Current Affairs April 2020 - Regional

1 - Jharkhand government launched PRAGYAAM app to issue e-passes

The Jharkhand Government launched a mobile app PRAGYAAM to issue e-passes to everyone associated with delivery of essential services during the national lockdown to combat COVID-19. District Transport Officers have been given authority to issue e-passes to vehicles through online mode after verification of the documents uploaded through the app. These passes will be issued to those involved in the regular supply services, medical, banking and other necessary services.

Officials can also verify the status of the e-passes, user’s identity on the app to curb the chances of fake e-passes.

2 - Andhra Pradesh state government sets up Mobile Hand-wash facilities

Andhra Pradesh State government has set up Mobile Hand-wash facilities for the benefit of Slum Dwellers amidst lockdown in the state. With social distancing and sanitising hands are the only available methods of cure for Covid-19, the mobile Hand Wash facility has become handy for both the state authorities and slum dwellers to access facility of hands cleaning.

Authorities fitted a water tanker to a vehicle, with four tap connections and four wash basins. Two soap dispensers are also fitted to the installation. It will also help the slum dwellers and homeless people to maintain hygiene.

3 - Karnataka state government launched ‘Corona Watch’ app

Karnataka state government has launched a mobile application 'Corona Watch' to track the movement history of persons tested positive. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease spread globally, resulting in the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic.

App is meant to track the movement history of persons tested positive, the date and time of visit to spots by the patients, before their detection and list of hospitals in order to take precautions and to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

4 - “Active Case Finding Campaign” started by Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur launched ‘Active Case Finding Campaign’ to provide information about the symptoms of COVID-19 to the people at their doorsteps. Under this campaign, ASHA workers and health workers, in the teams of two will visit every house to gather health information of every individuals and share it with department through Google form for investigating suspected persons accordingly.

The state has kept 3,085 persons under surveillance of 28 day period for the Covid-19 check-up.

5 - 'Modi Kitchen' set up in Tamil Nadu

A 'Modi Kitchen' with a capacity to serve 500 meals every day was set up in Kovai (Coimbatore). The kitchen made arrangements to deliver food parcels within a radius of 10 km. The assorted parcels include a main dish, two kinds of side dishes and a sweet. The dishes are prepared under advice from nutrition experts.

The functionaries of the Common Service Centre has organised the kitchen and has planned to provide the service till April 14^th.

6 - Andhra Pradesh state government purchased MOM from Indian Navy

The Andhra Pradesh government has come forward to purchase the portable Multi-feed Oxygen Manifold (MOM) from Indian Navy for COVID-19 patients. Indian Naval Dockyard Visakhapatnam (NDV) personnel designed the innovative 'Portable Multi-feed Oxygen Manifold' (MOM) using a 6-way radial header fitted to a single cylinder.

MOM is a novel contraption to meet any emergency requirement of oxygen supply to coronavirus patients. Around 5-8% of critical corona virus patients require ventilator support while about 20% need oxygen supply.

7 - Andhra Pradesh allotted sites for the houses to 25 lakh poor

Under modified guidelines of Andhra Pradesh state’s Navaratnalu-Pedalandariki Illu program, sites for the houses were allotted at a concessional rate of Rs.1 to the beneficiaries with white ration cards. Navaratnalu-Pedalandariki Illu (Houses for all the poor) program aims to use the sites for no purpose other than constructing houses. Beneficiaries deposited Rs.20 for cost of stamp paper and lamination charges.

Andhra Pradesh state government aims to tie up with HUDCO and other organizations for securing loans.

8 - Unique disinfectant named ‘V Safe Tunnel’ installed in Telangana to sanitize people

A unique disinfectant named ‘V Safe Tunnel’ has been installed in Telangana state to sanitize people within 20 seconds from any possible bacteria and other microbes. The disinfectant used in the V Safe Tunnel consists of a combination of a water-soluble polymer and iodine in a form of spray.

The tunnel is designed to provide maximum protection to people passing through the tunnel in around 20 seconds. The first-of-its-kind tunnel installed in the state, is aimed at reducing the local transmission of Coronavirus in the state.

