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Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 05 April 2020

::NATIONAL::

Centre gives more relaxation to agriculture and allied sectors amid lockdown

Centre has granted a slew of exemptions and relaxations for Agriculture and Allied sectors in view of the 21-day lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.
In order to ensure that the farmers do not suffer from any adverse fall out, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has issued the 4th Addendum to its notification invoking the Disaster Management Act.
According to the latest Addendum, shops of Agricultural machinery, its spare parts, including supply chain and repairs and shops for truck repairs on highways, preferably at fuel pumps, can remain open.
This will facilitate transportation of farm produce. Tea industry, including plantations can also function with maximum of fifty per cent workers.
The Home Ministry has emphasized that the head of the organization or establishment will ensure the practice of social distancing norms and proper hygiene. The District authorities have been directed to ensure strict enforcement of the orders.

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IMD weather data supply disrupted due to grounding of airplanes

The grounding of the country’s civilian aircraft has strangled a key source of weather data that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) uses for its forecasts.
Officials, however, clarified that India’s annual monsoon forecast system was on track, with the first forecast scheduled to be issued in mid-April.
Aircraft relay data about temperature and wind speed in the upper atmosphere to meteorological agencies the world over and this is used in the dynamical models, the ones which are run on super computers and relied on to give weather forecasts three days, or even two weeks in advance.
Beginning mid-March, India began restricting incoming international flights into the country and by March 24 imposed a total shutdown on domestic air travel as well.This year, the IMD will likely rely on its traditional statistical forecast system — the workhorse, developed on the basis of historical data.
India had begun to move away from this system and started to rely on its dynamical models as it better captures developing changes in the atmosphere. However, India’s dynamical models are still not as adept as meteorologists want them to be, for warning of a drought or extreme changes in monsoon rainfall.
That, and limited data from aircraft as well as a general decline in land-based information because of a shortage of manpower to send observations, are forcing the agency’s hand.

::ECONOMY::

Centre plans to make inactive accounts functional

The Finance Ministry has tweaked prevention of money laundering (PML) norms with the aim to make all inoperative accounts functional so that cash transfers by the government under the COVID-19 relief package can reach beneficiaries.
In a communique to banks, the Department of Financial Services has conveyed that in respect of the PradhanMantri Jan DhanYojana accounts, basic savings account and small accounts, those accounts which have become inoperative due to various reasons — including non-completion of know your customer (KYC) requirements or updation — rules have been amended with an aim ‘to avoid any difficulty caused to poor people and beneficiaries of PM-GKY [PradhanMantriGaribKalyanYojana]’.
As a part of the PMGKY scheme, the government has decided to transfer ₹500 per month for three months to the poor and vulnerable sections of the society whose livelihood has been impacted due to the nationwide lockdown. Accounts that may have become dysfunctional due to non-operation in the account for the last two years have also been made functional.
“Please ensure that beneficiaries do not face any difficulty on this ground and are able to withdraw the money transferred to them by the government without any problems or requirement of additional documentation,” the communication said.
“Branch officials and business correspondents may be suitably instructed, along with necessary changes in the system (if required) for adherence to these guidelines,” it added.

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Reports suggest India’s consumption and external trade to witness impact of COVID

India’s private consumption, investment and external trade, the three major contributors to GDP, will get affected, according to KPMG’s report titled “Potential impact of COVID-19 on the Indian economy.”
India’s real GDP decelerated to its lowest in over six years in third quarter of 2019-2020, and the outbreak of the COVID-19 posed fresh challenges.
Steps taken to contain its spread, such as nationwide restrictions for 21 days and a complete lockdown of States, have brought economic activity to a standstill and could impact both consumption and investment, said the report.

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::INTERNATIONAL::

WFP says COVID has little impact on global food supply chain

The World Food Programme (WFP) has said that rapidly growing novel Coronavirus pandemic is so far having little impact on the global food supply chain, but that could change for the worse if major food importers remain anxious.
The UN agency said global markets for basic cereals are well-supplied and prices are generally low.
However, given the highly globalised nature of food production and supply, commodities need to move from the world's breadbaskets to where they are consumed and the novel Coronavirus-related containment measures are starting to make this more challenging.
WFP Senior Spokesperson Elisabeth Byers said, Disruptions are so far minimal; food supply is adequate, and markets are relatively stable, noting that global cereal stocks are at comfortable levels. The outlook for wheat and other staple crops is positive for the rest of the year.

Global organisations claim saving jobs essential to save livelihoods during pandemic

The WHO and IMF chiefs insisted on Friday that saving lives was a "prerequisite" to saving livelihoods in the coronavirus pandemic - a crisis they called "one of humanity's darkest hours". World Health Organization director-general TedrosAdhanomGhebreyesus and International Monetary Fund managing director KristalinaGeorgieva said.
The world economy has been pummelled by the virus and the associated lockdowns, with more than half the population of the planet under some kind of stay-at-home order to stem the spread of the pandemic. COVID-19 has killed more than 50,000 people, while more than a million have tested positive for the virus.
The article said that a record 85 countries were seeking IMF emergency financing, and the Washington-based institution was doubling its emergency response capacity from $50 billion up to $100 billion -- effectively making twice as much money available as in previous emergencies.
The IMF's total lending capacity is $1 trillion. The WHO, based in Geneva, said it could help in coordination by facilitating advance purchase agreements for vital medical supplies.

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::SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY::

DRDO develops full body disinfection chamber

Vehicle Research Development Establishment, VRDE Ahmednagar which is a DRDO Laboratory has designed full body disinfection chamber called as PSE. This walk through enclosure is designed for personnel decontamination. This is a portable system equipped with sanitiser and soap dispenser.
The decontamination starts using a foot pedal at the entry. On entering the chamber, electrically operated pump creates a disinfectant mist of hypo sodium chloride for disinfecting.
The mist spray is calibrated for an operation of 25 seconds and stops automatically indicating completion of operation. The system consists of roof mounted and bottom tanks with a total of 700 litres capacity.
Approximately 650 personnel can pass through the chamber for disinfection until the refill is required. The system has a see-through glass panels on side walls for monitoring and is fitted with lights for illumination during night time operations. A separate operator cabin is provided to monitor overall operations.
The system has been manufactured with the help of D H Ltd, Ghaziabad, within four days. This system can be used for disinfection of personnel at the areas of controlled ingress and egress such as entry and exit to hospitals, malls, office buildings and critical installations.

::SPORTS::

FIFA U-17 women’s worldcup scheduled to be held in India postponed

The FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup, which was scheduled to be played in India between November 2nd and 21st, has been postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. In a statement, FIFA said, the new dates for the tournament will be identified later.
The decision was taken by the FIFA-Confederations working group in its first meeting held yesterday. The working group also postponed FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup which was scheduled between August and September in Panama and Costa Rica.
The working group has been recently established by the FIFA Council to address the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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