Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2023

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has launched a new Central Sector Scheme “Marketing and Logistics Development for Promotion of Tribal Products from North -Eastern Region (PTP-NER)”.
The scheme with a substantial outlay of Rs.143 crore is intended to benefit Scheduled Tribes of North-eastern India. programme has been designed to strengthen the opportunities for tribal craftsmen to support their livelihoods.

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:
De-risking, Inclusion and Value Enhancement of Pastoral Economies (DRIVE) project is a World Bank-funded project that seeks to protect pastoralists against droughts with upgraded livestock value chain and increased financial services.
As part of this project, a unique insurance scheme has been launched in Kenya to protect herders against climate change-related droughts.

Notes:
The ‘1 Billion Meals Endowment’ Campaign was launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Its purpose is to establish the Ramzan sustainable food aid endowment fund and provide a food safety net for marginalized populations in countries struggling with food insecurity.

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:
The Indian Government has invited Expression of Interest (EOI) for the development of hydrogen valley innovation clusters (HVIC) in the country.
According to the DST guidelines, a hydrogen valley is a specific geographic region where hydrogen serves more than one end sector or application.

Notes:
Singapore’s TeLEOS-2 was launched as the primary satellite of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle C55 (PSLV-C55) mission.
It was developed under a partnership between DSTA (representing the government of Singapore) and ST Engineering.

Notes:
As per the Hurun’s Global Unicorn Index, India has retained its 3rd spot as the country with the highest number of unicorns worldwide.
With 68 new unicorns, India lags behind the US and China, which have 666 and 316 unicorns, respectively. India added 14 new unicorns since the pandemic began, but none of the start-ups made it to the top 10.  According to the report, BYJU’s is the top-most unicorn in India, with a valuation of USD 22 billion, followed by Swiggy and Dream11.

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.