Black Fungus infection

New Delhi:

The government has told doctors to look out for signs of mucormycosis or "black fungus" in COVID-19 patients as hospitals report a rise in cases of the rare but potentially fatal infection.

Here are the top 10 facts on the Black Fungus infection:

1. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said at the weekend that doctors treating COVID-19 patients, diabetics and those with compromised immune systems should watch for early symptoms including sinus pain or nasal blockage on one side of the face, one-sided headache, swelling or numbness, toothache and loosening of teeth.
2. The disease, which can lead to blackening or discolouration over the nose, blurred or double vision, chest pain, breathing difficulties and coughing blood, is strongly linked to diabetes.
3. Covid-19 patients more susceptible to contracting the fungal infection include those who used steroids during their virus treatment, and those who had prolonged stays in hospital ICUs, the ICMR added.
4. And diabetes can in turn be exacerbated by steroids such as dexamethasone, used to treat severe COVID-19. "There have been cases reported in several other countries - including the UK, the US, France, Austria, Brazil and Mexico, but the volume is much bigger in India," David Denning, a professor at Manchester University and an expert at the Global Action Fund for Fungal Infections charity, told news agency Reuters.
5. Media reports have pointed to cases in Maharashtra and state capital Mumbai, and Gujarat. Aparna Mukherjee, a scientist at ICMR, said, "It's not something to panic about, but you have to be aware of when to seek consultation."
6. Arunaloke Chakrabarti, head of the Centre of Advanced Research in Medical Mycology in Chandigarh, said that even before COVID-19, mucormycosis was more common in India than in most countries, "partly because of the millions who have diabetes".
7. P Suresh, head of opthalmology at Fortis Hospital in Mulund, Mumbai, said his hospital had treated at least 10 such patients in the past two weeks, roughly twice as many as in the entire year before the pandemic. All had been infected with COVID-19 and most were diabetic or had received immunosuppressant drugs. Some had died, and some had lost their eyesight, he said.
8. The Health Ministry on Sunday released an advisory on how to treat the infection. "The cases of mucormycosis infection in Covid-19 patients post-recovery is nearly four to five times than those reported before the pandemic," Ahmedabad-based infectious diseases specialist Atul Patel, a member of the state's COVID-19 taskforce, told news agency AFP.
9. Some 300 cases have been reported so far in four cities in Gujarat, including its largest Ahmedabad, according to data from state-run hospitals. The state ordered government hospitals to set up separate treatment wards for patients infected with "black fungus" amid the rise in cases.
10. Treatment involves surgically removing all dead and infected tissue and administering a course of anti-fungal therapy. But Yogesh Dabholkar, an ear, nose and throat specialist at Mumbai's DY Patil Hospital, told AFP that the drugs used to treat those infected with the fungus were expensive.

Daily GK updates 6 may 2021

06 May 2021
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06th May 2021 Daily GK Update: Read Daily GK, Current Affairs for Bank Exam

Daily GK updates are incorporated with the important news that made the current affairs headlines for banking or other competitive exams. Daily GK Update is the complete bag of the important news that held all day long. One should have complete knowledge about banking terms, current affairs news, etc. So, here is the GK update of 06th May 2021 to help you prepare the Current affairs part. After reading this section, you can successfully attempt Current Affairs Quiz.

State News

1. Odisha announces Gopabandhu Sambadika Swasthya Bima Yojana

• Odisha government has announced Gopabandhu Sambadika Swasthya Bima Yojana for journalists. Odisha has declared the journalists as frontline Covid warriors. It will benet more than 6500 journalists of the state.
• Under the Gopabandhu Sambadika Swasthya Bima Yojana, a health insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh will be provided to each Journalist. Under the scheme, financial assistance of Rs 15 lakh will be provided to the families of journalists who died from COVID-19 while performing duty.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Chief Minister of Odisha: Naveen Patnaik and Governor is Ganeshi Lal.

2. Nation’s first ‘Drive in Vaccination Center’ unveiled in Mumbai

• The Nation’s first ‘Drive in Vaccination Center’ was inaugurated by MP Rahul Shewale in Mumbai. This center has been set up in the parking lot of Kohinoor Square Tower at Dadar.
• This first of its kind ‘Drive-in Vaccination Center’ facility has been made available to the citizens at a time when people with disabilities are facing difficulties in getting to the vaccination center.
• The center also provides transportation facilities to the citizens who do not have their own vehicles. The vaccination has been started and the facility is available for all sections of society.
• MP Rahul Shewale informed that this facility will be provided in other multi-parking lots in the city, after assessing the success of this first project.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Maharashtra Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
• Maharashtra Capital: Mumbai.
• Maharashtra CM: Uddhav Thackeray.

