B°VISIONIAS INSPIRING INNOVATION @D april, 2020 NEWS TODAY MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE RELEASES “CONTAINMENT PLAN FOR LARGE OUTBREAKS” * Under his, nia would be following a scenario based approach for fllowing scenarios: > Travel related case reported in India > Local transmission of COVID-19 > Large outbreaks amenable to containment > Wide-spread community Transmission of COVID-19 disease > Ingia becomes endemic for COVID-19 * With present condition in Inia under large outbreak, 2 geographic quarantine strategy and duster confainment strategy has tobe put int pace > This aims to contain the disease within a defined geographic area by early detection of cases, breaking the chain of transmission and thus preventing its spread to new areas. + Action Plan for Geographic quarantine Defining containment and buffer zones 1 The area under geographic quarantine willbe defined. There shall be (i) containment zone, surrounded by (id buffer zone (adjoining blocks ofthe affected district 1 Perimeter ofthe geographically quarantined will be decided by the State administration with clear entry and exit paints Containment Zone Buffer Zone or rural districts ofthe affected city). > Legal support powers under Disaster Management Actor Epidemic Act can be delegated to identified authority > Empowered group to take timely decisions for cae areas of work (planning-co-ordination, hospital preparedness ete) > Crisis management committees at National/State level and District Callectar will manage clusters. > Action ta be triggered based on epidemiological intelligence > Identify maximum risk areas and adopt active surveillance for cases and contacts > Expanding laboratory capacity for testing > Other pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions lke checking mass gatherings, schools et. GOVT FREES EXPORTS OF ALL APIs, FORMULATIONS EXCEPT PARACETAMOL * Last month, as per recommendations of Eswara Reddy panel, Directorate General of Foreign Trade restricted exports of some active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and their {formulations to ensure there was no shortage in domestic market. > These included common medicines like paracetamol, vitamins, some anti-viral, hormanes, and common antibiotics lke tinidazole, metronidazole, et. ‘Now, Inia lifted the curbs amid growing pressure from countries like the US & SAARC nations and easing supplies from China as APIs were manufactured in Hubei province of China, epicentre of Covid-19 which impacted supplies, > Almost 30% of India's pharma exports are to North America, 16% to Europe and 17% to Africa + Relaxation comes in the wake of government likely to allow export af Hydroxychloroquine used for Covid-19 treatment on a case-by-case basi, taking Geo-strategic considerations and issue of neighbouring countries into account ‘+ DGFT is attached office of Ministry of Commerce and Industry involved in regulation and promotion of foreign trade 30% PAY CUT FOR MPs; MPLADS SUSPENDED * Union Cabinet has approved Ordinance amending the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members ‘of Parliament Act, 1954 for a 30% cut in salaries of all MPs and also suspended MP Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme for two years. > MPs get a monty salary of %1,00,000. They are also entitled toa constituency allowance ‘of £70,000 and office allowance of 60,000 per month, > Articles 97 and 106 empower Parliament to decide the salaries and allowances of Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and other MPs respectively by law. ‘ Money will go to Consolidated Fund of India (FI) and will be used for managing health services ‘andthe adverse impact of COVID-19 pandemic in country, > This fund was constituted under Article 266 (1) All revenues received by government flow into CFI > No money can be withdrawn from this fund without Parliament's approval. * Also, President, Vice President, Governors of States have voluntarily decided to take a pay cut as a social responsibility. * Further, PM directed Ministers to prepare 2 Business continuity plan, identifying 10 major decisions and priority areas, ro mitigate impact on economy ADVISORY REGARDING CONTAINING AND MANAGEMENT OF COVID-19 IN NATIONAL PARKS /TIGER RESERVES + In view of the spread of COVID 19 in the country and {2 news report on a Tiger being infected with the OVID 19 in New York, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has issued an advisory. + The advisory has asked Chief Wildife Wardens of all States/UTs to: > Reduce the human wildlife interface, > Constitute a Task Force/Rapid Action Force with Field Managers, Veterinary doctors, Frontline staff, to manage the situation as quickly as possible > Set up essential services for emergency treatment of animals and their safe release back to their natural habitats, as and when required, > Enhance disease surveillance, mapping and ‘monitaring system through coordinated effort amongst variaus Departments. + Also, recently after death of