Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2021

Notes:
The Union Environment Ministry has released a consultation paper on amending the Forest Conservation Act 1980 to bring some important changes to Forest governance in India.
In includes enabling private plantations for harvesting and exploration or extraction of oil and natural gas deep beneath forest land by drilling holes from outside the forest areas. State governments have been asked to send their comments within 15 days.

Notes:
Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) kept the key lending rate — repo rate unchanged at 4 per cent for the eighth time in a row.
Reverse repo rate remained unchanged at 3.5 per cent. The policy stance will also kept unchanged at ‘accommodative’. The accommodative stance is voted for, as long as necessary to sustain growth on a durable basis, while ensuring that inflation remains within the target. RBI also retained FY22 GDP growth forecast at 9.5 per cent.

Notes:
NASA’s Deep Space Atomic Clock, has successfully ended its mission. The clock was built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in southern California.
The Deep Space Atomic Clock is an ultra-precise, mercury-ion atomic clock. It was launched aboard the Department of Defense Space Test Programme 2 mission on June 25, 2019. After the instrument completed its one-year primary mission in Earth orbit, NASA extended the mission to collect more data.

Notes:
Every year, October 10th is observed as the World Mental Health Day by the World Health Organisation (WHO). This day is celebrated to raise awareness of mental health issues and mobilise support in this regard.
This year’s October 10 is observed under the tagline “Mental health care for all: let’s make it a reality”.

Notes:
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development have released the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index for the year 2021, under the tag line “Unmasking disparities by ethnicity, caste and gender”.
The index measures poverty by considering various deprivations experienced by people across the globe. The 2021 report has stressed that Disparities in poverty among ethnic groups are very high in many countries.

Notes:
Amoria is a genus of marine gastropods (snails and slugs). These predatory creatures are found in onshore and offshore waters around the entire coast of Australia. Some species extend into waters of southern Indonesia.
Named Amoria thorae, the species is very rare and scientists have not seen a live specimen yet. The newly-identified species can be distinguished from other Amoria species by the combination of small shell size, shape, high spire, equal-sized thick plaits among others.

Notes:
NITI Aayog released a ‘Handbook on sustainable urban plastic waste management, jointly released with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Niti Aayog suggested urban local bodies to adopt the material recovery facility (MRF) model & operate it as a public-private partnership model. A materials recovery facility, also called as a materials reclamation facility or recycling facility is a specialized plant that receives, separates, and prepares recyclable materials for marketing to end-user manufacturers.

Notes:
India’s rank has slipped by six places from last year to 90 on the Henley Passport Index, which lists the world’s most travel-friendly passports.
The index ranks the passports of countries according to the number of destinations their holders can visit without a prior visa. The rankings are based on the analysis of data provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Japan and Singapore hold the first rank on the passport index, while the second position is shared by South Korea and Germany.

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:
Uttar Pradesh Government has directed all state secondary schools to set up ‘Arogya Vatikas’ on school premises. Vatikas or Gardens would be used to grow medicinal plants.
Arogya Vatika will be set up in all secondary schools of the state. As per the state government, it will help conserve the environment as well as boost the immunity and well-being of students. The order also states that all students should be made aware of the medicinal values of the plants.