Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2021

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 ‘Dhole’ (Cuon alpinus) is an animal native to Central, South, East, and Southeast Asia. Other names for the species include Asiatic wild dog, Indian wild dog, whistling dog, red dog, and mountain wolf. It is a Schedule II species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
A recent study has identified 114 priority tehsils where habitats can be consolidated to enhance population connectivity for the dhole or Asiatic Wild Dog. The animals are found in three clusters across India namely the Western and Eastern Ghats, central Indian landscape and North East India.

 

Notes:
New Delhi has launched a patrolling operation named ‘Operation Satark’, to combat and prevent crime and make public places safer.
The South-West district Police has launched this patrolling operation, where senior officials including women officers will be patrolling on foot. This is aimed to enable a thorough check on nuisance creators and provide confidence among the public.

Notes:
The USA celebrates ‘Indigenous Peoples’ Day’ as a holiday that celebrates and honours Native American peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures.
It started in 1977 as a day of respect at a discrimination conference. It has now become a national holiday honored by President Joe Biden. This day falls on the same day Columbus Day, first recognized as a national holiday in 1934 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Notes:
A Team of scientists from Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Guwahati have used tea and banana waste to generate non-toxic activated carbon. This substance is said to be used in industrial pollution control, water purification, food and beverage processing etc.
Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology is an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India.

Notes:
The Global Hunger Index is a comprehensive measure and track of hunger across the globe, prepared by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe. The index uses 4 indicators namely : Undernourishment, child wasting; child stunting; child mortality.
In the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2021 India has been placed at 101st position as against its previous ranking of 94 in 2020.

Notes:
Actor William Shatner flew aboard a Blue Origin rocket-ship on a suborbital trip and landed in the Texas desert to become at age 90 the oldest person ever in space.
Blue Origin, U.S. billionaire businessman Jeff Bezos’s company carried out its second tourist flight. Shatner was one of four passengers aboard the fully autonomous New Shepard spacecraft. The four astronauts travelled above the internationally recognized boundary of space known as the Karman Line, about 100 km above Earth.

Notes:
The present Managing Director and CEO of UCO Bank Shri. A K Goel has been elected as the chairman of Indian Bank’s Association for the year 2021-22. The election was held at the body’s Managing Committee meeting held on 14th October 2021.
He succeeds Mr Rajkiran Rai G, who is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Union Bank of India.

Notes:
The Office of the Economic Adviser is an attached office of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, under the Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
The key function of the office includes Compiling and releasing monthly Wholesale Price Indices and Compiling and releasing monthly Index of Core Industries Production. The wholesale price-based inflation has eased to a six-month low of 10.66% in September 2021, primarily helped by moderation in food price.

Notes:
The Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) is an intergovernmental military alliance of 6 full time members (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan) and two non-member observer states (Afghanistan and Serbia).
Recently the CSTO has proposed to hold a military drill near the Afghan border in Tajikistan from October 22-23.