Schedule H1 drugs

Hydroxychloroquine is now a schedule H1 drug and can be sold on prescription only. What are Schedule H1 drugs? The sale of the Hydroxychloroquine drug from now on should be in accordance with the conditions for sale of drugs specified in Schedule H1 to the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945. In exercise of the powers… Continue reading

Serological test for COVID-19

The ICMR invited bids for an estimated 10 lakh antibody kits (for serological tests) for the diagnosis of COVID-19. What are serological tests? Viral infections are mainly identified by two kinds of tests– genetic and serological. Genetic tests can identify infections that are active but cannot be used to detect past infections. To trace how… Continue reading

[pib] Virtual Summit of G20 Leaders

A Virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit was recently convened yesterday to discuss the challenges posed by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and to forge a globally coordinated response. About G20 Formed in 1999, the G20 is an international forum of the governments and central bank governors from 20 major economies. Collectively, the G20 economies account… Continue reading

Let’s use follower’s advantage

Context How this coronavirus pandemic threat will pan out no one knows but what we do know is that the intensity of the challenge and its impact on our well-being will depend greatly on how we reach out to ordinary people, and the policies we implement. Historical perspective and comparison Compared to the fatality numbers… Continue reading

Mind your own economic health

Context The fragility of the global economy has been exposed twice within the last two decades. In 2008, the collapse of a financial services firm in the US triggered a global financial meltdown. In 2020, the emergence of a novel virus in a food market in Wuhan has done it again. The global economy and… Continue reading

PM Gareeb Kalyan Scheme

Union Finance Minister has announced the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Scheme, under which the government would provide a relief package of Rs 1.7 trillion to the underprivileged, poor and migrant workers affected by a lockdown amid the Covid-19 crisis. PM Garib Kalyan Scheme PM Gareeb Kalyan scheme is to have two parts — cash transfer… Continue reading

[pib] Capital to Risk Weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR)

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for continuation of the process of recapitalization of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) by providing minimum regulatory capital to RRBs which are unable to maintain minimum Capital to Risk weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) of 9%, as per the regulatory norms prescribed by the RBI. What is… Continue reading

The Covid-19 crisis could bring the country up to digital speed

Context The Covid-19 pandemic gives us a chance to re-evaluate the worth of two major initiatives of the government: demonetization and digitization. Importance of digitalisation in pandemic The importance of digitization in a pandemic cannot be exaggerated when we are repeatedly told to maintain social distance and work from home in order to avoid infection.… Continue reading

Protecting Peatlands can help attain climate goals

Peatlands, which play a crucial role in regulating global climate by acting as carbon sinks, are facing degradation and need to be urgently monitored, according to the FAO. What are Peatlands? Peatlands are a type of wetlands that occur in almost every country on Earth, currently covering 3% of the global land surface. The… Continue reading

Kurzarbeit Scheme

Amid the all-round disruption caused to the economy by the novel coronavirus outbreak, a concern across the world is the possibility of a loss of jobs. Various governments have unveiled various measures to address such concerns, and one of the most talked-about is Kurzarbeit. Kurzarbeit Scheme Kurzarbeit is German for “short-work”. The policy provides for… Continue reading

India VIX Index

The India VIX Index, an indicator of the volatility of the stock market has been plunging after the outbreak of novel coronavirus. What is Volatility Index? Volatility Index is a measure of the market’s expectation of volatility over the near term. Volatility is often described as the “rate and magnitude of changes in prices” and… Continue reading

Legal Provisions Used By Law Enforcement Agencies To Control The Spread Of Coronavris

To enforce a full lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, law enforcement agencies have taken the help of various legal provisions in CrPC and IPC. The orders issued to curb the spread of the coronavirus have been framed under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, which lays down punishment as per Section 188 of the… Continue reading

[pib] National Supercomputing Mission (NSM)

The Union Ministry of Science & Technology has informed about the progress of the National Supercomputing Mission. National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) NSM is a proposed plan by GoI to create a cluster of seventy supercomputers connecting various academic and research institutions across India. In April 2015 the government approved the NSM with a total outlay… Continue reading

How policy can bridge the gap

Context India must use the windfall from oil to provide assistance to the most vulnerable to mitigate the impact due to COIVD-19 outbreak. Estimates of impact Impact on major economies: Minus 40 per cent, -30 per cent, -22 per cent, and -14 per cent. These are the estimated impacts (at an annualised rate) on the… Continue reading

Picking up the quantum technology baton

Context With the Budget announcement providing direction for the development in quantum technology, the stakeholders need to roll-out the national mission quickly. Pushing India into second quantum revolution Budgetary allocation for NM-QTA: In the Budget 2020 speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made a welcome announcement for Indian science — over the next five years she… Continue reading

AYUSH Health-Wellness Centres

What is the news: The Union Cabinet has approved the inclusion of AYUSH Health and Wellness Centre (AYUSH HWC) component of Ayushman Bharat in the National AYUSH Mission (NAM). A total of 12,500 Ayush health and wellness centres throughout the country will be operationalised within a period of five years. The implementation of the proposal… Continue reading

Can Vitamin C prevent or cure novel Coronavirus infection?

The strategy of ‘Shelter in Place’

What is the news: As India observed a “janata curfew” from 7 am to 9 pm on 22nd March refraining from making any non-essential movements, they are implementing a version of what is referred to, most commonly in the United States, as a “shelter in place” order. What exactly is a “Shelter in Place”? In… Continue reading

Need for re-orientation

Context State universities will have to deliver more to the State where they are located Status of the state universities in India Significance of state universities: Out of about a thousand higher education institutions (HEIs) that are authorised to award degrees in India, about 400 are state public universities. These state universities produce over 90%… Continue reading

Get a step ahead of the virus

Context The COVID-19 pandemic has repercussions beyond the biomedical sector — it impinges on industry, transport, finance, banking and education sectors. All of them must act in unison. Virus different from its nearest relative Comparison with SARS and MERS: The rapid spread of the zoonotic (transmitted from animal-to-human) coronavirus infection in Wuhan in China — several hundreds… Continue reading

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