Daily Current Affairs 21 April 2020: We have collected the latest current affairs for 21 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.

To be super updated you can read this news as and when they are posted as single news on Current Affairs 247 site. It is a part of ByScoop.com

Current Affairs 21 April 2020

Health Ministry Uses Traffic Lights Colour Code to Map Country’s COVID-19 and Virus-free Zones

• According to the latest data from the Union Health Ministry, the colour code- Red, Orange, Green– will now be used on the country’s map to highlight COVID-19 and virus-free zones.
• The government has decided to divide all districts across the country into three zones including hotspots (red zone), non-hotspots (orange zone) and green zones.
• This step will help in planning and managing the Covid-19 pandemic as well as partial opening up of economic activities during the extended period of the nationwide lockdown.
• Red Zone – Any district reporting more than six cases would be classified as hotspot district or red zone.
• Orange Zone – Districts where new cases are emerging or showing a sign of decline has been classified as non-hotspots or orange zone
• Green Zone – Districts not reporting any cases across the country has been classified as Green zone.
• So far the government has identified 170 hotspot districts, 207 non-hotspot districts and 359 green zone. This number may decrease or increase as per the situation.

Government launches Dashboard ‘COVID Warriors’ Containing Details of Healthcare Professionals and Volunteers for combating Covid-19

• The Union Government has launched an online portal https://covidwarriors.gov.in which consists of details of AYUSH doctors, nurses and other health care professionals, volunteers from NYKs, NCC NSS, PMGKVY, ex Servicemen etc.
• The dashboard contains state wise and district wise availability of the large pool of human resources from various groups along with contact details of the nodal officers, in order to help in combating and containing COVID-19.
• The dashboard aims at helping various ground level administration at state, district or municipal levels to prepare Crisis Management/Contingency Plans based on the available manpower.
• The information uploaded on a dashboard will be regularly updated.

Pune-based Researchers Develop ‘bug sniffer’ for efficient detection of pathogens

• A team of researchers at the Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune have developed a sensitive and low-cost sensor called ‘bug sniffer’ to rapidly detect bacteria.
• ARI is an autonomous institute under the Department of Science &Technology, Govt. of India.
• The portable device can detect as low as ten bacterial cells from a sample size of one milliliter in just 30 minutes.
• The biosensor device uses synthetic peptides, magnetic nanoparticles, and quantum dots to detect the presence of bacteria.
• It provides cost- and time-effective way of screening water and foodborne pathogens.

China begins testing of digital currency – DC/EP

• People’s Bank of China (Central Bank of China) has started testing its digital currency named Digital Currency Electronic Payment, DC/EP. 
• It is built with Blockchain and Cryptographic technology. The currency is pegged 1:1 to the Chinese National Currency – the RenMinBi (RMB).
• China’s official digital currency is undergoing testing and has not been officially released.

RBI increases WMA limit for Central Government for first part of FY21 to Rs 2 lakh crores

• The Reserve Bank of India has increased the limit for Ways and Means Advances (WMA) for the remaining part of first half of the financial year 2020-21 to Rs 2 lakh crores from Rs 1.2 lakh crores.
• This has been done to tide over the situation arising from the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

ICICI Bank launches voice banking services on Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant

• ICICI Bank has integrated its artificial intelligence (AI) powered multi-channel chatbot iPal with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant using which ts retail banking customers can undertake host of banking services through voice commands.
• ICICI Bank had recently launched a WhatsApp chat-based ICICIStack which provides uninterrupted banking services for both retail and business customers.

Fitch Solution cuts India’s GDP growth forecast for FY21 to 1.8%

• Fitch solution has reduced its GDP growth forecast for India for FY21 to 1.8% from 4.6% earlier.
• FItch solution expects large scale loss of income across the economy in the face of a worsening domestic outbreak of COVID-19.

Kapil Dev Tripathi appointed Secretary to the President of India

• Kapil Dev Tripathi has been appointed as the Secretary to Ram Nath Kovind, the President of India.
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appointed Tripathi as Secretary to Kovind on a contract basis.

Charles Leclerc wins Chinese Virtual Grand Prix

• Charles Leclerc of Ferrari has won the Chinese Virtual Grand Prix. 
• Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, the actual F1 races are not being held. In its place, Formula 1 has announced new F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix series. The virtual races will run in place of every postponed Grand Prix.
• The series will use the official F1 2019 PC video game, developed by Codemasters.

World Liver Day: 19 April

• The World Liver Day is observed on 19 April annually to spread awareness about liver related disease.
• The liver is the second largest and the second most complex organ in the body, after the brain.

Click Here For Daily Current Affairs

Click Here for Daily Current Affairs Quiz

Current Static GK in News – April 2020