14 April 2020: PIB Summary & Analysis

April 14th, 2020 PIB:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. COVID-19 Lockdown
2. Ambedkar Jayanti
3. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
4. Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
5. SWAYAMPRABHA

1. COVID-19 Lockdown

Context:

PM’s address to the nation.

Details:

• The Prime Minister extended the lockdown in light of the COVID-19 pandemic situation in the country.
• For more on COVID-19, click on the linked article.

2. Ambedkar Jayanti

Context:

PM greets people on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti.

Details:

Dr. B.R.Ambedkar was born on 14^th April, 1891. For more on the contributions of Dr.Ambedkar, click on the linked article.

3. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)

Context:

Union Agriculture Minister reviews ICAR activities during lockdown.

About ICAR:

• Three ICAR institutes are engaged in COVID-19 testing on humans.
• For more on ICAR, check PIB dated 31 March 2020.

4. Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)

Context:

Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad has added another product to the portfolio of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to combat COVID-19 by developing COVID Sample Collection Kiosk (COVSACK).

About COVSACK:

• The COVSACK is a kiosk for use by healthcare workers for taking COVID-19 samples from suspected infected patients.
• Patient under test walks into the kiosk and a nasal or oral swab is taken by a health care professional from outside through the built-in gloves.
• The kiosk is automatically disinfected without the need for human involvement, making the process free of infection spread.
• The shielding screen of the kiosk cabin protects the health care worker from aerosols/droplet transmission while taking the sample. This reduces the requirements of PPE change by health care workers.
• After the patient leaves the kiosk, four nozzle sprayers mounted in the kiosk cabin disinfect the empty chamber by spraying disinfectant mist for a period of 70 seconds.
• It is further flushed with water & UV light disinfection.
• The system is ready for next use in less than two minutes.
• Voice command can be given through two-way communication system integrated with the COVSACK.
• It is possible to configure COVSACK to be used either from inside or outside as required by the medical professionals.
• The COVSACK costs nearly Rs One Lakh and the identified industry based at Belgaum, Karnataka can support 10 units per day. The DRDO has designed and developed two units and handed over these to ESIC Hospital, Hyderabad after successful testing.

For more on DRDO, click on the linked article.

5. SWAYAMPRABHA

Context:

The NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling) of HRD Ministry initiates a unique method to ensure effective schooling to reach the unreached directly at door step.

Details:

• Content is being made available online through ‘SWAYAM’ MOOC platform of the MHRD for various subjects from class 9^th to 12^th.
  • Along with Self Learning Material, ‘SWAYAM’ portal provides video lectures and facility for self-assessment.
  • The questions and queries of the learners are also being resolved through discussion forums.
  • For more on SWAYAM, click on the linked article.
• For those who do not have much access to the internet, these video lectures are telecast on the MHRD SWAYAMPRABHA TV channels with live sessions for students to interact with their teachers and subject experts.
• Learners can watch the lesson-based educational programs on three DTH Channels and the NIOS YouTube channel.
• Learners can ask questions directly to the subject experts from their home through phone call on the number displayed during live sessions and through ‘Student Portal’ of NIOS web site directly in live telecast.
• A few private DTH operators have also agreed to air three Swayam Prabha DTH channels on their DTH platform.
• People can request their DTH ‘Service Provider’ for these channels without any extra cost as these are free to air channels.

About SWAYAMPRABHA/SWAYAM PRABHA:

• SWAYAMPRABHA is an effective tool of learning for those who do not have internet access at their home.
• The SWAYAM PRABHA is a group of 32 DTH channels devoted to the telecasting of high-quality educational programmes on a 24X7 basis using the GSAT-15 satellite.
• The channels are uplinked from BISAG, Gandhinagar.
  • BISAG is a State level nodal agency to facilitate the use of spatial and geo-spatial technologies for the planning and developmental activities pertaining to Agriculture, Land and Water Resource Management, Wasteland/Watershed Development, Forestry, Disaster Management, Infrastructure and Education.
  • The Institute started its operations in April 1997 and was renamed as the “Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics” in December 2003.
  • It was formerly known as Remote Sensing and Communication Centre (RESECO).

April 14th, 2020 PIB:- Download PDF Here

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