- The Government formed a high-level task force for COVID-19 related research in the fields of science and for vaccine development on April 19, 2020. The task-force will be co-chaired by NITI Aayog member and Principal Scientific Adviser to the government.
- Uttar Pradesh became the first state on April 19, 2020 to geo-tag community kitchens. The state geo-tagged around 7,368 community kitchens and community shelters located across 75 districts. The kitchens produce 12 lakh food packets per day.
- The scientists at Mohali’s Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST) have recently come up with an efficient, low-cost electro-catalyst from fish gills, which can help develop environmental-friendly energy conversion devices such as fuel cell, biofuel cell and metal−air battery.
- Facebook launched its third-party fact-checking system in Bangladesh on April 19, 2020 to discourage the spread of fake news in the country. Facebook will now review rate stories including photos and videos in the country, in partnership with Boom Fact check.
- The largest number nests of rare Leather back sea turtles were found on the deserted beaches of Thailand recently amid the COVID-19 lockdown. Around 11 turtle nests were found and this is the largest number of nests that the rare turtles have built in 20 years. The turtles lay their eggs in quiet and dark areas.
- The Leather back Turtles are the world’s largest living sea turtles. They are considered vulnerable under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of threatened species. They are considered endangered in Thailand.
- US President Donald Trump has said that he wants to send a team of experts to China to investigate the COVID-19 outbreak. Trump said this a day after he warned China of consequences if it was knowingly responsible for the spread of COVID-19 that has killed more than 1,65,000 people globally, including over 41,000 in America.
- The World Heritage Day was observed across the world on April 18, 2020. The day is observed to promote awareness about the diversity of cultural heritage of humanity and the efforts required for its protection and conservation. The day is also known as the International Day for Monuments and Sites. The day was established in 1983 after approval from the General Assembly of UNESCO.
