance. The presence of internal parasite during regular diagnosis and contamination of soil health by chemical-based therapy necessitates alternative sustainable therapies. 7. NIF enables protection of such viable, cost-effective therapies and their large scale diffusion either through the social or commercial channel, help organise the knowledge to control endoparasite infestation and its valorization, leading to mainstreaming technology derived from knowledge of society. Past Pandemics Pandemics have had great influence in shaping human society and politics throughout history. Justinian Plague a. It is one of the deadliest pandemics that broke out in the sixth century in Egypt and spread fast to Constantinople, the capital of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire. b. The plague was named after the then Byzantine Emperor Justinian. The outbreak spread from Constantinople to both the West and East, had killed up to 25 to 100 million people. Black Death a. The Black Death, or pestilence, that hit Europe and Asia in the14th century was the deadliest pandemic recorded in human history. It killed some 75 to 200 million people. b. The plague arrived in Europe in 1347, where up to 50% of the population died of the disease. Spanish Flu a. Spanish Flu broke out during the last phase of the First World War and was the deadliest pandemic of the last century that killed up to 50 million people. b. One of the major impacts of the outbreak was the result of the war. Though the flu hit both sides, the Germans and Austrians were affected badly and the outbreak derailed their offensives. COVID-19 a. The outbreak has seen countries, both democratic and dictatorial, imposing drastic restrictions on people’s movements. The western world is exposed to the attack of the virus.

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b. Unemployment rate in the U.S. has shot up to levels not seen since the end of the Second World War. c. Governments across the world, including the U.S. administration, are beefing up spending to stimulate an economy that shows signs of depression. Hot Spot districts 1. All districts of the country have been classified into three categories. 170 districts have been classified as hotspot districts, where a) either the number of cases is high or where b) rate of growth of COVID-19 cases is high or in other words, the doubling time of cases is low. 2. The number of districts in the second category - districts which are not hot spots but where cases have been reported – is 207. 3. The third category is green zone districts. 4. Besides the hot spots identified by the Centre, states who are fighting the battle at field level may declare additional districts as hotspot districts and take required action accordingly. Containment of COVID-19 1. MHA has issued Consolidated Revised Guidelines for the Containment of COVID-19 epidemic in the Country. 2. Additional activities have been exempted from Lockdown Measures under the Revised Guidelines. 3. This Order makes relaxations regarding essential services in areas that are not hot spots or containment zones. 4. But those areas have to ensure that lockdown measures are followed and some prerequisite steps are taken to ensure social distancing. 5. Consolidated revised guidelines on Lockdown issued by MHA today state that: a. National COVID Directions are to be followed strictly. b. SOPs for social distancing are to be followed in all workplaces. c. Supply chain of essential goods and services and shops selling these goods can continue to function, so that citizens do not face any problem. d.There is no restriction on functioning of any component of the health system during lockdown. e. Rural industries, which are situated outside municipal boundaries, have been allowed to function, with a focus on food processing industries. f. The Centre has asked states and UTs to decentralize procurement and marketing of farm produce to the extent possible. g. Work of MGNREGA will be allowed to take place during lockdown, provided proper Social Distancing norms are followed. This has been done in order to encourage the rural economy. Chitra GeneLAMP-N 1. Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, an Institute of National Importance, of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), has developed a diagnostic test kit that can confirm COVID19 in 2 hours at low cost. 2. The confirmatory diagnostic test detects the N Gene of SARS- COV2 using reverse transcriptase loop- mediated amplification of viral nucleic acid (RT-LAMP). 3. The test kit is funded by the DST called Chitra GeneLAMP-N . 4. It is highly specific for SARS-CoV-2 N-gene and can detect two regions of the gene which will ensure that the test does not fail even if one region of the viral gene undergoes mutation during its current spread. 5. The tests performed show that Chitra GeneLAMP- N has 100% accuracy and matches with test results using RT-PCR. 6. Current PCR kits in India enable detection of E gene for screening and RdRp gene for confirmation. 7. Chitra GeneLAMP-N gene testing will allow confirmation in one test without the need for a screening test and at much lower costs.

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Portable Sensor 1. The Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) has developed a compact solid-state sensor to detect the heavy metal ions in water. It is a portable device that can help onsite detection in remote areas. 2. Heavy metal ions such as lead, mercury and cadmium pose severe potential threats to living beings as they can easily be accumulated in the body and cannot be detoxified by any chemical or biological processes. 3. The health hazards associated with heavy metal ions in water demands the development of efficient and portable sensors for rapid onsite detection of these ions. 4. There is an urge to develop visual sensors, which can effectively detect heavy metal ions rapidly (within seconds) under ambient conditions. Rapid Antibody Test 1. The Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) is said to be the gold standard frontline test for coronavirus (COVID-19) and rapid antibody test cannot replace it. 2. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)’s national taskforce issued guidelines on the testing strategy to all States, following a review of the worldwide testing methodology. 3. The Rapid Antibody Test gives an idea about prevalence of disease in a particular area and is used for epidemiological studies and surveillance purpose in hotspots. It can also be used in districts that are not hotspots to study emerging trends. 4. The data generated by surveillance through rapid testing can be used for contact tracing if any positive case arises in an area. 5. Presently the government is using the RT-PCR tests to detect novel coronavirus from samples of throat or nasal swabs of people with symptoms or high-risk individuals who might have come in contact with positive patients. Pseudocapacitors 1. Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Mohali, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science & Technology, have developed a stable material for pseudocapacitors or supercapacitors that store electrical energy by electron charge transfer. 2. The material can offer a low-cost scalable energy storage solution as an alternative to batteries. 3. The team has formulated a synthetic strategy to overcome the long-standing challenges of pseudocapacitors, their cycling stability, and rate capability. 4. Pseudocapacitors are a type of supercapacitors that store electrical energy by electron charge transfer. Xerogel 1. The pseudocapacitive material, a hybrid xerogel structure (a solid formed from a gel by drying with unhindered shrinkage), has been developed for the very first time. 2. The hybrid material was fabricated by the integration of a well-known organic molecule, dopamine onto a conductive matrix, like graphene. 3. This class of xerogel architectures regarded as alternatives to conventional pseudocapacitors, lacks sufficient cycling stability to replace batteries in the consumer market. 4. The pseudocapacitive material, an organic-inorganic hybrid xerogel, has potential as a low-cost and scalable energy storage solution for commercial applications. 5. This method is expected to serve as a universal approach and as a model system for organic-inorganic hybrid xerogel pseudocapacitors. 6. The novel synthesis approach, as well as the study of the mechanism of redox supercapacitors at the molecular level, will offer new insights into improving the long-standing issue of stability and inferior power output of pseudocapacitors. 7. It can promote future research in the field of organic pseudocapacitors and provide an effective strategy to facilitate progress towards self-sustaining energy future.

