Daily Corona updates 31 July 2020

Coronavirus Live Updates: Number Of Recovered Patients Crosses 10 Lakh

COVID-19 Updates: In Delhi, coronavirus tally went past 1.34 lakh cases (File)

New Delhi:

The number of recovered COVID-19 patients crossed the 10-lakh mark on Thursday and is now 1.9 times the total active cases, the Union Health Ministry said.

The coronavirus positivity rate in Rajasthan is 3.5 per cent, Punjab 3.9 per cent, Madhya Pradesh 4 per cent, and Jammu and Kashmir 4.7 per cent, officer on Special Duty in the Health Ministry Rajesh Bhushan said.

In Delhi, The coronavirus tally went past 1.34 lakh with 1,093 fresh cases, even as the city government constituted four committees of medical specialists who will inspect hospitals from where a large percentage of COVID-19 fatalities are still being reported.

Meanwhile, Brazil's first lady, Michelle Bolsonaro was also tested positive for the new coronavirus, after her husband spent two weeks in quarantine with it.

The announcement came five days after President Jair Bolsonaro said he was over his illness and resumed his normal work routine.

Michelle Bolsonaro, 38, "is in good health and will follow all established protocols," the president's office said.

Here are the Updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Cases:

The number of recovered coronavirus patients crossed the 10-lakh mark on Thursday and is now 1.9 times the total active cases, the Union Health Ministry said.

Jul 31, 2020 21:46:05 (IST)

India, Israel Conducting Trials For Rapid Testing That Detects COVID In 30 Seconds

Israel and India are conducting trials in New Delhi on a large sample of patients for four different kinds of technologies that have the potential to detect COVID-19 in about 30 seconds, including a breath analyser and a voice test, according to an Israeli statement. Read more

Jul 31, 2020 21:36:00 (IST)

Human Clinical Trial Of COVID-19 Vaccine "Covaxin" Begins At UP Hospital
The human clinical trial of indigenously developed Covaxin, a possible vaccine against coronavirus, began at a hospital here, officials said on Friday. Read more

Jul 31, 2020 21:25:50 (IST)

Odisha Opens Third Plasma Bank

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the third plasma bank at Rourkela on Friday and said the state has collected 70 units of plasma in a fortnight for the treatment of critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Mr Patnaik, who inaugurated the plasma bank at Ispat General Hospital in Rourkela through video conferencing, said eight patients have so far been discharged from hospitals in the state after being cured of coronavirus through plasma therapy.

Seventeen other patients are improving after undergoing the new medical procedure, he said.

Jul 31, 2020 20:59:08 (IST)

Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu Urges People To Follow COVID-19 Guidelines Amid Eid Celebrations

Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, in his greeting to the country on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, urged people to celebrate the festival while following COVID-19 safety protocol, a statement from the Vice-President's Secretariat informed.

"I extend all my warm greetings and good wishes to the people of our country on the auspicious occasion of Id-ul-Zuha. Id-ul-Zuha is a celebration of unswerving devotion to God and the boundless compassion and loves the Almighty has for His creation. The festival inspires us to inculcate empathy, practice sacrifice and promote peace and universal brotherhood. As India and the world continue to fight a relentless battle against the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, we have been forced to celebrate almost all of our traditional festivals, which were otherwise celebrated with great splendour, at home in a more subdued manner," the statement quoted the Vice-President.

Jul 31, 2020 20:55:15 (IST)

Total Lockdown Extended In Kohima Till August 7 As COVID-19 Cases Spike

The total lockdown in Kohima was extended by a week till August 7, officials said on Friday.

The decision to extend the total lockdown, which was ending at midnight, was taken at an emergency meeting of Kohima District Task Force (DTF), they said.

The restrictions were imposed on July 25 to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

The extension of the total lockdown was necessitated after taking into consideration the recent surge in the COVID-19 cases in the district, stated an order issued by Deputy Commissioner Gregory Thejawelie, who is also the chairman of the task force.

Jul 31, 2020 20:25:31 (IST)

Delhi Government's Five-Day Sero-Survey To Begin Saturday

The next round of sero-prevalence survey in the national capital is slated to begin on Saturday, with authorities gearing up for the five-day exercise to comprehensively analyse the COVID-19 situation in Delhi. Read more

Jul 31, 2020 20:11:49 (IST)

At 2.18%, India's COVID-19 Fatality Rate Among Lowest: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan

India's COVID-19 case fatality rate is progressively declining and now stands at 2.18 per cent, one of the lowest globally, while just 0.28 per cent of the total active patients are on ventilator, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Friday.

