GK & Current Affairs Quiz: March 02, 2019

Notes:
The 16th edition of BioAsia was held at Hyderabad International Convention Centre at Madhapur from February 25 to 27 2019. It is the annual flagship event of the Government of Telangana and is focused on healthcare being re-imagined as a result of technological disruption. Over 1,500 delegates from more than 50 countries participated in the Asia’s largest Biotechnology and Life-sciences forum, which was organized with the theme “Life Sciences 4.0 – Disrupt the Disruption”. In it, the Genome Valley Excellence Award 2019 was presented to Dr. Don W Cleveland of the University of California for his work in cancer genetics.

Notes:
The West Bengal government has launched ‘Banglar Shiksha’ portal to provide real-time data on state-run and aided schools. The portal, ”Banglar Shiksha” (banglarshiksha.gov.in), will store real-time data of 1.5 crore students, 5 lakh teachers and 1 lakh schools. It will be operated on a trial basis for two months to remove glitches, if any and will be fully functional by 1st May 2019. The system will enable the headmaster and class teacher to access the academic performance of a student. Parents, too, can access the information by downloading the Banglar Shiksha app.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently addressed the Network-18 Rising India Summit 2019 in New Delhi and laid out his vision for a ‘New India‘. The theme of the summit was, ‘Beyond Politics: Defining National Priorities’. The summit is a News18 Network enterprise where newsmakers from the world of politics, governance, economics, sports and entertainment, and above all well-wishers of India, gather to discuss the country’s rising global stature. It is a showcase of India’s unbounded potential as well as a celebration of its significant achievements.

Notes:
Tamil Nadu has become the first State in India to introduce Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) in the government sector to spread awareness on newer heart valve treatments without open surgery. TAVI was launched at the Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital (TNGMSSH), Omandurar Estate, in November 2018. With the help of TAVI, two persons have undergone the procedure free of cost. Conventionally, an open heart surgery is performed for replacing the aortic valve for treating aortic stenosis. But not all patients such as the elderly are fit to undergo open heart surgery. This is where TAVI helps as in this procedure the valve is replaced through a keyhole procedure from the groin. The procedure costs Rs 20 lakh to Rs 25 lakh in the private sector, while it is done free in the government sector.

Notes:
Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has recently announced a new railway zone of the Indian Railways, named as Southern Coast Railway (SCoR). This new 18th railway zone of the country will be headquartered at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. The new zone will comprise the existing Guntakal, Guntur and Vijayawada divisions that currently fall under the South Central Railway (SCR). The cost of creating infrastructure for a new zone is more than Rs. 205 crore. The Indian Railways’ operations are currently divided into 17 zones, which are further sub-divided into divisions, each having a divisional headquarter. There are a total of 73 divisions at present.