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Ionospheric electron density 1. Researchers from Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, Navi Mumbai have developed a global model to predict the ionospheric electron density with larger data coverage - a crucial need for communication and navigation. 2. A new Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) based global Ionospheric Model has been developed using long- term ionospheric observations to predict the ionospheric electron density and the peak parameters. 3. Artificial Neural Networks replicate the processes in the human brain to solve problems such as pattern recognition, classification, clustering, generalization, linear and nonlinear data fitting, and time series prediction. 4. Very few attempts have been made to model the global ionosphere variability using ANNs. Rechargeable metal-air battery 1. Scientists at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Mohali, have recently come up with an efficient, low-cost electro-catalyst from fish gills 2. This can help develop environmentally friendly energy conversion devices. 3. This bio-inspired carbon nanostructure can help overcome the bottleneck in the realization of several renewable energy conversion and storage technologies such as fuel cells, biofuel cells, and metal−air batteries. 4. It could be utilized as next-generation nonprecious carbon-based electrocatalyst for energy conversion and storage applications. TriboE masks 1. The Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bangalore, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), has come up with face masks, termed as TriboE Mask. 2. This mask can hold electric charges to restrict the entry of infections but, without any external power. 3. When two non-conducting layers are rubbed against each other, the layers develop positive and negative charges instantly and continue to hold the charges for some time. 4. This electric field, quite strong at proximity, is used to deactivate or possibly even kill the germs. 5. The mask is three-layered - a layer of nylon cloth sandwiched between polypropylene layers, the latter sourced from commonly used non woven grocery bags. In place of nylon, silk fabric from an old saree or shawl may also be cut and used. 6. When layers are rubbed against each other, the outer layers develop negative charges, while nylon will hold the positive charges. This will act as double electric wall protection against the infectious entities crossing. 7. As the mask is made out of commonly available fabrics, it can be washed just like any other cloth and can be reused. 8. This is based on triboelectric effect, a type of contact electrification on which certain materials become electrically charged after they are separated from a different material with which they were in contact. Immune system response 1. As COVID-19 is not different from influenza viruses in the way they attack the body, the immune system has a predictable response to it. 2. A cascade of viral particles enters the body through the nose, eyes or mouth. Breathing carries some of these particles to the lower respiratory tract. 3. Here the spike proteins of the coronavirus, acting like a key, lock into epithelial cells. SARS-CoV-2 is able to stay undetected longer than many flu or coronaviruses. 4. Its spike proteins are able to gain entry by unlocking the ACE2 protein on the lung cells. Once in, they hijack the cell’s machinery, replicate and multiply and infect adjoining cells. 5. Viruses have signatures on their surface called antigens. Once it is spotted, the immune system produces antibodies. 6. The signals they generate trigger another class of chemicals — cytokines and chemokines. They alert the immune system to send an array of different kinds of cells that specialise in destroying viral particles. 7. But these cytokines and chemokines trigger inflammation in the cells. In the case of SARS-CoV-2, the virus penetrate deeper.

