Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2023

Notes:
Army Commanders’ Conference (ACC) is a 5 day apex-level defence event, which is organised from 17 to 21 April 2023. The event is organised in in Hybrid format wherein Army Commanders and other senior functionaries will meet virtually on the first day and then travel to Delhi for the rest of the physical meetings.
The event provides a platform for conceptual level deliberations to make important defence policy decisions.

Notes:
The Mt Annapurna is situated in the Annapurna mountain range of Gandaki Province of Nepal. It is the tenth highest mountain in the world at 8,091 metres above sea level.
The mountain was recently in news as, an Indian climber Anurag Maloo, who went missing after falling into a deep crevasse on Mount Annapurna, has been found alive in critical condition by rescuers.

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:
Srijana is a two-day national conference on female infertility, which was organised by by All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), under the Ministry of AYUSH on 17th April 2023, at New Delhi.
The conference witnessed participation of many scientists, practitioners and academicians from all over India who shared their success stories and knowledge through Ayurveda.

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:
Utsa Patnaik, a famous economist, has been chosen for the Malcolm Adiseshiah Award 2023. The award is conferred every year by the Malcolm & Elizabeth Adiseshiah Trust to honour social scientists.
Utsa Patnaik, a renowned Indian Marxian economist, taught at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Notes:
The Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved a proposal to bring in industry-friendly reforms related to Authority Holding Sealed Particulars or AHSP.
Authority Holding Sealed Particulars (AHSP) is responsible for holding of sealed particulars and patterns along with supply of certified copies of drawings & specifications in respect of defence related items.

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:
The Rockwell B1 Lancer is a fighter aircraft of the USA. It is also called as the “BONE” and is a supersonic variable-sweep wing, heavy bomber aircraft.
The aircraft has participated in the Exercise Cope India 2023, which is a bilateral air exercise between Indian Air Force and US Air Force.

Notes:
Tamil Nadu Assembly has recently adopted a resolution urging the Centre to extend quota for Dalit Christians.
The resolution urged the Centre to amend the Constitution to extend statutory protection, rights, and concessions, including reservation, to Scheduled Caste members who have converted to Christianity.