ANSWER: C

ANSWER: D

ANSWER: D

ANSWER: B

• Ministry of Communications launched a Citizen Centric Portal named Sanchar Saathi Portal to fulfill vision of safe and secure communication under Digital India programme.
• Through this portal, people will be able to block, track and check genuineness of a used device before buying them.
• The portal has been developed by C-DoT under the Department of Tele-communications (DoT).
• It will enable citizen with following 3 modules–
  • CEIR (Central Equipment Identity Register): It enables the tracking and blocking of lost or stolen phones anywhere in the country.
  • Know your mobile connections: It allows users to check the number of mobile connections issued in their name by logging in using their mobile number.
  • ASTR (Artificial Intelligence and Facial Recognition) powered Solution for Telecom SIM Subscriber Verification) – to identify fraudulent subscribers.
• The portal and its reforms aim to enhance transparency, security, and accountability in the telecom sector.

ANSWER: A

• Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has launched “Meri LiFE” app to encourage and facilitate youth participation in combating climate change.
  • “LiFE” stands for Lifestyle for environment
• It aims to showcase the power of citizens, especially young people, in saving the environment by emphasizing the impact of simple actions in daily lives.
• App has 5 themes– Save Energy, Save Water, Reduce Single Use Plastic, Adopt Sustainable Food Systems and Adopt Healthy Lifestyle.
• MoEF&CC has developed two dedicated portals i.–
  • Mission LiFE Portal provides open access to over 100 creative videos, and knowledge materials created by Ministry.
  • Meri LiFE Portal enables ministries and institutions to upload event reports and track progress of ongoing mass mobilisation drive.

ABOUT MISSION LIFE

• The idea of LiFE was introduced by the Indian Prime Minister during the 26^th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow in November 2021.
• The LiFE Movement aims to utilize the power of collective action and nudge individuals across the world to undertake simple climate-friendly actions in their daily lives.
• Additionally, it also seeks to leverage the strength of social networks to influence social norms surrounding climate.
• The Mission plans to create and nurture a global network of individuals, namely ‘Pro-Planet People’ (P3).

ANSWER: C

• IAS Ravneet Kaur has become the first woman chairperson of CCI.

ABOUT COMPETITION COMMISSION OF INDIA

• CCI was established by Central Government in 2003 as a statutory body under Competition Act, 2002.
• The Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1969 (MRTP Act) was repealed and replaced by the Competition Act, 2002, on the recommendations of the Raghavan committee.
• HQ –New Delhi
• It aims to eliminate practices having adverse effects on competition, promote and sustain competition, protect interests of consumers and ensure freedom of trade in markets of India.
• CCI consists of a Chairperson and 6 Members appointed by Central Government.
• It is an affiliated office with Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

ANSWER: D

• ‘Incentivising the Development of New Antibacterial Treatments 2023’ Report was recently released by World Health Organization (WHO) in partnership with Global AMR R&D Hub.

ABOUT ANTI-MICROBIAL RESISTANCE

• AMR occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi become resistant to antimicrobial treatments to which they were previously susceptible.
• Reasons of increasing AMR:
  • Improper consumption of antibiotics due to lack of awareness;
  • Excessive use of antibiotics in livestock and poultry farming
  • Contamination around pharmaceutical manufacturing sites releasing large amounts of active antimicrobials into the environment

Major findings

• AMR is among top 10 global public health threats that humanity faces, associated with deaths of 4.95 million people in 2019.
• 1 in 5 of deaths caused by AMR occurred in children under age of 5.
• AMR could cost the world’s economy USD 100 trillion by 2050, if no action is taken.

ANSWER: D

• Chicago University economist and Nobel laureate Robert E Lucas, 85, passed away recently.
• He won the Nobel Prize in 1995 for his work on rational expectations and efficacy of government intervention in economy.
• He argued that if people are rational, which is assumed in microeconomics, then government intervention will only have an impact on prices and inflation if it is unexpected or unpredictable.
• Otherwise, people adjust their expectations for future inflation as soon as policy is announced and it then has no impact on prices as well as the inflation.
• His research was seen as a direct confrontation with Keynesian economics, which said that with other factors constant, government spending can lead to a rise in output.

ANSWER: C

• World Hypertension Day 2023 was observed on May 17^th.
• This annual event aims to raise awareness about hypertension, its causes, and the importance of prevention and management.
• Theme- ‘Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer.’

ANSWER: B

• International Museum Day is celebrated on May 18^th.
• The theme for this year’s International Museum Day is “Museums, Sustainability and Well-being”.
• Museums can contribute to goals of sustainability and wellbeing by gathering, conserving, and showcasing artifacts that narrate the history of our planet and its diverse life forms.

ANSWER: A

• A centre for research on extended reality (XR) and artificial intelligence (AI) was inaugurated at Shoolini University
• The students would have an opportunity to work on live, cutting-edge projects during their course of study through collaborations with industry partners.