Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2023

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:
Actor Rajkummar Rao has been recognised as National Icon for voter awareness and education for the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The collaboration will encompass a range of activities, including promoting voter awareness in various TV talk shows and digital campaigns by the actor. Last month, the Commission recognised Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar as the National Icon. Earlier, during the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, M.S. Dhoni, Aamir Khan and Mary Kom had been the ECI National Icons.

Notes:
India and Switzerland launched the Indo-Swiss Innovation Platform. The platform’s launch included an Indo-Swiss Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Innovation Dialogue in Bengaluru. The platform began with a pilot project on antimicrobial resistance.
The platform’s launch was intended to deepen bilateral collaboration on innovation and make it more strategic. About 50 experts from Switzerland and India came together to discuss innovative ideas.

Notes:
The Environmental Investigation Agency is an international NGO founded in 1984 in the United Kingdom.
‘Parts of tigers, leopards, pangolins & rhinos being used in 88 Chinese medicines’ A probe by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has found that body parts of leopards and pangolins, which are highly trafficked and endangered mammals, are used in at least 88 traditional Chinese medicines.

Notes:
The Maitree Super Thermal Power Project, funded through an Indian Concessional Financing Scheme loan of USD 1.6 billion, is a 1320 MW Super Thermal Power Plant (MSTPP) situated in Bangladesh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, jointly inaugurated three development projects supported by India, including the Unit – II of the Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant.

Notes:
The Indian government has received numerous expressions of interest for the strategic sale of Indian Medicines Pharmaceutical Corporation Limited (IMPCL).
IMPCL is currently under the administrative control of the Ministry of Ayush, and the government holds a 98.11% stake in the company. This move is part of the government’s efforts to divest its holdings in certain public sector enterprises.

Notes:
Recently, the DGCA has permitted scheduled commuter airlines to operate Single Engine Turbine (SET) planes at night.
The operations with Single Engine Turbine (SET) planes were introduced for Scheduled Commuter Airlines (SCAs) in 2018. Till now, such operations were restricted to day operations and Visual Flight Rules (VFR). This move will contribute to improving air connectivity to remote areas during nighttime.

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:
NASA’s Juno mission has achieved a notable milestone by detecting mineral salts and organic compounds on the surface of Ganymede, which is Jupiter’s largest moon.
This important data was collected using the Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) spectrometer during a close flyby of Ganymede. These findings are of great significance because they will provide valuable insights into Ganymede’s origins and the composition of its deep ocean.

Notes:
The Jharkhand state Cabinet has given its approval for the implementation of the Mukhya Mantri Ujjwal Jharkhand Yojana, with a budget allocation of Rs 1,485.39 crore.
This scheme aims to provide electricity to rural hamlets and households that currently lack access to electricity, as well as to cover the remaining unserved urban areas.