કોમન પ્રવેશ પરીક્ષા (CET) 2024-25 માટેની પરીક્ષા માટેનું જાહેરનામું જાહેર

Current Affairs

4^th APRIL 2020

SCTIMST, WIPRO partners to make automated ventilators to meet COVID-19 related crisis

• Shree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) has partnered with Wipro 3D, Bengaluru. The partnership aims to jointly build upon a prototype of an emergency ventilator system based on the Artificial Manual Breathing Unit (AMBU) which was developed by SCTIMST followed by its clinical trial and manufacture.
• AMBU bag or a bag-valve-mask (BVM) is a hand-held device used to provide positive pressure ventilation to a patient who is either not breathing or who is breathing inadequately. The use of a regular AMBU needs a bystander for its operations who is highly susceptible and non-advisable to be in close contact with the COVID-19 patient.
• SCTIMST's Automated AMBU Ventilator with inputs from clinical faculty will assist the breathing of the critical patients who have no access to ICU ventilators.
• To enabling rapid production, the device is designed with readily available components so that it becomes an alternative solution. AMBU will provide ventilation support to the needy and is an ideal solution for ventilation shortages. 
• The device will enable positive pressure ventilation with a controlled rate of expiration, Inspiratory to Expiratory Ratio, Tidal Volume, and so on. Also, to maintain pressure on the lower airways at the end of the breathing cycle, a Positive End Expiratory Pressure (PEEP) Valve can be added as an extra component which prevents the alveoli from collapsing during expiration.
• The automatic AMBU will minimize the need for support personnel in the isolation room and enable a safer and effective lung-protective operation to COVID patients.

Short term borrowing limits for states and UTs increased by 30%: RBI

• The Reserve Bank of India introduced new measures to relax the impact of the COVID-19 induced lockdown. The Central bank focused on the finances of the states that have announced the staggered payment of salaries.

RBI: Reserve Bank of India
Established: 1st April, 1935
Act: Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934

Currency: Indian rupee

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

Governor: Shaktikanta Das

Chief executives of Oriental Bank of Commerce and united Bank of India designated as office on special duty in PNB

• After the merger of the Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) and the United Bank of India (UBI) into Punjab National Bank (PNB), the government has designated Chief Executives of OBC and UBI as "officers on special duty" in Punjab National Bank. The officers are not assigned any portfolio so far.
• The PNB merger has created the country's second-largest state-owned bank with Rs 7.7 lakh crore advances. Also, OBC chief executive Mukesh Kumar Jain, who is now in PNB will be retiring in July.

Punjab National Bank:
Founded: 12 April 1894

Headquarters: New Delhi

Chairman: Sunil Mehta
MD and CEO: S.S.Malikarjuna Rao

Naval Dockyard (ND) develops low-cost device to screen people

• Naval Dockyard (ND), Mumbai has designed and developed its own handheld Infrared radiation (IR)-based temperature sensor to screen people at gates. The sense will screen a large number of Naval personnel at the entry gates of the yard reducing the load on the security sentries at the gate.
• The instrument was manufactured under Rs.1000 through in-house resources.
• The accuracy of the instrument is 0.02 degree Celsius.
• The non-contact thermometer has an IR and an LED display integrated with a microcontroller that runs on a 9V battery.
• The instrument will screen a large number of Naval personnel at the entry gates of the yard thereby reducing the load on the security sentries at the gate.
• The low-cost instrument has the capability to scale up production of these if required towards which sourcing of the components is in progress.

Andhra Pradesh doorstep pension to 58 lakh pensioners

• The Andhra Pradesh state government has started distributing pensions at the doorstep to 58 44,240 beneficiaries with an objective to offer them held and to avoid the spread of coronavirus. The state used 2.5 lakh volunteers to eliminate the need for pensioners to step out of their homes.
• Under the move of the govt. a wide range of people will benefit from the disbursement of the pension that began on 1 April. 
• Also, old-age persons, widows, single women, weavers, fishermen, folk artists, and traditional cobblers will receive an amount of Rs.2,250 each.
• To support the people in the state during the COVID-19 outbreak, people with disabilities, transgender and Dappu artists will receive an amount of Rs.3,000.
• Also, people who suffer chronic disease and are undergoing kidney dialysis at government and network hospitals will receive an amount of Rs.10,000.
• The fund will be first distributed to the pensioners and then the government will give financial relief to the poor and needy delivered at the doorstep on the 4 April using the same network of volunteers.

Andhra Pradesh:
Formed: 1 November 1956

Capital: Amaravati

Largest City: Visakhapatnam
Official Language: Odia

Districts: 30

Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan

Chief Minister: Y.S.Jaganmohan Reddy
Bird: Rose-ringed parakeet

Flower Jasmin

Dance: Kuchipudi

Government of India launches 5 research projects to mitigate the spread of COVID-19

• The Government of India launched 5 research projects in order to control the spread of COVID-19. The projects neither focus on vaccines nor on medicines. Government of India has been very clear and has also announced earlier that it is currently not into developing medicine for COVID-19. Rather the first priority is to mitigate the spread. The research projects were selected based on this plan.

The projects are to be supervised by the Department of Science and Technology:

1. Project 1: The first project aims to search the metabolite biomarker signature for the virus. These markers will help in capturing the activities of the cell or an organism infected with the virus. This knowledge is base for developing potential drug for the vaccines.
2. Project 2: The second project is to develop veridical coatings that shall be used in surgical masks to prevent the spread of highly contagious viruses such as SARS, COVID-19, etc.
3. Project 3: The third project is to develop antiviral surface coatings to help prevent the spread of infections caused by influenza virus. The aim is to develop polymeric compounds that will be coated upon surfaces and will kill the viruses completely upon contact.
4. Project 4: The fourth project is to develop a material which when applied over surfaces will remove viruses and bacteria adhering to it.
5. Project 5: The fifth project is to develop antibody-based capture of COVID-19 and inactivate it using lipid based gel.

Short Notes

• Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (ESW), Ministry of Defence (MoD) has taken the initiative to mobilize services of the Ex-Servicemen (ESM) community as a part of the augmentation of human resource to assist the State and District administration to combat the coronavirus outbreak.
• Dr Jitendra Singh released National Corona Survey conducted in 410 districts.
• IISc Bengaluru develops indigenous ventilator prototype for COVID-19 crisis.
• The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) announced the 3rd edition of Asian Youth Games, which will be hosted in the coastal city of Shantou in Southern China from November 20 to 28, 2021.
• Odisha Govt in collaboration with UNICEF launches “Mo Prativa” programme to engage kids during lockdown.