Punjab government launches coronavirus application

1.India remains second-largest arms importer in 2019

India retains its position as the second-largest arms importer in the world followed by Saudi Arabia, says a new report  by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.India neighbour Pakistan ranked 11th.

The SIPRI report shows how Russia gradually lost the lucrative Indian arms market over the years, though the communist country remains a key supplier.

Although India remains the main recipient of Russian arms in 2015-19, accounting for 25% of the total, Russian arms exports to India fell by 47 per cent between 2010-14 and 2015-19.

The USA became the second-largest arms supplier to India in 2010-14.

China, on the other hand, accounted for 51% of Pakistan’s arms imports in 2010-14 and for 73% in 2015-19.

2.CISF 51st Raising Day: 10 March

The CISF Raising Day is celebrated on March 10th of every year. CISF was set up under an act of the Parliament of India in the year 1969.

CISF comes directly under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and not under the Ministry of Defense.

Among its duties are guarding sensitive governmental buildings, the Delhi Metro, and providing airport security.

3.First time in India, anti-HIV drugs used to treat coronavirus

India has, for the first time, used the Lopinavir/ Ritonavir combination, usually a second line HIV medication, in the treatment of two Italian patients who tested positive for COVID-19 in Jaipur.ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) has taken approval for use of second line HIV drugs on COVID patients, but this Lopinavir/Ritonavir combination therapy has been approved for emergency use among COVID-19 patients with moderate degree of severity with laid down protocols.

Till now, this combination therapy has been given to two Italian patients hospitalised in Jaipur.

4.Gujarat tops in domestic solar rooftop installations

Gujarat has topped the list in the installations of solar rooftop plants across the country with about 50,915 systems being fixed on domestic rooftops in the state.Maharashtra follows with 5,513 installations.

Of 79,950 systems installed across the country, Gujarat has topped with 64 per cent or two-thirds of total domestic solar rooftop installations.

The total capacity of the 50,915 systems installed on domestic rooftops in the State is 177.67 MW, whereas the total systems installed across the country have a combined capacity of 322 MW.

The State government has adopted a solar rooftop scheme ‘Surya Gujarat’ to cover about eight lakh domestic electricity consumers under the scheme by 2022.

The electricity generated through the domestic rooftops is being consumed by the households, while the excess units are purchased by the State discoms at the rate of ₹2.25 per unit.

5.Punjab government launches coronavirus application

To sensitise people about coronavirus, Punjab government has launched ‘Cova Punjab’ mobile application.The app has been developed by the department of government reforms and public grievances in consultation with the health and family welfare department to spread awareness by sharing various travelling and preventive care advisories.

The application provides options to citizens to check symptoms as provided by the government from time to time and follow the advisory given thereafter.

The app also suggests the nearest hospital and nodal officer of district where the citizen can reach in-case he is corona symptomatic.

6.Andhra Pradesh ranked 1st in country for overall implementation of Poshan Abhiyan

Government is implementing Poshan Abhiyan, earlier known as National Nutrition Mission, since 18th December, 2017 to address the problem of malnutrition in the country.The Abhiyan aims to reduce malnutrition in the country in a phased manner, through a life cycle approach, by adopting a synergized and result oriented approach. 

The goals of Poshan Abhiyan are to achieve improvement in Nutritional status of children from 0-6 years, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers in a time bound manner.

State of Andhra Pradesh ranked 1st in the country for overall implementation of Poshan Abhiyan as per the recent report shared by NITI Aayog.

7.Moody’s cuts G-20 growth outlook by 0.3 percentage points to 2.1%

Moody’s Investors Service said G-20 countries are expected to grow by 2.1 per cent in 2020.It has lowered its previous forecast by 0.3 percentage as the global spread of the coronavirus is resulting in simultaneous supply and demand shocks.

The G-20 grouping includes advanced economies such as the US, Euro area, Japan, Germany and the UK, and emerging economies such as China, India, Brazil, Russia and Mexico.

Moody’s has lowered its 2020 forecast for China’s growth to 4.8 per cent from its previous estimate of 5.2 per cent.

8.Ashraf Ghani sworn in as Afghanistan President for second term

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani was sworn in for a second term.His rival Abdullah Abdullah held a parallel inauguration that could plunge the country deeper into crisis ahead of peace talks with the Taliban.

The oath-taking ceremony of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani was attended by hundreds of people, including visiting foreign dignitaries, diplomats and senior political figures.

Ghani was declared as the winner of the election held last September, but Abdullah Abdullah, who disputed the vote, held a parallel ceremony surrounded by hundreds of supporters.

9.Former Union Law Minister and Karnataka Governor Hans Raj Bhardwaj passes away

Former Union Law Minister and Congress veteran Hans Raj Bhardwaj died after a cardiac arrest at a hospital in Delhi.Bhardwaj was a Rajya Sabha member for five terms from April 1982 to June 2009.

He was the Law Minister for 14 years and served under the prime ministership of Rajiv Gandhi, Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh.

During his stint as the Governor of Karnataka between 2009 and 2014, he sternly dealt with the mining mafia active in the state.