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8. The inflammation triggers a fluid build-up in the lungs. It produces mucus and a runny nose to trap viral particles and prevent their ingress. 9. The fluids also contain the residue of a host of specialised cells including T cells. These damage many of the body’s own cells as well as the viral particles. 10. While expelling this fluid a dry cough, characteristic of the coronavirus infection, begins. As more airsacs are infected, the lungs find it harder to extract oxygen from the air. And eventually, this aggravates breathlessness. 11. The elderly already have an inherent malfunctioning in the immune system. Especially those with existing conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. 12. Mortality statistics globally suggest that men are twice more likely than women to succumb to a COVID- 19 infection. Estrogen being an immune-system modulator and the ability to deal with a pregnancy primes women to better deal with infections. Disinfectant on Humans The Health Ministry has issued a detailed advisory against spraying humans with disinfectants to prevent a rerun once labourers return to industries that qualify for relaxation. What does the order say? 1. Spraying of individuals or groups is not recommended under any circumstances. 2. Spraying an individual or group with chemical disinfectants is physically and psychologically harmful. 3. Spraying the external part of the body of a person potentially exposed to the COVID-19 virus does not kill the virus that has entered the body. 4. Also spraying disinfectant is not scientifically proven even to effectively disinfect the outer clothing/body. How is disinfection carried out? 1. Disinfectant refers to substances applied to inanimate objects owing to their strong chemical properties. 2. Disinfection for the SARS-CoV2 virus is usually done using a solution of sodium hypochlorite, commonly known as bleach, a harsh chemical. 3. Chemical disinfectants are recommended for cleaning and disinfection only of frequently touched areas/surfaces by those suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19. 4. As the disinfectant takes specific time to act on an area, the disinfection protocol advises for keeping any place that has been disinfected to be shut. Why is it a problem? 1. Spraying disinfectant can be harmful. 2. The solution of sodium hypochlorite is unstable and quickly breaks down to release chlorine that can have several harmful effects. 3. Spraying of chlorine on individuals can lead to irritation of eyes and skin and potentially gastrointestinal effects such as nausea and vomiting. 4. Inhalation of sodium hypochlorite can lead to irritation of mucous membranes to the nose, throat, respiratory tract and may also cause bronchospasm. 5. Also, such measures may lead to a false sense of disinfection & safety and hamper public observance to hand washing and social distancing measures. Mobile Virology Diagnostics 1. A first of its kind facility in India, a Mobile Virology Diagnostics and Research Laboratory has been inaugurated in Hyderabad. 2. It has been developed by the DRDO. It has a Biosafety of level-3 3. The laboratory can test thousand samples for Coronavirus daily and can scale up to 2000 in future. 4. The laboratory also has a facility to trial drugs and conduct research on Coronavirus. 5. The laboratory can expand its operations in future and can be moved easily to anywhere in the country.

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Anthurium 1. A women innovator from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, has developed ten varieties of Anthurium, a flower with high market value, by cross-pollination. 2. Anthurium (Anthurium spp.) is a vast group of blooming plants available in a wide range of colors. The plants of the varieties has high demand due to its use as indoor decorative plants. 3. But the propagation method used in this process is a time-consuming technique demand across the country couldn’t be met. 4. So, the National Innovation Foundation-India has facilitated mass multiplication and large scale production of four highly demanded varieties through tissue culture technique at the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bangalore, for the diffusion of the varieties in similar agroclimatic zones of the country. 5. Anthurium is one of the best domestic flowering plants in the world. They are beautiful and also purify the surrounding air and remove harmful airborne chemicals like formaldehyde, ammonia, toluene, xylene, and allergens. 6. Due to its ability to remove toxic substances from the air, NASA has placed it in the list of air purifier plants. Anthurium has larger economic importance and has a good market price. Nano Blitz 3D 1. International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI) in collaboration with Nanomechanics Inc., USA have jointly developed an advanced tool for mapping nano-mechanical properties of materials like multiphase alloys, composites, and multi-layered coatings. 2. The tool called NanoBlitz 3D yields excellent results on a wide range of material systems, including glass- fibre-reinforced polymer composites, dual-phase steels, softwood and shale. 3. This technique has a high-throughput, with just a few hours of testing required for generating more than 10,000 data points that can be processed using machine learning (ML) algorithms. 4. It enables the performance of a large array, typically consisting of 1000s high-speed nano-indentation tests. Each indentation test take less than one second to measure the hardness and elastic modulus of a given material. 5. It also provides capabilities to carry out advanced data analysis, such as identifying and quantifying the mechanical properties of constituent phases, features or components of multiphase alloys, composites, multi-layered coatings and so on. 6. The high-speed mapping capabilities of the tool can also be used to quickly establish structure-property linkages, that can help to understand multiscale mechanics and aid in development of hierarchical materials. 7. This expedites the development of high-performance novel materials under an Integrated Computational Material Engineering (ICME) approach. Planetary collision 1. An observation regarded to be the aftermath of a violent collision between two planetary building blocks orbiting a large and luminous star has been noted. This could be similar to collisions in our solar system’s history. 2. The apparent crash between two icy bodies each about 125 miles (200 km) wide occurred around a star called Fomalhaut, located a relatively close 25 light-years from Earth, that is about twice the mass and 17 times the luminosity of the sun. 3. A light year is the distance light travels in a year, 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km). 4. The two bodies in this collision may have been planetesimals would have joined together to form planets during a planetary system’s formative stages. But in this case, the two were destroyed. 5. The Earth-Moon system also formed in a violent collision. But the two objects were substantially smaller than Earth’s moon but larger than the two small moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos. 6. The observations about the collision were based on Hubble Space Telescope data collected between 2004 and 2014.

