Daily Current Affairs, 08th April 2020

1) MHRD launches “Samadhan” challenge to fight against covid19

•The innovation cell of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has launched a mega ONLINE challenge called “SAMADHAN” to fight against covid19. Under the “Samadhan” challenge, the students and faculty will be motivated for doing new experiments and new discoveries and provide them with a strong base leading to a spirit of experimentation and discovery.

•The students participating in this challenge will search and develop such measures that can be made available to the government agencies, health services, hospitals and other services for quick solutions to the Coronavirus epidemic and other such calamities. Through this “Samadhan” challenge, work will be done to make citizens aware, to motivate them, to face any challenge, to prevent any crisis and to help people get a livelihood.

2) Chhattisgarh Police create app ‘Rakhsa Sarv’ for quarantined people

•The Chhattisgarh police developed the app ‘Rakhsa Sarv’, with the help of Noida-based startup Mobcoder, which enables them to track the quarantined people through Google Map. The purpose of launching the app is that a large number of people are kept in-home quarantine, and so it is not possible to keep each one under surveillance on a regular basis.

•Details of the home-quarantined people are being fed in the app’s dashboard. The quarantined person will have to upload a selfie in the app every hour which will specify his/her location. Police teams have started installing the application in the phones of those kept under home quarantine and so far, over 50 per cent of such people have been covered.

•A similar mobile app has been developed by the Mohali Police in Punjab named ‘COVID Control’ to keep an eye on home quarantined people to ensure quarantine protocols are being followed properly.

3) DRDO develops sanitisation enclosures & face shields

•Amid 21-days nationwide lockdown in India, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been using scientific endeavours to develop products in an accelerated manner to combat COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of its efforts, DRDO has developed Personnel Sanitisation Enclosures (PSE) and Full Face Mask (FFM) to protect primarily healthcare professionals from novel coronavirus.

4) 4-year-old Malayan tiger “Nadia” tests positive for coronavirus

•4-year-old female Malayan tiger “Nadia” has tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Bronx Zoo, New York. The test result was confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Iowa, US.




•Nadia, along with six other big cats, is thought to have been infected by an asymptomatic zookeeper. The cats started showing symptoms, including a dry cough, late last month after exposure to the employee, who has not been identified. This is the first time that any of us know of anywhere in the world that a person infected the animal and the animal got sick.

5) MHRD declares DigiLocker as National Academic Depository

•The Ministry of Human Resource Development has designated DigiLocker as the sole National Academic Depository (NAD). The ministry has directed the University Grants Commission (UGC)  to implement NAD as a permanent scheme within DigiLocker.

•NAD will be implemented as a permanent scheme without the levy of any user charges by DigiLocker through the Ministry of Electronics and IT. UGC has also been asked to ensure the transfer of academic awards, creation of student accounts and procedure of verification with DigiLocker.

6) “Swasth ke Sipahi” delivers essential medicines under PMBJP

•During the 21 days nationwide lockdown due to COVID-19, pharmacists, popularly known as “Swasth ke Sipahi” of Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Kendra are delivering essential services and medicines at doorstep of patients and elderly. Swasth ke Sipahi are providing the essential medicines at the doorsteps of patients under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) of the Government of India.

•During this lockdown period, Swasth ke Sipahi are providing essential services by making available quality generic medicines to the common People of the country and the elderly persons at affordable prices, at their doorstep to fight COVID-19 pandemic.

7) USAID announces $2.9 million aid to India to fight Covid19

•The United States has announced $2.9 million aid for India through the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The funds announced are going to help India in its fight against COVID-19 and to also provide care for those who are affected and help the local communities with the tools to stop the pandemic spreading in the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other relevant agencies, is working closely with India to support the country’s response to the pandemic.

•The US Agency for International Development (USAID) is one of the leading aid agencies globally. COVID-19 is a global public health threat that can be addressed best by close collaboration among governments and international organizations. It will also support the World Health Organization (WHO) initiatives in India. The funds will help the Government of India slow the spread of COVID-19, provide care for the affected, and support local communities with the tools needed to contain the disease.