9 - Online cultural competition “Mo Prativa” launched in Odisha

Government of Odisha along with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) started online cultural competition to keep children engaged at home during the lockdown period. The competition is named Mo Prativa (My talent) for the children in the age group of 5 to 18 years.

Mo Prativa is based on theme ‘Being at home during lockdown & My responsibility as a young citizen during COVID-19’. It will enable children to participate in various activities such as painting, writing of slogans, short stories, poems etc. The children can post their entries between 10 am to 6 pm every day.

10 - Arunachal Pradesh government launched COVIDCARE app to fight COVID-19

Arunachal Pradesh state government has launched a newly developed app called COVIDCARE, in an effort to fight COVID-19. This app has been developed for those people who are quarantined, asymptomatic or COVID-19 patients to self-report their health status, including body temperature and vital symptoms and in case of emergency, the patient will be able to call for help through the app itself.

The platform will also offer friendly a geo-fencing feature to ensure that people don't break isolation norms. COVID CARE has been developed by Atsuya Technologies, a Chennai-based IT company.

11 - Chhattisgarh Police create ‘Rakhsa Sarv’ app to keep a check on home quarantined patients

The police in Chhattisgarh's Janjgir-Champa district have created a mobile application ‘Rakhsa Sarv’ app to keep a check on home quarantined patients. The police developed the app with the help of Noida-based startup Mobcoder.

'Rakhsa Sarv' app enables the police to track the quarantined people through Google Map. If the home-quarantined people turn off the phone or location or internet connection or steps out of the house (along with mobile) beyond 200 metres, the app will send an alert to the local police station.

12 - Telangana government deployed Vera’s COVID-19 Monitoring System App

The Government of Telangana deployed India's first automated "COVID-19 Monitoring System App". The app identifies patients, undertake live surveillance, track, monitor, and provide real-time analytics to the chief minister and the state health department.

The system empowers each health worker to handle 1,500+ phone calls, and simple chatbot conversations each day with a patient. The user-friendly app has been developed by an early stage start-up Vera Smart Healthcare based out of Hyderabad and the US.

13 - ‘Operation SHIELD’ launched in Delhi

Delhi Government launched 'Operation Shield' in the 21 hotspot areas to combat the spread of COVID-19. Under the Operation SHIELD launched by the Delhi government, door-to-door checks of 188 homes were conducted.

In the Operation SHIELD: S stands for: Sealing of area; H stands for: Home quarantine; I stands for: Isolation of infected patients; E stands for: Essential services ensured; L stands for: Local sanitisation; D stands for: Door to door survey.

14 - JKSLSA launched helpline under 'Serve-the-Seniors Initiative' for senior citizens

Jammu and Kashmir State legal Services Authority (JKSLSA) has launched a helpline under 'Serve-the-Seniors Initiative' under the guidance of Justice Gita Mittal, Patron-in-Chief and Justice Rajesh Bindal Executive Chairman of State Legal Services Authority.

The initiative has been taken realising the fact that the elderly are doubly affected by the COVID lockdown and are not only vulnerable to contracting the virus in view of their old age but are in tremendous difficulty to manage their day to day needs like groceries and medicines.

15 - Goa became first state to be Corona free

Goa became the country's first state to have zero covid-19 cases with no case of coronavirus being reported from April 3. Goa had a total of seven positive cases. Manipur became the second state to be Corona free and Tripura is the third such state.

Manipur had two confirmed COVID-19 case but both the patients have been discharged from hospital. Tripura also had two confirmed COVID-19 patients.

16 - Delhi government launched "Assess Koro Na" app

The Delhi government has launched 'Assess Koro Na' mobile application and advised the officials to use the new ‘Assess Koro Na’ app to do door-to-door survey in COVID-19 containment zones.

This mobile application will speed up decision-making by analysing the real-time data and hence removing a major obstacle in the efforts to contain the virus. Through this app, the collected data can be uploaded in real-time on the servers for its immediate analysis.

17 - Uttar Pradesh becomes first state to geotag community kitchens

Uttar Pradesh has become the first state in the country to geotag its 7,368 community kitchens and community shelters across 75 districts. The kichens produce 12 lakh food packets a day. Remote Sensing Applications Centre (RSAC), Lucknow developed an application to learn about the location of the community kitchens by feeding data of the latitudes and longitudes.