Banking News

3. RBI Announces Term Liquidity Facility of Rs. 50,000 Crore For Healthcare

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das has announced a Covid-19 healthcare package of Rs 50,000 crore, for lending to entities such as vaccine makers, medical equipment suppliers, hospitals and related sectors, besides the patients in need of funds for treatment.
• The new on-tap special liquidity facility of Rs 50,000 crore will be made available to the banks at the repo rate, for access to emergency health security amid the economic stress due to the second wave of Covid-19 in India.
• Banks can give loans under this facility till March 31, 2022. This Covid loan will be provided for a tenure of up to 3 years and will be classified as a priority sector loan till repayment or maturity.

Economy News

4. S&P Revises India’s GDP Growth Forecast to 9.8% for FY22

• The US-based S&P Global Ratings has lowered the GDP growth forecast of the Indian economy to 9.8 per cent for the financial year 2021-22 (FY22).
• The US-based rating agency in March had an 11 per cent GDP growth forecast for India for April 2021-March 2022 fiscal. on account of a fast economic reopening and fiscal stimulus.

Appointments News

5. RM Sundaram appointed as Director of Indian Institute of Rice Research

• Raman Meenakshi Sundaram has been appointed as Director of the Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR), an arm of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Prior to this elevation, he was working as Principal Scientist (Biotechnology) at the institute crop Improvement Section.
• He is a scientist of global repute working in the area of rice biotechnology, molecular breeding, and genomics and has over 160 research papers in national and international journals of repute and has published several books, book chapters and popular articles.

6. Vijay Goel takes over as CMD of THDCIL

• THDC India Ltd has announced that Vijay Goel assumed as chairman and managing director.
• His appointment will come into effect from May 1, 2021.
• He joined the company in 1990 as a senior personnel officer (SPO) from NHPC Ltd. He has more than 35 years of varied experience in the field of human resource management.

Summits and Conferences News

7. India, UK unveil 10 year roadmap for Bilateral Trade Partnership

• The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson held a virtual Summit meeting.
• During the Summit meeting, both the leaders unveiled an ambitious 10-year road map to elevate the India-UK bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership. The UK prime minister Boris Johnson announced a new India-UK trade investment worth £1 billion.
• These pacts were in areas such as migration and mobility, digital and technology, telecommunications, energy and medicines, counter-terrorism, besides agreeing to boost collaboration in dealing with climate change through a new partnership on renewables and power.
• They also launched Enhanced Trade Partnership, which included negotiation for a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA), including consideration of an interim trade agreement to deliver early gains.
• The two nations set an ambitious target of more than doubling bilateral trade by 2030.

Awards News

8. Singer Pink bags Icon Award at Billboard Music Awards

• Singer Pink will be honoured with the Icon Award at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs).
• The award aims to recognize artists who have achieved success on the Billboard charts and left an indelible impact on music.
• Pink joins previous honourees that include Neil Diamond, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, Cher, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey and Garth Brooks.

Sports Days

9. AICF launches Checkmate Covid Initiative

• The All India Chess Federation has launched the 'Checkmate Covid Initiative' to help the chess community affected by the pandemic.
• The initiative was launched at an online event in the presence of FIDE (World Chess Federation) president Arkady Dvorkovich, five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, World Rapid Chess Champion Koneru Humpy, AICF president Sanjay Kapoor and secretary Bharat Singh Chauhan.
• The idea is to not just help the chess community affected by COVID through financial aid, but also have a team of doctors that works round-the-clock to provide the right assistance.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• All India Chess Federation President: Sanjay Kapoor;
• All India Chess Federation Headquarters location: Chennai;
• All India Chess Federation Founded: 1951.

Important Days

10. International No Diet Day: 06 May

• International No Diet Day is observed on May 6, and its symbol is a light blue ribbon. It is an annual celebration of body acceptance, including fat acceptance and body shape diversity.
• It means recognising that your body is beautiful exactly as it is and worry less about your weight, body shape and more about being healthy and active.
• The day is dedicated to promoting a healthy lifestyle with a focus on health at any size and in raising awareness of the potential dangers of dieting and the unlikelihood of success.

Obituaries News

11. V Kalyanam, Mahatma Gandhi's Former Personal Secretary, Passes Away

• Mahatma Gandhi's former personal secretary V Kalyanam passed away. He was Gandhi's personal secretary from 1943 to 1948, when the Mahatma was assassinated.
• Kalyanam was preserving letters written by Gandhiji, a cheque bearing his sign and other literature associated with him. He was proficient in Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Tamil and English. A staunch follower of Mahatma Gandhi, he was also associated with Rajaji in the 1960s.

