Daily Current Affairs Quiz: August 25, 2023

ANSWER: C

ANSWER: B

ANSWER: A

ANSWER: B

• The Centre may be considering a minimum export price (MEP) for a host of specialty rice, including the basmati variety, to ensure that unscrupulous traders don’t ship excess quantities abroad.

ABOUT MEP

• MEP involves “fixing a floor price” below which an exporter shall not sell the product to an overseas customer.
• MEP is imposed in view of the rising domestic retail / wholesale price or production disruptions in the country.
• It aims to restrict export volumes and curtail domestic prices.
• It is a kind of quantitative restriction to trade.
• It is intended to be imposed for short durations and is removed when situations change.
• Section 5 of the Foreign Trade (Development And Regulation) Act, 1992, provides legal backing for MEP.

ANSWER: A

• The National Health Authority (NHA) announced that Mizoram has become the first state in India to operationalize Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission’s (ABDM) microsite project.
  • It was started in Aizawl.
• NHA had recently announced 100 microsites project for accelerated adoption of digital health mission scheme across the country.
• The microsites are defined geographical regions where focused outreach efforts would be made to onboard small and medium scale private healthcare providers.
• Under this, all healthcare facilities including the private clinics, small hospitals and labs in the region shall be made ABDM-enabled and will offer digital health services to the patients.
• These microsites would be implemented by the state Mission Directors of ABDM while the financial resources and overall guidance would be provided by NHA.
• An interfacing agency under this program will have an on-ground team to reach out to the healthcare providers in the area.
• Patients will be able to link the health records generated at these facilities with their Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHAs) and will be able to view and share these records using any ABDM-enabled Personal Health Record (PHR) application on their phones.

ANSWER: C

• The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), in collaboration with Generation India Foundation (GIF) and Amazon Web Services India Private Limited (AWS India) is providing ‘cloud’ skills training to 1,500 learners and connecting them to employment opportunities, under project AMBER.
• The initiative has been undertaken under the SANKALP programme of MSDE with a focus on women to improve gender diversification in the tech industry and underprivileged groups.
• The project is co-funded by MSDE (under the SANKALP program) and private philanthropy.
• It aims to train 30,000 youth, 50% of whom will be women.

WORKING

• Under this collaboration, the learners take part in AWS (re/Start), a workforce development program for unemployed and underemployed individuals, that covers fundamental AWS cloud skills as well as practical career tips
• Through real-world scenario-based exercises, labs, and coursework, learners are trained in multiple technologies, including Linux, Python, networking, security, and relational databases.
• The program also covers the cost for learners to take the AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification exam that
  • validates their cloud skills and knowledge and

connects the participants with job interview opportunities in cloud or IT with local employers.

ANSWER: A

• In a joint effort, the space agencies of India-ISRO and Japan-JAXA are embarking on the Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (LUPEX).
• This mission, slated for a 2025 launch, aims to assess the feasibility of establishing a lunar base, investigate the presence of water ice, and advance surface exploration technologies.
• JAXA will develop the rover and ISRO, the lander.
  • The rover will carry instruments of ISRO and JAXA alongwith those of the NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).

ANSWER: D

• In a bid to overhaul the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), the Ministry of Defence has formed a nine-member committee of experts.
• A report is expected from the committee within next three months.
• The committee will be chaired by Prof K Vijay Raghavan, the former Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India.

ANSWER: C

• In a historic decision, Ecuadorians voted against the oil drilling of a protected area in the Amazon that’s home to two uncontacted tribes and serves as a biodiversity hotspot.
• Around six in ten Ecuadorians rejected the oil exploration in Block 44, situated within Yasuni National Park, one of the world’s most biodiverse regions.
• The area is inhabited by the Tagaeri and Taromenani, who live in self-isolation.
• In 1989, Yasuni was designated a world biosphere reserve by the UNESCO.
• Encompassing a surface area of over 1 million hectares (2.5 million acres), it boasts 610 species of birds, 139 species of amphibians, and 121 species of reptiles.

ANSWER: A

• More than 200 ships are stuck on the either side of Panama Canal as due to the impact of climate change, the water levels have shrunk, leading to a traffic jam near it.
• The canal relies on rainwater to replenish its sources, but a lack of rain makes it difficult for ships to cross.
• Lake Gatun, one of the water bodies that supply the canal with water, has seen its depth falling to a seven-year low.
  • Gatun Lake is a freshwater artificial lake to the south of Colón, Panama.
• The Panama Canal, connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
• It enables ships to avoid the lengthy journey around Cape Horn which is located at the southern tip of South America.
• It connects nearly 2,000 ports in 170 countries.
• Panama is located on the isthmus connecting North and South America.