Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2023

Notes:
The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ashraya Hastha Trust (a charitable trust in Karnataka) to implement a model comprehensive rural mental health programme in Munisiyari taluk – Pithorgarh district of Uttarakhand and in Belur taluk – Hassan district in Karnataka.
The programme would be subsequently expanded to the entire country, if proved successful.

Notes:
As per the ‘United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)’s State of World Population 2023’ report, India’s population is expected to reach 1.429 billion by the end of the year, according to the U.N. China will be at second place, with 1.426 billion people.
This will make India the most populous country in the world for the first time. This number is expected to be 2.96 million more than the population of China.

Notes:
The Agriculture Production Department of Jammu and Kashmir will launch the Kisan Sampark Abhiyan programme, which seeks to ensure the overall welfare of farmers across the Union Territory. The scheme will cover 3565 panchayats in J&K.
To ensure that the programme is successful, nearly 2400 resource persons have been identified and trained for all districts.

Notes:
Villa of Quintilii is an ancient Roman villa situated beyond the fifth milestone along the Via Appia Antica, close to the boundaries of Rome, Italy.
A new study provided details about a lavish winery where the Roman elite gathered annually in Villa of Quintilii.

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:
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:
A team of researchers from Hong Kong have discovered a new species of box jellyfish in Mai Po Nature Reserve. This is said to be first discovery of the venomous species in China’s waters.
The jelly fist is named Tripedalia maipoensis. It has a cube-shaped, colourless body with 24 eyes, three tentacles up to 10 cm long which resemble boat paddles. It is said to swim faster than other kinds of jellyfish.

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:
The Special Marriage Act (SMA) of 1954 provides legal framework for civil marriage between people belonging to different religions or castes.
The Act requires marriage officers to display a public notice inviting objections to an intended marriage 30 days prior to the ceremony. The Constitution Bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud termed the 30-day notice period under this Act ‘patriarchal’.

Notes:
‘Civil Services Day’ is observed on April 21 every year. It highlights the achievements and contributions of civil servants in India.
National Civil Services Day was first celebrated on April 21, 2006. April 21 was chosen because it is on this day that the first Home Minister of Independent India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, 1947 addressed the probationers of Administrative Services Officers at Metcalf House in Delhi.