ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

• 1960 The laser is patented

• 1945 The Arab League is founded

• 1993 The Intel Corporation produces the first Pentium microprocessor

NATIONAL NEWS

• Coronavirus test should not cost more than Rs 4,500, Government to private labs. In an apparent move to increase testing centers and broaden the existing structure, the government allowed NABL-accredited private laboratories to start testing COVID-19 samples. It has issued guidelines capping the cost of sample testing by private labs at Rs 4,500.

• Gehlot orders lockdown in Rajasthan till Mar 31, exempts essential services. Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot took the decision at a high-level meeting with the top officials. All government offices, malls, factories, public transport, etc. will remain shut during the period.

• Kerala prohibits public gatherings due to COVID-19. Kerala has issued stringent regulations under the Epidemic Disease Control Act of 1897 to restrict public gatherings. All religious and cultural events, tournaments and group matches are prohibited.

ECONOMY NEWS

• Govt caps MRP of 200ml hand sanitiser at Rs 100 till June. The price of a 2 ply (surgical) mask has been capped at Rs 8 and that of 3 ply (surgical) mask at Rs 10 till June 30, Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said in a statement.

• ICICI Lombard rolls out insurance cover for COVID-19. This policy will pay 100% of the sum insured to a policyholder diagnosed as COVID-19 positive, irrespective of the hospitalization expenses.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• Maldives pledges $200,000 to SAARC Coronavirus Emergency Fund. Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid said the country will join the initiative to tackle the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic with an initial offer of $10 million from India to help combat the fast-spreading pandemic in the region.

• Ola suspends shared rides, Uber contemplates move over coronavirus pandemic. Ola is temporarily suspending the ‘Ola Share’ category until further notice, and Uber has suspended its Uber Pool services in some geographies, including the US and Canada and is contemplating similar measures for other countries it operates in.