He also said of the total 5,45,318 active cases, 1.61 per cent patients need ICU care and 2.32 per cent are on oxygen support.

Chairing the 19th meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on COVID-19 through video-conference on Friday, Mr Vardhan said India has achieved the milestone of more than 10 lakh recoveries, a recovery rate to 64.54 per cent.

"This shows that the active cases under medical supervision are only 33.27 pc or approximately 1/3rd of total positive cases," he was quoted as saying in a health ministry statement.

Jul 31, 2020 19:51:47 (IST)

UK To "Put Brakes On" Reopening As Coronavirus Cases Rise

Britain on Friday "put the brakes on" easing lockdown measures and imposed new rules on millions of households in northern England, following concerns over a spike in coronavirus infections. Read here

Jul 31, 2020 19:35:51 (IST)

Gymnasiums, Yoga Centres To Open In Punjab; Night Curfew To Continue

The Punjab government on Friday allowed gymnasiums and yoga centres to operate while continuing with the night curfew for the next phase of the coronavirus lockdown from August 1 to 31.

Schools, colleges and coaching institutions will remain closed till August 31 while online or distance learning will continue.

Cinema halls, swimming polls, entertainment parks, theatres, bars, auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places will not be permitted to open.

The revised guidelines have been issued by the state government two days after the Union Home Ministry allowed more relaxations in a bid to further open up the economy.

Jul 31, 2020 19:13:26 (IST)

105-Year-Old Afghan Woman, Living In Noida, Recovers From Coronavirus
A 105-year-old woman from Afghanistan was discharged from a hospital in Greater Noida on Friday after recovering from COVID-19 in a fortnight, officials said. Read more

Jul 31, 2020 19:03:08 (IST)

Train Passenger Tests Positive For Covid-19, Deboarded And Sent To Kochi Hospital

A 29-year-old man, who tested positive for coronavirus, was admitted to the government medical college hospital in Kochi on Friday after he was deboarded from the train he was travelling from Kozhikode.

The coach of the Kozhikode-Thiruvananthapuram Jan Shatabdi Express in which he was travelling was disinfected and sealed after accommodating his over 20 co-passengers to another coach when the train reached Ernakulam North railway station, a railway official said.

Jul 31, 2020 18:47:38 (IST)

Nitish Kumar's August 7 Virtual Rally Postponed Due To COVID-19, Floods
A much-anticipated virtual rally of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar next week, where he was expected to sound the bugle for assembly polls, has been put off for the time being in view of raging problems of Covid-19 and floods in the state, a top JD(U) leader said in Patna on Friday.Read more

Jul 31, 2020 17:47:10 (IST)

Doctor Gives A Peek Into Bengaluru's Enormous COVID Care Centre
Bengaluru's enormous COVID Care Centre with a capacity for 10,000 beds has started functioning with a few hundred asymptomatic patients. Read here

Jul 31, 2020 17:23:07 (IST)

UP Conducts Average 97,516 COVID-19 Tests In Last Three Days

With COVID-19 tests in full swing in Uttar Pradesh, the state has averaged 97,516 testings in last three days, said Alok Kumar, Secretary to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister on Friday.

"UP govt registered a new high of 115,618 in COVID-19 testing. Last three days average 97,516. Along with this, we traced maximum infection in a day 4,453. Our priority remains to minimise the deaths due to COVID-19, cumulative CFR goes down below 2.0" Alok Kumar tweeted on Friday.

Jul 31, 2020 17:16:32 (IST)

JustIn| Delhi Lt Governor cancels Arvind Kejriwal government's move allowing hotels, weekly markets on trial basis in Unlock3

Jul 31, 2020 17:14:16 (IST)

JustIn| Delhi records 1,195 fresh coronavirus cases, taking tally to 1,35,598; number of deaths rises to 3,963, says Authorities: Press Trust India

Jul 31, 2020 16:45:30 (IST)

43 COVID-19 Deaths, Highest Single-Day Spike Of 4,453 Cases In UP

Uttar Pradesh on Friday reported the highest single-day spike of 4,453 COVID-19 cases and 43 deaths due to the disease, taking the infection tally to more than 85,000 and the number of deaths to 1,630 in the state.

