ANSWER: B

ANSWER: C

 ANSWER: D

 ANSWER: C

• The Standing Committee on Chemical & Fertilizers in its report on Nano Fertilizers listed the benefits of Nano urea and wants the govt’s fertilizer PSUs to adopt the nanotechnology-based plants for its multiple benefits to the farmers.
• Earlier, IFFCO developed Nano urea and Nano DAP, nanotechnology-based fertilisers.
• IFFCO has also developed nano fertilizer macronutrient grades – Nano Nitrogen and secondary /micronutrient grades – Nano Zinc, Nano Copper, Nano Boron, Nano Sulphur, etc.
• Advantages of Nano fertilisers
  • Lower input cost for the farmers.
  • Nano Urea has 85-90% efficiency compared to about 25% of conventional urea.
  • An average of 8 % higher crop yield was achieved in trials.
  • Improved agriculture sustainability through higher nutrient uptake, lower water consumption and reduction in environmental losses.
• Recommendations
  • Nano-fertilisers should be manufactured by both public and private sector companies.
  • Bring production of nano-fertilizers under production linked incentive (PLI) scheme.
  • Establish long term agreements and set-up joint venture plants in countries rich in fertilizers’ raw materials.

ANSWER: D

• Rajasthan has become the first state to pass in Assembly the Right to Health Bill.
• Under the Constitution, public health and sanitation, including hospitals and dispensaries, come under State List.
• Right to Health creates a legal obligation on states to ensure access to timely, acceptable, and affordable health care of appropriate quality.
• This includes safe and potable water, sanitation, food, housing, health-related information and education, and gender equality.
• Supreme Court in Bandhua Mukti Morcha v Union of India & Ors held that right to life (Article 21) included RTH within its fold.

Key Features of the Bill

• Extending a total of 20 rights, Bill gives every resident of the state right to avail free Out Patient Department (OPD) services and In Patient Department (IPD) services at all public health facilities.
• The Bill sets certain obligations on the state government to ensure the right to health and maintain public health.
• Health Authorities will be set up at the state and district level. These bodies will formulate, implement, monitor, and develop mechanisms for quality healthcare and management of public health emergencies.

ANSWER: D

• World Water Day (WWD) is celebrated on 22^nd March every Year.
• The United Nations General Assembly issued a resolution in 1993 declaring every year March 22 as World Day for Water.
• The theme for WWD 2023 is ‘Accelerating the change to solve the water and sanitation crisis’, emphasizing the necessity of taking stern action to address the global water crisis.
• The main objective of the day is to aware and inspire people to sustainably manage freshwater resources and learn more about water-related issues like water pollution, water scarcity, inadequate water, and lack of sanitation, and take appropriate steps to make a difference.
• According to the United Nations, the idea behind celebrating the day is to “support the achievement of sustainable development goal (SDG) 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.”

ANSWER: A

• Recently, Anti-submarine ship INS Androth launched in Kolkata.
• It is second in a series of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft.
  • First ship of the series was INS Arnala.
• INS Androth draws its name from the largest and longest island Androth Island, in the Lakshadweep archipelago.
• Androth’s primary role is to conduct anti-submarine operations in coastal waters, it is also capable of full-scale subsurface surveillance of coastal waters and various surface platforms and coordinated Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) operations with aircraft.
• The ship also carries lightweight torpedoes, ASW rockets and mines, a close-in weapon system (with a 30 mm gun) and 16.7 mm stabilised remote-controlled guns.
• The Androth and its fellow craft will be fitted with hull mounted sonar and a low frequency variable depth sonar.

ANSWER: A

• Sticky inflation is an undesirable economic situation where there is a combination of stubbornly high inflation and often stagnant growth.
• Sticky inflation is often associated with cost-push factors, i.e. factors which cause a rise in the inflation rate but also lead to lower spending and economic growth.
• Inflation takes longer than expected to fall essentially because higher food and fuel prices get seeped into broader economy and made other things costlier.

 ANSWER: A

• The vernal equinox is observed on March 21^st
• Equinox happens twice a year when the sun is directly above the equator, and it occurs on approximately 21^st March and 23^rd
• During an equinox, both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres have equal day and night time.
• The vernal equinox (spring equinox) takes place in the Northern Hemisphere around 20th or 21st March, while in the Southern Hemisphere, it happens on 22nd or 23rd September.
• Conversely, during the autumn season in the Northern Hemisphere on 23rd September (autumn equinox), it is springtime in the Southern Hemisphere, and on 21st March, it is the opposite.
• After the spring equinox, the northern hemisphere tilts closer to the sun in March, resulting in more hours of daylight, with earlier sunrises and later sunsets.
• According to Hindu astrology, Vernal Equinox is known as Vasant Vishuva or Vasant Sampat.
• The Spring equinox brings earlier sunrises, later sunsets, and sprouting plants in the northern hemisphere.
• Later sunrises, earlier sunsets, chillier winds, and dry and falling leaves are observed in the south of the equator (southern hemisphere).

ANSWER: B

• Recently, XBB.1.16 was found to be the variant behind India’s new COVID spike.
• Two recombinant lineages of SARS-CoV-2 are currently designated as ‘Variants Under Monitoring’ by the World Health Organization:
  1. XBB, a recombinant of Omicron sublineages BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75, and
  2. XBF, a recombinant of BA.5.2.3 and BA.2.75.3 Omicron sublineages.
• The lineage 1.5, a sublineage of the XBB has functional advantages over currently circulating variants such as increased transmissibility in populations with prior immunity to the virus.
• Based on preliminary data, there is no evidence to suggest that infections with the XBB.1.16 lineage differ in clinical severity from those caused by other Omicron lineages.
• It however has a higher risk of reinfection compared to other circulating Omicron lineages.

ANSWER: B

• The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Shaktikanta Das, initiated the establishment of a “Greenfield Data Centre” and an “Enterprise Computing & Cybersecurity Training Institute” in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, during a foundation stone laying ceremony.
• The new Data Centre and Training Institute, which will cover an area of 18.55 acres, will be able to address the emerging needs of the RBI and the financial sector, according to a statement by the central bank.

ANSWER: D

• Rani Rampal, a prominent player on the Indian hockey team, has achieved a significant milestone as the first woman in the sport to have a stadium named after her.
• The MCF Rae Bareli has renamed the hockey stadium to ‘Rani’s Girls Hockey Turf’ in her honor.

ANSWER: A

• Pankaj Advani, the Indian cue sports champion, has retained his Asian Billiards title in the 100-up format after defeating his compatriot Brijesh Damani 5-1 in the final held at Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation (QBSF) Academy.
• In the women’s category, Bai Yulu of China defeated Panchaya Channoi from Thailand 3-0 in the final.

ANSWER: A

• A mild intensity earthquake of 2.8 magnitude hit the state with epicentre in Kinnaur at 12:51 am on March 22^nd.
  • However, no damage was reported, officials said.
• Earlier, tremors were felt in almost all parts of the state around 10:17 pm on March 21^st, following a 6.6 magnitude earthquake having epicentre in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush area at a depth of 156 km.

ANSWER: C

• The legislative Assemblies of Punjab and Haryana today unanimously passed a resolution opposing the Himachal Pradesh Government’s proposal to impose water cess on hydropower projects even as the Congress regime in the hill state defended the move saying it was “well within its rights to do so”.