News in Short

• A large study of several thousand patients has shown that compared to women, men have a higher concentration of a key enzyme, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), that enables the coronavirus to infect healthy cells.
• The study also found that patients suffering from heart failure who take drugs targeting the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors did not have higher concentrations of ACE2 in their blood.
• Data collected so far has shown that people consuming more alcohol and tobacco are likely going to suffer to a greater extent the effect of the coronavirus disease.

• For the first time in four decades, emissions of toxic carbon dioxide have declined in the country - thanks to an economic slowdown, growth of clean energy and the ongoing lockdown.
• According to the analysis, CO2 emissions in the country fell by around 15% in March, and are likely to have fallen by 30% last month, year-on-year.
• Using the latest consumption data for coal, oil and gas, the analysts concluded that CO2 emissions fell by 30 million tonnes in the financial year 2019-20 compared to the previous fiscal.

• The National Institute of Technology-Karnataka (NIT-K), Surathkal, has developed an economical, reusable and transparent face shield using locally available low- cost material to fight against COVID-19.
• One of the important reasons for the rapid spread of the COVID-19 across the globe is lack of availability of Personal Protecting Equipment (PPEs) such as hand gloves, protective coverage, masks, face shield, etc.
• The PPEs are out reach of the common people due to high cost and limited supply. Due to complete lock down of industries which can manufacture them on large scale, has also added to the lack of supply.

• Jharkhand’sSohraiKhovar painting and Telangana’sTeliaRumal were given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
• The Sohrai Khovar painting is a traditional and ritualistic mural art being practised by local tribal women during local harvest and marriage seasons using local, naturally available soils of different colours in the area of Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand.
• Telia Rumal cloth involves intricate handmade work with cotton loom displaying a variety of designs and motifs in three particular colours — red, black and white.

• Manoj Ahuja, an IAS officer of Odisha cadre, 1990 batch has been appointed as the new chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE).
• He has taken over Anita Karwal who is now the secretary at the Department of School Education and Literacy. Earlier he was special director at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration.
• The Chairperson is the Chief Executive of the Board and is assisted by fourteen Heads of Departments i.e. Secretary, Controller of Examinations, Director (Academics), Director (Training), Director (IT), Director (Misc. Examinations), Director (Edusat, Research & Development), Director (Skill Education), four Regional Directors, Director (Registered Office, Ajmer) and Director (Professional Examinations).