Lockdown in the country is to be extended till 3rd May

1.World Chagas Disease Day: April 14

For the first time, the global community is observing World Chagas Disease Day, on April 14.The aim is to raise visibility and public awareness in people about the disease and help raise the resources needed for its prevention, control or elimination.

Chagas disease, also called American trypanosomiasis, has been termed as a “silent and silenced disease”, because of its slow progress.

Once endemic in Latin American countries, Chagas disease is now present in many others, making it a global health problem.

It was on this date in 1909 that the first patient, a Brazilian girl named Berenice Soares de Moura, was diagnosed with this disease by Dr Carlos Ribeiro Justiniano Chagas.

Chagas disease is prevalent mainly among poor populations of continental Latin America and affects 6–7 million people.

2.Indian Army observes 36th Siachen Day on 13th April

The Indian Army observed the 36th Siachen Day on 13 April, remembering the gallant martyrs of Siachen.Siachen Day commemorates the courage and fortitude displayed by troops of the Indian Army in securing the highest and coldest battlefield in the world.

On April 13, 1984, the Indian Army launched ”Operation Meghdoot” to secure Bilafond La and other passes on the Saltoro Ridgeline from Pakistani aggression.

Siachen lies in the Karakoram Range in North-West India.

Siachen Glacier is 76.4 km long and covers about 10,000 sq km of uninhabited terrain.

It was in 1974 that Pakistan started permitting mountaineering expeditions in the Siachen Glacier.

3.Lockdown in the country is to be extended till 3rd May

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation and announced that after considering all aspects the lockdown in the country is to be extended till 3rd May.The Prime Minister lauds the patience and discipline observed by citizens in making lockdown successful.

The Prime Minister said that tight Vigil has to be kept on all hotspots and containment zones.

Every district will be analysed over the number of hotspots till 20th April.

From 20th April, the restricted relaxations in few districts will be allowed.

4.Nation remembers Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar on his 129th birth anniversary

Nation remembers Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar on his 129th birth anniversary.Dr. Ambedkar is known as the chief architect of the Indian Constitution and has been bestowed with the country’s highest civilian honor, Bharat Ratna in 1990 posthumously.

Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar was born on 14th April, 1891 at Mhow, now known as Dr. Ambedkar Nagar in Madhya Pradesh.

Dr. Ambedkar was a known jurist, economist, politician and social reformer who worked hard throughout his life to end social discrimination against weaker sections of the society.

He became the first Law and Justice Minister after the independence and played an important role in drafting the Indian Constitution and made provisions for abolition of all forms of discrimination.

5.IIT Bombay researchers get patent for smart stethoscope “AyuDevice”

A team at the Indian Institute of Technology of Bombay (IIT-B) has developed a “digital stethoscope” “AyuDevice”, that can listen to heart beats from a distance and record them, minimising the risk of healthcare professionals contracting the novel coronavirus from patients.The data or the auscultated sound from a patient’s chest is wirelessly sent to the doctor using Bluetooth, doing away with the need to go near to take readings.

The IIT-B team has received a patent for the device that records the auscultated sound and stores it as part of a patient’s health record.

The team has sent 1,000 stethoscopes to different hospitals and healthcare centres across the country.

6.e-NAM completes four years of implementation

The pan-India Agriculture trading portal e-NAM completed four years of implementation on 14 April.e-NAM helped in realising the vision of One Nation One Market for agri produce.

e-NAM was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 21 mandis on 14th April in 2016.

More than 1.66 crore farmers and 1.28 Lakh traders are registered on e-NAM platform.

Farmers are free to register on e-NAM portal and they are uploading their produce for sale online to the traders across all e-NAM mandis.

7.Pohela Boishakh 2020: Bengali New Year

Gregorian calendar, the Bengali New Year usually falls around April 14 or April 15.This year Pohela Boishakh is celebrated on April 14.On this day, Bengali traders community opens new books of accounts named as ‘Hal Khata’.

But due to ongoing lockdown, New Years celebrations have been drastically curtailed this year.

8.Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog & National Informatics Centre (NIC) jointly launches CollabCAD in ATL schools

Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog and National Informatics Centre (NIC) jointly launched a collaborative network, CollabCAD.These computer enabled software systems provide a total engineering solution from 2D drafting & detailing to 3D product design.

The aim of this initiative is to provide a great platform to students of Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) across the country to create and modify 3D designs with free flow of creativity and imagination.

This software would also enable students to create data across the network and concurrently access the same design data for storage and visualization.

CollabCAD is a great platform for students to utilize indigenous, state-of-the-art made-in-India software for 3D modeling/slicing to use 3D Printing.

9.Retail inflation eases to 5.91 percent in March

Retail inflation slowed to 5.91 per cent in March over the previous month, mainly due to easing food prices as per the government data released.The retail inflation based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 6.58 per cent in February 2020 and 2.86 per cent in March 2019.

The inflation in the food basket was 8.76 per cent in March 2020, lower from 10.81 per cent in the previous month, as per the CPI data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO).

The Reserve Bank of India mainly factors in the retail inflation while deciding its bi-monthly monetary policy.

The government has mandated the central bank to keep inflation at around 4 per cent.    

10.Google Pay launches ‘Nearby Spot’ to help users find local stores selling essentials

Google has launched ‘Nearby Spot’ under Google Pay using which users in Bengaluru can see local stores selling essentials like groceries that are open, amid the lockdown.The Nearby Spot will be launched in Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, and Delhi soon.

The company has also launched the COVID-19 Spot on Google Pay that aggregates all pertinent information on the topic, sourced directly from the Health Ministry.

This Spot also helps users donate to the PM-CARES Fund or to NGOs such as SEEDS, Give India, United Way and Charities Aid Foundation that are working towards procurement of protective equipment for medical workers and relief for lockdown-impacted daily wagers.

11.Former Attorney General of India Ashok Desai passes away

Former Attorney General of India and senior advocate Ashok Desai passed away.A Padma Bhushan awardee, Desai held office as the Attorney General of India from July 9, 1996 to May 6, 1998.

Earlier, he was the Solicitor General of India from 18 December, 1989 to December 2, 1990.

Desai took up several landmark cases, including decriminalisation of homosexuality, Vineet Narain case relating to investigation into allegations of corruption against high-ranking public officials in the country, Narmada Dam case and Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) (IMDT) Act in Assam, among others.

12.Veteran Army officer KP Dhal Samata dies

Veteran Army officer Lt Gen (retd) K P Dhal Samanta, who had played a valiant role in 1971 and Kargil wars, died.A product of the first batch of Sainik School Bhubaneswar, Lt Gen Samanta had retired as Director General of the Rashtriya Rifles, India’s premier counter insurgency force deployed in Kashmir.

Gen Samanta fought in the 1971 war on the eastern front and was awarded the Poorvi Star.

He was among the veterans invited regularly to Bangladesh as a mark of honour for their valiant efforts in the liberation of Bangladesh.

Later in his career, he participated in Operation Blue Star and the larger fight against terrorism in Punjab.

During the 1999 Kargil war, Samanta was instrumental in helping deploy the 155 mm Bofors guns in difficult conditions.