Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2023

Notes:
Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala has launched the Animal Pandemic Preparedness Initiative under the National One Health Mission.
He also launched the World Bank-funded Animal Health System Support for One Health to enhance India’s preparedness and response to potential animal pandemics, in line with the One Health approach.

Notes:
GN-z11, found in the constellation Ursa Major, is among the farthest and earliest galaxies ever discovered.
The latest spectroscopic results from this galaxy revealed the complete absence of dust particles from its surroundings for an interim time period despite the presence of a very high star formation rate.

Notes:
World Chagas Disease Day is observed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on April 14. It raises awareness about the Chagas disease.
Chagas is a communicable parasitic disease that infected over 6 to 7 million people.  The theme for 2023 is Time to integrate Chagas disease into primary health care.

Notes:
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) approved the conduct of constable (general duty) examination for Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in 13 regional languages.
This is in addition to Hindi and English. This aims to promote the participation of local youths in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and encourage regional languages.

Notes:
The Indian Army observes the 13th of April every year as Siachen Day to commemorate the anniversary of Operation Meghdoot. It was launched by the Indian Army on April 13, 1984 to secure the Siachen Glacier which is of strategic importance.
This year marks the 39th Siachen Day in which the Commander of Siachen Brigade laid a wreath on behalf of the General Officer Commanding (GOC) and paid respect to war heroes at the Siachen War Memorial, Base Camp.

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:
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:
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 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 Coalition of Coastal Cities to Combat Marine Litter was launched recently by Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).
It is a coalition of coastal cities that will combat marine litter pollution across India. Of the 460 million tonnes (MT) of global plastic production, nearly 353 MT comes back as plastic waste; 8 MT (2.26 per cent) of which is leaked into the marine ecosystem.