a tiger in Pench Tiger reserve, National Tiger Conservation Authority is considering whether the tiger should be tested for coronavirus disease. > Reserve is siutated in Seoni district of Madhya Pradesh which is one of the major Protected ‘Areas of Satpura-Maikal ranges of Central Highlands. > It's named after Pench river that flows through the reserve,NHAI ACHIEVES HIGHEST EVER CONSTRUCTION OF NATIONAL HIGHWAYS IN FY 2019-20 ‘+ National Highways Authority of India (NHI) has accomplished construction af 3,979 km of national highways (against target of building 4,500 km highways in financial Year 2019-20) + The feat was achieved on back of ambitious highways development programmes tke aharstmala ON THE FAST LANE Pariyojna (BP) > BP includes development of about 65,000 km national highways (27.500 km under Phase-). * Other Initiatives taken to accelerate pace of construction > Streamlining of land acquisition and awarding projects after adequate preparations/clearances ye bound disposal of cases related to time extension or change of scope > Digitalization and simplification of approval procedures for Road over bridges > Regular reviews for removing bottlenecks, close coordination with Ministries and States, securitization of road sector loans, proposed exit for Equity investors and one-time fund infusion, ‘+ NHAl is an autonomous statutory body setup under NHAI Act 1988. > Is nodal agency of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and is mandated to undertake the development of NHs under various projects like NHOP ‘and Bharatmala ALSO IN NEWS Rate of highway construction per day has more than doubled inthe past 5 years mies Data is construction of highways pr da 20-15. $c Soa ‘= SC allowed the High Courts to decide the modalities for use videoconferencing technologies: > District courts would adopt the mode of videoconferencing prescribed by the respective High Cours. ‘+ Also, SC said that restrictions imposed on entering, attending or faking part in courthearings as lawful in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. > Here SC invoked Article 142, which empowers to take necessary steps in the interest of complete justice. ‘SC during Lockdown ‘+ Itisa scheme for skill raining of youth, launched in 2015, implemented by Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship through the National Skill Development Corporation (NSOC). Pradhan MantriKaushal Vikas _| * Itincludes short term traning as per National Skills Qualification Framework, recognition of prior ‘Yojana (PKKVY) 3 delayed due to learning, creating platforms for special areas/jobs, conducting Rozgar melas et. Covid-19 ‘+ Amonetary rewards given to trainees on assessment and certification by third party assessment bodies. + Itisa scheme under Skillindia Mission, « It isa low-cost portable ventilator developed by lIT-Roorkee in association with AIIMS-Rishikesh, + It does nat require compressed ait for functioning and can be especially useful in cases when hospital Prana-Vayu ‘wards or open areas are converted into ICUs ‘= It can deliver the required amount of air to the patient, with an automated process controling the pressure and flow rates ‘> Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research JNCASR) has developed an anti-microbial coating which, when coated on different surfaces lke textile and plastic, could kil influenza virus (an enveloped viris) Antimicrobial coating to tackle the | * AS COVID 9% aso enveloped virus the coating may be effective in destroying COVID'. spread of virus > Enveloped virus isa virus that has an outer wrapping or envelope. ‘= If found to be active, a number of Personal protective equipment, such as masks, gowns, gloves face shields, etc. can be coated with it, imparting enhanced protection and safety to them ‘+ INCASRis an autonomous institute under Department of Scionce & Technology (OST). ‘= These are tropical fresh water swamp forests with an abundance of Myristica trees, the most primitive cof the flowering plants on earth ‘These are endangered ecosystem restricted ta small patches in Western Ghats. ‘= They play a key role in maintaining perennial stream flow and possess higher potential to store carbon than nearby non-swamp forests. ‘Threats they face: Shrinking duration of monsoon, change inland use pattern etc. Myristica swamps ‘+ Indonesia increasing both its security and fishing presence in the waters around the Nafuna Islands, following the latest incursion into the area by Chinese vessels, > Natuna Islands are a 272-island archipelago of Indonesia, located in the Natuna Sea between Peninsular Malaysia ta the west and Borneo to the east. ‘China claims much ofthe South China Sea, including he waters near the Natunas, but that particular {area is intemationally recognized as part of Indonesia's exclusive economic zone. = alata dl DELHI LUCKNOW JAIPUR HYDERABAD PUNE AHMEDABAD CHANDIGARH Natuna Islands 2s Le ose) H [onaos oon @® wwwwisionias.in IcNision\AaSdelhi Wision IAS ©) isioniasupsc ©) Nisontas_UPsc