Daily Current Affairs 10th April 2020 iasshiksha.com/daily-current-affair/daily-current-affairs-10th-april-2020/
Today’s Important Topic’s For UPSC Preparation 1. MSME’S NEED HUGE PACKAGE: JAIRAM 2. NO SIGNIFICANT RATE OF INCREASE IN COVID-19 POSITIVE CASES: ICMR. 3. ODISHA BECOMES FIRST STATE TO EXTEND LOCKDOWN TILL APRIL 30. 4. KERALA GETS NOD FOR TRIAL OF PLASMA THERAPY. 5. OPERATION SHIELD AT 21 LOCATIONS IN DELHI. 6. AHMEDABAD ADOPTS SOUTH KOREAN MODEL.
MSME’S NEED HUGE PACKAGE: JAIRAM MSME:(Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006 which was notified on October 2, 2006, deals with the definition of MSMEs. The MSMED Act, 2006 defines the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises based on The investment in plant and machinery for those engaged in manufacturing or production, processing or preservation of goods and The investment in equipment for enterprises engaged in providing or rendering of services.
Old Definition according to 2006 Act:
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In the month of February 2018, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved a change in the definition of the MSMEs. Now MSMEs will be defined on the basis of ‘annual turnover’ instead of investment in plant & machinery/equipment.
New definition of the MSMEs in India: Manufacturing Sector: Manufacturing Sector Enterprises Micro Enterprises
Annual turnover is less than Rs.5 cr.
Small Enterprises
Annual turnover is between Rs. 5 Cr to Rs. 75 cr.
Medium Enterprises
Annual turnover is between Rs. 75 Cr to Rs. 250 cr.
Service Sector: Service Sector Enterprises Micro Enterprises
Annual turnover is less than Rs.5 cr.
Small Enterprises
Annual turnover is between Rs. 5 Cr to Rs. 75 cr.
Medium Enterprises
Annual turnover is between Rs. 75 Cr to Rs. 250 cr.
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Government schemes to promote MSMEs: Coir Vikas Yojana: The interventions under CVY Scheme envisage a wide range of activities like skill development of artisans, mahila coir yojana, for modernization, upgradation and/or establishing a new unit under Coir Industry Technology Upgradation Scheme (CITUS).
CITUS: A new component namely “Coir Industry Technology Upgradation Scheme (CITUS)” has been introduced replacing the earlier component i.e. “Development of Production Infrastructure” of Coir Vikas Yojana.
Micro & Small Enterprises Cluster Development (MSE-CDP): The Ministry of MSME has adopted cluster development approach for enhancing productivity and competitiveness as well as capacity building of MSEs. The Scheme supports financial assistance for establishment of Common Facility Centres (CFCs) for testing, training centres, R&D, Effluent Treatment, raw material depot, complementing production processes etc.
Digital MSME Scheme: 3/10
It involves usage of Cloud Computing where MSMEs use the internet to access common as well as tailor-made IT infrastructure.
Revamped Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI): Organizes traditional industries and artisans into clusters and make them competitive by enhancing their marketability & equipping them with improved skills.
A Scheme for Promoting Innovation, Rural Industry & Entrepreneurship (ASPIRE): Creates new jobs & reduce unemployment, promotes entrepreneurship culture, facilitates innovative business solution etc.
MSME Sambandh: To monitor the implementation of the public procurement from MSMEs by Central Public Sector Enterprises.
MSME Samadhaan: MSME Delayed Payment Portal –– will empower Micro and Small entrepreneurs across the country to directly register their cases relating to delayed payments by Central Ministries/Departments/CPSEs/State Governments.
Why in News? COVID-19 lockdown has thrown MSMEs — Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises — into deep distress. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has urged the Centre to set up a ₹1 lakh crore corpus fund as part of a relief package for the sector. Ramesh called for tax sops and other measures to ensure liquidity, preventing mass unemployment, deferring payment of dues and pausing litigation against MSMEs. The Rajya Sabha MP noted that there were over 3 crore MSMEs in the country. It accounts for almost half of all exports and a third of the national GDP. They employed 11 crore people, and were struggling to pay wages, given the shutdown of many businesses, the sharp depression in demand and a massive cash crunch. To ensure liquidity, Mr. Ramesh suggested loan restructuring options, and a 6month moratorium on payment of dues. Tax payments could also be deferred for six months, while property taxes and other local body taxes could be waived for three months.
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NO SIGNIFICANT RATE OF INCREASE IN COVID-19 POSITIVE CASES: ICMR The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday said the country has maintained a steady rate of COVID-19 positive cases — 3% to 5% over the past month and half — and has registered no significant increase in this trend so far. The country currently has 5,865 confirmed cases and 169 deaths. This includes 591 new cases and 20 deaths in the last 24 hours, Joint Secretary in the Union Health Ministry Lav Agrawal said at the daily press briefing. He added that 473 people had recovered and been discharged so far. The ICMR noted that 1,44,910 samples from 1,30,792 individuals had been tested as on April 9. Of these, 5,734 samples tested positive till date. Positivity rate ranges between 3%-5% with no major increase.
