The Union Health Ministry has issued a revised standard operating procedure (SOP) on preventive measures to be followed while conducting examinations to contain the spread of COVID-19, here on Thursday, removing the clause to facilitate symptomatic candidates who insist on taking the exam to do so in isolation.

The revised SOP notes that in the regular course, an asymptomatic candidate should be referred to the nearest health center and given an opportunity to undertake the examination through other means, or the university/ educational institution shall arrange for the exam at a later date when the student is declared fit.

However, if a student is found to be symptomatic, the permission or denial thereof in such cases shall be granted as per the policy already enunciated on the issue by the authorities conducting the examination.

New York: A special session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in response to the coronavirus pandemic will kickstart on Thursday. World leaders, UN leadership and COVID-19 vaccine developers will address the two-day event. The US special session comes a day after the United Kingdom on Wednesday became the first country to approve a Covid-19 vaccine for general use. Britain Prime Minister Bors Johnson announced a rollout of Pfizer-BioNTech's jab from next week. Following UK’s announcement, Russian President Vladimir Putin directed the health officials to start widespread vaccinations of Sputnik V next week.

The United Nations has termed coronavirus pandemic as the greatest global health crisis since the creation of the global body 75 years ago. The UN has also termed it as a humanitarian, socio-economic, security and human rights crisis.

COVID-19 disease has claimed more than 1.3 million lives, infected more than 54 million people, and upended the livelihoods of even more all over the world.

Researchers have created the smallest memory device yet, an advance that may lead to faster, smaller, and more energy-efficient electronic chips for consumer electronics and brain-inspired computing.

The scientists from the University of Texas at Austin in the US also found the physics that unlocks dense memory storage capabilities for these tiny devices.

In the research, published recently in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, the scientists reduced the size of what was then the thinnest memory storage device, shrinking the cross-section area down to just a single square nanometre.

According to the researchers, getting a handle on the physics that pack dense memory storage capability into these devices enabled them to make the device much smaller.

They said ultrasmall holes in the material provide the key to unlocking the high-density memory storage capability.

"When a single additional metal atom goes into that nanoscale hole and fills it, it confers some of its conductivity into the material, and this leads to a change or memory effect," explained Deji Akinwande, a co-author of the study.

Though they used the compound molybdenum disulfide – also known as MoS2 – as the primary nanomaterial in their study, the researchers believe the discovery could apply to hundreds of related atomically thin materials.

The deep depression in the Bay of Bengal has intensified into a cyclonic storm 'Burevi'. The storm on Wednesday, November 2 is likely to cross the coast of Sri Lanka, near Trincomalee hit South Tamil Nadu on December 4, the India Meteorological Department confirmed on Tuesday. 

Tamil Nadu was hit by cyclone Nivar last week. Heavy rains and strong winds were observed in many parts of the state due to the cyclone.

"The deep depression intensified at adjoining the southeast Bay of Bengal into Cyclone storm Burevi at 17:30 hours and lay centred about 400 kilometres of east-southeast Trincomalee. It will cross the Sri Lanka coast close to Trincomalee on December 2 during evening/night and cross south Tamil Nadu between Kanniyakumari and Pamban on the early morning of December 4," The India Meteorological Department (IMD), confirmed on Twitter.

Minister of Environment,Forest and Climate Change  Prakash Javadekar today launched the India Climate Change Knowledge Portal. The portal will have all the major steps the Government is taking at both national and international levels to address  the climate change issues.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Javadekar said,it will be a single-point information resource that provides information on the different climate initiatives taken by various Line Ministries enabling users to access d status on these initiatives.

With regard to climate actions after the Paris Agreement, Mr Javadekar said, India has practically achieved  its  pre-2020 climate action targets. He said, though India is not  responsible for  climate change but  it is taking responsible action to mitigate the challenge. Mr Javadekar also demanded that other countries must commit to  the advance commitments of Kyoto Protocol which has not been followed by the countries that must be done.

Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju today felicitated the participants of ‘Fit India Mission 200 Kilometers’ walkathon in New Delhi. Participants were awarded with special walkathon medals and certificates. 

The walkathon which was first of its kind, was organized by the ITBP in association with the Sports Ministry at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan recently to spread awareness about the ‘Fit India Mission’ of the Government of India. 

Mr. Rijiju praised the efforts being undertaken by ITBP for its initiatives towards the ‘Fit India Mission’ and said that the Force had been instrumental in spreading the message of keeping India fit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will share his thoughts with the people in the country and abroad in the 'Mann Ki Baat' programme on All India Radio at 11 AM on Sunday. It will be the 71st episode of the monthly radio programme.

It will be broadcast on the entire network of AIR and Doordarshan and also on AIR News website www.newsonair.com and newsonair Mobile App. It will also be streamed live on the YouTube channels of AIR, DD News, PMO and Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

AIR will broadcast the programme in regional languages immediately after the Hindi broadcast. The regional language versions will be repeated at eight in the evening.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of 16 National Highway projects worth 7477 crore rupees in Uttar Pradesh yesterday.
 
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was also present at the virtual function. These road projects worth 505 kilometers will enhance better connectivity, convenience and economic growth in the state.
 
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Gadkari said that National Highways works worth two lakh crore rupees are being undertaken in UP. Thanking the Central government, the Chief Minister said that National Highways works done in the state in the last 6 years is more than what was done in 65 years after independence.

Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has launched the second edition of Fit India School Week program. To participate in the program the schools have to register themselves on www.fitindia.gov.in/fit-india-school-week.

During the launch ceremony yesterday, Mr Rijiju spoke about the importance of fitness in school life and said students are the driving force behind making India fit. The Minister said, he is happy to see that so many schools have registered for Fit India School Week and the numbers are increasing day by day. He said, this helps in achieving the target to make every Indian fit as the energy for it is generated from these schools itself.

The Fit India School week program was launched in November last year and saw participation from over 15 thousand schools across the country.

Legendary Argentine footballer, Diego Maradona, widely regarded among the greatest football players of all time passed away yesterday following a heart attack. The 60-year-old had been hospitalised at the start of November, days after celebrating his birthday. Maradona was hospitalised after he complained of regularly being fatigued. His tests at the La Plata clinic revealed a blood clot in Maradona's brain, which doctors later revealed was operated on successfully.
 
Maradona was also released from the hospital, but in the early hours yesterday, Maradona suffered cardiac arrest, and paramedics at the scene failed to revive him. Maradona had begun his professional career with Argentinos Juniors at the age of 16 and he went on to become one of the greatest players to ever play the game of football. The ace footballer represented Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla, and Newell's Old Boys as a player. Diego was considered the main player in taking Argentina to their second World Cup title in 1986. Maradona also coached Racing Club, Dorados, Gimnasia and the Argentina national team.
 
Argentina has declared three-day mourning for the legendary footballer.

Argentine striker Lionel Messi has said that the World Cup -winning footballer will always remain in everyone's heart forever. Messi also said that Maradona's demise is a sad day for the entire sports fraternity. The pair of Messi and Maradona had teamed up between 2008 and 2010 as the latter managed Argentina's national team.