Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2023

Notes:
Union Finance Minister launches phase IV of ‘Operation Sesha’ to curb the illegal trade of Timber, including Red Sanders.
She launched this during the inaugural session of the first ever Global Conference on Cooperation in Enforcement Matters (GCCEM) in New Delhi. Delegates representing over 40 Custom Organisations participated in the event.

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 National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has awarded two toll, operate, and transfer (TOT) bundles, namely 11 and 12, covering a total length of 400 km, for a total of Rs 6,584 crore.
The TOT model is designed to promote private sector involvement in the highway sector, with NHAI periodically awarding contracts for toll collection, operation, and maintenance of different National Highway segments under this arrangement.

Notes:
India is on track to operationally deploy its own long-range air defense system by 2028-29. This indigenous system is designed to detect and destroy a wide array of threats, including stealth fighters, aircraft, drones, cruise missiles, and precision-guided munitions at ranges of up to 350 km.
The ambitious project, known as Project Kusha, is under the purview of the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). The Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LR-SAM) is being developed to provide interception capabilities similar to the Russian S-400 Triumf air defense system recently inducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF).

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 draft State Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Kerala suggests that the state has the potential to achieve significant energy savings by the year 2030.
This can be accomplished through various measures such as increasing the adoption of electric vehicles, promoting green buildings, and enhancing energy efficiency in households and industries.

Notes:
The World Meteorological Organization’s annual report on the State of Climate Services for this year centers its attention on the topic of health.
The report emphasizes the critical requirement for customized climate-related information and services to assist the healthcare sector in coping with increasingly severe weather conditions, deteriorating air quality, changing patterns of infectious diseases, and challenges related to food and water security.

Notes:
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) held a conference called the Legal Identity and Rights-Based Return Management Conference at the UN City in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The conference aimed to facilitate discussions between countries of origin and destination regarding individuals who lack legal identities. Globally, approximately one billion people do not possess a legal identity, as reported by the United Nations’ IOM, which is headquartered at Geneva, Switzerland.

Notes:
In the year 2022 at the 41st Session of UNESCO’s general Conference, it was decided that November 3 would be celebrated worldwide as the International Day for Biosphere Reserves.
Biosphere Reserves are protected areas, meant for the conservation of plants and animals. Human beings also depend on these protected areas for their livelihood activities. There are 738 biosphere reserves in 134 countries and there are 18 notified biosphere reserves in India.

Notes:
Sweden’s Saab has become the first foreign company that has bagged 100% FDI in India’s defence projects.
According to a report, Sweden’s Saab will set up a new facility in the country that will manufacture shoulder-fired rockets. Currently, India allows only 74% FDI in the defence sector under the automatic route. Beyond that, clearance can be obtained on a case-by-case basis.