Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2021

Notes:
Every year, 21st September is observed as World Alzheimer’s Day. This day aims to raise awareness about the Alzheimer’s disease, its causes, symptoms and the ways to handle it.
Alzheimer’s disease is a brain condition which retards memory and cognitive abilities of the affected person. It is the most frequent cause of dementia in older individuals, which may cause brain cells to weaken and die.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to announce a nationwide rollout of the Pradhan Mantri Digital Health Mission. It includes three basic platforms, health ID, doctor’s registry, and the health facility registry.
The unique digital health ID will contain all the health records of the person. The National Digital Health Mission is currently in its pilot phase across the UTs of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry.

Notes:
India and Australia held the first Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting on Coal and Mines through Video conferencing. It is held ahead to the India-Australia Energy Dialogue scheduled to be held next month.
The discussions focused on Indian coal resources, strategic minerals-demand and supply scenario and engagements with Australia. They also discussed collaboration on Clean Coal Technology, Surface Coal Gasification, Coal Bed Methane, sharing of Technology for fire quenching, Coal Based Hydrogen, among others.

Notes:
“Bijoya Sanskritik Mahotsav” is a cultural event organised at Kolkata, by the Eastern Command of the Indian Army. This event would showcase the cultural ties between India and Bangladesh and is a part of commemoration of Bangladesh liberation.
16th December 2021 marks the 50th year of Bangladesh liberation and India’s victory over Pakistan in the Indo-Pak war of 1971.

Notes:
Military troops from China and Pakistan launched a joint anti-terror exercise as part of SCO Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS).
The opening ceremony of the Joint Anti-Terrorist Exercise (JATE)-2021 was held at Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. The exercise aims to enhance interoperability among Law Enforcement Agencies of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member countries for combating international terrorism. Headquartered in Tashkent, RATS is a permanent organ of the SCO.

Notes:
Vanuatu, a South Pacific Ocean nation made up of 80 islands, has recently moved the International Court of Justice to issue an opinion on the rights of present and future generations to be protected from the effects of climate change.
A dozen Pacific Island nations are facing rising sea levels and more regular storms. Vanuatu has a population of around 280,000. Vanuatu is set to route the initiative through the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Notes:
The “Digital Sky” Platform is operated by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DCGA) in India. Recently, the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation has come out with a airspace map, exclusively for drone operations in India. This map can be accessed using the “Digital Sky” Platform.
As per the map, air space is bifurcated into green, red and yellow zones for drone operations.

Notes:
La Palma is a volcanic ocean island group, and a part of the Canary Islands. With a population of over 83,000, it is also the fifth largest of the eight main Canary Islands.
The volcano on Spain’s La Palma has begun spewing lava and smoke again, after activity had earlier slowed to a near halt. Some coastal villages locked down anticipating the lava reaching the sea. The coastal areas of San Borondon, Marina Alta and Baja and La Condesa are locked, where the superheated lava is expected to hit the Atlantic Ocean, triggering clouds of toxic gas.

Notes:
The Uttarakhand Forest Department dedicated the state’s first Palmetum and the biggest one in North India, to the people in the Haldwani, Nainital.
The Palmetum took over 3 years to develop and has over 110 species of palms. It was developed under CAMPA scheme. The Palmetum has palm species under various IUCN categories of critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable among others. The palm species which is endemic to Uttarakhand is called Trachycarpus Takil (Takil Palm), that can survive sub-zero temperature.

Notes:
An earthquake with a magnitude of at least 5.8 struck the Greek island of Crete recently, killing one person and injuring several people.
Greece’s Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Ministry is evacuating the people in the affected areas.  Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.