Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2023

Notes:
Cycas pectinate is a plant species of Genus Cycas which is the found in the north-eastern part of India, Nepal, Bhutan, South China etc. It is the only ‘Cycas’ species found in Bhutan.
It usually grows at an elevation of 300 m to 1200 m and in difficult terrains. A new study has found that this vulnerable species is threatened in the Himalayan country due to habitat loss and its overcollection as an ornamental plant.

Notes:
The India Steel 2023 is a conference and International Exhibition on the steel industry, held at Mumbai from April 19 to 21. The conference is jointly organized by the Union Ministry of Steel, Commerce Department and the FICCI.
The event provides an integrated platform for discussing prospects of the steel industry, facilitate the growth and connect new technologies & innovative products.

Notes:
The Coalition of Coastal Cities to Combat Marine Litter was launched recently by Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).
It is a coalition of coastal cities that will combat marine litter pollution across India. Of the 460 million tonnes (MT) of global plastic production, nearly 353 MT comes back as plastic waste; 8 MT (2.26 per cent) of which is leaked into the marine ecosystem.

Notes:
The National Health Authority (NHA) has recently invited contributors to test, contribute and become a participant in the Health Claims Exchange Ecosystem by onboarding the participants on the National Health Claims Exchange (HCX) – Sandbox Environment.
NHA announced HCX as an initiative under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) in September 2022 and subsequently worked with various groups to come up with Health Insurance Exchange specifications.

Notes:
The Scientists of Indian Antarctic station, Maitri, have recently identified and studied the characteristics of Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron (EMIC) waves, which are a form of plasma waves.
These waves are said to play an important role in precipitation of killer electrons (electrons having speed close to speed of light, which form the radiation belt of planet Earth), which are hazardous to our space-borne technology and instruments.

Notes:
Recently, a group of researchers from Tel Aviv University in Israel have reported that their team pick up distress noises – very distinct, high-pitched sounds in the ultrasonic range made by plants when they faced stress.
This phenomenon was stated a century ago by Indian scientist Jagadish Chandra Bose, who demonstrated that plants feel pain and have sensations just like animals.

Notes:
‘Magnaporthe oryzae’ is a fungus that causes ‘wheat blast’. It is currently destroying wheat crops in South America, threatening its food security in a major scale.
Scientists have warned that the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae could spread worldwide. Cases of infection have earlier been reported in Asia in 2016 and Africa in 2018.

Notes:
Jharkhand Reservation of Vacancies in Posts and Services (Amendment) Bill, 2022 proposes a raise in reservation in state government jobs from 60 percent to 77 percent for SC, ST and OBC communities as well as the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).
Jharkhand Governor recently returned this bill to the government, directing it to be reviewed.

Notes:
Union Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launches ‘YUVA PORTAL’ to identify potential young Start-Ups.
Dr. Jitendra Singh launched the One Week -One Lab programme. It will offer the opportunity to the CSIR labs to showcase the work being done by them so that others can avail of it.

Notes:
Indian iron ore miner NMDC Ltd. is exploring lithium reserves, about 200 km off Perth, Australia.
NMDC is the majority owner of a mine located in Mt Bevan in Australia. India found lithium deposits for the first time in the country in February and is planning to auction a block for mining.