The state government has also tied up with Google to 'Geo-map' the locations of all these establishments on the Google Maps app for ease of beneficiaries. Out of these 7,368 community kitchens, 668 are being run by NGOs and religious institutions.

18 - “e-sanjeevani-opd” facility rolled out in Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh government has rolled out “e-sanjeevani-opd” for free online medical consultation to sick people, who were feeling uncomfortable to visit hospitals in view of COVID-19 pandemic. The “e-sanjeevani-opd” service will provide free online medical consultation to sick people at their residence throughout the state.

To reap the benefits of “e-sanjeevani-opd”, a person should have a computer, laptop, tablet along with webcam mike, speaker as well as internet connection.

19 - Rajasthan government launched Aayu & Sehat Sathi app

The Rajasthan government has partnered with healthcare startup MedCords to launch a 24*7 online consultation and medicine delivery to people of Rajasthan. The app, 'Aayu & Sehat Sathi app', is aimed to help fight the COVID-19 outbreak.

With its integrated healthcare ecosystem, Aayu & Sehat Sathi helps families consult with qualified doctors and order necessary medicines, irrespective of their geographical limitations. The app also has a built-in comprehensive coronavirus guide for users to clear their myths and check their symptoms.

20 - Gujarat government approved 3^rd edition of “Sujalam Sufalam Jal Sanchay Abhiyan”

Gujarat state government has approved the 3^rd edition of ‘Sujalam Sufalam Jal Sanchay Abhiyan’ (SSJA). The scheme will continue till June 10, 2020 with a focus on deepening of lakes, check dams and rivers by removing silt.

The SSJA was started in 2018 after a weak monsoon to transform Gujarat from a water-deficit state to a water-surplus one. The second edition was launched in February of 2019. The water storage capacity has increased by 2.3 billion cubic feet till date.

21 - GMR received approval to develop, operate Bhogapuram International Airport

GMR Airports Limited, a subsidiary of GMR Infrastructure Ltd, has received the Letter of Award for the development and operation of a greenfield international airport at Bhogapuram in Andhra Pradesh. GMR Airports had emerged as the highest bidder for project on a public–private partnership basis.

The project involves design, build, finance, construction, development, up-gradation, modernization, operation and maintenance of Bhogapuram International Airport for 40 years, extendable by additional 20 years.

22 - Madhya Pradesh launched ‘Chief Minister COVID-19 Yoddha Kalyan Yojana’

The Madhya Pradesh state government launched the "Chief Minister COVID-19 Yoddha Kalyan Yojana". Under this initiative, around one lakh Anganwadi workers and Assistants of the state will get the benefit. They will also get a special health insurance cover of Rs. 50 lakhs.

The move will benefit Anganwadi workers, who are taking risks and going door-to-door survey in every district. Besides, they are also visiting from house to house for providing nutritional food to the children.

23 - Kerala set to trial plasma therapy for COVID-19 treatment

Kerala became the first state of India to start clinical trial plasma therapy for COVID-19 treatment. Kerela will use Convalescent Plasma Therapy and transfuse plasma from a COVID-19 patient into a coronavirus patient who is in critical condition.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) approved to Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala to start clinical trial convalescent plasma therapy treatment.

24 - UP became first state to start “Pool Testing” of Covid-19 samples

Uttar Pradesh became the first state in the country to start pool testing of corona virus samples. The move is aimed at speeding up the screening process and also, brings down the cost of testing samples.

The death audit will help in providing better treatment to other COVID-19 patients. In the pool testing method, multiple swab samples are pooled together and tested. If the result of a collection of samples comes negative, then that means all the samples in that group are negative. Pool testing will fasten the screening process and bring down the cost.

25 - Jharkhand hospitals employed ‘COBOT-Robotics’ to serve COVID-19 patients

Jharkhand hospitals employed ‘COBOT-Robotics’ Robots to serve food, medicine to COVID-19 patients without human intervention. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome SARS-CoV-2. The disease spread globally, resulting in the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic.