Plasma Therapy: In this therapy, plasma from a COVID-19 recovered patient is transfused into an infected severely ill patient so that the specific antibodies in the blood of the recovered patient can help fight the infection. This is done for very ill patients on ventilators and has given good results in some studies abroad. The nationwide death toll touched 205 on Thursday, State Health Departments reported. The number of active cases was 5,815. Maharashtra continued to report the maximum number of deaths, at 97, as well as active cases at 1,142 . Tamil Nadu reported 799 active cases, with 96 new cases. While Delhi has 683 active cases with more 3 deaths since Wednesday. 5/10
ODISHA BECOMES FIRST STATE TO EXTEND LOCKDOWN TILL APRIL 30 Odisha on Thursday extended the lockdown till April 30. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik made the announcement after a Cabinet meeting held through videoconferencing. He said one had to decide between protecting the lives of the people and economic activity at this crucial juncture, and the Cabinet decided that saving lives was the topmost priority now. Educational institutions in the State would remain closed till June 17, he noted.
Help for those stranded: As regards the people from Odisha who are stranded in various parts of the country, Mr. Patnaik said his government’s intervention for their well-being would be through the State governments concerned. We will take care of all the people who are stranded in Odisha. Activities related to agriculture, animal husbandry and MGNREGS would be facilitated during the lockdown period, he said. 6/10
Food security was a major priority of the government. There will not be any problem in transport of goods. The government was leaving no stone unturned in scaling up testing and treatment facilities. He thanked doctors from all over the country who had offered their services for the telemedicine helpline launched on Wednesday.
KERALA GETS NOD FOR TRIAL OF PLASMA THERAPY
With Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan making it clear that the State would explore all available treatment options for COVID-19. The State has gone a step ahead and won the Indian Council of Medical Research’s approval to explore the feasibility of administering convalescent plasma transfusion on critically ill patients. Convalescent plasma therapy is not new and has been used by doctors to treat critically ill patients during earlier epidemics like H1N1, SARS and Ebola. The expert committee which is guiding the State’s containment and mitigation strategies against COVID-19 had recommended exploring the plasma therapy following the report in JAMA of a pilot study done by doctors in China. It may be noted that plasma from the blood of previously infected yet healthy individuals had been transferred to five critically ill patients in China and their condition had steadily improved and were subsequently discharged from hospitals.
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The proposal submitted to the ICMR says that the Transfusion Medicine Department of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology would help the State Health Department in exploring the feasibility of plasma therapy for COVID-19 treatment. Getting the clinical protocol for administering plasma therapy cleared by the ICMR is just part of our preparedness.
OPERATION SHIELD AT 21 LOCATIONS IN DELHI The Delhi government will carry out ‘Operation SHIELD’ at 21 locations identified as containment zones in the capital, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said here on Thursday. The operation involves sealing, identifying and quarantining people, doorstep delivery of essential items and door-to-door checking of people. We have begun Operation SHIELD S – Sealing of the immediate area after geographical marking, H – Home quarantine of all in the area, I – Isolation and tracing of people who have been first and second contacts, E – Essential supplies delivered at the doorstep, L – Local sanitisation and disinfection and D – Door-to-door checking, Kejriwal also underscored the need for wearing masks by all those stepping out of their homes. This has been advised based on recent observations and news from across the world where authorities are advising everyone, and not just people infected with the coronavirus, to wear masks to protect themselves. Based on the experiences of other countries, we have issued orders that everyone stepping out of their homes in Delhi should wear masks. Kejriwal said the government would take strict action against those misbehaving with healthcare professionals, after two women doctors of Safdarjung Hospital were mistreated by a local at Gautam Nagar on Wednesday. He said the pandemic would necessitate tough decisions. As no economic activities are taking place, tax collection has stopped. In view of this, we have decided that except for the expenses to contain the spread of the virus and provide free ration and food, no other expenses will be incurred by the government.
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AHMEDABAD ADOPTS SOUTH KOREAN MODEL As COVID-19 cases surge, Ahmedabad is battling to contain the spread of the pandemic with intensive surveillance and aggressive testing to detect the maximum number of cases of infected people. So far, 141 cases have been reported from Ahmedabad, with 58 reported on Thursday morning alone. Intensive surveillance and aggressive testing — these two approaches will ensure we detect as many cases as possible. One case proactively detected can mean up to ten lives saved, assuming one positive undetected person can infect around 400 people and considering about 3% mortality rate. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has now adopted the South Korean model of enhanced testing to ascertain the scale of the epidemic in the city of 6.5 million people. 9/10
Along with aggressive testing, the civic body has hardened social distancing measures by strictly regulating goings and comings in the entire walled city area, from where the maximum number of cases have emerged. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has identified 14 clusters or hotspots where intensive surveillance, mass testing and contact tracing of infected persons will be carried out with enhanced focus.
WORD OF THE DAY Corpus Fund: CORPUS FUNDis the capital of the organization; the funds generated and kept for the existence and sustenance of the organization. Normally a corpus funddenotes a permanent fund kept for the basic expenditures needed for the administration and survival of the organization.
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