
GS – 2
National
NTPC launched Hydrogen Fuel bus:
- The buses and cars were launched in New Delhi and Leh. Similar proposal is under implementation in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- The Hydrogen Fuel Cell use chemical process to convert hydrogen rich fuel into electricity. The main advantage of fuel cells is that they need not be charged frequently. They produce electricity as long as the fuel is available
- In a Hydrogen Fuel cell, the hydrogen is passed through the anode, oxygen is passed through cathode. At anode, the hydrogen molecules are split into protons and electrons.
- The protons hence formed pass through electrolyte membrane. This forces electron to pass into the circuit, generating electric current.
- The major benefits of hydrogen fuel cells include high efficiency, low to zero emissions, fuel flexibility, quiet operation, durability and energy security.
Defence
Pakistan’s anti-ship missiles:
- The Pakistan Navy successfully test-fired a series of anti-ship missiles in the North Arabian Sea
- The anti-ship missiles were fired from surface ships, fixed and rotary-wing aircraft at the sea level by warships and aircraft.
- The test by the Pakistan Navy stated that the country is now fully capable to respond to the enemy’s aggression befittingly.
- India-Pakistan ties were strained after the Indian government abrogated Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019. Pakistan downgraded diplomatic relations with India and expelled Indian High Commissioner after the event. India has maintained that J&K is an internal matter of India and does not want anyone’s interference in it.
GS – 3
Science
Plasma Treatment:
- The King George Medical University in Uttar Pradesh became the first government hospital to launch plasma therapy to treat COVID-19. The first dose of plasma therapy was given to a 58-year old patient.
- The Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) recently cleared the proposal of plasma therapy that was submitted by ICMR.
- The DGCI nodded to use plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients.
About treatment:
- The patients recovered from COVID-19 generate IGM and IGG antibodies against the virus.
- These antibodies are assessed from the samples of the donors through rapid tests. The plasma collected from the volunteering donors are then transfused into patients that are critically sick due to the virus.
- The DGCI has passed an order that not more than 1000 ml of plasma can be collected from a donor in one month.
- The states and union territories such as Delhi, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh have begun to use plasma therapy treatment.
Background:
- In India, the plasma therapy had been used to treat diseases such as mumps, measles, polio and flu.
- The treatment was used before vaccines were available. Plasma therapy was used to heal 1703 patients of Spanish flu in 1918.
Economy
RBI announced liquidity for Mutual Funds:
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced Rs.50,000 crore liquidity support for Mutual Funds (MFs).
- The RBI will conduct repo operations of 90 days tenor at the fixed repo rate. The facility will be on-tap and open-ended, and banks can submit their bids to avail funding on any day from 27 April- 1 May.
- The funds availed under the scheme can be used by banks exclusively for meeting the liquidity requirements of MFs by extending loans, and undertaking the outright purchase of and/or repo against the collateral of investment-grade corporate bonds, commercial papers (CPS), debentures and certificates of Deposit (CDs) held by MFs.
- The move by the Central Bank will increase confidence among investors.
- RBI has also added liquidity support that can be availed under the scheme which would be eligible to be classified as held to maturity (HTM), even in excess of 25% of the total investment that is permitted in the HTM portfolio.
- Exposures under this facility will not apply under the Large Exposure Framework (LEF). The face value of securities kept in the HTM category will not be reckoned for computation of adjusted non-food bank credit (ANBC) for the purpose of determining priority sector targets.
- The support extended to MFs under the Special Liquidity Facility for Mutual Funds (SLF-MF) shall be exempted from banks’ capital market exposure limits.


