Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2023

Notes:
The Union Ministry of road transport and highways is planning to extend its Incident Management Services (IMS) to all national highways.
The purpose of this step is to minimize road fatalities and improve safety for road users. Incident Management Services (IMS) on national roads will be provided, run, and maintained by businesses.

Notes:
The first orbital flight test of the Starship was scheduled to be conducted. It is the most powerful rocket ever built to ferry humans to the Moon and beyond.
The vehicle, known as Starship, has been built by entrepreneur Elon Musk’s SpaceX company. The uncrewed mission was called off minutes before the planned launch from Texas.

Notes:
The Vegetable Production System (Veggie) is plant growth unit aboard the International Space Station. Tomatoes grown on this unit will return to Earth using SpaceX’s commercial resupply services.
Veggie’s purpose is to help NASA study plant growth in microgravity, while adding fresh food to the astronauts’ diet and enhancing happiness and well-being on the orbiting laboratory.

Notes:
The ‘Banking on Climate Chaos Report’ was co-authored by several institutions including Rainforest Action Network, BankTrack, Indigenous Environmental Network among others.
According to this report, world’s 60 largest banks have spent 5.5 trillion USD for funding fossil fuel projects since 2016, when the Paris Agreement came into effect. J P Morgan Chase is the top bank financing fossil fuels globally from 2016–2022.

Notes:
The Epstein–Barr virus is one of the nine known human herpesvirus types in the herpes family. A new study has found that this virus, which primarily spreads via saliva, can evolve into cancer.
Researchers at the University of California San Diego have discovered how the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can exploit genomic weaknesses to trigger cancer, while also decreasing the body’s ability to suppress it.

Notes:
National Climate Vulnerability Index, developed by the Department of Science and Technology, is used by the Indian government to estimate the impact of heatwaves.
A new study has revealed that more than 90 percent of the population is at risk of heatwaves and India has been underestimating the impact of heatwaves on its development.

Notes:
The ‘1 Billion Meals Endowment’ Campaign was launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Its purpose is to establish the Ramzan sustainable food aid endowment fund and provide a food safety net for marginalized populations in countries struggling with food insecurity.

Notes:
The Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved a proposal to bring in industry-friendly reforms related to Authority Holding Sealed Particulars or AHSP.
Authority Holding Sealed Particulars (AHSP) is responsible for holding of sealed particulars and patterns along with supply of certified copies of drawings & specifications in respect of defence related items.

Notes:
A “civil union” refers to the legal status that allows same-sex couples specific rights and responsibilities normally conferred upon married couples. These civil unions would be accompanied by rights such as inheritance rights, employment benefits to spouses, which are generally conferred upon married couples.
Recently, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, began hearing a batch of petitions seeking legal recognition of same sex marriage.

Notes:
HUN festival is an annual cultural festival celebrated in Manipur. It is celebrated by the Thadous community of Manipur to mark the arrival of the new year according to the community and it is a time for the community to offer prayers for a prosperous year ahead.
This year’s festival was inaugurated in the state by Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren.