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 Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) was enacted in 1968, to maintain certain essential services and the normal life of the community. The Act includes a list of essential services in its charter.
After the rapid increase in Covid-19 cases, the Chhattisgarh Government has invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA). The refusal to work in essential services has been prohibited. It includes health workers, sanitation workers, workers in water and power supply services etc.

Notes:
Dr. Kakarla Subba Rao who was a renowned radiologist passed away recently at Secunderabad. He also served as the Director of Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad.
For his relentless service in the field of medicine, he was honoured with the Padma Shri award in 2000 by the Government of India.

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:
Ajay Seth, a 1987-batch Karnataka cadre officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), took charge as new Economic Affairs Secretary.
Ajay Seth was previously serving as the Managing director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. The new economic affairs Secretary will coordinate the policy efforts of various stakeholders of the government, the Reserve Bank of India and states to maintain the economic growth.

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:
As per the ‘2021 Norton Cyber Safety Insights Report,’ by NortonLifeLock, a consumer security company, around 59 per cent experienced cybercrime in the last 12 months.
As per the report, more than 27 million Indian adults experienced identity theft in the past 12 months and 52 per cent of Indian adults admitted they don’t know how to protect themselves from cybercrime.

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 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:
Indian Navy’s first unit of the indigenously-built Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Mk III, Indian Naval Air Squadron 323 (INAS 323), was commissioned at INS Hansa, Goa.
The Mk III version of the ALH will be used for Search and Rescue, Special Operations and Coastal Surveillance. The squadron will operate three ALH Mk III helicopters, a multi-role chopper with the Shakti engine manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).