Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2021

Notes:
As per a recent release by the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), it has registered more than 1.55 lakh companies in the financial year 2020-21 compared to a registration of to 1.22 Lakh companies during the previous FY 2019-20.
This increase in number of company registration is significant amidst the COVID 19 pandemic. It has been the result of various measures undertaken by the Government of India under “Ease of Doing Business” reforms.

Notes:
The Government of India has announced scholarships to 2000 descendants of the Liberation War fighters of Bangladesh under its new Muktijoddha Scholarship scheme, which was announced it 2017.
The scheme aims to benefit 10,000 students from Bangladesh over a period of five years. This year, 1000 students each from the Higher Secondary and Undergraduate categories have been given as scholarship directly in their account.

Notes:
The Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates is the first nuclear power station in the Arab world.
The nuclear power plant located in Abu Dhabi started commercial operations recently. As per the country’s leaders, the first megawatt from the nuclear plant has entered the national power grid. It was opened in the year 2019.

Notes:
Veteran Japanese scientist Isamu Akasaki, who shared a Nobel Prize in physics for the invention of blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs), passed away recently.
Akasaki was one of three Japanese-born researchers who was awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in physics. He was also a recipient of 2009 Kyoto Prize, Japan’s highest honor, recognizing developments in advanced technology.

Notes:
Quasars are extremely luminous cores of distant galaxies that are powered by supermassive black holes.
Recently, a group of astronomers have discovered a dozen quasars, distorted by a cosmic lens and split int four similar images. The first such quadruple image was discovered in 1985. The study by “Gaia Gravitational Lenses Working Group” of astronomers, also included scientists from ARIES, Nainital.

Notes:
‘Osiris’, which is officially called HD 209458 b, is the first-ever planet the astronomers have spotted beyond the Earth’s solar system.
As per a new study published in Nature, it has been found that six chemicals are present in the atmosphere of Osiris. The composition of the chemicals confirm that the exoplanet is over 100 times farther than its current position, when it came into existence.

Notes:
BASIC countries or bloc of four newly industrialised nations has four countries namely Brazil, South Africa, India and China. BASIC was initiated by China in 2009.
The 30th session of the ministerial committee on climate change was held recently, which was chaired by India’s Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar. The BASIC nations asked the developed economies to provide climate finance to developing nations.

Notes:
India’s leading private sector bank – HDFC Bank instituted the SmartUp grants in 2017 and over the last 4 years, it has supported 87 start-ups across the country.
The Bank has announced the SmartUp Grants 2021 recently. 21 start-ups have been selected for the grant from more than 300 applications received.

Notes:
The fossil of a skunk-like mammal that lived during the age of dinosaurs has been discovered in Patagonia region of Chile, South America.
Named as “Orretherium tzen” meaning ‘Beast of Five Teeth’, it is claimed to have lived lived between 72 and 74 million years ago. It is said to have been a herbivore and said to have lived in South America at the end of the Mesozoic era.

Notes:
The apex judicial body of India – The Supreme court has recently held that the word “propagate” mentioned in Indian Constitution permits any above the age of 18 to freely a religion of his / her choice.
Quoting the above, the supreme court has dismissed a public interest litigation which had sought court intervention to stop “fraudulent” conversions in India.