"In the past 24 hours, 4,453 fresh cases of COVID-19 cases were found. There are 34,968 active cases in the state and 48,663 patients have been discharged after treatment," Additional Chief Secretary, Medical and Health, Amit Mohan Prasad told reporters.

Jul 31, 2020 16:17:36 (IST)

Sikkim Extends Lockdown Till August 3

The Sikkim government on Friday extended the complete lockdown in the state till August 3 in view of a spurt in COVID-19 cases, a senior official said.

As per the revised guidelines from the Home Department, the lockdown remains extended till 6 am on August 3, a notification issued by Chief Secretary S C Gupta said.

A set of revised guidelines with regard to restrictions on movement and gathering of people, however, will come into force on August 3 and will be applicable till August 31, he said.

Jul 31, 2020 16:03 (IST)

Coronavirus News: Delhi Government's Five-Day Sero-Survey To Begin Saturday

The next round of sero-prevalence survey in the national capital is slated to begin on Saturday, with authorities gearing up for the five-day exercise to comprehensively analyse the COVID-19 situation in Delhi.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on July 22 had announced that after analysing the results of the last survey, it was decided that more such exercises would be done every month to formulate better policies for tackling the COVID-19 situation in the national capital.

The next sero-prevalence survey is scheduled to take place from August 1-5.

Jul 31, 2020 15:42:20 (IST)

Japan secures 120 million doses of potential corona-vaccine: German pharmaceutical group

Japan has signed a deal to secure 120 million doses of a potential coronavirus vaccine, German pharmaceutical group BioNTech, which is developing the drug with US pharma giant Pfizer, said Friday.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed, with BioNTech saying the terms were based on the timing of the delivery and volume of doses.

But an agreement announced recently between the labs and the United States put the price of 100 million doses of the potential vaccine at almost $2 billion.

Jul 31, 2020 15:18:03 (IST)

Jul 31, 2020 14:53:26 (IST)

COVID-19 recovery rate stands at 64.54%: Centre

The country's COVID-19 recovery rate now stands at 64.54 per cent, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has said.

"In the last 24 hours, we have crossed the 1-million mark of patients who have recovered from COVID-19. Today we have 10,57,805 people who have recovered. The total number of cases across the country now stands at 16,38,870 cases," Dr Harsh Vardhan says at the Group of Ministers (GoM) meeting in Delhi.

He adds, "Two-third of the cases have recovered and have gone home. The fatality rate is also coming down and today it stands at 2.18 per cent. The recovery rate has improved to 64.54 per cent. The doubling rate is right now standing at 21 days."

Jul 31, 2020 14:49:13 (IST)

Britain imposes new lockdown rules around Manchester

Millions of households in Manchester and nearby parts of northern England woke up to new lockdown rules on Friday, hastily imposed following concerns over a spike in regional coronavirus infections.

Under the measures, people from different households in the affected areas are banned from meeting indoors.

They apply to some four million people across Greater Manchester and parts of the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire.

Jul 31, 2020 14:03:11 (IST)

China Rejects Accusations Of Hackers Targeting US COVID-19 Vaccine Firm Moderna
China rejected on Friday charges that hackers linked to its government targeted biotech firm Moderna Inc, a leading US-based coronavirus vaccine research developer, to steal data.

Jul 31, 2020 13:45:44 (IST)

74 new COVID-19 cases in Arunachal, count rises to 1,484

In Arunachal Pradesh, 74 more people, including five security personnel, have tested positive for COVID-19, taking the state's count to 1,484, a Health Department official has said.

Of the fresh cases, 21 were reported from the Capital Complex region, 17 from Changlang district, 10 from Lower Subansiri, nine from Namsai, seven from Tawang, four from Papum Pare and one each from East Kameng, East Siang, Lohit, Dibang Valley, Siang and Tirap, State Surveillance Officer Dr L Jampa said.

Arunachal Pradesh now has 654 active cases, while 827 people have recovered from the disease and three have died of it.

