Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2023

Notes:
The 2024 Asia-Pacific Human Development Report was recently released by the UNDP. As per the report, the share of the population living in multidimensional poverty fell from 25 to 15 per cent between 2015-16 and 2019-21.
The report also mentions that India has emerged among top countries with high income and wealth inequality. In India, between 2000 and 2022, per capita income soared from 442 to 2,389 while women are only 23 per cent of the labour force.

Notes:
Russia has officially pulled out of an international security pact that restricts the use of conventional weapons, saying NATO’s expansion has made such cooperation impossible.
NATO announced the formal suspension of a key Cold War-era security treaty in response to Russia’s pullout from the deal. Most of NATO’s 31 allies signed the Treaty of Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, which was aimed at preventing Cold War rivals from massing forces at or near mutual borders. It was signed in November 1990.

Notes:
‘National Cancer Awareness Day’ is observed in India on November 7 every year since 2014 to create public awareness about early detection, prevention, and treatment of cancer.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, representing nearly 1 in 6 deaths globally.

Notes:
The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has recently pledged $553 million in funding for the Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT) project.
This marks the first time the U.S. government is backing an Adani project. DFC, the U.S. government’s development finance institution, collaborates with the private sector to address critical challenges in the developing world.

Notes:
Japan, known for its numerous islands, including those that have been created through volcanic processes, has witnessed a new island which emerged within the vicinity of Japan’s Ogasawara Island chain.
It emerged after the eruption of an underwater volcano in late October 2023. The newly created island has not been named yet. However, as far as its measurement goes, it is approximately around 100 m in diameter.

Notes:
The Bihar Legislature collectively approved a legislation that increases the reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in educational entities and public employment from 50% to 65%.
Taking into account the current 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), the total reservation will now stand at 75%.

Notes:
The United States approved the first-ever vaccine for chikungunya called Ixchiq. Chikungunya is a disease caused by a virus transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes.
The vaccine, produced by Valneva Austria GmbH, is given in a single dose to people over 18 who are at increased risk of exposure to the virus.

Notes:
According to a report from the US Geological Survey (USGS), approximately 400 earthquakes have been detected beneath Mount St Helens since mid-July of this year.
Mount St Helens is an active stratovolcano located in Washington. These recent tremors constitute the most prolonged sequence of seismic activity since the last eruption cycle concluded in 2008. Despite this uptick in earthquakes, there are currently no signs that another eruption is forthcoming.

Notes:
India’s Index of Industrial Production (IIP) growth fell to a three-month low of 5.8% in September from 10.34% in August due to slower activities in the manufacturing, mining, and electricity sectors. According to the data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), the manufacturing sector output, which has the highest weight in the IIP, grew by 4.5% in September 2023, compared to 9.3% in August 2023.

Notes:
Saturn’s rings, in 2025, will appear to vanish from sight from the Earth. This temporary vanishing act is attributed to Saturn’s tilt and an optical illusion.
Astronomers discovered at least 13 moons of Saturn during ring plane crossings in history, including the well-known Titan, Enceladus and Mimas.