1. World Heritage Day is observed every year on April 18

• World Heritage Day is observed every year on April 18. The aim of celebrating this day is to promote cultural heritage through activities which are undertaken by the International Council on Monuments and Sites.
• The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) in 1982 announced 18th April as the World Heritage Day. It aims to conserve and enhance awareness about the importance of cultural heritage and monuments.
• The World Heritage Day Theme 2020 is ‘Shared Culture, Shared Heritage and Shared Responsibility’.

2. Indian Tricolour projected onto Switzerland's Matterhorn mountain to send a message of hope

• The Indian flag has been projected onto the Matterhorn mountain in the Swiss Alps as part of a breathtaking light illumination series as part of an effort to spread hope amid the coronavirus pandemic.
• Renowned Swiss light artist Gerry Hofstetter has been lighting up the 14,690 feet mountain with spectacular displays of country flags and messages of hope to inspire solidarity as people face up to the alarming spread of the deadly pandemic.
• The Matterhorn is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the main watershed and border between Switzerland and Italy.

Foot Notes: About Switzerland
Capital: Bern
Chancellor: Walter Thurnherr
Currency: Swiss franc

3. Shuttling to the Top: The Story of P V Sindhu authored by V. Krishnaswamy 

• A book titled “Shuttling to the Top: The Story of P V Sindhu” authored by Krishnaswamy V was published by HarperCollins in Amazon digital platform along with other two books, amid the lockdown due to Coronavirus.
• “The Story of P V Sindhu”, conveys the story of one of the finest badminton players in the world. The biography tells her life from the time when, while living in the colony of Secunderabad, she travelled over 40 km every day by train to get to P Gopichand’s academy and train.
• P V Sindhu has achieved so much, including four World Championship medals besides those at Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
• The third book is “The Big Questions of Life” authored by Om Swami which marks the way to enlightenment through mindful thinking.

 Foot Notes: About Harpercollins publication
Headquarters– New York, United States (US).
Founded–1989; 31 years ago
Commissioning Editor– Ananya Borgohain.

4. DRDO innovates automatic sanitiser and ultraviolet devices to fight coronavirus

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation introduced two new technologies that are aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus.
• These two are Automatic Mist Based Sanitiser Dispensing Unit and UV Sanitisation Box and Hand-held UV device.
• Ultraviolet device, which is hand held, can disinfect office and house objects like chairs, files and food packets.
• It also comes as a box, which has been designed to disinfect personal belongings such as mobile phones, files and wallet.
• Automatic mist based sanitiser dispensing unit is a contactless sanitiser dispenser, which sprays alcohol based hand sanitiser, for use at the entry of buildings and office complexes.

Foot Notes: About DRDO
Chairman: Dr G. Satheesh Reddy
Headquarters location: New Delhi
Motto: बलस्य मूलं विज्ञानम्(Sanskrit); "Strength's Origin is in Science" 
Founded: 1958
Defence Minister: Rajnath Singh

5. Rate of doubling of COVID-19 cases improves to 6.2 days from three days due to Lockdown

• India has been doing better than many other countries on outcome ratio- the ratio of number of COVID-19 recoveries Vs number of deaths. 
• India’s doubling rate was about 3 days, before the lockdown. For the past 7 days, the doubling rate is 6.2 Days. 
• 19 states have shown a higher doubling rate better than the national average. 
• Indian government has set up 1,919 dedicated COVID Hospitals and COVID Health Centres have been set up in the country, with capacity of 1.73 lakh isolation beds and 21,800 ICU beds.

6. Rajasthan claims to be first State in country to carry out Rapid Testing for COVID-19 

• In Rajasthan, Health minister Raghu Sharma claimed that it became the first state in the country to carry out Rapid Testing for COVID-19. 
• In Beginning, 52 persons were tested and all the 52 persons tested negative.
• Health minister Raghu Sharma told that this test will be done at a large scale to assess the prevalence of COVID-19 in hotspots - both in the containment and the buffer zones around the clusters. 
• In addition to rapid testing, PCR based testing will continue to be done in an aggressive manner in the containment zones all over Rajasthan.

Foot Notes: About Rajasthan
Capital: Jaipur
Chief Minister: AshokGehlot
Governor: Kalraj Mishra

7. Delhi government launched 'Assess Koro Na' app for door-to-door survey in containment zones

• The Delhi government has asked officials to use the new 'Assess Koro Na' app for door-to-door survey in COVID-19 containment zones. Officials say the delay in collecting and analysing the data of a person in a physical form is a major challenge.
• With this app, the data collected can be uploaded on the servers in real-time and immediately analyse.
• This will help the control centres in making a quick decision on the requirement of ambulances and other medical equipment and personnel in the area. 
• During the process, surveyors ask questions like travel history, contact history, flu-like symptoms and shortness of breath.

Foot notes: About Delhi
Chief Minister: Arvind Kejriwal
Lt Governor: Anil Baijal

8. Nigeria President Buhari's chief of staff Abba Kyari dies of COVID-19

• Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari, has died from Covid-19 after a nearly month-long infection.
• Kyari was in his 70s and had underlying health problems including diabetes. 
• He was the top official aide to 77-year-old President Muhammadu Buhari.

Foot Notes: About Nigeria
Capital: Abuja
President: Muhammadu Buhari
Currency: Nigerian naira

9. Shri Santosh Gangwar requested UT’s/States to designate Nodal Officers for resolving Grievances of Workers

• Union Minister of State (I/C) for Labour and Employment Shri Santosh Gangwar requested various State/UT Governments to designate a nodal officer from Labour Department. 
• The main aim is to coordinate with Control Rooms set up by the Union Government for addressing issues of the labour/workers in the country. 
• Ministry of Labour and Employment recently set up 20 Control Rooms under the Chief  Labour Commissioner (C) on pan India basis due to issues of workers arising in the backdrop of COVID-19.

10. Postal employees to get Rs 10 lakh compensation in case they succumb to COVID-19

• Department of Posts planned to extend the payment of compensation of 10 lakh rupees to all postal employees including Gramin Dak Sevaks employees to the corona disease. Department of Posts comes under essential services and the employees are performing various routine duties along with delivering COVID-19 test kits, food packets, rations, and essential medicines across the country.
• The Department of Posts has decided to extend the payment of compensation of 10 lakh rupees to all postal employees, including Gramin Dak Sevaks succumbing to the corona disease. The guidelines will come into effect with immediate effect and continue for the period until the crises of COVID-19 is over.
• Postal employees perform various duties such as providing mail delivery to customers, Post Office Saving Bank, Postal Life Insurance, the ease of money withdrawal at his/her doorstep from any bank and any branch under the AePS facility.

Foot notes: About India Post
Headquarters: New Delhi
Founded: 1 April 1854
Ministry under: Ministry of communication and information technology