Other countries where robots have been deployed include hospitals across United States, China and Italy for cleaning, disinfecting wards and assisting patients. District Deputy Development Commissioner (DDC) Aditya Ranjan and his team of engineers developed ‘COBOT-Robotics’ Robots.

26 - Goa became first state to use Ayurveda to COVID-19 patients

Goa became first state to integrate Allopath and Ayurveda to boost the immunity of COVID-19 patients and those who have been quarantined. Ayurveda is 5,000-year-old system of medicine that origins in the Vedic culture of India. Ayurveda will boost immunity and not cure Covid-19.

The treatment will be administered in consultation with doctors who are dealing with COVID-19 patients, who is also an Ayurvedic practitioner. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome SARS-CoV-2.

27 - CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan launched Jeevan Shakti Yojana in Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has launched the Jeevan Shakti Yojana. Under this scheme, women in urban areas can earn by making masks at home. The government will pay them Rs. 11 per mask.

Women wishing to make masks will have to register themselves by calling on the Call Centre number through their telephone or mobile. The government has instucted that the mask should be made of cotton cloth. The payment will be credited into the bank account on the next day of delivery.

28 - Assam government launched new scheme 'Dhanwantari' for home delivery of medicines

Assam government has launched a new scheme Dhanwantari under which, locally unavailable medicines are provided to patients at home. Medicines below 200 rupees will be provided free of cost to patients. Health workers are delivering medicines for patients who cannot get it within 10 kilometer of their radius.

If the medicine is available within the district, the health department will supply the medicine within 24 hours. Similarly, 48 hours will be required for delivery from other places, i.e. from the Regional Center and one week will be required for delivery from outside the State.

29 - UP became first state with in-house facility of virtual courts

Uttar Pradesh has become the first state to have the requisite infrastructure in all its courts for hearing cases through video conferencing. The Allahabad High Court took a number of initiatives to facilitate court proceedings through video conferencing and recently a software has been installed in the high court and district courts of the state.

The courts can conduct multiple court proceedings through virtual courts within the court premises without any internet connection. The facility is completely secure.

30 - Madhya Pradesh CM launched 'Jeevan Amrit Yojana'

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched Jeevan Amrit Yojana, a unique scheme to boost immunity system of citizens of the state. Under this scheme, the State Government will distribute packet of special Trikut Churna prepared by the AYUSH Department free of cost to the citizens.

Under Jeevan Amrit yojna, packets of 50 grams each of the kadha have been prepared by Madhya Pradesh Laghu Vanopaj Sangh in collaboration with the Department of AYUSH. This kadha made of peepal, ginger and black pepper was distributed free of cost to one crore people in the state.

31 - Andhra Pradesh CM launched 'Jagananna Vidya Deevena' Scheme

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Y. S.Jaganmohan Reddy launched the 'Jagananna Vidya Deevena' Scheme. Under this scheme over Rs. 4,000 crores of funds have been released along with Rs. 1,880 crore towards pending amount left by the earlier government.

Under this scheme, fee reimbursement will be credited directly to mothers’ accounts instead of college accounts in the coming academic year 2020-21. Through this scheme, the government will provide Fee Reimbursement for ITI, B.Tech, B. Pharmacy, MBA, MCA, and B.Ed Courses. An amount of Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 will be offered for the eligible candidates.

32 - Call Records Management System introduced in Jammu for real time response to grievances

District administration Jammu has introduced a Call Records Management System (CRMS) for real time response to the grievances and queries received at the district control room. The technology will enable immediate sharing of any information received through COVID helpline numbers, in the district control room for near real time response.

The software application will maintain database of every call received in the control room and forward the grievance/query to the district level head of the concerned department for suitable response.

33 - Tripura developed mobile COVID-19 sample collection kiosk

Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) in Tripura has designed a three-wheeler heavy-duty auto rickshaw into mobile COVID-19 sample collection kiosk, where medical staffs can collect swab samples without physical contact with patients. AMC has built the kiosk taking a cue from Kerala model of testing, where stationary testing kiosks are placed in front of the hospitals.

The glass encasement will ease the requirement of wearing Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). The mobile testing vehicle is the first of its kind in the whole northeastern region.