Daily Current Affairs – April 25/2020

GS – 2

National

Dashboard to predict COVID -19:

• Researchers from IIT Delhi have developed web-based dashboard to predict the spread of COVID-19 in India.
• The dashboard has been named PRACRITI-Prediction and Assessment of Corona Infections and Transmissions in India.
• The dashboard provides detailed district-wise and state-wise predictions of COVID-19. The dashboard provides basic reproduction number “R naught”.
• R0 is the number of people that the virus spreads to from a single infected person.
• The dashboard provides R0 value for every district, state based on the data available from the National Disaster Management Authority, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and World Health Organization.
• Hence, with the help of R0 value, future predictions of the spread of the disease can be obtained.
• The dashboard divides mathematical model into four classes namely exposed, susceptible, infected and removed.
• Susceptible are those people that are not exposed to the virus. Exposed are those people that are exposed to the infected person.
•  Infected are those that are infected by the virus and removed are those that are no longer the carrier of the virus.

Government policy and Intervention

Rural Development Schemes:

• Schemes are to be boosted under rural development programme
• Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS)
• Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
• National Rural Livelihood Mission
• The plan is to create employment in rural areas and to strengthen rural infrastructure, facilitate diversification of rural livelihoods.
•  The schemes have been selected based on the relaxation granted in non-containment areas by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• GoI has recently launched the E-Gram Swaraj and Swamitva Scheme to help in developmental activities and to reduce land disputes respectively.

GS – 3

Economy

FRBM clause to fight COVID – 19:

• The Finance Commission has advised the state governments to use the clauses of FRBM (Fiscal Responsibility) act in order to raise additional resources to fight against COVID-19.
• The states have their own FRBM act.
• The main similarities between the centre and state FRBM are that the limit of fiscal deficit is 3% and the governments can raise the deficit up to 50 basis points.
• The State governments have been advised to use this clause. With this permissible amount of fiscal deficit, the state governments will have funds in hand.
• Issues identified by the Finance Commission
• The Finance Commission has identified the following possible issues during the meeting with its advisory council
• The small-scale industries were cash starved even before COVID-19 crisis. Therefore, the commission suggests a support mechanism to help solve cash flow problems.
• The Commission also suggests measures to avoid bankruptcies. It suggests partial loan guarantee.
• The pace of revival in different state may vary differently. Therefore, an adequate provision to help governments manage cash flows is important.

Science and Technology

Asteroids discovered between Jupiter and Neptune:

• Astronomers have discovered 19 new asteroids between the Jupiter and the Neptune. The astronomers believe that they joined the solar system 4.5 billion years ago.
• As the universe began to expand, the sun was born and the gravity of the growing sun sucked these asteroids into the solar system. These asteroids once belonged to another star and are now orbiting between Jupiter and Neptune. The asteroids are orbiting in a plane perpendicular to the planetary motion. They are now a part of “Centaurs” orbiting the sun. Centaurs are group of asteroids between Neptune and Jupiter.
• The first interstellar asteroid discovered was “Oumuamua”.
• Oumumua: It was discovered in 2017.
•  The asteroid according to the astronomers has come from the star called Vega in the constellation Lyra.