Jul 31, 2020 13:24:41 (IST)

Vietnam reports first coronavirus death after months of successful countermeasures

Vietnam recorded its first death from COVID-19 after winning plaudits worldwide for one of the most successful pandemic responses to containing the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The country of 96 million had gone 100 days without infection before an unexpected cluster of new cases surfaced in the central and popular resort city of Danang a week ago.

Vietnam's health ministry today reported 45 new infections in the city, marking the country's biggest single-day jump in cases since the beginning of the pandemic.

Jul 31, 2020 12:44:02 (IST)

Rajasthan reports seven more COVID-19 deaths, 362 fresh cases

The COVID-19 death count in Rajasthan has reached 674 as seven more people died due to the disease, while 362 fresh cases pushed the infection count to 41,298, a health department official said.

Four deaths were reported from Bikaner, two from Ajmer and one from Barmer, he said. In Jaipur, the total death count due to COVID-19 stands at 184.

Jul 31, 2020 12:25:07 (IST)

Fiji records first COVID-19 death of man who returned from India

Fiji announced its first coronavirus death Friday, but health officials assured people in the Pacific island nation that it was not the precursor to a major outbreak.

Health Minister Ifereimi Waqainabete said the victim was a 66-year-old man who tested positive after returning from India, where he had undergone surgery for a long-standing heart condition.

He said the man was one of nine active cases who had been held in quarantine since they were repatriated from India on July 1.

Jul 31, 2020 12:12 (IST)

Dutch airline to cut upto 5,000 jobs due to coronavirus

Dutch airline KLM said Friday it would shed up to 5,000 jobs due to a "crisis of unprecedented magnitude" caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The carrier, part of the Air France KLM group, said the cuts through the end of 2021 were necessary as it had made huge losses despite a 3.4-billion-euro ($4.0-billion) Dutch government bailout.

The cuts would involve around 1,500 compulsory layoffs from KLM's current workforce of 33,000, the airline said.

Jul 31, 2020 12:00:39 (IST)

Jul 31, 2020 11:33 (IST)

Four states failed to pay COVID-19 frontline workers on time, Centre tells Top Court: Report

The Centre has informed the Supreme Court that Punjab, Maharashtra, Tripura and Karnataka have not made timely payment to frontline COVID-19 healthcare workers and doctors despite its direction, according to news agency ANI.

The top court has asked the Centre to do needful to ensure that salaries of health workers involved in coronavirus fight are paid on time.

Jul 31, 2020 11:07:51 (IST)

Careless Young People Driving Some COVID-19 Spikes: WHO
The World Health Organization on Thursday warned that spikes in coronavirus transmission in a number of countries were being driven by young people "letting down their guard".

Jul 31, 2020 10:23:16 (IST)

Aam Aadmi Party to protest against Punjab's decision to sell plasma

Harpal Singh Cheema, the Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Dirba in Punjab, has called for a state-wide strike in protest against the Punjab government's decision to sell plasma units from its plasma bank to private hospitals.

"The government's decision to sell the plasma of recovered patients to private hospitals at Rs 20,000 a unit is wrong. The state is literally sucking the blood of its people," he said.

He said this would put a heavy burden on patients who are affected by the virus.

Jul 31, 2020 09:51:32 (IST)

US counts nearly 1,400 deaths in 24 hours: Report

The United States counted 1,379 new deaths from the coronavirus in the 24 hours leading up to 8:30 pm Thursday (0030 GMT Friday), according to a count by Johns Hopkins University.

It was the third day in a row with more than 1,200 deaths, according to the Baltimore-based school.

The US has tallied a total of 151,826 deaths from COVID-19, making it the hardest-hit country in the world. There were also 72,238 new infections officially recorded on Thursday, meaning the US has seen a total of nearly 4.5 million infections since the beginning of the pandemic, with at least 1.4 million of them having recovered.

Jul 31, 2020 09:35 (IST)

Over 55,000 coronavirus cases in 24 hours take count to 16.38 lakh in India

Over 55,000 coronavirus cases were recorded in the biggest one-day jump in India. There are 16.38 lakh total cases so far with 35,747 deaths in the country due to COVID-19.

Jul 31, 2020 09:29:36 (IST)

Over 17 million people infected with COVID-19 worldwide: Report

Six months after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global emergency, the novel coronavirus has infected more than 17 million people worldwide.

The WHO warned Thursday that young people are "not invincible" and were helping to drive resurgences in many places that had largely curbed the disease.

