Daily Current Affairs 30 April 2020 With Video Lecture

Robot, to assist frontline COVID-19 healthcare warriors Healthcare workers at hospitals are risking COVID-19 infection while taking care of those infected by it 24/7. Perhaps the level of risk may...

Chetan Apurav
April 30, 2020
2,986

Robot, to assist frontline COVID-19 healthcare warriors

Healthcare workers at hospitals are risking COVID-19 infection while taking care of those infected by it 24/7. Perhaps the level of risk may get reduced hereafter with the help of a new friend, HCARD. The robotic device HCARD, in short for Hospital Care Assistive Robotic Device, can help frontline healthcare workers in maintaining physical distance from those infected by coronavirus.
HCARD is developed by Durgapur-based CSIR lab, Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute. The device is equipped with various state-of-the-art technologies and works both in automatic as well as manual modes of navigation.
This robot can be controlled and monitored by a nursing booth with a control station having such features as navigation, drawer activation for providing medicines and food to patients, sample collection and audio-visual communication.
Prof. (Dr.) Harish Hirani, Director, CSIR-CMERI stated that “This Hospital Care Assistive Robotic Device could be effective for frontline healthcare officials dealing with COVID-19 patients in delivering services while maintaining mandatory physical distancing”. The cost of this device is less than Rs 5 lakh and the weight is less than 80 kilograms, added Prof. Hirani.
CSIR-CMERI is working on war footing to minimize the impact of COVID-19 through technological interventions. As spelled out by WHO, personal protective equipment (PPE) is very important in preventing transmission of coronavirus in the society, thus the Institute has channelized its resources optimally to develop PPE and community-level safety equipment for helping the public at large and healthcare institutions.
Scientists at CMERI have also developed a few other customized technologies, including Disinfection Walkway, Road Sanitizer Unit, Face Mask, Mechanical Ventilator and Hospital Waste Management Facility.

SCTIMST gears up to meet COVID 19 pandemic with R&D, technologies and products

Sree Chitra Triunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) is an Institution of National Importance under the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India stood out with its research, technologies, and innovations to meet the need of the hour in India’s fight against COVID 19.
Even though the Institute had to quarantine a number of staff when a foreign-returned doctor was detected with COVID 19 much before the nationwide lockdown, SCTIMST rose up to the occasion to bring out several technologies and products that could be crucial to combat the diseases. It’s one step confirmatory diagnostic kit for COVID 19 developed in three weeks could solve India’s urgent need for rapid testing. The other R&D work on the issue included a UV Based Facemask Disposal Bin which can be used by health workers in hospitals and in public places for decontamination of used facemask, overhead covers and face shields, a superabsorbent material for liquid respiratory and other body fluid solidification and disinfection for the safe management of infected respiratory secretions and a disinfected barrier-examination booth for examining COVID-19 patients.
The confirmatory diagnostic test which can detect COVD 19 in 10 minutes and sample to result in time (from RNA extraction in swab to RT-LAMP detection time) is less than 2 hours will be one of the world’s first few. A total of 30 samples can be tested in a single batch in a single machine, thus allowing rapid testing of samples at a low cost.
The Chitra UV Based Facemask Disposal Bin can decontaminate used materials like facemask and help break the infection chain, especially in hospitals. The know-how has been transferred to HMT Machine Tools, Ernakulum, Kerala. The superabsorbent material ‘Chitra Acrylosorb Secretion Solidification System’ reduces the risk for the hospital staff, the need for personnel for disinfecting and cleaning the bottles and canisters for reusing them and makes the disposal safer and easier. The disinfected examination booth is a closed one like a telephone booth for examining the patient without direct contact with the doctor to prevent any transmission of infection.
To speed up its contribution to the country’s COVID 19 response, SCTIMST has invited expression of interest from manufacturers/start-ups/social groups who are interested to co-develop and manufacture medical devices on a fast track mode for the development of AMBU bag based Ventilator, Ventilator Sharing Kit, Battery Operated Assistive Breathing Unit, Isolation Pods, Disposable Safety Face Shield and Deployable Field Units to support the distressing situation the epidemic COVID 19 has created. SCTIMST has tied up with Wipro 3D, Bengaluru, to jointly build up on a prototype of an emergency ventilator system based on the Artificial Manual Breathing Unit (AMBU), developed by SCTIMST followed by its clinical trial and manufacture.

