NATIONAL:
1. Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP)
Why in news - Election Commission of India (ECI) signed an MoU with the Ministry of Education.
Key Points –
• Aim - to introduce electoral literacy into the curriculum for classes 6 to 12 in all schools.
• This is in line with ECI's flags for program SVEEP.
About SVEEP –
• SVEEP was launched to spread voter awareness and promote voter literacy in India.
• Objective –
(a) to increase voter turnout to 75% in Lok Sabha elections 2024.
(b) to enhance the quality of electoral participation in terms of informed and ethical voting.
2. Zika Virus
Why in news – Zika virus was detected in mosquito samples near Bengaluru (Karnataka).
Key Points –
• Zika virus is transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes, which bite mostly during the day.
• Same mosquito transmits dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever.
• First identified in Uganda in a Rhesus macaque monkey.
• It is transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy, through sexual contact, transfusion of blood, etc.
• No vaccine is yet available for its prevention.
INTERNATIONAL:
1. Bahrain – Israel Relations
Why in news – The Kingdom of Bahrain has recalled its ambassador from Israel because of the escalating war in Gaza.
Key Points –
• The kingdom has also decided to stop all economic relations for the time being.
• Bahrain is an archipelago in the Persian Gulf.
• The King Fahd Causeway links Bahrain to Saudi Arabia.
SCIENCE – TECH:
1. White Hydrogen
Why in news – Scientists have discovered a large reservoir of white hydrogen in France.
Key Points –
• White hydrogen is also referred to as “natural,” “gold” or “geologic” hydrogen.
• It is naturally generated within the Earth’s crust through water-rock reactions at high temperatures and pressures.
• Potential Applications - Aviation, shipping, and steel production.
2. Lucy Mission (2021)
Why in news – NASA's Lucy mission has discovered that the asteroid Dinkinesh is actually a binary system of two asteroids
Key Points –
• Lucy is the first space mission to explore Jupiter Trojan asteroids.
• Trojans are a group of small bodies that orbit the Sun in two “swarms” along the orbit of Jupiter.
SUMMITS & CONFERENCES:
1. 2nd World Food India (WFI) 2023
Why in news – Prime Minister inaugurated the Second edition of World Food India (WFI) 2023.
Key Points –
• Organised by - Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
• Aim - to celebrate 2023 as the International Year of Millets, and showcase India as ‘food basket of the world’.
• ‘Exponential Food Processing: Positioning India as Global Hub’ is one of the focus pillars of WFI 2023.
• 3 main pillars of India's growth of FPI –
(a) Small Farmers - Effective use of Farmer Produce Organizations (FPOs).
(b) Small Industries - About 2 lakh micro enterprises are being organized.
(c) Women: More than 9 crore women are associated with SHG.
• Initiatives taken to promote Food Processing Industry –
(a) PM Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (Mega Food Park).
(b) One District One Product scheme.
(c) Production Linked Incentive Scheme.
(d) Eat right India movement.
Value Addition –
• India’s Food Processing Industry (FPI) emerged as “sunrise sector” and attracted FDI investments of about Rs 50,000 crore in past 9 years.
• Processing Capacity increased to more than 200 lakh metric tonnes.
2. Global Onchocerciasis Network for Elimination (GONE)
Why in news – The first meeting of the World Health Organisation initiative GONE was held.
Key Points –
• Venue - Mbour, Senegal.
• Aim - to accelerate progress towards onchocerciasis targets set in 2030 Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) roadmap of WHO.
• London Declaration on NTDs (2012) - to control, eliminate or eradicate 10 NTDs by 2020 candidates.
About Onchocerciasis –
• Common name - River blindness.
• Caused by - Onchocerca volvulus (parasitic worm).
• Spreads by the bites of infected black flies that breed in rapidly flowing rivers.
• It is the second leading infectious cause of blindness after trachoma.
ENVIRONMENT:
1. Galapagos Islands
Why in news – Two new coral reefs and seamounts discovered in Galapagos Islands.
Key Points –
• Research vessel Falkor (Too) used a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) named SuBastian to explore the waters around the islands.
• Seamounts are underwater mountains.
About Galapagos Islands –
• Location - Eastern Pacific Ocean (~1,000 km from Ecuadorian coast).
• Located at the confluence of three ocean currents (Humboldt current, Panama Flow, and Cromwell current).
• Equator passes through the island.
• It is formed of lava piles and dotted with shield volcanoes.
• It is a National Park and UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Charles Darwin’s studies in the Galápagos Islands helped him formulate his theory of evolution through natural selection.
REPORTS:
1. Ecological Threat Report (ETR) 2023
Why in news – The Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) released Ecological Threat Report (ETR) 2023.
Key Points –
• ETR focuses on four categories of threat –
(a) Food Insecurity - more than 65% of the population not able to afford food in 2022.
(b) Natural Disasters
(c) Demographic Pressure - More than 70% increase in population by 2050.
(d) Water Risk - No access to clean drinking water to more than 20% of the population.
• Headquartered in Sydney, IEP is an independent, non-profit think tank.
BIHAR:
1. Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR)
Why in news – The recent Bihar teacher recruitment has led to a significant improvemet in PTR.
Key Points –
• Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR)
• Under the Right to Education Act, the pupil-teacher ratio should be – one teacher per 30 children (30:1).
POINTERS:
• In which country will the world's first AI Safety Institute to examine, evaluate, and test new types of artificial intelligence (AI) – Britain.
• Which country has started a free ‘flu vaccination’ campaign among high-risk groups – Mongolia.
• Which country has successfully conducted a training launch of a Ghauri medium-range ballistic missile – Pakistan.
• Which country has sent its youngest crew to the space station – China.
• Which country's former Prime Minister Li Keqiang has passed away – China.
• Which country has recorded a record decline in its birth rate, lowest since records began in 1861 – Italy.
• Who was elected as the chairman of the Shree Somnath Trust (SST) - PM Narendra Modi.
• When is World Tsunami Awareness Day observed - 5 November.
• Who will launch 'One Nation, One Registration Platform' for doctors - National Medical Commission (NMC).
• For how many years will PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana be extended - 5 years.
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