Answer: B

India will participate in U.S.A’s “Summit for Democracy” to be held on 9th and 10th December.

About:

• More than 100 democratic countries are invited to participate at the summit.
• The summit is expected to include “individual and collective commitments to defend democracy and human rights at the international level.

Key themes: “Defending against authoritarianism”, “Addressing and fighting corruption”, and “Advancing respect for human rights”.

• An attempt was earlier made by the U.S. and the U.K. to expand the G-7 meeting into a “D-10” or group of 10 democracies that would represent 60% of the global population, including Australia, India and South Korea, along with the G-7 group.
  • The Group of Seven (G7) is an inter-governmental political forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Answer: A

Recently, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology launched the first of its kind, the world’s most sophisticated MRI facility at the National Brain Research Centre (NBRC), Manesar Haryana.

• NBRC is an autonomous institute funded by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India.

About new MRI facility

• With this facility, India embarks on new frontiers of human Neuroscience 
• This new facility can run intense scanning modalities very fast, which reduces the scanning time for patients 
• It can detect and quantify highly sensitive receptors and antioxidants from the brain which has a direct link with the onset of various brain disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and psychiatric disorders. 
• Also, heavy metal deposition in the brain due to pollution or many other factors can be quantified as necessary 

What is Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)?

• MRI is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body. 
• MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio waves to generate images of the organs in the body.
• MRI is the most frequently used imaging test of the brain and spinal cord.

Answer: C

Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) scheme for provisioning of 4G-based mobile services in uncovered villages of aspirational districts across five states — Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Odisha.

• NITI Aayog’s Aspirational Districts programme aims to quickly and effectively transform 112 most under-developed districts across the country.

About:

• It envisages providing 4G based mobile services in the 7,287 uncovered villages of 44 Aspirational Districts across five States. It would be funded by the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF).
• It will enhance digital connectivity useful for self-reliance, facilitate learning, dissemination of information and knowledge, skill up-gradation and development, disaster management, e-Governance initiatives, the establishment of enterprises & e-commerce facilities, etc.
• It seeks to fulfil the vision of Digital India promoting domestic manufacturing and fulfilling the objectives of Atmanirbhar Bharat etc.

Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF):

About:

• USOF ensures that there is universal non-discriminatory access to quality ICT (Information and Communications Technology) services at economically efficient prices to people in rural and remote areas.
• It was created under the Ministry of Communications in 2002.
• It is a non-lapsable fund, i.e., the unspent amount under a targeted financial year does not lapse and is accrued for next years’ spending.
• All credits to this fund require parliamentary approval and it has statutory support under Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Act, 2003.

Objectives:

• Economic: Network extension & stimulate uptake of the ICT services
• Social: Mainstreaming the underserved & un-served areas/groups by bridging the Access Gap.
• Political: to enable citizens to exercise their political rights in an informed way and
• Constitutional: Equitable distribution of the fruits of the telecom/digital revolution and fair allocation of national resources (pooled USO levy) via targeted subsidies.

Significance:

• The rural areas get the Village Public Telephones (VPTs), Rural Community Phones (RCPs), Rural Household Telephones (RDELs), and mobile infrastructure.
• With access to affordable telecom services in remote and rural areas, it can help stemming urban migration and ensure generating employment opportunities in the rural areas.
• The increased awareness of ICT services in the rural areas and growing participation of the rural people will help promote facilities related to health, education etc.
• It can ensure the growth of Rural Business Process Outsourcing (BPOs-Rural) and Rural Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPOs-Rural.)
• USOF is also perceived as the right tool to extend the benefits of the government schemes aimed at the social development of the rural population.

Answer: D

Pratham, a civil society organisation dedicated to improving the quality of education among underprivileged children in India and across the world, has been selected for the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2021.

• The 2021 Prize is awarded to Pratham for its pioneering work over more than 25 years 
  • in seeking to ensure that every child has access to quality education
  • for its innovative use of digital technology to deliver education
  • for its programmes to provide skills to young adults 
  • for its timely response in enabling children to learn during the COVID-19 related school closures

About Indira Gandhi Prize

• The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development, is the prestigious award accorded annually by Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.
• It is given to individuals or organisations in recognition of creative efforts toward promoting international peace, development and a new international economic order.
• The prize carries a cash award of 2.5 million INR and a citation. 
• The panel consists of prominent national and international personalities including previous recipients.

Answer: B

• The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind visited Sui village in the Bhiwani district of Haryana, to inaugurate various public facilities in the village.
• This village is being developed as Adarsh Gram (Model village) by Mahadevi Parameshwaridas Jindal Charitable Trust under the Swa-Prerit Adarsh Gram Yojana (SPAGY) scheme of the Haryana Government.
• The President and his wife Savita Kovind planted a peepal tree at Sui village.
• The Jindal trust has undertaken developmental works of over Rs 25 crore to transform Sui into an ADARSH VILLAGE.
• It must be noted that Bhiwani is the first district in India where two Presidents have visited. Prior to this President APJ Abdul Kalam visited Bhiwani in 2007.
• The village is being developed as ‘Adarsh gram’ by the Mahadevi Parameshwaridas Jindal Charitable Trust under the Haryana government’s Swa-Prerit Adarsh Gram Yojana (SPAGY).

Answer: D

• World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) is celebrated every year from 18-24 November.
• The purpose of the week is to increase awareness of global antimicrobial resistance, encourage best practices among the general public, health workers and policymakers to avoid the further emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections.
• World Antimicrobial Awareness Week Theme 2021 is Spread Awareness, Stop Resistance. The theme calls on One Health stakeholders, policymakers, health care providers, and the general public to be Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness champions.
• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been declared as one of the top 10 global health threats by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Answer: C

• Veteran author, football journalist and sports commentator Novy Kapadia has passed away due to health complications. He was often called  ‘the voice of Indian football’.
• The noted commentator had covered nine FIFA World Cups, as well as Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. As an author, Kapadia had written books like Barefoot to Boots, The Many Lives Of Indian Football among others.

Answer: A

• The Border Roads Organisation has received the Guinness World Record for constructing & blacktopping the world highest motorable road passing through the 19,024 feet 0.73 inches (5798.251m) high Umlingla Pass in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
• The 52-kilometre long Chisumle to Demchok tarmac road was developed under Project HIMANK (93RCC/753 BRTF) of BRO. Lieutenant General Rajeev Chaudhry, Director General Border Roads, received the Guinness World Records certificate.

Answer: D

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has delivered the keynote address at The Sydney Dialogue, via video conferencing. PM addressed the event on the theme ‘India’s technology evolution and revolution’.
• The Sydney Dialogue has been organised by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. The event will bring together political, business and government leaders to debate, generate new ideas and work towards common understandings of the opportunities and challenges posed by emerging and critical technologies.
• The Sydney Dialogue is an annual summit of cyber and critical technologies to discuss the fallout of the digital domain on the law and order situation in the world.