Mineral Production during the cycle April 2019 – February 2020

The index of mineral production of mining and quarrying sector for the month of February, 2020 (Base: 2011-12=100) at 123.7, was 10.0% higher as compared to the level in the month of February, 2019. The cumulative growth for the period April- February, 2019-20 over the corresponding period of previous year has been (+) 1.9 percent. Mining & Mineral Statistics Division of Indian Bureau of Mines functions as the nodal agency for statistics on mineral sector and releases this information.
Production level of important minerals in February, 2020 were: Coal 780 lakh Tonnes, Lignite 47 lakh Tonnes, Natural gas (utilized) 2257 million cu. m., Petroleum (crude) 24 lakh Tonnes, Bauxite 2190 thousand Tonnes, Chromite 395 thousand Tonnes, Copper conc. 5 thousand Tonnes, Gold 162 kg, Iron ore 239 lakh Tonnes, Lead conc. 32 thousand Tonnes, Manganese ore 276 thousand Tonnes, Zinc conc. 142 thousand Tonnes, Apatite & Phosphorite 136 thousand Tonnes, Limestone 327 lakh Tonnes, Magnesite 11 thousand Tonnes and Diamond 2720 carat.
The production of important minerals showing positive growth during February, 2020 over February, 2019 include: ‘Zinc conc.’ (33.2%), ‘Iron ore’ (31.3%), ‘Chromite’ (18.2%), ‘Lead conc.’ (14.2%), ‘Coal’ (11.7%), ‘Limestone’ (4.5%), ‘Manganese ore’ (3.3%), ‘Lignite’ (2.6%) and ‘Bauxite’ (1.3%). The production of other important minerals showing negative growth is: ‘Copper conc.’ [(-) 60.7%], ‘Gold’ [(-) 29.6%], ‘Natural gas (utilized)’ [(-) 9.6%], ‘Petroleum (crude)’ [(-) 6.4%] and ‘Phosphorite’ [(-) 1.8%].

Suresh N. Patel takes oath as Vigilance Commissioner today

Shri Suresh N. Patel took oath as Vigilance Commissioner today. Following social distancing norms, he was administered the oath of office by Shri Sanjay Kothari, Central Vigilance Commissioner on video link. The swearing in ceremony was attended by Shri Sharad Kumar, Vigilance Commissioner, Secretary and other senior officers of the Commission.
Shri Patel had over three decades of experience in the banking sector. He was the Managing Director & CEO of Andhra Bank and was an Executive Director in Oriental Bank of Commerce. He had been Member, Management Committee, Indian Banks’ Association; Member, Bankers’ Institute of Rural Development, NABARD; President, State Level Bankers’ Committee, Andhra Pradesh and President, Bankers’ Institute of Rural & Entrepreneurship Development.
He is a Permanent Invitee to the Board for Regulation and Supervision of Payment and Settlement Systems (BPSS) of RBI and a member of the Advisory Board for Banking and Financial Frauds (ABBFF) prior to his appointment as Vigilance Commissioner.
The tenure of Vigilance Commissioner is of four years or till the incumbent attains the age of 65 years. The Central Vigilance Commission can have a Central Vigilance Commissioner and two Vigilance Commissioners.

