Wednesday 5 February 2020
Tuesday 4 February 2020
Daily news 3 February 2020
National News
1. Madhya Pradesh grabs first position for implementation of PMMVY
Madhya Pradesh's Minister for Women and Child Development Imarti Devi and Principal Secretary Anupam Rajan received the award from Union Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani for the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Indore has been ranked at first place among the districts for better performance of the scheme.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Kamal Nath.
- Governor of Madhya Pradesh: Lal Ji Tandon.
Schemes and Committees
2. Task force constituted by Government of India to restrict Novel Coronavirus
A task force has been constituted by the Government of India to restrict the Novel Coronavirus outspread in India. Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy and Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri are the members of the task force.
Ranks and Reports
3. Sri Lanka ranks first in Breast Feeding support Policies and Programs
Sri Lanks has been ranked first in a new survey conducted by the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative (WBTi) on Breast Feeding support Policies and Programs. Sri Lanka scored 91 points out of 100 and got the green color code and hence become the first country to achieve the “Green” nation status in supporting breastfeeding women.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Currency of Sri Lanka: Sri Lankan rupee.
- Prime minister: Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Sports News
4. Novak Djokovic Wins the men's singles title of Australian Open 2020
Serbian tennis star, Novak Djokovic has won the men's singles title of Australian Open 2020. He defeated Austrian tennis star Dominic Thiem in five sets to successfully defend his Australian Open men's singles title in Melbourne, Australia. This was his 8th title win in the Australia Open.
Must Important Takeaways for Upcoming Competitive Exams:
The Grand Slam are the four most important annual tennis tournaments.
1. Australian Open
2. French Open
3. Wimbledon
4. US Open
Miscellaneous News
5. "Ekushey Book Fair" inaugurated by Bangladesh's PM Sheikh Hasina
Ekushey Book fair was recently inaugurated by the Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Bangla Academy premises in Dhaka. The fair is organised annually to commemorate the martyrs of the language movement which helped in establishing Banglaas the official language of the then East Pakistan.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Prime Minister of Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina; Capital: Dhaka; Currency: Taka.
Sunday 2 February 2020
Corona Virus
What is Corona Virus?
Corona viruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.
Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.
Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.
Advice for the public
- Frequently clean hands by using alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water;
- When coughing and sneezing cover mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue – throw tissue away immediately and wash hands;
- Avoid close contact with anyone who has fever and cough;
- If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing seek medical care early and share previous travel history with your health care provider;
- When visiting live markets in areas currently experiencing cases of novel coronavirus, avoid direct unprotected contact with live animals and surfaces in contact with animals;
- The consumption of raw or undercooked animal products should be avoided. Raw meat, milk or animal organs should be handled with care, to avoid cross-contamination with uncooked foods, as per good food safety practices.
- How did the recent outbreak occur?
The recent outbreak of coronavirus is believed to have occurred in a market for illegal wildlife in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. Chinese health authorities and the WHO are investigating the outbreak of the recent coronavirus which has claimed 17 lives and reportedly infected hundreds.
Is the recent strain fatal?
As of now, 132 people have died because of the outbreak and many more have been infected. Since it's a new strain, there is no specific vaccine that can treat it. However, according to the WHO, "many of the symptoms can be treated and therefore treatment based on the patient’s clinical condition".
What steps have been taken so far to check its spread?
Due to the Chinese lunar holiday, the fears of the virus spreading have risen as people travel overseas. However, responding to the fears of the virus spreading, China has put the source of the latest outbreak, the city of Wuhan, under a lockdown. It has suspended all outgoing flights and shut down urban transport network.
How is India responding to the outbreak?
According to the Health Ministry, 9150 passengers have been screened for the novel coronavirus. Till now, no case of novel coronavirus has been reported in India. Health ministry has asked travellers from China to report to the nearest health facility in case they do not feel well. The ministry has asked authorities at seven airports of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Cochin to screen those travelling from China.
How has it affected the economy?
According to reports, Chinese and Hong Kong stocks plunged Thursday as investors fear that the novel coronavirus can impact consumption. If the WHO declares the outbreak as a global health emergency, it could impact global investor sentiment mainly impacting travel, entertainment, hospitality sectors.
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