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Human Space Programme 1. The Directorate of Human Space Programme of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has invited proposals to develop indigenous technologies for its future human space flight missions. 2. The concepts can range from food and medicine eaten by astronauts during low-earth space trips to anti- radiation and thermal protection technologies for the spacecraft, life support systems for astronauts, and inflatable habitats to robotic interfaces during more complex missions. 3. There was a need to develop affordable local technologies that could support human survival in low-earth orbits initially, and in bigger explorations later. 4. This opportunity will enable national research/academic institutions to harness their expertise and capabilities towards development of technologies for space exploration. 5. In the long term, the country’s emerging human space programme will need to establish research facilities and develop human resources. 6. Gaganyaan, ISRO’s first human space mission, is planned for 2022. It plans to send three astronauts to a distance of 400 km in space in a special spacecraft. They will circle earth over three to seven days. 7. Four pilots of the Indian Air Force are currently training in Moscow to be the first set of potential candidates for Gaganyaan. Merger of Black holes 1. For the first time, the gravitational wave observatories at LIGO scientific collaboration have detected a merger of two unequal-mass black holes. The event is dubbed as GW190412. 2. It was detected nearly a year ago, and this is almost five years after the first ever detection of gravitational wave signals by these powerful detectors. 3. Subsequent analysis of the signal coming from the violent merger showed that it involved two black holes of unequal masses coalescing 4. The detected signal’s waveform has special extra features in it when it corresponds to the merger of two unequal-sized black holes as compared with a merger of equal-sized black holes. 5. While the mass of the black hole bends the space-time close to it, the spin or angular momentum of this inscrutable object drags the nearby space-time, causing it to swirl around, along with it. Hence both these properties are important to estimate. 6. Dominant emission of gravitational waves happens at twice the orbital frequency of the binary 7. In this case, for the first time, emission at a frequency that is three times the orbital frequency is observed. 8. This emission is negligible when binaries contain equal masses and when the orbit is face-on. AC Temperature 1. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the government has issued an advisory to set air conditioners between 24 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius and maintain relative humidity between 40 and 70 per cent. 2. The guidelines were formulated by the Indian Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air Conditioner Engineers (ISHRAE) considering the climatic regions of the Indian subcontinent. 3. According to ISHRAE, the best action to limit the risk of infection by air was to ventilate indoor environments with outdoor air. 4. In humid climates it is necessary to set temperature closer to 24 degrees Celsius for de humidification and in dry climates closer to or at 30 degrees Celsius and use fans to increase air movement. 5. Studies conducted at various RH levels have shown that using viral culture methods low temperatures (7–8 degrees Celsius) were optimal for airborne influenza survival, with virus survival decreasing progressively at moderate temperatures (20.5–24 degrees Celsius) and further decreases at higher (greater than 30 degrees Celsius) temperatures. 6. Another study shows that the SARS-CoV-2 can live for 14 days on a surface at 4 degrees Celsius, one day at 37 degrees Celsius and will die in 30 minutes at 56 degrees Celsius. 7. Humidity can affect the infectivity — the ease with which infections can take place — of the virus through respiration. In a dry environment, or when there is low humidity, it is easier for foreign particles to invade the body. So, relative humidity of at least 40 per cent is considered the threshold.

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8. When we breathe dry air the mucous membrane in the lungs become dry. The fluid over lining the cells becomes more viscous, and the little hairs called cilia, which protect our lungs from deep settling of viable and non-viable particles, cannot work and particles settle more deeply in the lungs. 9. If we consider oxygen and CO2 transport and the blood, it is only one cell membrane that separates the airspace from the blood. If something goes from our lungs into the blood, we get infected. Assistive Robotic Device 1. Durgapur-based CSIR lab, Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute has developed Hospital Care Assistive Robotic Device, HCARD that can help frontline health care workers in maintaining physical distance from those infected by corona virus. 2. Health care workers at hospitals are risking COVID-19 infection while taking care of those infected by it. 3. The device is equipped with various state-of-the-art technologies and works both in automatic as well as manual modes of navigation. 4. This robot can be controlled and monitored by a nursing booth with a Control Station having features such as navigation, drawer activation for providing medicines and food to patients, sample collection and audio-visual communication. 5. The HCARD could be effective for frontline health care officials dealing with COVID-19 patients in delivering services while maintaining mandatory physical distancing. Herbal Products 1. Researchers at Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Lucknow have developed two scientifically proven herbal products that can boost the immunity of the persons. 2. They also help in alleviating the dry cough symptom generally associated with the Coronavirus infection. 3. CIMAP, a constituent laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, has decided to transfer the technology of its herbal products ‘CIM-Paushak’ and ‘Herbal Cough Syrup’ to the entrepreneurs and start-up companies. 4. Twelve valuable herbs including Puranva, Ashwagandha, Mulethi, Harad, Baheda and Sataver compounds have been used in both these products. 5. The improvement of the immune system is expected to help in reducing the effects of the infection and also fight the COVID-19 disease. Source: AIR news VITAL 1. NASA engineers have developed a new, easy-to-build high-pressure ventilator tailored specifically to treat COVID-19 patients. 2. The device is called VITAL (Ventilator Intervention Technology Accessible Locally). 3. VITAL is designed to treat patients with milder symptoms, thereby keeping the country's limited supply of traditional ventilators available for patients with more severe COVID-19 symptoms. 4. NASA is now seeking FDA approval for the device via an emergency use authorization, a fast-track approval process developed for crisis situations that takes just days rather than years. 5. VITAL can be built faster and maintained more easily than a traditional ventilator, and is composed of far fewer parts, many of which are currently available to potential manufacturers through existing supply chains. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms 1. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has issued an advisory to immediately admit and give treatment to people with “severe” alcohol withdrawal symptoms during the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown. 2. The advisory was prepared in association with the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) at All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). 3. In the ‘severe’ category, the affected people might get a. seizures (convulsions), b. delirium tremens, c. comprised of confusion, disturbed level of consciousness, impaired awareness of surroundings, hallucinations and abnormal behaviour, and www.skholar.com www.skholar.com

