AP CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the Jagananna Vidya Deevena scheme, to provide 100% fee reimbursement to all students. The reimbursed amount will directly be credited into the accounts of the mothers of the students in four instalments annually.
CM also announced a helpline number, 1902.
Assam State government has announced an insurance cover of Rs.50 lakh for the frontline journalists who have been bravely covering COVID-19 against all odds, risking their lives. The announcement was passed by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
Assam Governor- Jagdish Mukhi.
In Gujarat, Women and Child Development Ministry (WCD) has taken a unique initiative called Umbare Aanganwadi, i.e doorstep Aanganwadi to reach out to children during the lockdown. The ICDS Department telecasts Umbare Aanganwadi through TV.
It is targeted to children in the age group of 3-6 years.
Concerned over steady rise in Coronavirus positive cases, Andhra Pradesh Government began tracking patients who could be suffering from cold and fever. It has launched a customised mobile application- ‘Covid Pharma’ for pharmacies across the state.
AP tops the number of sample tests conducted per million people.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Biocon Chairperson has been recognized as one of the world’s top 20 inspirational leaders in biopharmaceuticals in The Medicine Maker ‘Power List 2020’ for her contribution to the world of medicine as an innovative business leader.
Group: Small molecules, biopharmaceuticals & advanced medicine.
APEC region is expected to post a 2.7% economic contraction in 2020 due to the impact of the novel coronavirus, the most significant fall since the near-zero growth rate logged in 2009 during the global financial crisis, according to the APEC Secretariat.
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum has 21 members.
India's holding of US government securities jumped by over $13 billion in a month to record high of $177.5 billion at the end of February. In the last one year since February 2019, the overall holding of India has jumped by a staggering USD 33.2 billion.
Japan was the largest holder of securities at the February end.
The Asian Development Bank unveiled a $1.5 billion Covid-19 package for India and is in discussions with the government on further aid for specific sectors. Earlier this month, the World Bank had provided a $1 billion package for the healthcare sector.
ADB Headquarters- Metro Manila, Philippines.
The foreign ministers of the BRICS grouping discussed measures to combat COVID-19. External Affairs Minister Shri S Jaishankar represented India at the meet. The video conference was hosted by Russia as it is the current rotating head.
BRICS- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The expert group COVID Action Collab (CAC), ideated by social enterprise platform Catalyst Group, aims to explore a more feasible and efficient way to test for presence of COVID-19 in the communities of selected densely populated urban residential areas.
Testing will be done in areas of Kolkata & Bangalore.
IIT-Bhubaneswar has designed multi-surface sanitizer using UV light for the disinfection of devices in the combat against COVID-19. When the infected object was placed into the chamber, it gets exposed to UV light & will be disinfected within 15 minutes.
It was developed based on the results available for SARS CoV-1.
Axis Bank will acquire an additional 29% stake in Max Life Insurance for an estimated price of Rs 1,592 crore, raising its total holding in the life insurer to 30% after the completion of the deal. Max Financial Services will hold the remaining 70% in JV.
Axis is looking to purchase around 556 million shares of Max.
Controversial Pakistani batsman Umar Akmal was banned from all forms of cricket for 3 years after pleading guilty to failing to report match-fixing approaches. The batsman’s ban is effective from February 20, when he was provisionally suspended by PCB.
Pakistan Cricket Board charged the player with two breaches.
Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan passed away at the age of 54 years. He went on to deliver memorable performances in films such as The Life of Pi, Slumdog Millionaire, The Mighty Heart and Jurassic World. His last film was Angrezi Medium.
He had won IIFA and Filmfare Award multiple times.
The former Brighton & Liverpool striker Michael Robinson, who finished his career at Osasuna, has died aged 61. Robinson was part of the Liverpool squad who won a league, League Cup & European Cup treble in 1984. He won 24 Republic of Ireland caps.
He had received the XIII International Vazquez Montalban prize.
International Dance Day was created on 1982 by the Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute- the main partner for the performing arts of UNESCO. This is a celebration day for those who can see the value & importance of the art form dance.
It is the birthday of modern ballet creator Jean-Georges.
NLC India has commenced coal production at its Talabira-II and III Opencast Coal Mine in Odisha. The Talabira II and III coal mines were allotted to this Navratna firm in 2016 to meet the requirement of its existing and future coal-fired power plants.
NLC achieved renewable energy capacity of 1404 MW in 2019-20.
HCARD (Hospital Care Assistive Robotic Device) is developed by Durgapur-based CSIR lab, Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute. It will help frontline healthcare workers in maintaining physical distance from those infected by coronavirus.
Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute created this.
The Ministry of Tourism hosted the 11th webinar ‘an epic called India- a land of myriad stories, as part of its ongoing engagement with industry and its audiences on the overall theme of ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ to promote various tourism destinations of India.
It was conducted by Ms. Shoba Mohan, Founder of Rare India.
Scientists from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research an autonomous institute under the Department of S&T have modified the structure of Berberine, a natural and cheap product similar to curcumin, to use as an Alzheimer’s inhibitor.
Alzheimer’s accounts for more than 70% of all dementia.