Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2021

Notes:
The Principal Scientific Advisor K Vijay Raghavan has launched the MANAS app. MANAS stands for Mental Health and Normalcy Augmentation System.
The app is a comprehensive, scalable, and national digital wellbeing platform aimed to promote mental wellbeing across age groups. This app has been initiated by the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor and jointly developed by NIMHANS Bengaluru, Armed Forces Medical College – Pune and C-DAC – Bengaluru.

Notes:
The National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI), announced some new initiatives to raise awareness of the IPv6 protocol in India.
The Department of Telecom (DoT) had, in February last year, mandated all government organizations to transition to IPv6 by March 2020. NIXI launched an expert panel called IP Guru to support transition to IPv6 systems. NIXI is also creating an education platform for IPv6, called NIXI Academy and a NISI IP-Index.

Notes:
As per a recent study, MK-4482, an experimental antiviral drug, is said to have decreased levels of virus in the lungs of hamsters treated for SARS-CoV-2 infection.
The scientists from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) published the study in the journal Nature Communications. MK-4482 is now in human clinical trials, and is delivered orally. These data suggest that MK-4482 treatment could mitigate high-risk exposures to the coronavirus.

Notes:
The World Health Organization (WHO) launched Global Diabetes Compact to fight the disease more effectively. This was launched during the centenary of the discovery of insulin.
The programme will focus on increasing access to diagnostic tools and medicines in low- and middle-income countries. The launch was hosted by WHO and the government of Canada along with many countries including Kenya, Fiji, Norway and Singapore and UN agencies.

Notes:
Union Minister of Education Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ virtually launched world’s first affordable and long-lasting hygiene product in the name of “DuroKea Series”.
The hygiene product has been launched by IIT Hyderabad researchers. This innovative and long-lasting technologies was developed to combat COVID-19 virus spreading.

Notes:
As per a recent study, only 3% of the world’s land remains ecologically intact, without spoiled by human beings.
The undamaged lands are mainly in parts of the Amazon and Congo tropical forests, east Siberian and northern Canadian forests and tundra, and the Sahara. The researchers suggest reintroducing a small number of important species to some damaged areas, such as elephants or wolves.

Notes:
The Ministry of Energy, Israel has announced a National plan which includes the main target of reducing 80 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The plan aims to shut down all coal-fired power plants by 2025, reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the electricity sector by 75 to 85 per cent by 2050, increase electricity generation from renewable energy among others.

Notes:
The Health Ministry announced that 162 Pressure Swing Adsorption, PSA oxygen plants have been sanctioned by the Government of India for installation in public health facilities in all States.
This step would enhance the local oxygen capacity by over 154 Metric Tonnes. Out of 162 PSA Oxygen plants, 33 have been installed. States have also requested the Centre to provide additional 100 oxygen plants.

Notes:
The Gujarat Authority for Advance Ruling (AAR) has ruled that Flavoured milk is ‘beverage containing milk’ and will attract 12 per cent GST.
Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation, which markets dairy product under Amul brand, had approached the AAR on the taxability under the GST of flavoured milk.

Notes:
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that Iran started enriching uranium up to 60 per cent. This figure is its highest-ever level of enrichment.
The decision to boost uranium enrichment and to install modernized centrifuges at the Natanz nuclear facility was made due to the recent incident damaging the electricity distribution network in Natanz.