DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS APRIL – 9, 2020

HISTORY
Defence, National Security and Terrorism
Larsen & Toubro gets big contract from Indian Army to install
state-of-the-art IT enabled network
➢ The Smart World and Communication Business Unit (SW&C BU) of Larsen &
Toubro Limited (L&T), an Indian multinational conglomerate company, has
received a large order from the Indian Army to install state-of-the-art
IT(Information Technology) based state-of-the-art systems, which will be used to
operate the armed force network under the ‘Network of Spectrum (NFS)’.
About Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T):
❖ Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
❖ CMD– SN Subrahmanyan
About Indian Army:
❖ Headquarters– New Delhi

World Organisations – Pacts and Summits

SAARC Development Fund allocates USD 5 million for COVID-19
projects
➢ The South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation (SAARC) Development Fund (SDF) has
allocated USD 5 million (about Rs 38 crore) for COVID-19
projects in 8 member countries, in an effort to mitigate the
financial losses and severe socio-economic impact of the
pandemic.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS APRIL – 9, 2020

Eminent Persons
B R Ambedkar's birthday declared a closed holiday by central
government
➢ The central government has declared April 14,
the birthday of B R Ambedkar, as a
closed holiday for all its offices, according to a
Personnel Ministry order issued. The Centre has
also notified the holiday under the Section 25 of
the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, for
banks.
➢ It has been decided to declare, the 14th April 2020, as a closed holiday on account
of the birthday of Dr B R Ambedkar, for all central government offices, including
industrial establishments throughout India.

GEOGRAPHY
Policy on Environment and Ecology

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

➢ A 4-year-old female Malayan tiger “Nadia” has tested positive for coronavirus
disease (COVID-19) at the Bronx Zoo, New York. 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, after exposure to the
employee, who has not been identified.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS APRIL – 9, 2020

Bio Fortified Carrots developed by farmer scientise

➢ A farmer scientist of Junagadh district, Gujarat Shri

Vallabhai Vastambhai Marvaniya developed biofortified
carrots. The carrots are locally called “Madhuban
Gajar”. It is rich in β-carotene and iron.
Highlights

❖ The biofortified carrot variety is benefiting more than 150 local farmers. The
yield of the variety is 40 to 50 tonnes per hectare. The variety has been
cultivated in over 1000 hectares of land this season.
Nutrition of the carrot
❖ The biofortified carrot has been developed through selection method. It has
277.75 mg/kg of β-Carotene and 276.7 mg/kg of iron

ECONOMICS
Current Socio-Economic Problems

Unemployment Rate in India has increased to 23% due to Lock

Down
➢ The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) recently released a survey on
the current unemployment situation in India. According to the survey, more than
20% of Indian Economy has lost their jobs since the lock down.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS APRIL – 9, 2020

New Economic Policy & Govt. Sector

Centre releases Rs 14,103 crore GST compensation to states
➢ The central government released the second installment of goods and services
tax (GST) compensation to states, of over Rs 14,100 crore, for the October-
November period.
➢ States like Rajasthan, Punjab and West Bengal have asked finance minister
Nirmala Sitharaman to ease the fiscal deficit limit under the Fiscal Responsibility
and Budget Management (FRBM) Act to 5% from 3% for the ongoing financial
year, release pending GST compensation and allow use of interest accruing to
the Consolidated Sinking Fund.

Over 2 Crore Construction Workers Provided With Rs 3,000-

Crore Funds by States
➢ More than 2 crore workers engaged in building and construction work have been
provided Rs 3,000-crore funds by various states and Union Territories under the
Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Yojana till now.
➢ Under the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana, the government has declared a relief package
of Rs 1.7 lakh crore and under this there is a component for building and
construction workers.
➢ There are about 3.5 crore such workers who are registered and the state
governments were told that there is about Rs 31,000 fund available under this
head.
➢ State governments have begun implementation and 31 states and union
territories have announced cash benefits ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 6,000 (to
construction workers)".

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS APRIL – 9, 2020

SCIENCE
Latest Inventions on Science & Technology
Laboratory in Hubballi starts testing throat swabs for COVID-19

➢ The approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the laboratory
to test throat swab for COVID-19 infection has begun functioning at the
Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) in Hubballi.

The business of breathing

➢ A large number of ventilators may potentially be required soon, and the

Railways-owned Integral Coach Factory (ICF) has made an attempt to “reverse
engineer” the machines. Private sector carmakers with no experience in this line
too, have joined the task.
➢ Ventilators (or respirators) are mechanical devices that help a patient breathe
when they are unable to do so on their own. Hospitals have a supply system for
gases like oxygen, which are used in ventilators.
➢ The ventilator takes the compressed gas (oxygen) and mixes it with other gases
(because typically what we breathe is 21% oxygen from the atmosphere). It allows
you to artificially push in a certain required amount of oxygen into the patient’s
lungs and allows them to deflate.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS APRIL – 9, 2020

Mass Media & Communication

Chhattisgarh Police create app ‘Rakhsa Sarv’ for quarantined

people
➢ The Chhattisgarh police has developed the app ‘Rakhsa Sarv’, with the help of
Noida-based startup Mobcoder. ‘Rakhsa Sarv’ 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. A similar mobile
app has been developed by the Mohali Police in Punjab named ‘COVID Control’.

NATIONAL – DAIRY OF EVENTS

Karnataka to launch YouTube channel for children
➢ The education department of Karnataka has come up with a unique idea of
starting a Youtube channel for children in the state.
➢ The YouTube channel will be aimed at invoking passion for learning and
creativity among children.
➢ It comes at a time when television, video games and mobile have become a
distraction for children during the lockdown.
➢ The step has been taken to ensure that the children are engaged productively
during this period.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS APRIL – 9, 2020

HRD Ministry along with AICTE initiated “Samadhan”

challenge for students to fight covid-19
➢ In order to empower
innovation among
students the Innovation
Cell of the Ministry of
Human Resources
Development (HRD)
and All India Council for
Technical
Education (AICTE) in collaboration with Forge and InnovatioCuris launched a
mega online challenge – SAMADHAN.
➢ Its objective is to search and develop measures for government agencies, health
services, hospitals and other services for quick solutions to the COVID-19
epidemic and other such calamities.
➢ Applications to participate in this competition started from 7 April 2020 till 14
April 2020. The names of the contestants going forward in this competition will
be declared on 17 April 2020 and such contestants are expected to submit their
entries between 18-23 April 2020.

ICMR allows state governments to set up sample collection sites

➢ The Indian Council of Medical

Research has allowed the state
governments to set up sample
collection sites for the testing of
COVID-19 samples.

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS APRIL – 9, 2020

➢ However, the body said that the states should follow its guidelines and the
collection should be done using the recommended Personal Protective
Equipment.
➢ The research body also suggested that the sites should be disinfected regularly
as per the recommended procedures by implementing all biosafety and
biosecurity precautions.

Indian Army postpones six-day conference of top commanders

➢ The Indian Army has postponed a six-day conference of its top commanders next
week in view of rising cases of coronavirus in the country
➢ The conference was to be held from April 13 to 18. In the conference, the Army
commanders were set to carry out overall review of India's security challenges,
particularly along the borders with Pakistan and China.

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