The Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan launched the National Teleconsultation Centre (CoNTeC) & also interacted with Nodal Officers of Medical Colleges of States and other AIIMS of the country & reviewed the COVID-19 preparedness.
CoNTeC: Conceptualised by the Health & Family Welfare Ministry.
India will participate in the trial to identify potential cures for the Covid-19 outbreak. The WHO’s Solidarity trial is expected to witness participation from Thailand, Argentina, Bahrain, Canada, France, Iran, Norway, South Africa, Spain and Switzerland.
The WHO has launched 4 mega trials.
In a bid to provide credible information about the COVID-19 pandemic, Apple has released a new app and website for users across the US. COVID-19 app & website provide the latest information & guidance from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.
Apple Inc CEO- Timothy Donald Cook.
CM Neiphiu Rio launched the Self Declaration COVID19 Nagaland App. App will be mandatory for any person who entered Nagaland after March 6. User will be directed to click the menu button & select the nCOVID-19 App from the link- nagalandhealthproject.org.
App is crucial for tracking and surveillance of high-risk cases.
Himachal Pradesh State Government has created a ‘HP COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund’ to provide personal protection equipment to the health workers and other related officials. Fund will also ensure smooth supply of essential commodities like medicine.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister- Jai Ram Thakur.
The US has announced financial assistance of 174 million US Dollars to 64 countries including 2.9 million US Dollars to India to help fight the Corona virus pandemic. This is in addition to the 100 million US Dollars aid announced by the US in February.
US signed the largest-ever stimulus package, worth $2 trillion.
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will contribute Rs 51 crore to PM-CARES Fund (Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations). The PM-CARES Fund was announced on 28th of March 2020 to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
BCCI President- Sourav Ganguly.
Maruti Suzuki India will work with AgVa Healthcare to help it rapidly scale up production of ventilators in the country in wake of COVID-19 pandemic. AgVa Healthcare is an existing approved manufacturer of ventilators. MSI also partnered with Ashok Kapu.
MSI- Ashok Kapu partnership will make 3-ply masks.
The Centre has issued guidelines to allow State governments to utilise District Mineral Foundation fund collections to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. Expenditure related to Covid-19 should not exceed 30 per cent of the balance funds available with a DMF.
As of January, the amount accrued under the DMF: Rs35,925.39 Cr.
Gateway Terminals India Private Ltd run by a unit of Danish shipping group A P Moller-Maersk Group A/S, at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, has declared force majeure in the wake of a 3-week lockdown imposed by the government to check the spread of COVID-19.
26% stake in GTI is held by Container Corp of India Ltd.
The average per day wage rate for unskilled work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme will rise 11% from Rs 182 to Rs 202 for the FY 2020-21. The minimum wages are revised twice a year by the Chief Labour Commissioner.
MGNREGA was initially implemented as NREGA on 2006.
British Council has unveiled the 6th edition of 5 Films for Freedom, a digital platform curated to encourage LGBTIQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer) themed movies. The project is a partnership between the British Council & BFI Flare.
They will make 5 short films on LGBTIQ+.
Access to the National Online Education Platform SWAYAM & other Digital Initiatives has tripled in the last 1 week. SWAYAM is Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds developed by Ministry of HRD with the help of IIT Madras & NPTEL & Google.
It was launched in 2014.
The deadline for a transition to Bharat Stage VI from BS-IV emission standards in India was extended up to 10 days by the Supreme Court till 1 April 2020, keeping in mind the nationwide lockdown to curb the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
The BS VI fuel has five times lesser Sulphur.
SBI opted to pass on the entire 75 bp repo rate cut announced by RBI. The new rates, to be effective from 1 April, will be applicable for its borrowers availing loans based on External Benchmark-linked lending rate, EBR and Repo-Linked Lending Rate, RLLR.
SBI Chairman- Rajnish Kumar.
Merger of 10 state-run banks into four will come into force from April 1. Oriental Bank of Commerce & United Bank will be merged into PNB; Syndicate Bank into Canara Bank; Allahabad Bank into Indian Bank; & Andhra and Corporation banks into Union Bank.
Amalgamation schemes for 10 banks had notified on 4 March.
Bank of Baroda will give Rs 2,000 each to business correspondents to maintain hygiene standards amid COVID-19 outbreak. The effort is meant to ensure protection by the bank from COVID-19, towards its customers, public & business correspondents themselves.
Bank of Baroda Executive Director - Vikramaditya Singh Khichi.
BP Kaunungo was reappointed as the RBI deputy governor. Kanungo was executive director of the RBI before being elevated to the post of deputy governor in April 2017. He is in charge of departments like currency management, foreign exchange among others.
Other 3 are: NS Vishwanathan, M.K. Jain and Michael Patra.
Designing simple to operate ventilators, manufacturing of sanitisers, oxygen canisters and masks while putting on hold manufacture of rockets is what Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre is doing to meet the emergency needs of the people and owing to lockdown.
VSSC is based in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.