Introduction
Current Affairs is a type of broadcast journalism where the emphasis is on detailed analysis and discussion of news stories that have recently occurred or ongoing at the time of broadcast. The article Current Affairs 2 April 2020 includes News summary on current events of International, National, Education, Banking, Sports, Awards and Obituary importance of 2 April 2020.
INT
Coronavirus: US death toll exceeds 5,000
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Key Highlights- The US death toll from the coronavirus pandemic has gone above 5,000, Johns Hopkins University has said.
- Earlier the university said 884 people had died in 24 hours - a new record.
- Among the latest victims was a six-week-old baby. More than 216,000 are now infected - the world's highest figure.
Coronavirus: Australian scientists begin tests of potential vaccines
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Key Highlights- Scientists in Australia have begun testing two potential coronavirus vaccines in "milestone" lab trials.
- The vaccines, made by Oxford University and US company Inovio Pharmaceutical, have been cleared for animal testing by the World Health Organization.
- Australia's national science agency will assess if the vaccines work and if they would be safe for humans.
Coronavirus Pushes Myanmar Leader Aung San Suu Kyi to Facebook
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Key Highlights- Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi cited the coronavirus pandemic as the impetus for reluctantly creating her first personal Facebook account in a post.
- Since coming to power in 2016, Suu Kyi has largely communicated through formal statements and public meetings.
Donald Trump Warns Iran Of "Heavy Price" In Case Of Attack On US Troops
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Key Highlights- US President Donald Trump warned Iran of a "heavy price" if it or its allies in Iraq attack US troops stationed there.
- "We don't want hostility, but if they are hostile to us, they're going to regret it as they've never regretted anything before," he said of Iran at a White House press briefing on the coronavirus pandemic.
US Navy Evacuates Coronavirus-Struck Aircraft Carrier Roosevelt
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Key Highlights- The US Navy is evacuating thousands of sailors from the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in Guam after its captain warned a coronavirus outbreak was threatening the lives of the crew.
- Ninety-three COVID-19 cases have been discovered among the 4,800-strong Roosevelt crew so far, according to the US Navy.
- Pentagon officials said they were rapidly arranging hotel rooms on the Pacific island for many of the crew while organizing a skeleton team of uninfected sailors to keep the ship operational.
UK Man Threatens To Infect Cop With Coronavirus, Arrested
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Key Highlights- A man who coughed on a police officer and threatened to infect him with coronavirus was on Wednesday sentenced to six months in jail in Britain, a police statement said.
- Adam Lewis, 55, was sentenced under a specific law governing assaults against emergency workers, which was introduced in November 2018 and carries a maximum jail term of 12 months.
National
Noida Chief Medical Officer Removed, Second Officer To Lose Office In A Week
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Key Highlights- The Uttar Pradesh government has shunted out the chief medical officer (CMO) of Gautam Buddh Nagar Anurag Bhargava, according to an official order.
- Mr. Bhargava is the second high-level officer to be shifted in Noida after the district magistrate was shunted out earlier this week after a meeting with chief minister Yogi Adityanath on the coronavirus situation.
50 Coronavirus Deaths In India, 12 In 24 Hours, Number Of Cases At 1965
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Key Highlights- India reported its 50th novel coronavirus-linked death this morning, according to data from the Union Health Ministry.
- As per the data 12 deaths were reported in the past 24 hours. Across the country 1,965 cases of coronavirus, or COVID-19, infection have been confirmed, with 328 in the past 24 hours.
- The number of infected patients who have been discharged after treatment at various hospitals and medical colleges is now 151.
Coal India's Annual Output Falls For First Time In Two Decades
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Key Highlights- Coal India's annual production fell for the first time since 1998/99 as the heaviest rainfall in 25 years battered coal mining regions and a broad economic slowdown stifled demand for the fuel.
- The world's largest coal miner produced 602.1 million tonnes of coal during the fiscal year ended March 2020, compared with 606.9 million tonnes in 2018/19.
Supreme Court Acquits Separatist Tamil Group Leader
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Key Highlights- The Supreme Court acquitted a separatist Tamil group leader, arrested under the TADA Act for conspiring to bomb government buildings in 1990, agreeing to the defence argument that the confession of his two co-accused cannot be admitted as evidence against him as their trial was not held together.
- Raja alias Ayyappan, who had formed the group "Tamilar Pasarai", was convicted by a TADA court on the basis of his confession and that of his two co-accused - Sathish alias Vadivelu and Abdul Kalam - in 2009 because he had been absconding and was arrested in 2007.
First J&K Resident Who Died Of COVID-19 Attended Delhi Mosque Event
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Key Highlights- The first person who died due to COVID-19 in Jammu and Kashmir had earlier attended the religious gathering at Markaz Nizamuddin in Delhi, Director General of Police Dilbag Singh said.
