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Daily Current Affairs 19 April 2020: We have collected the latest current affairs for 19 April 2020 that are important for all competitive exams like Bank, SSC, IBPS, SBI exams. The GK current affairs will help you score more in these competitive exams. Improve your general knowledge with our daily online current affairs. You can also read the daily current affairs on our mobile app.
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Current Affairs 19 April 2020
Government Amends Credit Guarantee Fund for Micro Units (CGFMU) scheme to Increase Default Coverage to 75%
- The Ministry of Finance has announced amendment in Credit Guarantee Fund for Micro Units (CGFMU) scheme, which covers micro loans up to Rs 10 lakh extended under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana.
- The government has announced an increase in coverage of lender’s loss in case of loan default under the CGFMU scheme to 75% from 50% earlier to incentivise lending to micro businesses and support them during the coronavirus outbreak.k and the ensuing nationwide lockdown.
- Apart from this, the ministry has also reduced the burden of defaults that the lender had to bear under the scheme from the first 5% of the amount in default to 3%.
- Another change in the scheme is the inclusion of loans to SHGs. Loans between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 20 lakh sanctioned to SHGs in 2020-21 will be covered under CGFMU scheme.
- The Credit Guarantee Fund for Micro Units (CGFMU) scheme was set up in April 2016 with the purpose of guaranteeing payment against default in Micro Loans extended to eligible borrowers by Banks/ NBFCs/ MFIs/ Other Financial Intermediaries.
- The Govt. of India, through Ministry, of Finance settles the loan default with the help of National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Ltd (NCGTC).
Government Announces Compensation of Rs 10 lakhs to all Postal employees in case they succumb to COVID-19
- The Central Government has decided to provide a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to all Postal employees including Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) who gets infected with COVID-19 while on duty.
- The guidelines will come into effect immediately (15 April 2020) and continue for the entire period till the crises of COVID-19 is over.
Delhi Government Launches Mobile App ‘Assess Koro Na’ for door-to-door coronavirus survey in containment zones
- The Delhi government has launched a mobile app named ‘Assess Koro Na’ for door-to-door survey in COVID-19 containment zones to speed up decision-making by analysing real-time data of a person, in the efforts to contain the virus.
- The first phase of the app-based assessment will be launched in South Delhi.
- Government has notified total 68 containment zones in New Delhi.
Kerala-based Research institute develops low-cost diagnostic kit ‘Chitra GeneLAMP-N’ that can confirm Covid-19 in 2 hrs
- Trivandrum, Kerala-based Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Science and Technology has developed a low cost diagnostic test kit that can confirm COVID-19 cases in just two hours.
- The test kit has been named Chitra GeneLAMP-N.
- The diagnostic test kit can detect coronavirus in 10 minutes, and the ‘sample to result’ (from RNA extraction in swab to RT-LAMP detection time) time take less than two hours.
- The new diagnostic kit is cost-effective as each test will cost the lab Rs. 1,000, which is less than the minimum cost of COVID-19 tests being carried out at present.
- A total of 30 samples can be tested in a single batch and the machines are estimated to cost Rs 2.5 lakh.
- The test kit is funded by the Department of Science & Technology.
IIM-Kozhikode Develops one-stop COVID-19 platform ‘COVID-FYI’ for accessing emergency Government services
- An international team of researchers led by an Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode student has developed a one-stop COVID-19 platform, covidfyi.in , for accessing emergency services related to coronavirus, from official government sources.
- The website will act as a one-stop digital directory for all COVID19 related services and help to bring the right information to the right people.
- Only official information from Government organisations will be put on this platform to ensure authenticity and credibility.
- The 16-member team is led by IIM Kozhikode student Simran Soni with researchers, medical students and developers from countries like Germany and the US.
CeNS develops TriboE masks that use electrostatics of materials to restrict the entry of infections but without any external power
- A team of researchers at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bangalore, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), have developed a unique face masks, called TriboE Mask.
- The interesting thing about this mask is that it can hold electric charges to restrict the entry of infections and that too without any external power.
- The mask works on the principle of electrostatics, wherein when two non-conducting layers are rubbed against each other, the layers develop positive and negative charges instantly and continue to hold the charges for some time, to deactivate or possibly even kill the germs.
- TriboE mask is three-layered, comprising of nylon cloth sandwiched between polypropylene layers.
- When the layers are rubbed against each other, static electricity is produced, which is expected to restrict the possible transmission of infections.
‘Shuttling to the Top: The Story of P.V. Sindhu’ Authored by V. Krishnaswamy Released
- The book titled “Shuttling to the Top: The Story of P.V. Sindhu”, written by sports journalist V. Krishnaswamy, was released on 13 April 2020.
- The book narrates the journey of badminton player PV Sindhu, from her early life to becoming a world champion, and what lies ahead.
- The book has been published by HarperCollins Publishers India.
- The young sports icon, Sindhu is India’s first and only woman athlete to win silver at the Olympics as well as the only Indian named in Forbes” list of world”s top 10 highest paid female athletes.