Introduction
Current Affairs is a type of broadcast journalism where the emphasis is on detailed analysis and discussion of news stories that have recently occurred or ongoing at the time of broadcast. The article Current Affairs 28 March 2020 includes News summary on current events of International, National, Education, Banking, Sports, Awards and Obituary importance of 28 March 2020.
INT
US Lab Unveils Portable 5-Minute Coronavirus Test
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Key Highlights- A US-based lab has unveiled a portable test that can tell if someone has COVID-19 in as little as five minutes, it said in a statement.
- Abbot Laboratories said the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had given it emergency authorization to begin making the test available to healthcare providers as early as next week.
China's Coronavirus Epicentre Wuhan Eases Travel Restrictions Post Lockdown
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Key Highlights- The Chinese city of 11 million people that was Ground Zero for what became the global coronavirus pandemic partly reopened, after more than two months of almost total isolation.
- Wuhan was placed under lockdown in January with residents forbidden to leave, roadblocks installed and millions subjected to dramatic restrictions on their daily life.
China Dialling Back Coronavirus Conspiracy Claims, US Says
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Key Highlights- China has retreated from spreading conspiracy theories online in the developing world alleging US involvement in the coronavirus pandemic after finding limited traction, a US official said.
- The State Department's Global Engagement Center, which is in charge of analyzing and countering foreign propaganda, said China has shifted to praising its own successes in containing the virus and highlighting its delivery of aid abroad.
US Announces $2.9 Million Aid For India To Fight COVID-19
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Key Highlights- The United States announced $174 million financial assistance to 64 countries including $2.9 million to India to help them fight the coronavirus pandemic.
- This is in addition to the $100 million aid announced by the US in February.
- The newly announced assistance is part of a larger American global response package across multiple departments and agencies, including the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
National
Odisha to set up the largest COVID-19 hospital in the country
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Key Highlights- The Odisha Government announced that it is readying to set up the largest Covid-19 hospital in India due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus in the country.
- The state-level hospitals will have 1000 beds in Bhubaneswar, Odisha and will be functional in a fortnight.
Health ministry categorises hydroxychloroquine as schedule H1 drug
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Key Highlights- Amid the growing coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 26B of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 (23 of 1940), has declared hydroxychloroquine (HCQS) drug as a schedule H1 drug– which means it can’t be sold without the prescription of a registered medical practitioner.
- Now the sale of the drug will be based on the conditions specified in Schedule H1 to the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945,which are the set of rules under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, which has provisions for classification of drugs into different schedules and also guidelines for storage, sale, display.
COVID-19: Cognizant to Give 25 Percent Extra Pay to Some India Employees Amid Lockdown
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Key Highlights- Cognizant Technology Solutions will pay an extra 25 percent of base pay to some employees in India and the Philippines as a majority of its offshore workforce work from home amid the coronavirus pandemic, taking on extra work, Chief Executive Officer Brian Humphries said.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the country's 1.3 billion people to stay indoors for three weeks in the biggest lockdown anywhere, shutting down Asia's third largest economy and leaving millions of economically vulnerable people without work.
Government Makes Kendriya Vidyalaya Premises Available For COVID-19 Isolation Campus
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Key Highlights- After allowing to set up temporary medical facility/quarantine campuss for isolation in Navodaya Vidyalayas, the Minister for Human Resource Development, Mr. Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' has directed Kendriya Vidyalayas to provide their buildings to local administration for temporary housing of suspected COVID-19 cases.
- The Minister also tweeted about the decision and said that Kendriya Vidyalaya premises will be made available upon request to set up quarantine facility.
All Odisha Assembly Staff Told To Go On Home Quarantine Over COVID-19
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Key Highlights- Odisha Assembly Speaker SN Patro asked all the Vidhan Sabha employees to go on home quarantine after the state's third COVID-19 patient came in contact with one of the staffers.
- He announced that the assembly, which suspended its proceedings on March 13 over coronavirus outbreak, will conduct the business of passing the Appropriation Bill for 2020-21 in a special sitting at the Lok Seva Bhavan, the state secretariat, on March 30.
PM Modi Calls Mamata Banerjee, Praises Bengal's Fight Against COVID-19
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Key Highlights- Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and appreciated the steps taken by the state government to prevent the spread of COVID-19, sources close to the Chief Minister said.
- During the call, PM Modi also took stock of the current situation in the state in the backdrop of the coronavirus outbreak, they said.
Education
NEET UG, JEE Main Postponed: How To Prepare In Lockdown
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Key Highlights- NEET exam has been postponed amid the coronavirus pandemic. The NEET UG exam which is held for admission to undergraduate medical and dental courses will not be held on May 3.
- NTA also said that presently it has proposed to hold the NEET exam in the last week of May. However, the final date would be announced later after assessing the situation.
Banking
Decoding the impact of COVID-19 on HDFC Bank's performance
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Key Highlights- HDFC Bank, the largest and most profitable private sector bank, has been seen the most consistent performer on the bourses for many years. It has delivered manifold returns since its listing in 1995.
- It has generated compounded annual returns of around 19 percent in the past 20 years, significantly outperforming Nifty.
RBI clarifies on loan moratorium
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Key Highlights- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut interest rates on March 27 in a raft of emergency measures to shield the economy from the spread of the coronavirus.
- The RBI initially said all financial institutions can provide a three-month deferment on payments of installments for all term loans that were outstanding as on March 1. These measures would provide a huge relief for individuals, especially middle-class loan borrowers.
Sports
Two Olympic Champions Amongst 4 Russians Facing Doping Charges
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Key Highlights- Four Russian athletes, including two former Olympic champions, have been charged with doping based on evidence from the bombshell McLaren report, the Athletics Integrity Unit (IAU) said.
- Andrey Silnov, the 2008 Olympic high jump champion, and 2012 Olympic 400m hurdle champion Natalia Antyukh will have to face a decision from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
- The same fate awaits 1,500m runner Yelena Soboleva, the silver medallist at the 2007 world championships, and hammer thrower Oksana Kondratyeva.
England's Football Chiefs Set For "Difficult" Coronavirus Decisions
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Key Highlights- England's Premier League, Professional Footballers' Association and Football League are steadying themselves for some "difficult decisions" amid the coronavirus outbreak as they try to see if there is a way of restarting the season.
- The three organisations all met to examine the financial impact of suspending the season, with Britain as a whole in a state of lockdown.
Coronavirus: Atletico Madrid Join Espanyol In Requesting Player, Staff Pay-Cuts
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Key Highlights- Atletico Madrid became the latest La Liga club to request labour authorities to allow them to cut player and staff salaries while football is suspended in Spain due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- In a statement, club CEO Miguel Angel Gil said that they were "obliged" to propose a partial unemployment plan "for the employees who, due to the state of emergency in our country, can no longer carry their work".
Obituary
Rajya Sabha MP Beni Prasad Verma Dies In Lucknow At 79
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Key Highlights- Former Union Minister and Samajwadi Party founding member Beni Prasad Verma died in Lucknow on Friday. He was 79.
- The Rajya Sabha member was unwell for the past few days and was admitted to a private hospital in Lucknow, where he died around 7 pm, his son Rakesh Verma told PTI.
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