Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2021

Notes:
NASA’s Perseverance mission has extracted oxygen on the Mars planet, using its MOXIE (i.e) Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment.
MOXIE has produced 5 grams of oxygen from carbon dioxide in the Martian atmosphere, which is enough for an astronaut to breathe for 10 minutes. On Mars, carbon dioxide makes up 96% of the gas in its atmosphere while Oxygen is only 0.13%. MOXIE intakes CO2 and produces O2 from it

Notes:
The CODEX ALIMENTARIUS international food standards and guidelines contribute to the safety and quality of international food trade. Founded in 1963, the standards are provided by risk assessment bodies or consultations organized by FAO and WHO.
Recently, the fifth session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) established under Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) was inaugurated virtually. IT is take place from April 20 to April 29 virtually with over 300 participants.

Notes:
Angola is a nation located in the eastern coast of African continent, with Luanda as its capital. Angolan kwanza is the country’s currency.
The nation is in news recently due to the heavy torrential rainstorm that has hit the capital city. The death toll has been reported to be over 25 and more than 2000 houses have been flooded.

Notes:
The Shanghai headquartered New Development Bank (NDB) has launched the USD 1.5 billion benchmark bond, for a term of 5 years.
The net proceeds of the bond issue would be used for financing sustainable development activities and to fund COVID-19 Emergency Program Loans to the Bank’s member countries.

Notes:
The 73rd constitutional Amendment on Panchayati Raj was enacted in the year 1992 and it came into force on April 24, 1993. Under this amendment, the State Governments are allowed to make provisions for organising village panchayats as units of self-governance.
Every year 24th April is observed as National Panchayati Raj Day, since 2010.

Notes:
Microsoft and Met Office (UK) have joined hands to build the world’s most powerful supercomputer to forecast weather and climate-change.
The supercomputer, which is likely to be operational in 2022, will provide accurate warnings on severe weather and help protect from impact of extreme storms, floods and snow in the country. Accurate Forecasts may be given which can let the people make informed decisions.

Notes:
New Zealand’s fishing companies Sanford, the New Zealand Government, WWF-New Zealand and technology experts have joined together to deploy a drone which is capable of finding and tracking Māui dolphins using artificial intelligence.
The drone is developed by an NGO MĀUI63. It has been designed in such a way that it can distinguish between Māui dolphins from other species, with more than 90% accuracy.

Notes:
Chad’s new military rulers have recently named Albert Pahimi Padacke, who was runner-up in the country’s recent presidential election, as Prime minister of a transitional government.
This move comes a week after President Idriss Deby’s death during his visit to the troops fighting rebels. Subsequently, a military council seized power and have selected the Interim Prime Minister.

Notes:
The country’s apex financial regulator the Reserve Bank of India has recently released the ‘State of the Economy’ report.
In the report, RBI has stated that of COVID infections are not brought under immediate control, it would severely affect the supply chain and hence lead to inflationary pressures.

Notes:
Researchers in India have discovered two new species of damselflies, named Euphaea thosegharensis and Euphaea pseudodispar in Satara district of Maharashtra.
These damsels are commonly called as Torrent Darts and are endemic to the Western Ghats. These are large insects which belong to the genus Euphaea.