UPSC Daily Current Affairs : 30-April-2020

Topic Covered :

HCARD, A ROBOT, TO ASSIST FRONTLINE COVID-19 HEALTHCARE WARRIORS

Why in news?

Healthcare workers at hospitals are risking COVID-19 infection while taking care of those infected by it 24/7. Perhaps the level of risk may get reduced hereafter with the help of a new friend, HCARD.

Highlights:

The robotic device HCARD, in short for Hospital Care Assistive Robotic Device, can help frontline healthcare workers in maintaining physical distance from those infected by coronavirus.
HCARD is developed by Durgapur-based CSIR lab, Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute.
The device is equipped with various state-of-the-art technologies and works both in automatic as well as manual modes of navigation.
This robot can be controlled and monitored by a nursing booth with a control station having such features as navigation, drawer activation for providing medicines and food to patients, sample collection and audio-visual communication.
The cost of this device is less than Rs 5 lakh and the weight is less than 80 kilograms

Source : PIB ( https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1619425 )

GOVT ALLOWS INTER-STATE MOVEMENT OF STRANDED PEOPLE WITH CONDITIONS

Why in news?

Migrant workers, tourists, students and other people stranded in different parts of the country were on Wednesday allowed to move to their respective destinations with certain conditions, giving a big relief to the distressed people.

Highlights:

Buses shall be used for transport of such groups of stranded people and these vehicles will be sanitised and will have to follow safe social distancing norms in seating.
The Home Ministry order, however, did not specify whether a person or a family can travel in a private vehicle, and if allowed, under what conditions.
Listing the conditions, the ministry said all states and union territories should designate nodal authorities and develop standard protocols for receiving and sending such stranded persons.
In case a group of stranded persons wish to move between one state and union territory and another state and union territory, the sending and receiving states may consult each other and mutually agree to the movement by road.
The moving persons would be screened and those found asymptomatic would be allowed to proceed, according to the Home Ministry.
All those people who avail the opportunity will be encouraged to use 'Aarogya Setu' app through which their health status can be monitored and tracked.

Source : Times of India ( https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/govt-allows-movement-of-stranded-people-with-conditions/articleshow/75453755.cms )

GOVERNOR NOMINATION AND MAHARASHTRA CM POST

Why in news?

As the decision about his appointment to the legislature as governor's nominee hangs fire, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene, sources claimed.

Highlights:

Uddhav Thackeray, who is not a member of either house of the state legislature, was sworn in as chief minister on November 28, 2019.
He has to become a member by May 28 when he completes six months in office, otherwise he will cease to be the chief minister.
A delegation of MVA leaders led by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar met the governor on Tuesday and handed over the cabinet decision's copy to him.
Thackeray could not get elected to the legislative council through biennial polls as the elections were postponed due to coronavirus outbreak.
Article 171(3) (e) provides for nomination to legislative council in accordance with Article 171 (5) which states that the person should be the one having special knowledge or practical experience in respect of matters such as Literature, science, art, co-operative movement and social services.

Source : Times of India ( https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/uddhav-speaks-to-pm-modi-as-he-awaits-governors-decision/articleshow/75454257.cms )

NEUROENDOCRINE TUMOUR

Why in news?

As millions of Irrfan Khan fans were left stunned at his death, leading health experts on Wednesday tried to explain the rare neuroendocrine tumour (NET) the actor came to know about in 2018 and underwent chemotherapy and treatment in the US.

Highlights:

Neuroendocrine tumour, which can occur anywhere in the body, is a condition in which an abnormal tissue growth arises in the hormone producing nervous cells (or neuroendocrine cells).
Most NETs occur in the lungs, appendix, small intestine, rectum and pancreas, and can be non-cancerous or malignant.
Neuroendocrine cells have characteristics similar to that of hormone-producing cells and nerve cells, and are found throughout the body
The NETs don't generally show signs and symptoms at first. The symptoms depend on the tumour's location and whether it produces excess hormones.
In general, neuroendocrine tumour signs might include pain due to its growth, a sense of growing lump under the skin, weight loss without exercise or diet and fatigue.
The NET's incidence is just 2 per 1 lakh population in India, and accounts for 0.5% of all malignancies.
Removing the entire tumour was not possible, a debulking surgery was sometimes recommended. This surgery removes as much of the tumour as possible and may give some relief from symptoms. However, it generally doesn't cure a NET.
The chances of survival in early-stage NET are 70-100%, but as the stage and grading increase, the survival chances decrease.

Source : Livemint ( https://www.livemint.com/news/india/net-the-rare-disease-that-killed-irrfan-khan-11588168219456.html )

NEET MANDATORY FOR MINORITY INSTITUTIONS

Why in news?

The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) is mandatory for admission to medical colleges run by religious and linguistic minority communities, the Supreme Court held on Wednesday.

Highlights:

A three-judge Bench led by Justice Arun Mishra held that admissions solely through NEET for graduate and postgraduate medical/dental courses does not violate any fundamental and religious rights of minorities.
NEET would apply for both aided and unaided medical colleges run by minorities.
The court dismissed arguments by the managements of several minority-run medical institutions, including the Christian Medical College Vellore Association, that bringing them uniformly under the ambit of NEET would be a violation of their fundamental right to “occupation, trade and business”.
The colleges had argued that imposing NEET would violate their fundamental rights of religious freedom, to manage their religious affairs, to administer their institutions.
But Justice Mishra, who wrote the 108-page judgment, said it was time the field of education returned to the “realm of charity”, a character it had lost over the years. NEET was brought in to weed out malpractices in the field.
The court held that the rights of trade, business and occupation or religious rights “do not come in the way of securing transparency and recognition of merits in admissions”.

Source : News18 ( https://www.news18.com/news/india/neet-will-be-the-only-medical-admission-test-sc-rules-as-it-rejects-minority-institutions-objections-2597779.html )

De Facto IAS