Miscellaneous News

12. The World’s Longest Pedestrian Bridge Opens in Portugal

• The world's longest pedestrian suspension bridge named "Arouca" was opened in Portugal, according to a press release by UNESCO's Arouca World Geopark.
• The Arouca Bridge offers a half-kilometre (almost 1,700-foot) walk across its span, along a metal walkway suspended from cables. Some 175 meters (574 feet) below, the Paiva River flows through a waterfall.
• The bridge hangs on steel cables strung between V-shaped concrete towers and connects the banks of the Paiva River. The record-breaking bridge took several years to build and was designed by Portuguese studio Itecons. It was constructed by Conduril and cost about $2.8 million (2.3 million euros).

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Portugal President: Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa;

• Portugal Capital: Lisbon;
• Portugal Currency: Euro.

Daily GK updates 7 may 2021

07 May 2021
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07th May 2021 Daily GK Update: Read Daily GK, Current Affairs for Bank Exam

Daily GK updates are incorporated with the important news that made the current affairs headlines for banking or other competitive exams. Daily GK Update is the complete bag of the important news that held all day long. One should have complete knowledge about banking terms, current affairs news, etc. So, here is the GK update of 07th May 2021 to help you prepare the Current affairs part. After reading this section, you can successfully attempt Current Affairs Quiz.

National News

1. BRO celebrates 61st raising day on 7th May

• The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) was formed on 7 May 1960, with the primary goal of securing India’s borders and developing infrastructure in remote areas of India’s north and northeastern states.
• On 7 May 2021 BRO celebrated its 61st Raising Day (foundation day).
• It is a leading road construction agency under the Ministry of Defence.
• Its primary role is to provide road connectivity in India’s border areas. It also creates upgrades and maintains infrastructure along borders to meet India’s overall tactical and strategic goals.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Director-General of BRO: Lt. Gen. Rajeev Chaudhary;
• BRO Headquarters: New Delhi;
• BRO Founded: 7 May 1960.

2. Serum Institute to invest £240 million to expand its vaccine business in UK

• Serum Institute of India (SII) is expanding its vaccine business in the United Kingdom with an investment of £240 million.
• The serum has already started phase one trials in the UK of a one-dose nasal vaccine for coronavirus, in partnership with Codagenix INC.
• This was a part of the £533 million of new Indian investment in the UK in growing sectors such as health and technology.
• Serum’s investment will support clinical trials, research & development and possibly manufacturing of vaccines. This will help the UK and the world to defeat the coronavirus pandemic and other deadly diseases.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• The SII was founded by Cyrus Poonawalla (Adar Poonawalla’s father) in 1966.
• Adar Poonawalla joined the Serum Institute of India in 2001 and became the CEO of the company in 2011.

State News

3. DMK chief Stalin appointed as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu

• Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit has appointed Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief MK Stalin as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. The 68-year-old is the son of the former five-term Tamil Nadu chief minister, the late M Karunanidhi.
• The DMK-led alliance won 159 seats, well ahead of the majority mark of 118 seats. The party alone won 133 seats in the election.
• In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Stalin led the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), of which the DMK is a constituent, to victory in 38 out of 39 parliamentary seats in Tamil Nadu.

Agreements News

4. Rolls-Royce and HAL Sign MoU for Supporting MT30 Marine Engine Business

• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Rolls-Royce have signed an MoU to establish packaging, installation, marketing, and services support for Rolls-Royce MT30 marine engines in India.
• Through this MoU, Rolls-Royce and HAL will expand their long-standing partnership in India and work together in the area of marine applications for the first time.
• This partnership will leverage the rich experience of HAL’s IMGT (Industrial and Marine Gas Turbine) Division that works on marine gas turbines with Indian shipyards.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited: CMD: R Madhavan;
• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HQ: Bengaluru;
• Rolls-Royce CEO: Torsten Muller-Otvos;
• Rolls-Royce Founder: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG;
• Rolls-Royce Founded: 1904;
• Rolls-Royce Headquarters: Westhampnett, United Kingdom.

5. Oil and Gas PSUs inks MoU for Shri Badrinath Dham

• The top Oil and Gas PSUs of India, including IndianOil, BPCL, HPCL, ONGC and GAIL, have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) with the Shri Badrinath Utthan Charitable Trust, for Construction and Redevelopment of Shri Badrinath Dham in Uttarakhand as a Spiritual Smart hill Town.
• These PSUs will contribute Rs. 99.60 crore in the first phase of the project.
• The initiative is part of the Government’s effort to boost tourism by attracting more tourists, which in turn would strengthen the economy of the state. The rejuvenation work of Shri Badrinath Dham is expected to be completed within a span of three-year time.

