Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2023

Notes:
The state Government of Kerala has introduced the first of its kind Water Budget which aims to address water scarcity in the state through proper utilization of the resources and prevention of wastages.
Thee first phase of the project would cover 94 gram panchayats and 15 block panchayats of the state.

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 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:
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:
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:
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 governments of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have signed an agreement for the settlement of an inter-state boundary dispute between the two States.
It will end the dispute relating to 123 villages along the border. After the agreement, a detailed survey is to be carried out by the Survey of India to determine the boundaries of both states.

Notes:
The Abhilekh Patal is a portal containing over 1 crore pages of historic records of the National Archives. It was praised recently by Prime Minister Modi.
National Archives of India has a search web Portal namely “Abhilekh patal” which is available to make its rich treasure of Archival Records available to scholars and users.

Notes:
The Defence Ministry conducted a two-day coastal security exercise called ‘Sagar Kavach’ off the coast of Kerala and Mahe to evaluate potential threats from the sea and assess the preparedness level of coastal security agencies by simulating real-time threats and contingencies.
The exercise involved deploying various coastal security apparatus of the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and other maritime security agencies.

Notes:
The white paper on ‘Gearing Up to Solve Food Security Challenges’ was prepared by the Atal Innovation Mission in partnership with the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and with support from the Rabo Foundation and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
It recommended that states develop their own Agri-Tech policies in order to encourage the growth of agriculture-focused start-ups, while also facilitating the adoption of digital licensing systems.