COVID-19 has killed more than 668,000 people and is forcing governments into a persistent balancing act between saving lives and preventing economic devastation.

Jul 31, 2020 08:49:03 (IST)

Coronavirus Load In Children Up To 100 Times High Than In Adults: Report
Children younger than five carried major amounts of coronavirus in their upper respiratory tract, a small study published on Thursday showed, raising new questions about whether kids can infect others.

Jul 31, 2020 08:38:40 (IST)

Brazil's first lady tests positive for coronavirus

Brazil's first lady Michelle Bolsonaro tested positive for the new coronavirus Thursday, the government said, after her husband spent two weeks in quarantine with it.

The announcement came five days after President Jair Bolsonaro said he was over his illness and had resumed his normal work routine.

Michelle Bolsonaro, 38, "is in good health and will follow all established protocols," the president's office said.

Jul 31, 2020 07:20:27 (IST)

Coronavirus news: Five Army, one Navy jawans among 103 new COVID-19 cases in Himachal Pradesh; tally 2,507

Himachal Pradesh reported 103 new COVID-19 cases including those of five Army and one navy jawans on Thursday, taking the infection tally to 2,507 in the state.

Among the fresh cases, 35 were reported from Solan, 24 from Mandi, 22 from Sirmaur, nine from Kangra, six from Shimla, three from Una, two from Kullu and one each from Kinnaur and Bilaspur, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman said. In Kangra, the fresh cases include three Army and one Navy jawans, Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Prajapati said.

Besides a 45-year-old employee of CSIR, Palampur also tested positive, PTI reported.

Jul 31, 2020 06:39:55 (IST)

Coronavirus news: 3,658 new coronavirus cases found in Pune district

The Pune district reported 3,658 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, taking the case tally to 81,771, a health official said.

The death count due to the pandemic in the district rose to 1,922 with 64 patients dying, PTI reported.

Jul 31, 2020 06:21:36 (IST)

Coronavirus news: Jharkhand extends lockdown restrictions outside containment zones till Aug 31

The Jharkhand government on Thursday extended the lockdown restrictions due to COVID-19 outside the containment zones till August 31.

An official notification also issued directions to departments concerned for strict implementation of guidelines and state directives on COVID-19, PTI reported.

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Daily news updates 31 july 2020

Business News

1. MobiKwik launches personal UPI payment link mpay.me

• Digital wallet company, MobiKwik has launched "mpay.me" UPI link service that allows users to send and receive money from any UPI payment app.
• This single link created using mpay.me can be shared anywhere to send and receive money and will work seamlessly on mobile as well as desktop.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Mobikwik CEO: Bipin Preet Singh
• Mobikwik Headquarters location: Gurugram.

Appointments News

2. Hardik Satishchandra Shah becomes new Private Secretary to PM Modi

• 2010-batch IAS officer, Hardik Satishchandra Shah has been appointed the Private Secretary (PS) to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on co-terminus basis.
• He is is currently serving as a Deputy Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
• Before moving to the PMO last year, he worked as the PS to Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Prakash Javadekar.

3. ICRA appoints N. Sivaraman as MD and Group CEO

• The domestic rating agency, ICRA has appointed N Sivaraman as its new managing director and group chief executive officer for three years. He succeeds former MD and Group CEO Naresh Takkar.
• The post has been left vacant for one year after the termination of Naresh Takar in August 2019.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• ICRA Headquarters: Gurgaon, Haryana.
• ICRA Non-Executive Chairman and Director: Arun Duggal.

Science and Technology

4. DIAT develops 'Aashray' to combat COVID-19

• Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) has developed 'Aashray', a medical bed isolation system to combat COVID-19 by preventing or minimising the spread of the virus.
• This medical bed isolation system developed by Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, (DIAT) is a low cost, reusable solution to maintain proper isolation of COVID-19 patients by creating a suction or negative pressure near exhale, further filtering and disinfecting the aerosol.
• As per prototype manufacturer, the cost of the setup for a unit of 10 beds is Rs 1 lakh approximately and for home, the quarantine will be around Rs 15,000 for a single bed.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Vice-Chancellor of DIAT: CP Ramnarayanan.
• Headquarters of DIAT: Pune, Maharashtra.

