Current Affairs Exam

Chennai-based space tech startup Agnikul Cosmos recently opened Indias first private launchpad and mission control centre at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. It was inaugurated on November 28 by ISRO chairman S Somanath. The inauguration took place just days after the launch of Indias first privately developed rocket Vikram-S.

The Agnikul launchpad and the Agnikul mission control centre are four kilometres apart. They are connected with each other via various critical systems to ensure 100 per operationality during the countdown.

This facility was designed by the startup Agnikul Cosmos and executed with the support from ISRO and the IN-SPACe.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that mpox is currently the preferred name for monkeypox.

Monkeypox was named in 1970 more than 10 years after the virus that causes the disease was discovered in captive monkeys.

However, monkeypox probably did not originate in monkeys and knowledge related to its origins is still unknown.

The monkeypox virus is currently found several other animals apart from monkeys.

The name for the disease was given before the WHO published the best practices for naming diseases in 2015.

Since the recent outbreak, experts have suggested changing the name of the disease to avoid discrimination and stigma, which discouraged people from testing and vaccination.

The Indian Athlete Anju Bobby George has accomplished the Woman of the Year Award from World Athletics.

Highlights:

She has won the accolade for grooming young girls to take up Sports.

In the 2005 IAAF World Athletics Finals, she was a gold medallist and the first Indian contestant to win a bronze medal in the long jump at the World Championships in Athletics held in 2013 in Paris. In the 2004 Olympics, she finished sixth.

Anju was conferred the Arjuna award in 2002, Padma Shri in 2004, Khel Ratna in 2003.

In 2021, she won the BBC lifetime achievement award under Best Athlete Category.

In 2016, she formed a sports academy for young girls, helped India advance in sports, and inspired more Women to follow in her footsteps.

She is also presented with the award for advocating gender .

The Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey recently replied to question in Lok Sabha that the Government of India has amended the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011. This was done to protect the interests of the consumers in the country.

The unit sale price of the commodity should compulsorily be displayed on the package. This allows the consumers to make informed decision irrespective of quantity and size of the commodity packed in the package. Also, this will remove the inexactness in declaration of quantity in pre packed commodities.

The Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju introduced the Judges Bill in Lok Sabha, which amends The Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Condition of Service) Act and the Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Act.

Highlights

The bill attempts to explain whether the SC and HC judges can get additional pensions on attaining a certain age.

All the retired judges or his family (after his death) can get an additional quantum of pension. This is generally referred to as a family pension.

The pension slabs for the retired High Court and Supreme Court judges start when finishing 80, 85,90,95 or 100 years.

The confusion is whether the pension should be paid from the Month’s first day as he completes the age or the first day he enters the age. The bill inserts explanation about this issue.

India recently joined the Troika. The G20 Troika is made of Indonesia, India and Italy. That is Troika is made of the current presidency, Indonesia; the previous presidency Italy and the incoming presidency which is India.

Troika means a group of three people working together. It is an English word. The Troika of G20 is made of the current, next and immediate past host countries. The Troika ensures continuity and provides presidency support.

The G20 operates without a permanent staff or secretariat. The chair of the group rotates annually among its members. The current chair establishes secretariat temporarily. This secretariat organises meetings and coordinates the working of the group. Thus, there is need for Troika to help with the secretariat so that there is continuity in the works of G20.

In 2019, the G20 was hosted by Japan. In 2020, Italy hosted G20. In 2021, it is Indonesia. In 2022, 2023 and 2024, it will be hosted by Indonesia, India and Brazil.

Thus, the following countries formed the Troika in G20

2020: Japan, Italy and Indonesia

2021: Italy, Indonesia and India

2022: Indonesia, India and Brazil

World AIDS Day is observed across the globe on 1st December.

Highlights:

It provides a chance for people worldwide to join in the fight against HIV, aid people with HIV, and remember those we have lost from an AIDS-related illness.

This theme of World AIDS Day 2021 is End inequalities. End AIDS and End Pandemics.

With a singular focus on reaching people left behind, WHO and its partners highlight the increasing disparities in access to essential HIV Services.

The day was first marked in 1988 and was also the first-ever international day for global Health.

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a recurring disease induced by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

The immune system of the person experiencing the disease gets damaged and reduces the body’s disease-fighting ability.

The Union Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has declared IT Resources of HDFC bank, ICICI Bank, and NPCI as critical information (CII).

According to Information Technology Act of 2000, Critical Information Infrastructure is a computer resource. Incapacitation or destruction of such resource have debilitating impact on national security, public Health, economy, or public safety.

Under the IT Act 2000, the Union Government has the power to declare any data, IT Network, Database, or communications infrastructure as Critical Information Infrastructure, in order to protect that digital asset. In case, any person who secures access or tries to secure access to protected system, can be put behind the bars for up to 10 years.

As part of its objective to strengthen the electronics manufacturing ecosystem in India, theMinistry of Electronics and IThas approved the greenfieldElectronics Manufacturing Cluster(EMC) with the project cost of Rs 492.85 crores to be set up in RanjangaonPhase III,nearPune in Maharashtra.

The Minister also announced that the Ministry of Electronics and IT plans to give a boost to the 1000 Crore Semicon India Future Design programme to support Semiconductor Design Startups in the state and shall soon visit Maharashtra for a roadshow. He informed that C-DAC, Pune shall be the nodal office for this purpose.

Two lady officers who were part of the first batch of Women officers inducted into the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in 1987, have been promoted to the rank of Inspector General (IG), a first for the countrys largest central para-military force.

Annie Abraham was appointed as IG in charge of Rapid Action Force (RAF), the anti-riots component of CRPF, on October 31. Seema Dhundia was handed charge as IG of Bihar sector on October 1.

A new research article titled Viral spillover risk increases with https://exam.pscnotes.com/Climate-change”>Climate Change in High Arctic lake sediments was released recently.

Viral spillover occurs when viruses overcome several barriers to infect new host from reservoir host (in which it usually resides).

The researchers from the University of Ottawa sought to study the possibility of a viral spillover by collecting sediments and Soil samples from Lake Hazen in Canada the worlds largest High Arctic lake by volume.