Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2023

Notes:
Trachoma, which is a public health concern in over 40 countries, is caused by bacterium chlamydia trachomatis.
Benin and Mali of Africa have eliminated this eye infection as public health concern. Trachoma causes about 1.4 per cent of all blindness worldwide.

Notes:
Sea butterflies belong to a suborder of sea snails. This group’s smallest species, shelled pteropods, is threatened due to the acidification of ocean.
As the sea absorbs an increasing quantity of carbon dioxide (CO2) that turns the water more acidic, the thin outer casing, or the ‘homes’ of these small sea butterflies, dissolve.

Notes:
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently released a new guideline on non-sugar sweeteners (NSS).
It recommends against the use of NSS to control body weight or reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). The long-term usage of NSS can be ineffective and result in health problems.

Notes:
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the two-day National Ayush Mission Conclave in New Delhi.
National Ayush Mission (NAM) is the flagship program of Ministry of Ayush and with active cooperation of states and UT governments. The two days conclave will pave way for coordination among stakeholders and strengthen functioning of AHWCs.

Notes:
The Central Government has recently revamped the rules governing the approval for mergers and acquisitions (M&As) of startups and MSMEs.
The aim of the new rules is to simplify the M&A process to enable the securing of approval within 15 to 60 days, as per a  Corporate affairs ministry (MCA) notification.

Notes:
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the State Dashboard, a data and analytics-powered platform which will streamline performance monitoring of government schemes, aiding data-driven decision-making.
The State Dashboard consists of three critical components – CM Dashboard, Department Dashboard and Administrative Action Monitoring Portal.

Notes:
China has approved the Russian port of Vladivostok as a transit hub for transporting goods from its Jilin Province to the eastern regions of the country. This decision aims to reduce transportation costs and support the revitalization of Northeast China’s industrial base.
By using Vladivostok as a cross-border transit port, China aims to facilitate the movement of domestic trade goods and implement its national strategic plan.

Notes:
The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is an interoperable network based on the BeckN protocol that enables platforms of different configurations to seamlessly connect and operate on it. It is expected to play a pivotal role in India’s digital commerce ecosystem.

Notes:
BL Lacertae (BL Lac) is a blazar situated some 950 million light years away from Earth.
The Indian Astronomical Observatory located in Hanle of Ladakh has collaborated with 10 other global telescopes to observe the brightening of this blazar.

Notes:
Monpa Handmade Paper-making art is a 1,000-year-old traditional art that originated from Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh.
For the last 100 years, this handmade paper industry had almost disappeared. Khadi and Village Industries Commission(KVIC) is playing a crucial role in reviving this art.