Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2023

Notes:
The blastomyces fungus is linked to the recent outbreak of “atypical” pneumonia among the employees of the Escanaba Billerud Paper Mill in the US.
The fungus is endemic to Michigan and is generally found in moist soil and decomposing wood. If disturbed, microscopic spores from the fungus can get dispersed in air and travel freely. Human beings can contract blastomycosis by inhaling the spores.

Notes:
Utsa Patnaik, a famous economist, has been chosen for the Malcolm Adiseshiah Award 2023. The award is conferred every year by the Malcolm & Elizabeth Adiseshiah Trust to honour social scientists.
Utsa Patnaik, a renowned Indian Marxian economist, taught at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Notes:
In 2018, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud read down the law that criminalized homosexuality, citing the idea of indirect discrimination where seemingly neutral laws could disproportionately disadvantage a group.
This marked the first time that indirect discrimination was recognized in the equality jurisprudence by the Supreme Court.

Notes:
The Unified Logistics Interface Platform, which was launched under the national logistics policy, enables the tracking of all cargo containers exported or imported in domestic or international water.
It has recently been integrated with 33 systems of seven Union Ministries.

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:
Scientists from the Houston Methodist Academic Institute have recently developed a tiny nanofluidic device named Nanofluidic Drug-Eluting Seed (NDES) that delivers cancer drugs directly to pancreatic tumors.
The Nanofluidic drug-eluting seed (NDES) delivers low-dose immunotherapy via CD40 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) — which encourage the immune system to fight tumor cells — directly to pancreatic tumors to treat the aggressive form of pancreatic cancer.

Notes:
The Olkiluoto 3 (OL3) nuclear reactor, located in Finland is the Europe’s largest nuclear reactor. Its construction begun 18 years ago and has recently commenced its power production. The reactor is designed to last for at least 60 years and is expected to boost the energy security in a region.
It is said that the OL3 reactor would play a crucial role in power price stabilisation and green energy transition in Finland.

Notes:
Exercise Orion, a bilateral military EXERCISE between the Indian Air Force and the French Air and Space Force (FASF) started at the Mont-de-Marsan airbase in France.
IAF Contingent comprises of four Rafale, two C-17, two ll-78 aircraft, and 165 air warriors. This would be the first overseas exercise for the IAF’s Rafale aircraft.

Notes:
Exercise INIOCHOS-23 is a multinational air exercise that will be hosted by the Hellenic Air Force, at the Andravida Air Base in Greece.
India’s air force is participating for the first time in the multinational air drill Iniochos 23. The exercise includes elements from Greece, France, the US, Italy, Saudi Arabia, India, Spain, Jordan, Slovenia, and Cyprus.

Notes:
According to the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) State of Global Climate Report, the unprecedented heat in Europe in 2022 resulted in several countries experiencing record-breaking temperatures.
This contributed to deaths of at least 15,000 individuals, which is more than any other single extreme climate event.