Telangana Affairs
Telangana logs 744 black fungus cases, 5th highest in India
As many as 744 patients are suffering frommucormycosisorblack fungusin . According to Union Health ministry data,Telanganastands fifth in the country inblack fungus cases. Gujarat has the most cases with 2,859, followed by Maharashtra (2,770), while Andhra Pradesh has 768 cases.
Telangana received 1,889 amphotericin B vials for treatment of black fungus cases and another 1,980 vials will be released soon, the health ministry said. With the number of patients treated at the Government ENT hospital touching more than 200, doctors are conducting procedures on patients to remove fungus from the nasal track.
the challenge in treating mucormycosis patients in Telangana could get tougher in the coming days as the caseload in neighbouring states like Maharashtra and AP is also very high. It may be recalled Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Odisha, Telangana, Assam and Delhi have already declared black fungus as a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act-1897.
National and International Affairs
Panel of state ministers to examine valuation of services by casinos, online gaming for GST
The government has set up a panel of state ministers for better valuation of Services ofcasinos,online gamingportal and race courses for levying goods and services tax (GST).
The seven-member panel, convened by Gujarat deputy chief minister Nitin Patel, will also examine whether any change is required in the legal provision for better means of valuation of these services.
It will also examine the administration of such valuation provisions and if an alternative means of valuation is recommended.
The panel would also look into the impact of such valuation on other similarly placed services like lottery.
The Ministry of Power has decided to establish a National Mission to promote the use of in coal-fired thermal power Plants.
Increase the level of co-firing from the current 5% to higher levels in order to have a greater share of carbon neutral power generation from thermal power plants.
Conduct R&D in boiler design to handle the higher levels of silica and alkalis in biomass pellets.
To make it easier to overcome constraints in the supply chain of bio mass pellets and agro- residue, as well as their transport to power plants.
Subodh Kumar Jaiswal takes charge as CBI director
Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, a 1985 batchIPSofficer serving as CISF DG, on Wednesday took charge as theCBIdirector.
TheCentral Bureau of Investigationwas working without a regular chief for over three months afterRishi Kumar Shuklacompleted his two-year tenure on February 3.
Jaiswal, ex-Maharashtra DGP and former Mumbai top cop, was the seniormost officer in the panel.