Ranks and Reports

5. Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur tops Niti’s aspirational districts ranking

• Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh has topped the list of aspirational districts in Overall Delta Ranking by government think-tank Niti Aayog for the February-June 2020 period.
• Ri-Bhoi (Meghalaya) and Bahraich (Uttar Pradesh) have been placed at the second and third positions.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NITI Aayog: Amitabh Kant.

Sports

6. Harikrishna finishes 2nd at Biel Chess Festival

• Indian Grandmaster, P Harikrishna has finished second in the rapid section of the 53rd Biel International Chess Festival in Switzerland.
• The World No. 26 scored 10 points, two less than Radoslaw Wojtaszek of Poland, who finished on top.
• Earlier, the Indian GM had finished on top in the ACCENTUS Chess960 tournament, with 5.5 points.

7. Domestic allrounder Rajat Bhatia announces retirement

• Veteran Indian domestic allrounder, Rajat Bhatia has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.
• He started his career with Tamil Nadu in 1999-2000 but played most of his cricket for Delhi.
• Bhatia has also been a regular in the IPL having played for Delhi Daredevils, Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Rising Pune Supergiants.

Important Days

8. International Day of Friendship: 30th July

• International Day of Friendship is observed globally on 30th July. This day is celebrated to mark the importance of friends and friendship in life.
• The day also advocates the role that friendship plays in promoting peace in several cultures across the world.

Obituaries

9. Padma Shri awardee Sonam Tshering Lepcha passes away

• Folk musician and Padma Shri awardee, Sonam Tshering Lepcha passed away. He was born in Kalimpong, West Bengal in 1928. He started his career as a soldier.
• He travelled to various parts of Sikkim and complied a wide range of Indian folk and traditional Lepcha songs and played folk music on All India Radio in 1960. He was awarded the Padma Shri for his contribution in the field of folk music.

10. Malayalam actor Anil Murali passes away

• Malayalam actor, Anil Murali passed away. He made his silver screen debut with Kanyakumariyil Oru Kavitha in 1993. He went on to star in over 200 movies across Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu film industries.

Daily news 26 July 2020

National News

1. DST launches programme for India-Russia S & T cooperation

• India-Russia Joint Technology Assessment and Accelerated Commercialization Programme has been launched by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in partnership with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises (FASIE) of the Russian Federation.
• The programme will strengthen the Science, Technology and Innovation ties between India and Russia.
• DST will fund up to Rs 15 Crores to 10 Indian SMEs/Start-ups for a period of two years.
• The programme has been launched with the primary aim of connecting Indian, and Russian Science & Technology (S&T) led SMEs and Start-ups for joint Research and development (R&D) for technology development as well as for cross-country technology adaptation.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• President of Russia: Vladimir Putin.
• Capital of Russia: Moscow; Currency: Russian Ruble.

Appointments News

2. President Kovind appoints Anandiben Patel as the Governor of MP

• President of India, Ram Nath Kovind has appointed the Governor of Uttar Pradesh Anandiben Patel to discharge the functions of the Governor of Madhya Pradesh.
• She has been appointed as the former MP Governor Lalji Tandon passed away recently.
• Earlier on June 28, Patel was given the additional charge of Madhya Pradesh during the absence on leave of Governor Lalji Tandon. She has served as the former Chief Minister of Gujarat, she was the first female chief minister of the state.

Awards & Rewards

3. Kala Narayanasamy honoured with President’s Award in Singapore

• Indian-origin nurse, Kala Narayanasamy in Singapore has been conferred with the President’s Award for Nurses for serving on the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Kala Narayanasamy, who is the Deputy Director of Nursing at Woodlands Health Campus, has been conferred with this award for utilising the infection control practices that she had learned during the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak, in the current pandemic.
• The President’s Award for Nurses in Singapore recognises the efforts of nurses who have shown sustained outstanding performance and contributions to patient care delivery, education, research and administration.

