Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2023

Notes:
Professor Saleemul Huq, a prominent advocate for climate justice and the director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) in Dhaka, passed away at the age of 71.
He was an esteemed expert in the fields of climate change, environment, and development. Professor Huq dedicated his work to establishing connections between climate change mitigation, adaptation, and sustainable development, with a focus on developing countries, especially the least developed nations (LDCs).

Notes:
The first district-level study on hypertension in India has identified disparities in healthcare, emphasizing the need for a more targeted approach to address this condition.
It estimated that at least 4.6 million deaths in India can be prevented by 2040 if half of those with the condition manage to keep their blood pressure under control. According to a recent WHO report, 188.3 million people in India suffer from hypertension but only 37% get diagnosed, only 30% start treatment, and only 15% manage to keep their blood pressure under control.

Notes:
The Indian Air Force has successfully operationalized three of its S-400 air defense missile squadrons along its borders with China and Pakistan.
In 2018-19, India agreed with Russia to procure S-400 missiles worth ₹35,000 crore. Out of five squadrons that were to be delivered, three were delivered. Whereas the delivery of the remaining two was hindered due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Notes:
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has published its Annual Report on “Road Accidents in India-2022.”
A total of 4,61,312 road accidents occurred in 2022, which claimed 1,68,491 lives, while 4,43,366 people were injured. Tamil Nadu recorded the highest number of road accidents on National Highways in 2022, followed by Madhya Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of persons killed in road accidents.

Notes:
According to a report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) titled ‘The Impact of Disaster on Agriculture and Food Security,’ there has been a significant increase in the frequency of extreme disaster events over the past five decades.
In the 1970s, the world experienced approximately 100 disaster events per year. However, in the last two decades, that number has risen to around 400 disasters annually on a global scale. This trend highlights the growing challenges and risks that disasters pose to agriculture and food security worldwide.

Notes:
The COP-28 Presidency launched ‘Net-Zero Transition Charter: Accountability Mobilisation for the Private Sector’, it recognises the important role the private sector must play in combating climate change.
COP28 Presidency has called for a collaborative approach to reduce emissions by 43 percent in the next seven years. COP28 will be held in Dubai between November 30 and December 12.

Notes:
Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression, is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom have achieved significant advancements in enhancing the diagnosis of bipolar disorder. They have created a straightforward blood test that, when used in conjunction with an online psychiatric assessment, provides a more precise means of diagnosing this mental health condition.

Notes:
The PM GatiShakti-National Master Plan (NMP) has reduced the time it takes to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) from six months to about 15 days.
This development is a significant step towards expediting the implementation of urban infrastructure projects in India. India has planned around 8,890 km of roads, 27,000 km of railway tracks and 920 km of petroleum and nat-gas pipelines based on the plan, two years after it was launched.

Notes:
Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a Bill, revoking Russia’s ratification of global nuclear test ban. Putin said that rescinding the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, also known as the CTBT, would mirror the stand taken by the U.S., which has signed but not ratified the nuclear test ban.
The CTBT, adopted in 1996, bans all nuclear explosions anywhere in the world, but the treaty was never fully implemented. It is yet to be ratified by China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Iran and Egypt.

Notes:
Storm Ciaran battered north-west Europe with torrential rains and winds upto 200 kilometres per hour.
Dozens of people have been injured and seven people died across Europe so far. The storm hit French shores with winds of more than 190 kilometres per hour slamming the northern tip of France’s Atlantic coast. In the UK, Channel Islands were among the worst-hit areas.