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:
Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) have made a significant discovery by detecting the presence of avian flu in the Antarctic region for the first time. This development has raised concerns about the health of remote populations of penguins and seals in the area.
The discovery came after reports of potentially symptomatic birds and unexplained deaths, and subsequent tests confirmed the presence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).

Notes:
National Institute of Hydrology (NIH) is a premier Research and Development organization under the Ministry of Jal Shakti. It is located in Roorkee, Uttarakhand.
A new township in Ayodhya will have a lake filled with water from the holy Saryu River. The lake will be 430 acres and will be connected to the river. The National Institute of Hydrology in Roorkee will build the lake. The lake project has been named the blue and green corridor of the new Ayodhya township.

Notes:
Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP) aims to connect the seaport of Kolkata with Sittwe seaport in Rakhine State, Myanmar by sea. It also includes Inland Water Transport between Sittwe to River Kaladan.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced that a cross-border road, part of the ambitious Kaladan Project, which connects South Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district with Myanmar’s Sittwe port, is on track to be completed by November of this year.

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 most recent assessment on agricultural policy and support worldwide by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has highlighted that in 2022, Indian farmers incurred an implicit tax of $169 billion.
This tax was a result of export bans, duties, or permits imposed on various commodities, including wheat and rice, in an effort to stabilize prices for consumers. As a consequence of these measures, the overall market price support (MPS) for farmers in 2022 turned negative.

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:
In Abu Dhabi, India’s Union Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, and his UAE counterpart signed a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The main objective of this MoU is to strengthen the existing educational cooperation between the two countries. It aims to facilitate the mobility of students and faculty, thereby promoting collaboration in the field of education.

Notes:
The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, flagged off the maiden domestic voyage of the first international cruise liner, ‘COSTA SERENA,’ in India, from Mumbai.
This initiative aligns with the ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ campaign, which encourages individuals to prioritize domestic tourism over international travel. The Italian vessel which covers international voyages is the first foreign cruise liner to enter India’s domestic cruise market.

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.