d. wernicke-korsakoff syndrome - a variety of neurological and cognitive symptoms, especially common in malnourished patients. 4. Such “severe” patients require emergency medical care and hospitalisation. 5. The symptoms for ‘mild or moderate’ affected are classified into ‘psychological’ and ‘psychological and physical’ categories. 6. The ‘psychological’ category patients will have anxiety, irritability, restlessness, craving, and an irresistible urge to consume liquor. Majority of them will get better within a few days with adequate fluids and nutritional supplementation. 7. Those with psychological and physical symptoms may have difficulty in sleeping, tremors, increased sweating, palpitations, headache, stomach upset and poor appetite. 8. Such patients should visit the clinic for prescription of appropriate medicines of benzodiazepine group (such as diazepam or lorazepam) and high doses of vitamin B (particularly thiamine, vitamin B1). Mobile virology research and diagnostics laboratory (MVRDL) 1. The Defence Minister inaugurated a mobile virology research and diagnostics laboratory (MVRDL). 2. It has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), together with ESIC Hospital, Hyderabad, and the private industry. 3. The mobile lab will be helpful in carrying out diagnosis of COVID-19 and in virus-culturing for drug screening, convalescent plasma-derived therapy, comprehensive immune profiling of patients towards vaccine development and early clinical trials specific to Indian population. 4. The MVRDL is the combination of a bio-safety level (BSL)-3 lab and a BSL-2 lab and was set up in a record time of 15 days. It can process 1,000-2,000 samples a day. 5. The laboratories comply with the biosafety standards of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) so as to meet international guidelines. 6. The first such MVRDL was developed by the Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, in consultation with ESIC Hospital. It can be positioned anywhere in the country.

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Geography

Cauvery river 1. The ongoing COVID 19 lockdown has helped in reducing the water pollution levels in the Cauvery and its tributaries due to less industrial activities. 2. Cauvery or Kavery and tributaries like Kabini, Hemavati, Shimsha, and Lakshmanathirtha are regaining water quality.

3. These rivers have been flowing with hazardous elements such as lead, fluoride, faecal coliform, and some suspended solids in highly dangerous quantity. 4. Cauvery river rises on Brahmagiri Hill of the Western Ghats in southwestern Karnataka state and flows through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. 5. It descends the Eastern Ghats in a series of great falls and merges with the Bay of Bengal. Natuna Islands 1. Chinese fishing fleets have been encroaching the fishing grounds of the Natuna Islands in the South China Sea region.

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2. Natuna regency is an archipelago of 272 islands located in the south part of the South China Sea in the Natuna Sea. 3. It is part of the larger Tudjuh Archipelago, off the northwest coast of Borneo, Indonesia. 4. Natuna has large reserves of natural gas that is exported to neighbouring countries such as Singapore. Dhauladhar range 1. Dhauladhar mountain range has become visible from Jalandhar, Punjab for the first time because of less air pollution caused by the ongoing lockdown. 2. It is part of a lesser Himalayan chain of mountains and located mainly in Himachal Pradesh. The elevation of these mountains ranges widely from 3,500 m to nearly 6,000 m. 3. These mountains are mostly composed of granite but limestone and sandstone also exist in some parts. 4. There are glacial lakes in the Dhauladhar. The biggest among them is the Lam Dal. 5. One of the major passes across this range is the Indrahar Pass. It forms the border between Kangra and Chamba districts of the state. Normal monsoon 1. The India Meteorological Department(IMD) has predicted a normal southwest monsoon for the country this year. 2. IMD issued the first-stage Long Range Forecast for southwest Monsoon Season rainfall for this year. 3. The Long Period Average of monsoon will be 100 per cent which falls in the "normal" category. 4. The IMD has revised the onset and withdrawal dates of the monsoon from this year. 5. The normal onset date over Kerala, which is June 1, will remain the same. Spratly islands 1. China defended its naming of 80 islands and other geographical features in the South China Sea in a move likely to anger neighbours as the country asserts its territorial claims. 2. The names were announced after China established new administrative districts for the contested Spratly and Paracel island chains. 3. The notice listed the Chinese names and coordinates of 80 islands, reefs, seamounts, shoals and ridges, 55 of them submerged in water. 4. The Spratly Islands dispute is an ongoing territorial dispute between China, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam 5. It is concerning "ownership" of the Spratly Islands, a group of islands and associated "maritime features" (reefs, banks, cays, etc.) located in the South China Sea. Tropical cyclones 1. Worldwide there are six regional specialised meteorological centres (RSMCs) and five regional Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs) mandated for issuing advisories and naming of tropical cyclones. 2. India Meteorological Department is one of the six RSMCs to provide tropical cyclone and storm surge advisories to 13 member countries under WMO/ESCAP Panel including Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. 3. RSMC, New Delhi is also mandated to name the Tropical Cyclones developing over the north Indian Ocean (NIO) including the Bay of Bengal (BoB) and the Arabian Sea (AS) by following a standard procedure. 4. Naming of Tropical Cyclones helps the scientific community, disaster managers, media and general masses to a. identify each individual cyclone. b. create awareness of its development. c. remove confusion in case of simultaneous occurrence of TCs over a region d. remember a TC easily e. rapidly and effectively disseminate warnings to much wider audience 5. The WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones (PTC) at a Session held in 2000 in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman agreed in principle to assign names to the tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea.

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6. The naming of the tropical cyclones over the north Indian Ocean commenced from September 2004. This list contained names proposed by the then eight-member countries of WMO/ESCAP PTC, viz., Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand. 7. The 2018 Session at Muscat decided to prepare a fresh list of names of tropical cyclones including representation from 5 new member countries, viz., Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen (Total 13 member countries).

