Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2021

Notes:
The OTT (Over-the-top) channel managed by the Vigyan Prasar, an autonomous organization of the Department of Science & Technology, was launched in 2019.
The OTT Channel ‘India Science’, has completed two years since its launch. It aims to create scientific awareness amongst the citizens of the country. The channel was also started on the DTH (Direct to Home) mode.

Notes:
In a recent annual study and winter count by Xerces Society, it is found that number of western monarch butterflies has been falling down rapidly. The count is found to be less than 2000 and the insect is said to be in the verge of extinction.
This butterfly is most familiar in North America and is a well-known pollinator species.

Notes:
Google’s parent company Alphabet recently announced that it is to shut down the ambitious nine-year ‘Loon’ Internet balloon project.
The company aimed to deliver global internet access with a fleet of balloons floating on the edge of space. As per the company, the commercial viability of the project of the Google’s X lab, is considered risky and long.

Notes:
The United Nations agencies namely the UNICEF, FAO, WFP and WHO jointly released the ‘Asia and the Pacific Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition’ report.
It is the third annual report on progress of Sustainable Development Goals and World Health Assembly targets 2030 on nutrition in the Asia and Pacific region. 24 million in the Asia and Pacific region are likely to suffer food insecurity.

Notes:
A team of archaeological experts have discovered tombs with the remains of two children claimed to have belonged to the Incan empire.
The tombs were discovered as part of excavations at the ‘Huaca de las Abejas’ complex in the Lambayeque city. The Incan Empire was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The Inca civilization is said to have arisen from Peru in the early 13th century.

Notes:
Department of Science and Technology has stated recently that the number of scientific publications from India has increased exponentially over the last 10 years and that India stands at 3rd position globally in number of scientific publications.
China and USA are ahead of India in the list. In the year 2017-18, 1,937 out of the total 13,045 patents were filed by Indians.

Notes:
The central Government has recently stated that, Geological Survey of India (GSI) is in the process of expediting some of its important national level surveys. The GSI has proposed to complete its National Geochemical Mapping (NGCM) programme by 2024.
The GSI has also commenced an initiative named National Geoscience Data Repository (NGDR) for collecting all the geoscience data of the country.

Notes:
Giuseppe Conte resigned as Italian prime minister, as he lost the majority in the Senate due to a recent coalition rupture.
The Italian President Sergio Mattarella is set to hold formal consultations with all the parties before deciding the course of action.

Notes:
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has recently released a report titled – Global Climate Litigation Report: 2020 – Status Review. The report provides an overview of climate change litigation and its trends globally.
As per the report, the number of climate litigation cases around the world has almost doubled in the last three years.

Notes:
A recent research by University of Sao Paulo has revealed that Melatonin hormone secreted in the lungs of human beings act as an effective barrier against Covid-19 infection.
It has been identified that the hormone secretion inhibits the expression of genes that are entry points for the virus.