IIT Gandhinagar launches Project ‘Isaac’ to engage students in creative projects during Corona lockdown

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1.World Theatre Day: 27 March

World Theatre Day (WTD) is celebrated on 27 March.It was initiated in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute.

It is celebrated to generate awareness about the importance of theatre arts.

It is also celebrated to showcase the important role artists play in the field of entertainment.

It also talks about the changes theatre brings in people’s lives.

2.US Senate passes 2.2 trillion dollar economic rescue package

The United States Senate has passed an unparalleled 2.2- trillion-dollar economic rescue package steering aid to businesses, workers and health care systems engulfed by the Corona virus pandemic.The 880-page aid package is the largest economic relief bill in US history, its value equivalent to more than half of the nation’s entire $4 trillion annual budget.

President Donald Trump has called for Americans to dedicate themselves for 15 days to social distancing, including staying home from work and closing bars and restaurants to help try to stall the spread of the disease.

3.IIT Gandhinagar launches Project ‘Isaac’ to engage students in creative projects during Corona lockdown

Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar (IITGN) has launched Project Isaac to engage its students in creative projects to enhance their critical skills while they are confined to their homes because of Coronavirus.The project is inspired by Sir Isaac Newton, who was similarly sent home by Trinity College, Cambridge, because of the Great Plague of London in 1665.

During this year, Newton, then a 22-year-old college student developed some of his most profound discoveries, including early calculus, as well as his theories of optics and gravity.

Project Isaac is a model for academic institutions worldwide to explore ways to engage students in the midst of the pandemic.

4.MoTA writes to all states for rescheduling of Holidays in Ekalavya model schools

Ministry of Tribal Affairs has written to Tribal Development Departments of all states for rescheduling of Holidays in Eklavya Model Residential Schools and Eklavya Model Day Boarding Schools due to COVID-19.Summer Holidays to be advanced as a special case and schools to remain shut till 25th of May or till further orders.

During this period, entry of outsiders into the campus is completely banned.

Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) is a Government of India scheme for model residential school for Indian tribals (ST, Scheduled Tribes) across India.

It is one of the flagship interventions of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India.

5.Extraordinary Virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit

An Extraordinary Virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit was convened on 26 March 2020 to discuss the challenges posed by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and to forge a global coordinated response.The extraordinary G20 Summit was a culmination of the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting and G20 Sherpas Meeting on the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the meeting, G20 Leaders agreed to take all necessary measures to contain the pandemic and protect people.

G20 countries committed to inject over USD 5 trillion into the global economy to counter the social and economic impact of COVID-19.

6.RBI cuts repo rate by 75 bps to 4.40% to mitigate Covid-19 impact

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) finally responded to the coronavirus-induced crisis with a whopping 75 basis points cut in the repo rate, bringing it down to 4.4 per cent.The repo rate has thus fallen to the lowest ever.

Before this, it had hit the lowest point of 4.74% in April 2009 in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis.

The central bank also lowered the reverse repo rate by 90 basis points.

The rate cut was warranted by disruptive force of coronavirus, the central bank said.

7.Govt postpones Census 2021, NPR updation amid coronavirus crisis

Amid the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the first phase of Census 2021 and the updation of the National Population Register (NPR) was postponed until further orders.The exercises were scheduled to be carried out from April 1 to September 30.

The announcement came a day after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown across the country, effective from March 24.

The Census 2021 was scheduled to be conducted in two phases during April-September, 2020.

Besides, the updation of controversial NPR was proposed to be held along with phase I of Census 2021 in all the states and union territories (except Assam).

8.Microsoft, US CDC tie-up to create ‘Clara’, a COVID-19 self-screening bot

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has introduced an AI bot called ‘Clara’ to help people assess potential symptoms of COVID-19.The CDC has partnered up with CDC Foundation and Microsoft Azure’s Healthcare Bot service to create Clara, the “coronavirus self-checker.” The bot is currently only available in the US on the CDC website.

The bot that can quickly assess the symptoms and risk factors for people worried about infection, provide information and suggest the next course of action such as contacting a medical provider or, for those who do not need in-person medical care, managing the illness safely at home.

9.Acclaimed artist Satish Gujral passes away

Satish Gujral, 94, one of India’s most well known artists, passed away.He was an Indian painter, sculptor, muralist and writer of the post-independent era.

He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, in 1999.

His elder brother, Inder Kumar Gujral, was the former Prime Minister of India.

10.Veteran photographer Nemai Ghosh passes away

Veteran photographer Nemai Ghosh, who had a long association with directing the great Satyajit Ray, passed away.Nemai Ghosh debuted with ‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’ (1969) and was with Satyajit Ray till his last film ‘Agantuk’ (1991).

A Padma Shri recipient, Nemai Ghosh had also penned books such as ‘Manik Da: Memoirs of Satyajit Ray’, which are invaluable references for Ray enthusiasts.

He also served as a jury member at the 2007 National Film Awards.