ICMR NOD FOR CORONAVIRUS DETECTION ASSAY
Why in news? IIT Delhi said it has got the approval from the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) for a probe-free coronavirus detection assay developed by it. The institute, in a statement on Thursday, said the assay had been validated at ICMR with a sensitivity and specificity of 100%, making IIT-D the first academic […]
NBWL NOD FOR COAL MINING IN ASSAM ELEPHANT RESERVE
Why in news? Amid the countrywide lockdown, the National Board for Wild Life (NBWL) has recommended coal mining in a part of an elephant reserve in Assam. The NBWL’s Standing Committee had on April 7 discussed a proposal for use of 98.59 hectares of land from the Saleki proposed reserve forest land for a coal […]
FOODGRAIN STOCK WILL LAST TILL NEXT MARCH: FCI
Why in news? The stock of foodgrains available with the Food Corporation of India is “comfortable” to manage the situation till March 2021, but it would be an exaggeration to hold that the stock is “far in excess” of the buffer stock requirement, which should include additional allocation, according to the Chairman and Managing Director […]
NO PLAN TO EASE FISCAL DEFICIT TARGETS
Why in news? Despite the strain on government finances due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no credible proposal to amend the legislation meant to control the fiscal deficit, Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission said. Speaking to presspersons after a two-day meeting of the Commission’s Economic Advisory Council said the government was currently looking […]
PLASMA THERAPY TO BEGIN IN KARNATAKA
Why in news? The first plasma therapy in Karnataka for COVID-19 patients will begin on 25th April 2020, and will be carried out jointly by the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMRCI) and the HCG Hospital. Read about Plasma therapy here:
CSIR LAB DEFENDS SANITISATION TUNNEL
Why in news? In the wake of several advisories advocating against the use of sanitisation tunnels as part of efforts to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Pune-based CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL) and the Mumbai-based Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) issued a joint statement on 23rd April 2020 asserting that the advisories “did not […]
RBI TO RESTART OPERATION TWIST TO MANAGE YIELDS
Why in news? The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced simultaneous purchase and sale of government bonds in a bid to soften long-term yields. The central bank will buy ₹10,000 crore of bonds maturing between 2026 and 2030 and sell the same number of T-bills. Details On a review of current and evolving liquidity […]
JAISHANKAR THANKS SAUDI, OMANI MINISTERS
Why in news? India on 23rd April 2020 thanked Saudi Arabia for looking after the expat Indian community as the world continued to struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic. External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar spoke with his Saudi Arabia and Oman counterparts as the Gulf region began observing the holy month of Ramadan. Details Appreciated the […]
AUSTRALIA PITCHES FOR TRILATERAL COOPERATION WITH INDIA, INDONESIA
Why in news? India and Australia will face common challenges in the Indo-Pacific as the COVID-19 pandemic is stretching much of the world’s governmental capacity, said Australian High Commissioner-designate. He called for greater cooperation especially stressing on trilateral cooperation between India, Australia and Indonesia. What was said? As a starting point, we should build on […]
INDUSTRIES CANNOT BE FORCED TO PAY WAGES DURING LOCKDOWN
Why in news? The Parliamentary Committee on Labour in its report on the Industrial Relations Code, 2019, submitted on 23rd April, has recommended that “in case of natural calamities, payment of wages to the workers until the re-establishment of the industry may be unjustifiable”. Background The Industrial Relations Code 2019 is an amalgamation of three laws […]