Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2023

Notes:
Drugmaker Cipla has launched drone-based deliveries of its critical medicines for hospitals in Himachal Pradesh, in partnership with Skye Air Mobility.
The medicines included cardiac, respiratory, and other essential chronic therapies. The use of drones will support on-time delivery of the company’s medicines to chemists and clinics in remote areas, while minimising risks including temperature-linked issues affecting cold chain products.

Notes:
A new report reveals that tortoises or hard-shell turtles from India are traded across a more extensive global network compared to soft-shell turtles.
The former are primarily sought after as pets, while the latter is primarily traded for meat, within India. The illegally traded tortoise / hard-shell turtles were often found to be transported by air. Chennai emerged as the most central node in tortoise / hard-shell turtle trafficking, ranking as the top exporting and intermediary district.

Notes:
In Bihar, the world-famous Pitra Paksha Mela began in Gaya, Bihar. The main function was organized at Vishnupad Temple.
Lakhs of people from across the country and abroad reach here to offer prayers for departed souls on the banks of Falgu River.

Notes:
The Annual IAEA General Conference was held in Vienna. At this event, India announced its plans to generate 22 GW power through nuclear energy to achieve Net Zero.
Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Ajit Kumar Mohanty shared India’s ambitious plans to step up nuclear power generation during a meeting with IAEA Director General.

Notes:
A new Lancet Commission report highlights that women’s experiences with cancer prevention, care, and treatment are negatively influenced by societal gender imbalances, resulting in greater suffering from the disease despite similar cancer burdens as men.
The report, titled “Women, power, and cancer,” emphasizes that gender inequality not only affects women as patients but also impacts their interactions with the cancer healthcare system.

Notes:
The “Methane emissions in livestock and rice systems: Sources, quantification, mitigation and metrics” report was released recently by FAO.
It revealed that approximately 32% of methane emissions caused by human activities stem from microbial processes taking place during the enteric fermentation of ruminant livestock and the management of manure systems worldwide.

Notes:
Despite having the largest population and the highest electricity demand in India, Uttar Pradesh is facing challenges in attaining its solar energy goals.
A report by the nonprofit organization Vasudha Foundation, in collaboration with the government’s public policy think tank NITI Aayog, revealed that Uttar Pradesh had the highest electricity demand in the country in July 2023, along with Maharashtra, both recording 15.3 billion units of electricity consumption.

Notes:
Gujarat has recently banned the Conocarpus plant because of its environmental and health hazards. This fast-growing exotic mangrove species, locally called as Saptaparni, has become a popular choice for increasing green cover in the state over the past few years.

Notes:
Researchers at the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) conducted an experiment with antimatter, demonstrating that it responds to gravity by falling, consistent with the behavior of ordinary matter, aligning with Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity.
Despite the expected equal production of matter and antimatter during the Big Bang, very little antimatter exists, and the two are incompatible, leading to annihilation upon contact.

Notes:
The Sycamore Gap Tree is a famous sycamore tree situated in a dip between two hills in Northumberland, England. It was among the UK’s most-photographed trees.
This 300-year-old tree has been cut down by a teenager in an attempt of vandalism. Hadrian’s Wall, which is almost 2,000 years old and stands next to the sycamore, sustained some damage.