- He stated that out of 855 potential coronavirus-infected persons'' list provided to the police, many have been traced."
India's Probe Agency Files First Overseas Case Over Kabul Gurdwara Attack
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Key Highlights- The National Investigation Agency (NIA) registered its first overseas case and will probe the terror strike on a gurdwara in Afghanistan's capital Kabul last month that left 27 people including an Indian citizen dead.
- An amendment of the NIA Act which came into effect in August last year has vested the agency with the power to probe terrorist activities against Indians and Indian interests abroad.
Govt launches coronavirus tracker app called Aarogya Setu
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Key Highlights- Indian government already has its MyGov app to spread awareness about the coronavirus outbreak. However, it has now launched a dedicated coronavirus tracking app called Aarogya Setu, which will use the smartphone’s location data and Bluetooth to check if you have been near a COVID-19 infected person or not.
- Spotted by The Next Web first, the app determines if you are at risk by looking through a database of known cases across India.
Education
JEE Advanced 2020 postponed due to coronavirus
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Key Highlights- IIT Delhi has postponed the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) Advanced 2020 in view of preventing further spreading coronavirus.
- JEE Advanced 2020 was scheduled to be conducted on May 17. IIT Delhi, the organising institute of JEE Advanced 2020 announced that the exam will be rescheduled only after JEE Main 2020 is conducted.
Coronavirus: Classrooms all set to go digital in Patna
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Key Highlights- With all educational institutions facing closure owing to the nationwide lockdown, most of the private schools in the capital city are now contemplating using digital platforms to kick-start this year’s academic session, informally, soon.
- Many schools have asked the students to install a digital learning application in their smartphones to facilitate online classes, beginning this week. Usually, the new academic session in schools begins in the first week of April.
Chhattisgarh CM orders private school to stop fee recovery during lockdown
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Key Highlights- Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has instructed all private schools to stop pressurizing parents to deposit fees of the students during the lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
- “Many private schools are sending messages to students’ parents to deposit school fees. It is not appropriate to pressurize them for fees at such times.
- All schools have been instructed to postpone the recovery of fees during coronavirus lockdown in Chhattisgarh,” Baghel’s tweet read.
Banking
PNB expects Rs 5,000cr fresh slippages in Q4
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Key Highlights- State-run Punjab National Bank (PNB) expects fresh slippages of an estimated Rs 5,000 crore in the fourth quarter, said S S Mallikarjuna Rao, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the bank, in an exclusive interview with Moneycontrol.
- This would include an estimated Rs 1,800 crore slippages on account of the COVID-19 impact on industries, Rao said. That apart, post the amalgamation of United Bank of India and Oriental Bank of Commerce, PNB expects about Rs 2,500 crore additional slippages to come from both these entities.
SEBI restricts trading window for promoters, insiders till June 30: Report
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Key Highlights- The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has prohibited promoters and insiders from buying company shares between April 1 and June 30, since they have been given extra time to report returns with the stock exchanges, The Economic Times reported.
- This wider window is being effected to prevent insider trading, an official told the paper.
Sports
Asian Cup 2027 Hosting Deadline Extended Over Coronavirus
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Key Highlights- The Asian Football Confederation extended the deadline for preliminary bids for the 2027 Asian Cup after the coronavirus pandemic caused major problems for football administrations.
- Expressions of interest will now be accepted until June 30, three months after the original deadline of March 31, the AFC said in a statement.
- "The decision was taken in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic to allow member associations, many of whom have been affected by the global outbreak, sufficient time to meet their internal processes and timelines," it said.
Appt
Lakshminarayanan appointed as MD of Sundaram Home Finance
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Key Highlights- D. Lakshminarayanan, whole-time director of Sundaram Finance Limited, was appointed as the MD (Managing Director) of its wholly owned home finance subsidiary, Sundaram Home Finance. He will take charge on April 1, 2020 and will replace Srinivas Acharya.
- Srinivas Acharya has been the company’s MD since 2010 & has been part of the Sundaram Finance Group for almost 4 decades.
Obituary
Nobel laureate Phillip Anderson passed away at 96
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Key Highlights- Philip Warren Anderson, a Nobel Prize- winning physicist who expanded the world’s understanding of magnetism, superconductivity and the structure of matter, passed away at the age of 96 in Princeton, New Jersey, US (United States). He was born on December 13, 1923 in Indianapolis, Indiana, US.
- About Philip Anderson: The American theoretical physicist graduated from Harvard University in 1949 & then worked for Bell Telephone Laboratories until he began teaching at Princeton and the University of Cambridge.
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