Daily News Digest:29 March 2020

The US invoked Defence Production Act, 1950

The President of the United States of America, Donald Trump has invoked the Defence Production Act to direct the Multinational Corporation, General Motors, to manufacture ventilators for COVID-19 patients. It gives the President powers to frame regulations, and make businesses to accept and prioritize contracts necessary for the defence of the country.

Central Government has set up PM-CARES Funds to combat COVID-19

The PM-CARES fund was set up on 28 March 2020, to deal with the COVID19 crisis that is gripping the country.

The ‘Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund’ (PM CARES Fund)’ is a public charitable trust. The Chairman of the trust is Prime Minister, and other members of the trust are Defence Minister, Home Minister and Finance Minister.

Central Government has launched CoNTeC to connect Doctors in India with AIIMS

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 28 March 2020, has launched COVID-19 Telecommunication Centre(CoNTeC). The platform aims to connect the doctors in the country with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences(AIIMS ). CoNTeC platform is a telecommunication hub where experts from various clinical fields will answer questions of specialists throughout the country.

Border Roads Organization working on Project Arunank

The Border Roads Organization(BRO) is working relentlessly under the Project Arunank amid the COVID19 Pandemic. Work is going on Project Arunank to entirely replace Daporijo bridge which is a 430 feet Multi-Span Bailey Bridge and is the only lifeline of Upper Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh.

Agriculture-Farming and allied activities will be exempted from the 21 days Lockdown

The Central Government has granted relaxation to agriculture-farming and allied activities from the nationwide lockdown to address problems being faced by the farming community. This will also ensure uninterrupted harvesting of crops.

China will launch CZ-5 carrier rocket in April

A Long March-5B carrier rocket which is an experimental spacecraft is under plans to be launched by the Chinese Space Agency. The mission focuses on the broader spaceflight program which aims to send astronauts to its own future space station. The launch has been scheduled to take place between mid to late April 2020.