Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2020

Notes:
An Interactive Voice Response System initiative called “Aarogya Setu IVRS” has been launched by the Centre in association with Tamil Nadu government and IIT Madras.
The service has been launched for people who do not use smart phones and to assist them in tackling Covid-19. It will be activated by a missed call and the location of the user is identified. Assistance on healthcare and guidance will be available through the voice service. This service will be launched in other states soon.

Notes:
The Union government recently announced that it has removed customs duty and health cess on the import of medical equipment related to COVID-19 till September 30, 2020.
The exemption on customs duty and cess have been given to all related medical equipment including ventilators, surgical masks, PPE, and test kits. This step is expected to boost availability of the products in the country, as per the Department of Revenue. The exemptions will be applicable on inputs used to manufacture the equipment.

Notes:
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has given approval to plasma therapy for COVID-19 treatment to Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST).
It is an Institution of National Importance under the Department of Science and Technology, located in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the state of Kerala. The treatment called ‘convalescent-plasma therapy’ transfers the antibody from a recovered patient to a sick person, increasing his/her immune power. The Scientists have also discovered Chitra Disinfection Gateway and Chitra UV Based Facemask Disposal Bin.

Notes:
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place on 13 April in the year 1919. The people of the country and all national leaders paid tributes to the martyrs on the 101st anniversary of the massacre.
A group of unarmed people gathered in Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Punjab to condemn the arrest of two national leaders. The troops of the British Indian Army, under the Colonel Reginald Dyer fired machine guns on the crowd extensively. Though 379 people were killed as per the official British records, other sources estimate over 1000 people were massacred.

Notes:
As per a survey released by the National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER), incomes of about 85% of households in the National capital region (NCR) have been impacted by the Covid-19 outbreak and the resulting lockdown.
The survey also highlighted that casual labourers were excessively affected with the wages of nearly 75% of them were affected. For salaried class, the income was affected for about 46.7% of the employees.

Notes:
Technological giant Google has recently launched a new feature under its flagship app Google Pay, called ‘Nearby Spot’.
This feature enables the users to locate the local stores that sells essential things and to check if they are open amidst the lock-down. The feature has been launched in Bengaluru on a pilot basis and will be extended to other cities of the country soon.

Notes:
The veteran Army officer and former Director General of Rashtriya Rifles, Lt Gen KP Dhal Samanta has recently passed away at the age of 70.
He played a very crucial role in the 1971 India-Pakistan War, 1984 Operation Blue Star and 1999 Kargil War. After retirement, he served as a member of the Armed Forces Tribunal at Kolkata. He received many prestigious awards including Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.

Notes:
The Chief information commissioner of India, Bimal Julka and all 6 information commissioners have decided to take 30-per cent cut in their basic salary for a year starting April 2020, to contribute to government’s move in fighting COVID-19.
In March 2020, President of India Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office to Bimal Julka as the CIC of India. At present, four positions of information commissioners are remaining vacant. The Chief Election commissioner and Election commissioners will also undergo a 30% pay cut.

Notes:
The United States has recently notified about its approval to sell Harpoon air-launched anti-ship missiles and Mark 54 lightweight torpedoes to India, which are worth USD 155 million.
As India was recognised as the Major defence Partner of the US in 2016, it can buy advanced defence equipment from the US similar to its closest allies and partners. The missiles are estimated to cost $92 million and the torpedoes will cost $63 million.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Tourism has launched a webinar series named ‘DekhoApnaDesh’. The webinar will have information about the important destinations of the country.
The webinar series was aimed at highlighting the history and diverse culture of various Indian destinations. Several features like monuments, cuisine, art, dance forms and festivals are being focussed. The first webinar in the series was about the city of Delhi and was titled ‘City of Cities – Delhi’s Personal Diary’.