Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2023

Notes:
The R21/Matrix-M vaccine is a malaria vaccine developed by the Oxford University and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.
The vaccine, which leverages Novavax’s adjuvant technology, has been licensed for use in Ghana by the country’s Food and Drugs Authority.

Notes:
GN-z11, found in the constellation Ursa Major, is among the farthest and earliest galaxies ever discovered.
The latest spectroscopic results from this galaxy revealed the complete absence of dust particles from its surroundings for an interim time period despite the presence of a very high star formation rate.

Notes:
Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary, situated in Tamil Nadu, is one of the oldest in India. It is one of the four sanctuaries in the state that will undergo development at the cost of Rs.20 crore.
Other sanctuaries that are to be developed are the Karaivetti sanctuary, the Koonthankulam bird sanctuary and Pulicat.

Notes:
The Indian Army observes the 13th of April every year as Siachen Day to commemorate the anniversary of Operation Meghdoot. It was launched by the Indian Army on April 13, 1984 to secure the Siachen Glacier which is of strategic importance.
This year marks the 39th Siachen Day in which the Commander of Siachen Brigade laid a wreath on behalf of the General Officer Commanding (GOC) and paid respect to war heroes at the Siachen War Memorial, Base Camp.

Notes:
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. It is also known as the Pacific trash vortex, spans waters from the West Coast of North America to Japan.
Marine debris is litter that ends up in the ocean, seas, and other large bodies of water. A recent study by Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) shows that this giant collection of plastic trash has also become home to thousands of marine life, creating a new kind of ecosystem.

Notes:
The Capital markets regulator SEBI has come out with a dispute resolution mechanism for Limited Purpose Clearing Corporation (LPCC), in order to settle disputes and claims arising out of transactions cleared by it. The framework is implemented with immediate effect.
The Limited Purpose Clearing Corporation is an entity that is set up for clearing and settling repo transactions.

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:
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.

Notes:
The National Conference on Water Sufficient Panchayat, Clean & Green Panchayat and Healthy Panchayat will be held in New Delhi.
It will showcase best practices followed by Panchayati Raj institutions (PRI) and augment capacity building of elected representatives with greater exposure, interactive learning and experience sharing.