Economy News

6. RM Sundaram appointed as Director of Indian Institute of Rice Research

• Fitch Solution has estimated the GDP of the Indian economy to grow 9.5 per cent in 2021-22 (April 2021 to March 2022).
• The cut in the real GDP is due to the economic damage caused as a result of state-level lockdowns imposed because of the sudden and steep surge in the number of coronavirus cases.

Summits and Conferences News

7. India, France, Australia hold first trilateral dialogue

• The first-ever India-France-Australia Trilateral Foreign Ministerial Dialogue was held in London, UK, on the sidelines of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
• The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister, Dr S. Jaishankar from India, France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian and Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Marise Payne.
• The France, India, Australia trilateral meet was launched in September 2020 at Foreign Secretaries’ levels but has been elevated to ministerial level within one year of its inception. It has three joint priorities which are maritime security, environment, and multilateralism.

Awards News

8. Gita Mittal to be awarded Arline Pacht Global Vision Award

• Former Chief Justice of Jammu & Kashmir High Court, Justice Gita Mittal, has been declared as one of the two recipients of the Arline Pacht Global Vision Award for 2021.
• The Award will be presented at IAWJ's Biennial Conference during the virtual opening ceremony on May 7, 2021. She shares the honour with Margarita Luna Ramos from Mexico.
• International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) instituted this award in 2016. Justice Mittal would be the first Indian judge to receive the award. Award is presented to a sitting/retired woman judge to recognize her contribution to IAWJ.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• President of International Association of Women Judges: Vanessa Ruiz;
• International Association of Women Judges Founded: 1991;
• International Association of Women Judges  HQ: Washington DC, USA.

Banking News

9. Kotak Mahindra Bank to Extend Online Payments to Farmers & Traders

• Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMBL) announced it has been selected as a digital payments partner by the National Agriculture Market (eNAM), a pan-India electronic trading portal for farm produce.
• KMBL will enable and facilitate online transactions for all stakeholders on the eNAM platform, including farmers, traders and farmer producer organisations (FPOs).
• Under this initiative, Kotak will provide payment, clearing and settlement services on the eNAM platform to facilitate trade between a buyer and seller of Agri produce.
• Kotak has integrated its payment system and portal directly with the payment interface of eNAM, to enable quick and safe transactions for Agri participants who have joined the platform.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• Kotak Mahindra Bank CEO: Uday Kotak.
• Kotak Mahindra Bank Establishment: 2003.
• Kotak Mahindra Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• Kotak Mahindra Bank Tagline: let's make money simple.

Important Days

10. World Athletics Day 2021: 05 May

• The World Athletics Day-2021 is observed on the 5 May. The date is subject to adjustment, the date of World Athletics Day is decided by the IAAF, however, the month stays the same as May.
• The first World Athletics Day was observed in 1996. The basic objective of World Athletics Day is to boost the participation of youths in athletics.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• World Athletics President: Sebastian Coe;
• World Athletics Headquarters: Monaco;
• World Athletics Founded: 17 July 1912.

Books and Authors News

11. Meghan Markle set to release Children’s Book ‘The Bench’

• Meghan Markle will be releasing her new book, titled The Bench, on June 8, which was inspired by a poem she wrote to her husband, Prince Harry, on his first Father’s Day as a dad to son Archie.
• The book, with watercolour illustrations by Christian Robinson, began as a poem that Markle says she wrote for Harry on the first Father’s Day after Archie was born.

Obituaries News

12. Former Union Minister and RLD Founder Ajit Singh Passes Away

• Former Union Minister and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) founder and leader Ajit Singh has passed away battling COVID-19. He was the son of former Prime Minister of India, Chaudhary Charan Singh.
• Ajit Singh had served as Minister of Commerce & Industry under Prime Minister V. P. Singh; Minister of Food Processing Industries in P. V. Narasimha Rao’s cabinet; Minister of Agriculture in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government and Minister of Civil Aviation in Manmohan Singh’s cabinet.

13. Actress Abhilasha Patil passes away due to Covid-19

• Actress Abhilasha Patil, who featured in films like ‘Good Newwz’, ‘Badrinath Ki Dulhania’ and ‘Chhichhore’, passed away due to Covid-19 complications. She was in her early 40s.
• Apart from Bollywood movies, Patil also appeared in Marathi films such as ‘Te Aath Diwas’, Bayko Deta Ka Bayko’, ‘Prawaas’, ‘Pipsi’ and ‘Tujha Majha Arrange Marriage’.