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History, Art & Culture

Shab-e-Barat 1. This is an Islamic festival observed on the night between the 14 and 15 of Shaban, the eighth month of the Islamic calendar. 2. It means the night of forgiveness or the Day of Atonement in Islam. 3. It is considered to be the night when God forgives sinners and falls in the run-up to Ramzan. 4. The date of Shab-e-Barat is also celebrated as the birthday of Muhammad al-Mahdi, who is commemorated as the twelfth imam of Shia Muslims. 5. He is considered to be the saviour of mankind and his birthday is celebrated by Shia Muslims. Gamosa masks 1. Members of a non-profit organisation in Assam have been designing the masks with motifs of the endangered hargila (greater adjutant stork), rhino and elephant to promote wildlife conservation along with protection of human faces. 2. The ubiquitous decorative cotton towel are being successfully turned into masks to fight COVID-19 3. Gamosa is a handloom product of Assam and has been awarded a Geographical Indication tag. 4. It is also referred to as Bihuwaan as it is part of Bihu festival of Assam. 5. It is mostly woven out of white thread with a red border on three sides and a red woven motif on the fourth side. Bihu festival 1. Assamese Bihu is one of the most important cultural festivals of Assam, which celebrates the change in seasons. 2. It mainly caters to the agrarian culture and society of the state and marks the beginning of Assamese New Year and harvest season. 3. All these three types of Bihu are celebrated during different time periods. 4. Rongali or Bohag Bihu comes in April, Kongali or Kati Bihu is observed in October while Bhogali or Magh Bihu is celebrated in January. Gamosas in Bihu 1. Assam has traditionally had two types of gamosas — the uka or plain kind used to wipe sweat or dry the body after a bath, and the phulam, which is decorated with floral motifs to be gifted as a memento or during festivals such as Bihu. 2. It symbolised Assamese nationalism in 1916 when the Asom Chatra Sanmilan, a students’ organisation was formed, followed by the Assam Sahitya Sabha, a literary body. 3. Wearing the phulam gamosa around the neck became a standard for cultural identity. 4. The Assamese way of life is woven in the gamosa, whether plain or decorative. From a cultural symbol, it became a political symbol before designers explored its potential as dress material such as distinctive shirts. 5. Thegamosa’s graph as a symbol of protest rose during the anti-foreigners Assam Agitation from 1979 to 1985. The extremist United Liberation Front of Asom too used the towel with “revolutionary” motifs. 6. Gamosa was used in the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Meru Jatra festival 1. Odisha’s Ganjam district administration has banned the Meru Jatra festival and congregations related to it at temples on the occasion of Mahavishub Sankranti. 2. Meru Jatra marks the end of the 21-day-long festival of penance named ‘Danda Nata’. 3. Mahavishub Sankranti is also the start of the Odia New Year. On this day, thousands of devotees used to gather at the Tara Tarini hill shrine and other temples. 4. Danda Nata or Danda Jatra is one of the most important traditional dance festivals organized in different parts of South Odisha and particularly in the Ganjam District, the heartland of ancient Kalinga Empire. 5. The Danda Nata festival is being held in the month of Chaitra every year.

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Maldhari Nomads 1. Around 350-400 Maldhari families, nomadic pastoralists from Gujarat, are stuck in eight districts of Chhattisgarh due to the ongoing lockdown. 2. They are used to travelling from Gujarat to Chhattisgarh through Maharashtra and back for centuries. 3. Now they are being viewed as carriers of SARS-COV-2 and being stigmatised. About Maldharis 1. The Maldharis are a pastoral group from Gujarat similar to other groups such as Gujjars and Bakarwals in Jammu and Kashmir, Gaddis in Himachal Pradesh and Raikas in Rajasthan. 2. They are also known as Rabaris in Gujarat. These pastoral nomads sell the milk, ghee, butter and wool of their sheep, goats, cows and camels. Intangible Cultural Heritage 1. Manipur’s tradition of making rice beer, the practice of tying turbans in Rajasthan and several different dances, forms of music and festivals from across the country were added to the draft list of intangible cultural heritage released by the Union Culture Ministry. 2. 13 traditions of Indian intangible cultural heritage were already recognised by UNESCO and the national list was an attempt to further awareness and protection to more such elements. 3. The initiative is a part of the ministry’s Vision 2024 programme. The present items in the list have been collated from the projects sanctioned under the scheme for ‘Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage and Diverse Cultural Traditions of India’ formulated by the Ministry of Culture in 2013. UNESCO Convention As per the 2003 UNESCO Convention for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the list has five broad categories — oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, knowledge and practices related to nature and traditional craftsmanship. Other traditions 1. Among the traditions seen across the country are the devotional music of Qawwali and the music of the oldest instrument in the country, the Veena. The Kumbh Mela and Ramlila traditions of different States have also been included. 2. Pachoti: Traditional folk festival of Assam that celebrates the birth of a baby, particularly a male infant as the tradition relating to the birth of Krishna and is celebrated with relatives and neighbours. 3. The oral traditions of the transgender community called Kinnar Kanthgeet and compositions of Ameer Khusro are among the entries from Delhi. 4. Gujarat’s Patola silk textiles from Patan with its geometric and figurative patterns also made it to the list. The practice of tying a turban or safa across Rajasthan was a -part of the list. 5. From Jammu and Kashmir, the Kalam Bhat or Qalambaft gharana of Sufiana music in Budgam district and from Ladakh, the Buddhist chanting across both Leh and Kargil districts were on the list of intangible cultural heritage. 6. The making of khor, a rice beer, by the Tangkhul community in Manipur as well as other crafts associated with it, like making gourd vessels and wicker baskets, were also on the list. 7. Kerala’s martial art form, Kalaripayuttu, and the practice of making designs at the entrance of homes and temples called kolam in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh were also included in the list. 8. Different forms of shadow puppet theatre — Chamadyacha Bahulya in Maharashtra, Tolu Bommalatta in Andhra Pradesh, Togalu Gombeyatta in Karnataka, Tolu Bommalattam in Tamil Nadu, Tolpava Kuthu in Kerala and Ravanchhaya in Orissa — have also been included.

