ASSAM

With 10 more RT-PCR machines, Assam can now test 2-3k more samples per day

In a major boost to Covid-19 testing in Assam, 10 more real time RT-PCR machines have reached Guwahati which will help the state test 2,000 to 3,000 more samples per day.

These RT-PCR machines will reach the laboratories at medical college and hospitals where swab testing is being done. According to health department sources, there are currently around 17 RT-PCR machines available with the state health department which are mostly installed in various medical college and hospitals. Most of the medical colleges in Assam have two RT-PCR machines each.

Due to the lack of adequate swab-testing facilities in Assam, 3,000 to 5,000 samples, out of 12,000-13,000 collected everyday, are being currently sent to private labs outside the state which causes a delay in getting the results.

Guwahati currently has three testing centres, but, according to the sources in the health department, two more centres — one each at the Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital and Government Ayurvedic College — are coming up soon.

NORTH-EASTERN STATES

Meghalaya has lowest Covid test rate in NE

Meghalaya has the lowest COVID-19 positive cases (50) in the North East, but it is also conducting the lowest number of tests for COVID 19 among all the northeastern states.

In fact, Meghalaya’s test rate is 50 per cent or less than all northeastern states, barring Nagaland.

According to data available till June 27, Meghalaya having a population of 32.24 lakh has conducted 18,037 tests. Therefore, it has tested just 5,595 samples per million and this ratio is the lowest among the northeastern states.

As far as testing facilities are concerned, Meghalaya has two major centres, one at NEIGRIHMS in the State Capital and the other at Tura Civil Hospital, Garo Hills. There are a few other centres which can conduct a limited number of tests.

As far as other NE states are concerned, Manipur which has a population close to Meghalaya with 31.03 lakh, has tested 48,220 samples and it has therefore tested 15,540 per million of its population.

Manipur has conducted the highest test per million in the northeast, closely followed by Tripura with 15,329 tested per million, Sikkim 15,390 per million and then Arunachal Pradesh with 15,042 tested per million.

Mizoram and Assam have conducted 10,777 per million and 10,921 per million tests respectively.

Nagaland has the second lowest rate. It has conducted 14,217 tests till June 27, which translates to 6,613 per million tests. Nagaland has a population of 21.50 lakh. All other northeastern states have conducted over 10,000 per million tests.

Assam has so far conducted the highest number of tests: 3,74,519. It has a population of 342.93 lakh. Tripura has conducted the second highest 61,194 tests with a population of 39.92 lakh.

Among the northeastern states, Nagaland, Sikkim, Manipur and Mizoram have not reported any Covid-related deaths so far. Only Meghalaya (1), Assam (11), Arunachal Pradesh (1) and Tripura (1) have reported Covid deaths.

Meanwhile, across the country, Bihar has the lowest testing rate at 1,660 per million. The Union Territory of Ladakh has the highest testing rate among states and Union Territories at 46,816 per million.

INTERNATIONAL

International Day of The Tropics: 29 May

International Day of the Tropics is observed every year on June 29 every year.

The Day aims to raise awareness to the specific challenges faced by tropical areas and the role that countries in the tropics will play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Tropics are a region of the Earth, roughly defined as the area between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn.

They receive sunlight that is more direct and are generally hotter and wetter with little seasonal change in day-to-day temperature.

The tropical region faces several challenges such as climate change, urbanisation, deforestation, logging and demographic changes.

NATIONAL

National Statistics Day: 29 June

The Government has been celebrating Statistics Day on June 29, to popularise the use of Statistics in everyday life.

It has been designated as one of the Special Days to be celebrated at the national level and commemorates the birth anniversary of Prof P C Mahalanobis.

The day also commemorates contributions made by Mahalanobis in fields of statistics and economic planning.

Govt approves use of Dexamethasone steroid

Union Health Ministry has revised clinical management protocol for treating Covid-19 patients.

Moderate and severe coronavirus patients, in need of oxygen support who experience excessive inflammatory response, can now be given Dexamethasone steroid as an alternative to Methylprednisolone.

Dexamethasone is a steroid that has been used since the 1960s to reduce inflammation in a range of conditions, including inflammatory disorders and certain cancers.

It has been listed on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines since 1977 in multiple formulations, and is currently off-patent and affordable in most countries.

World Bank approved USD 500 million loan to improve quality of school education

The World Bank has approved a $500 million loan to improve the quality and governance of school education in six Indian states. The approval is given by the Board of Executive Directors. The board approved a loan for Strengthening the Teaching-Learning and Results for States Program (STARS).

It is expected that around 250 million students, between the age of 6 and 17, in 1.5 million schools, and over 10 million teachers will benefit from the program.

The STARS program has built a long partnership between India and the World Bank, since 1994.

STARS aims to support India’s response to the challenges by strengthening implementation at the local level, investing in teacher capacity.

It also aims to ensure that no child of any background is left behind from the right to education.

STARS will enhance the learning assessment systems and strengthen classroom instruction and remediation in the states of Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Rajasthan.

It will also facilitate school-to-work transition, and strengthen governance and decentralized management.

Centre launched PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises scheme

Centre launched the PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME) scheme as a part of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. It was launched by Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

Gk bit : PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME):

Centrally Sponsored PM Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises scheme was launched by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI).

The scheme aims to provide financial, technical, and business support for the upgradation of existing micro food processing enterprises.

The PM FME Scheme will generate a total investment of Rs.35,000 crore.

It will also generate 9 lakh skilled and semi-skilled employment and benefit 8 lakh units through access to information, training, better exposure, and formalization.

The scheme will be implemented over a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25 with an outlay of Rs.10,000 crore.

The expenditure for the scheme will share a 60:40 ratio between Central and State Governments, in 90:10 ratio with North Eastern and the Himalayan States, 60:40 ratio with UTs with the legislature, and 100% by Centre for other UTs.

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