Sports News

4. Indian team's 2018 Asian Games silver medal upgraded to gold

• The silver medal of the Indian 4×400 mixed relay team's 2018 Asian Games, Jakarta has been upgraded to gold.
• The medal was upgraded to gold following the disqualification of Bahrain squad that finished first in the 4×400 mixed relay final.
• The Bahrain squad was disqualified as Kemi Adekoya of Bahrain has been handed a 4-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit for failing a dope test.
• The Indian quartet of Mohammed Anas, M.R. Poovamma, Hima Das and Arokia Rajiv, who finished second behind Bahrain in the 4×400 mixed relay final have now become the first winner of the event. Also.
• Indian runner Anu Raghavan has moved from fourth place to bronze medal position in the women’s 400 m hurdles following the disqualification of Kemi Adekoya of Bahrain.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• President of Athletics Federation of India: Adille J. Sumariwalla.

Miscellaneous News

5. Electric potter wheels distributed under "Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana"

• Under the "Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana" of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Union Home Minister Amit Shah distributed 100 electric potter wheels to 100 trained artisans in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• The step was an effort to empower and associate the marginalized potters’ community.
• During the distribution of electric potter wheels, the minister assured the potters stating the arrangements made to help potters to sell their products, including tie-up with the Railways and proper marketing channels.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chairman of Khadi and Village Industries Commission: Vinai Kumar Saxena.

Teaching In Mother Tongue Till Class 5: 10 Points On New National Education Policy

New Delhi: 

Either one of the mother tongue or the local/regional language will be the medium of instruction up to Class 5 in all schools, the government said Wednesday while launching the National Education Policy 2020. Among other changes in the revision of the NEP, last done over three decades ago, is the extension of right to education to cover all children between three and 18 years of age. The policy also proposes vocational education, with internships, for students from Class 6, a change to the 10+2 schooling structure and a four-year bachelor's programme. NEP 2020 will bring two crore out-of-school children back into the mainstream, the government has claimed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted saying he "wholeheartedly welcomed" the policy, which he called a "long due and much awaited reform in the education sector".

Here are the top 10 points in the National Education Policy 2020

1. The mother tongue or local or regional language is to be the medium of instruction in all schools up to Class 5 (preferably till Class 8 and beyond), according to the policy. Under the NEP 2020, Sanskrit will be offered at all levels and foreign languages from the secondary school level. However, the policy also says "no language will be imposed on any student".
2. This point is likely to be viewed warily by many after controversy broke out in June last year, after the draft NEP was seen by many southern states as an attempt to impose Hindi on school students.
3. The 10+2 structure has been replaced with 5+3+3+4, consisting of 12 years of school and three of anganwadi or pre-school. This will be split as follows: a foundational stage (ages three and eight), three years of pre-primary (ages eight to 11), a preparatory stage (ages 11 to 14) and a secondary stage (ages 14 to 18). According to the government the revised structure will "bring hitherto uncovered age group of three to six years, recognised globally as crucial stage for development of mental faculties, under school curriculum".
4. Instead of exams being held every year, school students will sit only for three - at Classes 3, 5 and 8. Assessment in other years will shift to a "regular and formative" style that is more "competency-based, promotes learning and development and tests higher-order skills, such as analysis, critical thinking and conceptual clarity".
5. Board exams will continue to be held for Classes 10 and 12 but even these will be re-designed with "holistic development" as the aim. Standards for this will be established by a new national assessment centre - PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development).
6. The policy, the government has said, aims at reducing curriculum load of students and allowing them to become more "multi-disciplinary" and "multi-lingual". There will be no rigid separation between arts and sciences, between curricular and extra-curricular activities and between vocational and academic stream, the government said.
7. To that end, the policy also proposes that higher education institutions like the IITs (Indian Institute of Technology) move towards "holistic education" by 2040 with greater inclusion of arts and humanities subjects for students studying science subjects, and vice versa.
8. The NEP 2020 proposes a four-year undergraduate programme with multiple exit options to give students flexibility. A multi-disciplinary bachelor's degree will be awarded after completing four years of study. Students exiting after two years will get a diploma and those leaving after 12 months will be have studied a vocational/professional course. MPhil (Master of Philosophy) courses are to be discontinued.
9. A Higher Education Council of India (HECI) will be set up to regulate higher education; the focus will be on institutions that have 3,000 or more students. Among the council's goals is to increase gross enrolment ratio from 26.3 per cent (2018) to 50 per cent by 2035. The HECI will not, however, have jurisdiction over legal and medical colleges.
10. The HECI will have four independent verticals - National Higher Education Regulatory Council for regulation, General Education Council to set standards, Higher Education Grants Council for funding and National Accreditation Council for accreditation.