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Miscellaneous

Operation Sanjeevani 1. The government of India has launched Operation Sanjeevani to deliver Maldives the essential medicines and hospital consumables. 2. It is very important assistance to the Maldives as it is registering a consistent rise in COVID19 cases. 3. The medicines include influenza vaccines, anti-viral drugs such as lopinavir and ritonavir which have been used to treat patients with COVID-19 in other countries, etc. 4. Indian Airforce and Army have carried out the operation. 5. The Maldives is an island nation in South Asia and located in the Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean. It lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India. CARUNA initiative 1. Associations representing officers of Central Civil Services, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and the Indian Police Service (IPS) started 'CARUNA initiative.’ 2. It aims to support and supplement the government's efforts in fighting coronavirus. 3. 'CARUNA' stands for Civil Services Associations Reach to Support in Natural Disasters. 4. It represents a collaborative platform on which civil servants, industry leaders, NGO professionals, and IT professionals come together to contribute their time and abilities. COVID 19 resolution 1. The United Nations General Assembly has unanimously adopted a resolution on COVID-19 calling for intensified international cooperation to defeat the pandemic. 2. The resolution is titled ‘Global solidarity to fight the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)’ and co- sponsored by 188 nations including India. 3. It is the first such document on the global pandemic to be adopted by the world organization. 4. It calls for intensified international cooperation in exchanging information, scientific knowledge, and best practices and applying guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization. Exercise NCC YOGDAN 1. National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets have started serving people during the COVID-19 pandemic under Exercise NCC Yogdan. 2. NCC is the youth wing of Armed Forces with its Headquarters at New Delhi. It is open to school and college students on a voluntary basis. 3. Ministry of Defence (MoD) has allowed temporary employment of NCC cadets along with the issuance of the guidelines. 4. These cadets will support the state and municipal authorities to augment relief efforts. 5. The types of tasks envisaged for cadets include a) Manning of helpline/call centres b) Distribution of relief materials, medicines, food/essential commodities c) Community assistance d) Data management and queue and traffic management e) Manning of CCTV control rooms Madhuban Gajar carrot 1. Madhuban Gajar is a biofortified carrot variety with high β-carotene and iron content developed by a farmer scientist in Gujarat. It has become the main source of income for the local farmers. 2. The variety is being cultivated in more than 1000 hectares of land in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh during the last three years. 3. Among all the varieties tested, beta-carotene and iron content were found to be superior. 4. The Madhuvan Gajar is a highly nutritious carrot variety developed through the selection method with higher β-carotene content and iron content dry basis and is used for various value-added products like carrot chips, juices, and pickles.

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5. As per validation trials of National Innovation Foundation (NIF), under the Department of Science and Technology, Madhuban Gajar carrot variety possesses a significantly higher root yield (74.2 t/ha) and plant biomass (275 gm per plant) as compared to check variety.

Source: PIB Chapter VII resolution 1. Under UNSC, most Chapter VII resolutions determine the existence of a threat to the peace, a breach of the peace, or an act of aggression in accordance with Article 39, and make a decision explicitly under Chapter VII. 2. A UNSC Resolution is considered to be ‘a Chapter VII resolution’ if it makes an explicit determination that the situation under consideration constitutes a threat to the peace, a breach of the peace, or an act of aggression, and/or explicitly/ implicitly states that the UNSC is acting under Chapter VII. 3 Chapter VII resolutions are very rarely isolated measures. Often the first response to a crisis is a resolution demanding the crisis be ended. 4. This is followed by an actual resolution detailing the measures required to secure compliance with the first resolution. Sometimes multiple resolutions are passed over time to modify and extend the mandate of the first Chapter VII resolution. 5. The UN peacekeeping forces used in such circumstances are called Blue Berets because of the colour of the caps that they wear. South Korean Model 1. Ahmedabad is trying to contain the spread of the pandemic with intensive surveillance and aggressive testing to detect the maximum number of cases of infected people and isolate them to curtail further spread of the disease and break the chain of transmission. 2. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has now adopted the South Korean model of enhanced testing to ascertain the scale of the epidemic in the city. 3. Along with aggressive testing, the civic body has hardened social distancing measures by strictly regulating goings and comings in the entire walled city area, from where the maximum number of cases have emerged. 4. The AMC has identified 14 clusters or hotspots where intensive surveillance, mass testing and contact tracing of infected persons will be carried out with enhanced focus. Neighbouring Rights 1. France’s competition regulator said that Google must start paying media groups for displaying their content, ordering it to begin negotiations after refusing for months to comply with Europe’s new digital copyright law. 2. Within three months, Google has to conduct negotiations in good faith with publishers and news agencies on the remuneration for the re-use of their protected contents. 3. In 2019, France became the first country to ratify the EU law. The new rule on “neighbouring rights” is designed to ensure news publishers are compensated when their work is shown on websites, search engines and social media platforms. Bharat Padhe Online campaign 1. Human Resources Development Minister launched a weeklong Bharat Padhe Online campaign for crowdsourcing of ideas for improving the online education ecosystem of India.

