Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2021

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:
Fencer Bhavani Devi, won the women’s individual sabre title at the Charlellville National Competition in France.
She made history at the Tokyo Olympics by becoming the first Indian to compete in fencing at the Olympics. Though she won the first round, she was defeated by bronze-medallist Manon Brunet of France in the next round. The top-ranked fencer from India is currently ranked 50th in the world.

Notes:
People of Thailand are using capsules of a herbal medicine called green chiretta (Andrographis paniculata) to treat asymptomatic and mild COVID.
In Thailand, Green chiretta – nicknamed the “king of bitters” is a common herbal medicine. In early 1990s, researchers concluded after a clinical trial that chiretta is equally effective as paracetamol to treat fever and sore throat in patients with inflammation of the pharynx and tonsils.

Notes:
In a first, doctors at a health centre in New York temporarily transplanted a pig`s kidney onto a human.
It is considered as a significant step toward Animal-to-human organ transplants, known as xenotransplantations. The doctors altered the pig`s genes, to avoid immediate rejection from the human immune system due to the presence of a sugar molecule in pig cells called Glycan.

Notes:
Ecuador President Guillermo Lasso announced a 60-day nationwide state of emergency in response to a wave of violent crime.
The President announced that Police and the armed forces were being mobilised. As per official figures, the number of murders in the first eight months of this year are twice those in the same period last year. Some weeks ago, a prison fight in the port city of Guayaquil made 119 inmates dead.

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’.

Notes:
India is ranked at 71st position out of 113 countries in the Global Food Security (GFS) Index 2021, with an overall score of 57.2 points. It is a global report released by Economist Impact and Corteva Agriscience.
Ireland, Australia, the UK, Finland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada, Japan, France and the US shared the top rank with the overall GFS score in the range of 77.8 and 80 points on the index. The GFS Index considers 58 unique food security indicators including income and economic inequality.

Notes:
Every year, the Uttar Pradesh state conducts State-level Sugarcane competition to award farmers for high yield per hectare.
This year, a farmer from western Uttar Pradesh has won the State cane competition with a sugarcane yield of 2,635 quintal per hectare. The award is given in four categories namely: ratoon, early plant, general plant and drip irrigation.

Notes:
The United Nations has recently set up a special trust fund for Afghanistan, amidst its economic crisis.
The primary aim of the trust fund is to inject liquidity into Afghan households. As per the UN Development Programme’s (UNDP), Germany had pledged 50 million euros ($58m) to the fund. International Monetary Fund announced that Afghanistan’s economy is set to contract up to 30 percent this year.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet has approved the ambitious Rs. 100 lakh crore PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan. The plan was launched by the Prime Minister on October 13, which aims to create multi modal connectivity in India and bring infrastructure under one common platform.
The master plan envisages to create a centralised portal comprising of all infra-activities in India involving 16 central ministries and departments to achieve coordinated planning and project execution.