26 April current affairs in English

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26 April current affairs in English

● Former Pakistan women's skipper Sana Mir announced her retirement from international cricket, ending a 15 year long illustrious career.

● Mir featured in 226 international matches for Pakistan, including 137 as captain from 2009 to 2017.

● The right-handed batter made her ODI debut against Sri Lanka in Karachi in December 2005, while her last ODI was against Bangladesh in Lahore in November 2019.

● Mir rose to number-one on ICC Women's Rankings for ODI bowlers in October 2018.

● She is one of the nine women cricketers to have taken 100 wickets and scored 1,000 runs in ODIs.

BRO opens Rohtang Pass after clearing snow

● Border Roads Organization (BRO) has opened Rohtang Pass, more than three weeks in advance after clearing snow.

● It is the arterial road connecting Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh from rest of  the country.

● Himachal Pradesh Government had approached BRO to expedite the snow clearance to facilitate return of farmers for starting cultivation and movement of essential supplies and to bring relief materials to Lahaul Valley in wake of COVID-19.

● Rohtang Pass is an elevated mountain pass on the eastern Himalayan Pir Panjal Range about 51 km from Manali. It connects the Kullu Valley with Himachal Pradesh's Lahaul and Spiti Valleys.

Celebrations of Madurai Chithirai festival of Kallalagar temple cancelled 

• The Kallalagar temple management said  that all functions pertaining to the Madurai Chithirai festival in Tamil Nadu, have been cancelled in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

• In Madurai, the two-week-long Chithirai festival is among the biggest  celebrations.

• The occasion re-enacts the wedding of Goddess Meenakshi (Lord Vishu’s sister) and Lord Sundareswarar (Lord  Shiva)

Assam govt deposited Rs 2000 to 1.6 lakh people who stranded outside the state

• The Assam government has deposited  2000 rupees to 1.6 lakh people who are  stranded outside the state under Assam  Cares initiative.

• 5 lakh 90 thousand people have responded to the Assam Cares initiative.

• Out of these, 1.6 lakh people after  verification received the incentive so far.

• Apart from that, 758 cancer, heart , kidney  patients who are stranded outside the state  due to lock down have also been given 25  thousand rupees each.

Basic Facts about Assam 

● State: 26 January 1950
● Capital: Dispur
● Number of District : 33
● Governor: Jagdish Mukhi
● Chief Minister: Sarbananda Sonowal
● High court: Gauhati High Court
● Members of the Legislative Assembly: 126
● Lok Sabha Seats : 14
● Rajya Sabha Seats : 7

State Symbols 

● State Animal: Indian rhinoceros
● State Bird: White-winged duck
● State Flower: Foxtail orchid
● State Tree: Hollong

Andhra Pradesh launches 'Covid Pharma' app to keep track of people buying medicines for cough, cold and fever from pharmacies

● The Medical and Health Department of Andhra Pradesh launched 'Covid Pharma', a mobile application to keep a track of people purchasing medicines over-the-counter (OTC) for cough, cold and fever from medical stores across the state.

● Using the App, the respective pharmacies will have to take down details of persons, including their mobile number, making OTC purchase of medicines for such common ailments and report to the government.

● This will help the government in easily tracing persons with any likely symptoms of coronavirus.

Covid-19 cases in Wuhan hospitals drop to zero for 1st time 

● The number of hospitalised COVID-19 patients in China’s Wuhan, where the virus first emerged before  turning out to be a pandemic dropped to zero for the first time.

● The result was achieved with the "intensive efforts of medical staff in Wuhan" and those sent from across the country to assist the city in battling the virus, said Mi Feng, a spokesperson for China's National Health Commission (NHC).

● The last patient in Wuhan was cured reducing the number of coronavirus patients in the city to zero.

● It said that 11 coronavirus patients were discharged from hospital after recovery in Wuhan.

● Hubei has so far reported 68,128 confirmed Covid-19 cases, including 50,333 in Wuhan.

Team led by IIT Bombay student develops low-cost mechanical ventilator Ruhdaar

● A team of engineering students from IIT Bombay, NIT Srinagar and Islamic University of Science & Technology (IUST), Awantipora, Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir have come forward to solve the problem of ventilator requirement.

● The team has come up with a low-cost ventilator ‘Ruhdaar’ using locally available materials.

● The prototype cost the team about Rs. 10,000, and when we go for mass production, the cost would be much smaller.

● High-end ventilators used in hospitals cost in lakhs of rupees.

● Ruhdaar provides necessary functionalities which can provide adequate breathing support necessary to save the life of a critically ill COVID-19 patient.

● The team will now move on practical medical testing. Once authorised, mass-production will be taken.

NTPC launches Hydrogen Fuel bus and car project for Leh and New Delhi

● NTPC Ltd has invited Global Expression of Interest (EoI) to include 10 Hydrogen Fuel Cell (FC)-based electric buses and an equal number of Leh and Delhi-based Hydrogen Fuel Cell electric vehicles.

● The EoI has been issued by NTPC's wholly owned subsidiary, NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN) Limited.

● The push to procure vehicles based on Hydrogen Fuel Cell is first of its kind in the country where a full solution will be built from green energy to the fuel cell vehicle.

● The initiative will also harness renewable energy for hydrogen production, and improve its storage and dispensing facilities as part of Leh and Delhi pilot projects.

● The move to launch hydrogen powered vehicles aims at decarbonizing mobility segment.

NIF boosts new Anthurium flower varieties, developed by lady innovator  from Kerala

● D Vasini Bai, a women innovator from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, has developed ten varieties of Anthurium, a flower with high market value, by cross-pollination.

● Anthurium is a vast group of beautiful blooming plants available in a wide range of colors.

● The plants of the varieties are having high demands due to its use as indoor decorative plants.

● Anthurium is one of the best domestic flowering plants in the world.

● They are beautiful but also purify the surrounding air and remove harmful airborne chemicals like formaldehyde, ammonia, toluene, xylene, and allergens.

● Its importance of removing toxic substances from the air, NASA has placed it in the list of air purifier plants.