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2. It aims to invite all the best brains in India to share suggestions or solutions directly with the HRD Ministry to overcome constraints of online education while promoting the available digital education platforms. 3. Students and teachers are the main target audience in it to improve the existing online education methods. Students currently studying in schools or higher educational institutions are the ones engaging with the existing digital platforms offering various courses etc. on a daily basis. 4. Educators across the country can also come forward to contribute with their expertise in the field of education. 5. They can suggest an ideal online education ecosystem or the limitations of the current online education scenario of India and challenges faced in traditional classrooms that can be addressed through online education. Interoperable Set-Top Boxes 1. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended for all television set-top boxes (STBs) to be interoperable. 2. This will allow consumers to use the same STB across different Direct to Home (DTH) or cable TV providers. 3. TRAI also suggested the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to make the required amendments in licensing and registration conditions to make interoperability mandatory. Need for Interoperability 1. Lack of interoperability of set-top boxes between different service providers deprives the customer of the freedom to change the service provider. 2. Creates a hindrance to technological innovation, improvement in service quality, and overall sector growth. Challenges 1. The STBs deployed in the cable TV networks are non-interoperable. Even in the DTH, the STBs are not readily interoperable. 2. There are technical and commercial constraints to the universal STB. 3. So TRAI recommended platform-specific interoperability i.e. STBs are interoperable within the cable TV segment and similarly within the DTH segment. Implementing the Interoperability 1. A coordination committee be set up by the I&B Ministry to steer the implementation of revised STB standards for both the DTH and the cable TV segments. 2. The committee may maintain continuous oversight for setting up the digital TV standards by BIS. 3. Digital TV standards to provide Digital Video Broadcasting Common Interface Plus (DVB CI+) 2.0 port based on ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) TS 103 605 standards. YUKTI Portal 1. Union Minister for HRD has launched a web-portal YUKTI (Young India Combating COVID with Knowledge, Technology and Innovation). 2. It’s a unique portal and dashboard to monitor and record the efforts and initiatives of MHRD. 3. The portal intends to cover the different dimensions of COVID-19 challenges in a very holistic and comprehensive way. 4. The primary aim is to keep the academic community healthy, both physically & mentally and to enable a continuous high-quality learning environment for learners. 5. It will cover the various initiatives and efforts of the institutions in academics, research especially related to CoVID, social initiatives by institutions and the measures taken for the betterment of the total wellbeing of the students. 6. The portal will cover both qualitative and quantitative parameters for effective delivery of services to the academic community at large. 7. It will also allow various institutions to share their strategies for various challenges which are there because of the unprecedented situation of COVID-19 and other future initiatives. 8. This portal is expected to give inputs for better planning and will enable MHRD to monitor effectively its activities for the coming six months.

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9. It will also establish a two-way communication channel between the Ministry of HRD and the institutions so that the Ministry can provide the necessary support system to the institutions. 10. This portal will help in critical issues related to student promotion policies, placements related challenges and physical and mental well-being of students in these challenging times. Personal protective equipment 1. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is crucial to keep healthcare workers on the COVID-19 pandemic's frontline safe. PPE works as a barrier between an individual’s skin, mouth, nose, or eyes and viral and bacterial infections. 2. PPE consists of garments placed to protect health care workers or any other persons from getting infected. These usually consist of standard precautions: gloves, mask, gown. 3. For airborne infections, PPE will include: Face protection, goggles and mask or faceshield, gloves, gown or coverall, head cover, rubber boots. For COVID-19, PPE includes: Gloves, Medical masks, Respirators, Eye protection, Gowns, Aprons, Boots or closed-toe work shoes. 4. SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted between people through close contact and droplets. Those who are in close contact with a COVID-19 patient or who care for patients are most at risk of infection. 5. But the lack of PPE is currently a global concern. The current global stockpile of PPE is insufficient. Journalism Relief Fund 1. Google will launch an emergency fund to help local news outlets struggling to maintain operations due to the coronavirus pandemic. 2. The media sector is facing deep cutbacks resulting from the global consumer lockdown, an intense economic slump and retrenchment in advertising revenues. 3. Local news is a vital resource for keeping people and communities connected. 4. The fund will open to outlets producing original news for local communities during this time of crisis. 5. Facebook will be donating $100 million to support news organisations globally affected by the pandemic. This includes $25 million in grants and ramped up ad spending by Facebook. 6. Facebook and Google have stepped up efforts to help news organizations, following criticism that their dominance of online advertising has made it difficult for media to profit from digital operations. COVID India Seva 1. The Health and Family Welfare Minister has launched an interactive platform, COVID INDIA SEVA aimed at providing real-time solutions to Covid-19 related queries. 2. People can post their queries to the COVID INDIA SEVA twitter handle for getting swift replies from the team of trained experts. 3. This initiative is aimed at enabling transparent e-governance delivery at large scales especially in crisis situations like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 4. Through this platform, trained experts will be able to share authoritative public health information swiftly at scale, helping to build a direct channel for communication with citizens. 5. The responses by the experts will be available for everyone and users will not be required to share any personal details or health records on this account. Trilateral Ties 1. India and Australia would face common challenges in the Indo-Pacific as COVID-19 was stretching much of the world’s governmental capacity. 2. Australia called for greater cooperation, especially among India, Australia and Indonesia. 3. Cooperation between India and Australia in Southeast Asia was a natural fit. 4. The relations should build on last year’s successful trilateral maritime security workshop with Indonesia to identify new ways that three countries can collaborate to be the best possible custodians of the Indian Ocean. 5. COVID-19 would not necessarily change the nature of threats but would hasten the pace at which they were developing.

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Thucydides and Tacitus Trap 1. Chinese attempts to displace American economic and strategic hegemony in the international system faced lot of friction. 2. This competition opened up the prospect of the Thucydides Trap — the possibility of deepening tension as one great power seeks to replace another. (Graham Allison described this) 3. The US administration has been seeking to redefine the terms of the economic relationship with China. 4. The COVID-19 crisis has turned the world public opinion against China. 5. China is being widely held responsible for a cover-up and a delay in the global response to the virus. Countries are rethinking its economic relationship with China. 6. The Chinese coined the term, “Tacitus Trap,” - a condition where a government has lost credibility to the point where it is deemed to be lying, even if it speaks the truth.

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