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Current Affairs

5^th APRIL 2020

An Online Hackathon, “Hack the Crisis” launched to work solutions for COVID-19

• The Minister of electronics and IT & HRD Shri Sanjay Dhotre launched “Hack the Crisis- India”. It is an online hackathon that aims to work on solution for COVID-19.
  
• The initiative is being organized by “FICCI Ladies Organization” and “Hack a Cause-India”. The initiative is supported by Ministry of Electronics and IT. The Hackathon is a part of Global initiative.
• The “Hack the Crisis” began in Estonia. A private firm Accelerate Estonia along with other startups launched the online event. More than 2000 participated and it was a huge hit. Following its success, they have taken it globally with the help of several other start-ups, government institutions and private sector units.

An initiative by the civil servants to fight against COVID-19: CARUNA

• The associations of civil servants formed an initiative called CARUNA. CARUNA is Civil Services Associations Reach to Support Natural Disasters.
  
• CARUNA is a collaborative platform. It includes IAS and IPS officers. The platform is to be represented by NGO, industry leaders, IT professionals along with the civil servants. The initiative is being launched to support government efforts to fight Corona Virus.
• The initiative will help address shortages at district level. These officers are to work along the empowered inter-ministerial panel set up earlier by the Government of India to handle COVID-19 crisis in the country.

6.2 million tonnes of essential medicines supplied to Maldives: Operation Sanjeevani

• The Indian Air Force recently delivered 6.2 million tonnes of essential medicines to Maldives under Operation Sanjeevani.
• The Indian Air Force airlifted the medicines in Hercules C-130J. The medicines included lopinavir and ritonavir, influenza vaccines. Apart from medicines, the IAF also delivered nebulizers, catheters, urine bags and feeding tubes.
• The treatment of Lopinavir and ritonavir has been suggested by WHO along with other 3 treatments.

Indian Air Force:
Founded: 8 October 1932; 87 Years ago

Role: Aerial warfare
Headquarters: New Delhi

Commander in Chief: President Ram Nath Kovind
Chief of the Air Staff: Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria

Railway makes low cost prototype of Ventilator; ICMR to test the prototype: JEEVAN

• JEEVAN, is a low-cost energy efficient ventilator made by the Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala. The cost of the machine is fraction of what the original designs cost.
• The prototype is to be tested by ICMR before mass production. The cost of the machine is around Rs 10,000 without a compressor.

Indian Railway:

Founded: 8 May 1845; 174 years ago

Headquarters: New Delhi

Minister of Railway: Piyush Goyal

Minister of State Railway: Suresh Angadi

Chairman: Vinod Kumar Yadav

Owner: Government of India

Division: 18 zones             

ICMR: Indian Council of Medical Research

Formation: 1911 (as IRFA – Indian Research Fund Association), 1949 renamed to ICMR

Headquarters: New Delhi

Tuberculosis Machine approved by ICMR for COVID-19 Testing  

• The Indian Council of Medical Research approved the use of Tuberculosis machine for conducting COVID-19 tests.
• Currently India is using the RT-PCR (Real time-Polymerase Chain Reaction) testing recommended by the US and approved by FDA. Along with this, the ICMR has recommended the use of Truenat test. The Truenat test is currently used to detect drug-resistant TB.

Study: Impacts of COVID-19 lowered due to BCG Vaccination

• Researchers of biomedical sciences of New York Institute of Technology say that the countries such as Netherlands, Italy and United States are more severely affected than countries with BCG policies. The Bacilus Calmette-Guerin vaccine that had been administered in India to protect the children against Tuberculosis, according to the study might be a game changer.
• Iran, according to the study started BCG programme late in 1984, had elevated mortality rate. Brazil on the other hand that began the programme early had lower mortality rate. Around 180 countries were studied. Out of these 157 are currently using BCG programme. Several European countries that have higher mortality rates have dropped the programme between 1963 and 2010.

Short Notes

• National Health Authority partners with Uber: Dedicated Transport Services for Health care workers.
• FIFA Under 17 Women’s World Cup to be hosted by India in November, Postponed due to COVID-19.
• Hockey India donates additional 75 lakh rupees towards PM-CARES Fund.
• Odisha government launches online cultural competition to engage children during lockdown.
• Bihar Govt decides to screen 1 lakh 80 thousand people again for COVID-19 infection.