Task Force on National Infrastructure Pipeline presents its Final Report

The Task Force on National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) submitted its Final Report on NIP for FY 2019-25 to the Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman here today. The Summary Report of the Task Force on National Infrastructure Pipeline for 2019-2025 has already been released by the Finance Minister on December 31st, 2019.
Union Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget speech 2019-20 announced that Rs. 100 lakh crore would be invested on infrastructure over the next five years. The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day speech 2019 reiterated that “For development of modern infrastructure, an amount of Rs. 100 lakh crore has been earmarked for this period which will create new job opportunities besides improving the living standards.”
NIP is a first-of-its-kind, whole-of-government exercise to provide world-class infrastructure across the country, and improve the quality of life for all citizens. It aims to improve project preparation, attract investments (both domestic and foreign) into infrastructure, and will be crucial for target of becoming a $5 trillion economy by FY 2025.
The NIP has been made on a best effort basis by aggregating the information provided by various stakeholders including line ministries, departments, state governments and private sector across infrastructure sub-sectors identified in the Harmonized Master List of Infrastructure. To draw up the NIP, a bottom-up approach was adopted wherein all projects (Greenfield or Brownfield, Under Implementation or under conceptualization) costing greater than Rs 100 crore per project were sought to be captured.
The Final Report of NIP Task Force is projecting total infrastructure investment of Rs 111 lakh crore during the period FY 2020-25 in light of additional/amended data provided by Central Ministries/State Governments since the release of summary NIP Report. The Final Report of NIP task force is in three volumes. Volume I & II will be uploaded on the DEA website www.dea.gov.in, www.pppinindia.gov.in and on the Ministry of Finance Portal and project database enlisted in Volume III A&B will be uploaded on the India Investment Grid Portal in due course.

Padm-Shrii Irrfan Khan passed away on April 29

One of the finest talents in Bollywood Irrfan Khan passed away on April 29 at the age of 54.
Irrfan Khan was admitted to Mumbai’s Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital’s ICU on April 28 to seek treatment for a colon infection.
Irrfan Khan was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian honor, in 2011 for his contributions to the Indian film industry.
Life:
- 7 January 1967 – 29 April 2020
- Sahabzade Irfan Ali Khan known professionally as Irrfan Khan or simply Irrfan
- Khan was born in Rajasthan to a Muslim family of Pathan ancestry, Khan’s mother, Saeeda Begum Khan was from Jodhpur, and father, Yaseen Ali Khan, was from the Khajuriya village in Rajasthan’s Tonk district, and they ran a tyre business.
- He spent his childhood in Tonk, and then Jaipur.
Movies:
- Debut with a small role in Salaam Bombay! (1988).
- Debut in the British film The Warrior (2001),
- Breakthrough with starring roles in the dramas Haasil (2003) and Maqbool (2004).
- Gained critical acclaim for his roles in The Namesake (2006), Life in a… Metro (2007), and Paan Singh Tomar (2011)
Awards:
- 2004 Film fare Awards: “Haasil” – Best Performance in a Negative Role
- 2008 Film fare Awards: “Life in a… Metro” – Best Supporting Actor
- 2011 Padma Shri — Arts
- 2013 National Film Awards: “Paan Singh Tomar” – Best Actor
- 2014 Asian Film Awards: “The Lunchbox” – Best Actor
- 2018 Film fare Awards: “Hindi Medium” – Best Actor

Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor passed away on April 30^th

Rishi Kapoor has died in a hospital in Mumbai at the age of 67.
He fought a long battle with cancer.
This is the film fraternity’s second loss in as many days – Irrfan Khan was claimed by cancer yesterday.
Life:
- 4 September 1952 – 30th April 2020
- Rishi Kapoor was born in Chembur, Bombay in a Punjabi family
- He was the second son of actor-film director Raj Kapoor and his wife Krishna Raj Kapoor
- His brothers, Randhir Kapoor and Rajiv Kapoor; maternal uncles, Prem Nath and Rajendra Nath; and paternal uncles, Shashi Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor are all actors.
Movies:
- Rishi Kapoor debuted in Raj Kapoor’s (his father) 1970 film Mera Naam Joker, playing a childhood role of his father.
- He had his first lead role as an adult, opposite Dimple Kapadia in the 1973 film Bobby,
- In 1999 he directed the film Aa Ab Laut Chalen, starring Rajesh Khanna, Aishwarya Rai and Akshaye Khanna in the lead roles.
- The Body which was released on 13 December 2019 was his last released film.
Awards:
- 1970 – National Film Award for Mera Naam Joker
- 1974 – Film fare Award for Best Actor for Bobby
- 2008 – Film fare Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2017 – Film fare Award for Best Supporting Actor for Kapoor & Sons