Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2023

Notes:
For people living between +23.5 and -23.5 degrees latitude, the Sun’s declination will be equal to their latitude twice – once during Uttarayan and once during Dakshinayan. On such occasions, Sun will be exactly overhead at noon and will not cast a shadow of an object on the ground.
Uttarayan (movement of the Sun from south to north from winter solstice to summer solstice) and Dakshinayan (back from north to south) happen because Earth’s rotation axis is tilted at an angle of roughly 23.5° to the axis of revolution around the Sun.

Notes:
Italian bees, also known as Apis mellifera, were first brought to India in 1962 and reared in Nagrota, Himachal Pradesh. These bees are used to pollination of Apple fruit crops in the region.
Recently, unseasonal rain and snowfall in Himachal Pradesh is said to have killed Italian honeybees thereby causing huge losses for apple growers. Most bee deaths have been reported from Shimla, Kinnaur, Lahaul Spiti and Kullu districts, which are at an elevation of 2.13 kilometres or above.

Notes:
The World Intellectual Property Day is observed every year on April 26. It raises global awareness about intellectual properties and their protection.
The WIPO convention came into effect in 1970 and, in the year 2000, WIPO’s member states declared April 26 as World Intellectual Property.

Notes:
European Union’s ‘Fit for 55 Package’ is a set of proposals to revise and update the European Union Legislation and launch new initiatives to achieve the reduction of carbon emissions by 55 percent by 2030 compared to a 1990 benchmark.
As part of this package, changes were made to the EU’s Emissions Trading System to bring down emissions in the industrial sector.

Notes:
The National Medical Devices Policy, 2023 was approved recently by the Union Cabinet. The medical devices sector in India is a sunrise sector which is growing at a fast pace.
The policy is expected to help the medical devices industry grow from the present 11 billion USD to 50 billion USD by 2030. It also aims to rise India’s share to 10-12% in the global market over the next 25 years.

Notes:
The Indian Army is set to operationalize the Command Cyber Operations and Support Wings (CCOSW) as part of its steps to modernize its online network.
The decision to set up the CCOSW was made during the Army Commanders Conference, the biannual event that took place in hybrid format.

Notes:
Retired Commander Abhilash Tomy created history as the first Indian to complete the Golden Globe Race.
The Golden Globe Race is the longest sporting event in the world and bars the use of modern technology. Tomy is the first Asian skipper to finish on the podium in any round the world race, and in any format.

Notes:
Ekta Evam Shradhanjali Abhiyan is a multi-modal expedition organized by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
The expedition is organized as part of the 64th BRO Day Celebrations. In 2022-23, the BRO completed 103 infrastructure projects, the most by the organisation in a single year.

Notes:
Metavalent bonding is a new type of chemical bonding in solids. This bonding can be used to modify the thermoelectric performance in quantum materials and efficiently convert waste heat to electricity.
Recently, Scientists from India demonstrated how novel chemical bonding can be used to optimize thermoelectric performance in quantum material using TlBiSe2- a renowned topological insulator.

Notes:
The UK and India are collaborating on an innovation partnership, called Innovating for Transport and Energy Systems (ITES), to develop more sustainable and affordable transportation systems, including electric vehicle-ready infrastructure. The partnership is backed by both governments, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and involves industry leaders, researchers, policymakers, and investors from both countries.