Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2021

Notes:
A key UN biodiversity summit, with an aim to protecting biodiversity has commenced in China, which witnessed the participation of delegates from about 195 countries. Discussion on “30 by 30” agenda that would accord 30% of the Earth’s land and oceans protected status by 2030 is being discussed in the summit.
During the summit, Chinese Government has committed and pledged a sum of $233 million into a fund, to protect biodiversity in developing countries.

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:
Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh recently launched the “Chief Minister’s Health for All”. Under the scheme, Door-to-door health screening will be conducted across the State and Jan Aushadhi medicines will be provided to patients free of cost for primary health care.
The Chief Minister Gi Hakchel Gi Tengbal (CM Health Care Scheme) and Ayushman Bharat health cards will be issued to the patients having severe and chronic illness.  During the campaign, screening will be done using a hand-held device known as ASHA Plus for 10 non-communicable diseases.

Notes:
The eighth ministerial meeting of the India-U.S.A. Economic and Financial Partnership Dialogue held at Washington D.C.
The meeting was chaired by Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman and the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States Dr. Janet Yellen. During the meeting, discussions were held on recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, financial regulatory and technical collaboration, multilateral engagement, climate finance and anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism.

Notes:
Mount Harriet is the third-highest island peak in Andaman and Nicobar islands. Union Home Minister has announced that the peak will now be known as Mount Manipur, as a tribute to the freedom fighters of Manipur.
Manipur’s Maharaja Kulchandra Singh and 22 other freedom fighters were imprisoned during the Anglo-Manipuri war (1891) at the Mount Harriet. They were sent to Kalapani and kept on Mount Harriet.

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 Finance Minister of Germany “Olaf Scholz” belonging to the Social Democrats, the ecologist Greens and liberal FDP have announced a preliminary deal to form a new government in Germany. If successful, he would succeed Angela Merkel as Chancellor of Germany.
Earlier in September, Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) won the general elections but could not have a clean majority.

Notes:
Government think tank NITI Aayog launched the ‘Geospatial energy map’ of the country. It captures data on all sources of energy, in a comprehensive way.
As per the NITI Aayog, the energy maps available in the country were fragmented and scattered across multiple departments or ministries. It can be used by policymakers, investors, environmentalists, financial institutions and disaster management authorities.

Notes:
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. unveiled a new server chip that’s based on advanced 5-nanometer technology. The new chip is based on micro-architecture provided by the SoftBank Group Corp.-owned Arm Ltd.
Named as Yitian 710, the Arm-based server chip is the third semiconductor introduced by Alibaba since 2019, following an artificial intelligence chip as well as a chip used for internet-of-things. China has been inviting companies to build a homegrown semiconductor industry and to achieve self-sufficiency.

Notes:
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has launched a toll-free helpline to help government job aspirants from economically weaker sections (EWS) and backward classes among others.
The toll-free number, 1800118711 will provide assistance to the candidates who have applied or seek to apply for examinations or recruitment. The helpline, which will remain operational on all working days during office hours, is part of celebrations under the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’.