Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2023

Notes:
Virginia Norwood, the aerospace pioneer, has passed away recently at the age of 96. She invented a scanner that has enabled scientists to map and study the earth for more than 50 years.
Ms. Norwood, a physicist, was the person primarily responsible for designing the scanner that made the Landsat satellite program possible.

Notes:
April 17 is observed as the World Hemophilia Day and the theme for this year is  “Access for All: Prevention of bleeds as the global standard of care”.
Hemophilia is a rare genetic blood disorder that inhibits the clotting of blood, leading to significant bleeding during injuries and surgeries. Every year, the World Hemophilia Day is observed to raise awareness about this disorder.

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:
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:
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 State of World Population report titled ‘8 Billion Lives, Infinite Possibilities’ was released recently by the United Nations Population Fund.
According to this report released by UNFPA, India is now the most populous country in the world, as it has surpassed China’s population numbers.

Notes:
Miguel Diaz-Canel recently became the first non-Castro leader in Cuba to be re-elected as president. He won a second five-year term in a parliamentary vote that had him as the sole candidate. The 62-year-old leader took over the reins in 2018 as Cuba’s first civilian leader after around 60 years of hegemony by the Castro brothers.

Notes:
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic health condition that impacts the way the body processes blood sugar (glucose).
According to a new research, individuals infected with COVID-19 were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes within a year of their infection, compared to those who have not been exposed to the viral pathogen.

Notes:
Gramdan is the expansion of Bhoodan movement that was started in 1951 by Vinoba Bhave. Under this initiative, the entire village will put its land under a common trust.
At present, seven states in India have 3,660 Gramdan villages, the highest being in Odisha (1309).

Notes:
Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched the SATHI (Seed Traceability, Authentication and Holistic Inventory) Portal and Mobile App.
It is a Centralized Online System for seed traceability, authentication and inventory designed to deal with the challenges of seed production, quality seed identification and seed certification. It has been developed by the NIC in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.