Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2023

Notes:
NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment has achieved a milestone by successfully transmitting data via laser to and from beyond the moon for the first time.
The experiment, aboard the Psyche spacecraft, has set a new record for the farthest-ever demonstration of optical communications. This achievement paves the way for higher-data-rate communications that can support future missions, including sending humans to Mars.

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The WHO Commission on Social Connection (2024–2026) aims to see the issue recognised and resourced as a global public health priority.
The Commission will propose a global agenda on social connection, working with high-level Commissioners to make the case for action, marshal support to scale up proven solutions and measure progress. The health impact of loneliness is so far-reaching that one study compared it to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.

Notes:
Women engaged in agri-food systems in Africa and Asia, including in India, face the highest climate risks such as droughts, floods or shortened crop-growing season, a new hotspot map developed by an international team of researchers has identified.
It ranked 87 countries based on the level of climate change threat faced by women working in agricultural sectors. The study covered nations in Latin America, Asia and Africa. India stood 12th on the risk index while people living in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC) are at heightened risk.

Notes:
Kangaroo care also known as skin-to-skin contact, involves holding a premature or low birth weight baby against the parent’s bare chest. This practice provides numerous benefits such as physical development, breastfeeding facilitation, and emotional attachment.
World Prematurity Day is observed on 17 November each year to raise awareness of preterm birth and the concerns of preterm babies and their families worldwide.

Notes:
Bollywood Actor Madhuri Dixit was bestowed with the ‘Special Recognition for Contribution to Bharatiya Cinema’ Award at the 54th International Film Festival of India.
Over the course of a career that spans four decades, she has appeared in over 70 films. The actress primarily works in Hindi films.

Notes:
The People’s Bank of China and the Central bank of Saudi Arabia recently inked a local currency swap deal.
The agreement, valid for three years and subject to extension by mutual consent, involves a sum of 50 billion yuan ($6.93 billion) or 26 billion Saudi riyals. This bilateral currency swap arrangement is anticipated to bolster financial collaboration between the two nations, enhance the utilization of local currencies, and foster increased trade and investment, as stated in the official announcement.

Notes:
The Uttar Pradesh government has linked big institutions like the CSIR and DRDO with the Bulk Drug Park and made them its knowledge partners.
Adani Gas has been chosen as the PNG supply partner to create a nature-friendly zone for Bulk Drugs Park, while THDC has been selected as the solar power partner. CONCOR has been made the logistics partner.

Notes:
The World Health Organization’s South-East Asia regional office has warned that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) results in approximately 1.27 million deaths globally each year, with an estimated 389,000 casualties in South Asia.
Without immediate action, the WHO predicts that by 2050, AMR could lead to 10 million annual deaths worldwide, causing significant economic repercussions, including a potential decrease of up to 3.8% in global exports and a rise of $1 trillion in healthcare-related costs.

Notes:
Former RBI governor S. Venkitaramanan passed away recently at the age of 92. Venkitaramanan, a member of the Tamil Nadu cadre of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), assumed the position of RBI Governor in December 1990 amidst the balance of payment crisis.
He initiated banking sector reforms and made the initial change in the exchange rate system by moving towards a dual exchange rate system.

Notes:
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma launched the “Water Smart Kids Meghalaya” school campaign, an initiative under the Jal Jeevan Mission of the Ministry of Jal Shakti. Its primary goal is to inspire action and educate children on water conservation and the protection of the state’s water bodies.
Meghalaya also launched the ‘Food Security’ Campaign to sensitise the people on the food items entailed to ensure that the poorest of the poor have access to food grains.