Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2021

Notes:
Paleontologists have discovered the fossilized upper molar tooth of Hippopotamus antiquus from Westbury Cave, in the UK.
It is an extinct species of hippo that lived in Europe during a warm period between 2 and 1 million years ago. The species is said to had been much larger than the modern African hippo, weighing around 3 tons. It is known to have been more reliant on aquatic habitats.

Notes:
Darwin’s ground sloth (Mylodon darwinii), lived in South America between 1.8 million years and 12,000 years ago.
Though the six living sloth species are relatively small and herbivorous tree-dwellers, some species roamed from Alaska to South America. As per findings of a recent study, the extinct species was between 3 and 4 m long and weighed between 1 and 2 tons. The study also contradicts that all sloths were necessarily herbivores.

 

Notes:
The International Energy Agency (IEA) is an intergovernmental organization, established in the year 1974 and is headquartered at Paris, France. It was established in the framework of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The IEA has invited India to become its full-time member. If India becomes a full-time member of the forum, then it would be required to maintain a strategic oil reserves of 90 days.

 

Notes:
Shia Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has claimed victory for his nationalist ‘Saeroun movement’ in Iraq’s election.
Mr Sadr announced that he aims to end US and Iranian influence over Iraq’s internal affairs. There was also a record low official turnout of 41%. It may take many weeks of negotiations to build a new governing coalition, which Mr Sadr cannot lead because he did not stand as a candidate.

Notes:
The Aerial Archaeological Mapping Explorer has been launched to offer virtual flights over ancient landscapes. The digital aerial archaeology tool will allow users to see landscapes from England’s past.
Historic England, the agency that looks after the tool, enables people to discover previously unknown details through virtual flights over England, about local landscapes, including prehistoric hill forts, Roman settlements and cold war military stations etc.

Notes:
Indian American Satya Nadella, the Microsoft CEO, is among the corporate leaders to receive this year’s prestigious C K Prahlad award for Global Business Sustainability Leadership.
Created in 2010, the prestigious award recognises exceptional private-sector action that promotes sustainability, innovation and long-term business success. Four of Microsoft’s top leaders including Nadella received the honour for their collaborative leadership.  Microsoft aims to transform into a carbon negative company by 2030 and to remove all its historical emissions by 2050.

Notes:
As per the government’s new rules, the gestational limit for termination of a pregnancy in India has been increased to 24 weeks. Earlier the limit was 20 weeks.
Under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Rules, 2021, the women including survivors of sexual assault, rape or incest, minors, those whose marital status changes during pregnancy (widowhood and divorce) and those with physical disabilities are included for the new limit.

Notes:
The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi has launched the PM Gati Shakti, a ‘national masterplan’ for multi-modal connectivity on 13th October 2021.
The master plan aims to use geo-mapping and real-time data on a single portal, to make sure that there is transparency and visibility over the project planning and implementation. Presently 16 government departments are part of the master plan.

Notes:
The Department of Posts has launched the digital version of the Postal Life Insurance policy bonds, also termed as “ePLI bond”.
The bond has been launched in collaboration with Digilocker. All Postal Life Insurance subscribers would be able to download the digital copy of their policy bond from digilocker. Both the Postal Life Insurance (PLI) and Rural Postal Life Insurance (RPLI) policy bonds are available in digital form. It shall be treated at par with the original policy bond issued by the Department of Posts.

Notes:
The Tawang Ganden Namgyal Lhatse (Tawang Monastery), which is the second largest monastery of Tibetan Buddhism, is located in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
India strongly rejected China’s objection to a recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh by Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu. China has been objecting to visits of Indian leaders to Arunachal Pradesh, citing it as a part of South Tibet. Tawang provides a strategic entry into India’s northeastern region and is a critical point in the corridor between Tibet and Brahmaputra Valley.