Daily Current Affairs and GK | 10 February 2023

Topic: Biotechnology and Diseases

1. Rise of antimicrobial resistance could lead to 10 million deaths annually by 2050.

• UNEP has recently released the ‘Bracing for Superbugs: strengthening environmental action in the One Health response to antimicrobial resistance’ report at the sixth meeting of the Global Leaders Group on AMR.
• As per United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report, the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) could result in 10 million deaths annually by 2050.
• Antimicrobial resistance threat could push 24 million more people into extreme poverty. The loss due to Antimicrobial resistance could be $3.4 trillion of GDP annually by 2030.
• Antibiotic resistance occurs when disease-causing microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites adapt to antimicrobial drugs due to continuous exposure.
• UNEP report said that Superbugs bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics.
• The increased use of antimicrobials has developed resistance both in humans and the environment.
• Pollution reduction in many key sectors like pharmaceuticals, agriculture and healthcare is important to stop the transmission and spread of superbugs.
• Antibiotic resistance is among the top 10 threats to global health.
• As per the report, in 2019, 1.27 million deaths occurred due to direct drug-resistant infections while 4.95 million people died due to bacterial AMR.
• The implementation of comprehensive and coordinated environmental action will help in reducing the risk and burden of AMR on societies.

Topic: Indian Polity

2. Two High Court chief justices have been appointed as judges of the Supreme Court.

• One of them is Justice Rajesh Bindal, who is the incumbent Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court.
• Another is Justice Aravind Kumar, who is the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court.
• With this, the number of judges in the Supreme Court has increased to a maximum of 34. This number includes the Chief Justice of India also.
• Supreme Court Collegium had recommended the names of these two judges on 31 January.
• On 6 February, CJI D Y Chandrachud administered an oath to five new Supreme Court judges.
• In 2019, the number of Supreme Court judges was increased from 31 to 34, including the Chief Justice of India.

Topic: Banking System

3. MobiKwik has become the first fintech app to support RuPay Credit Cards on UPI.

• Customers of MobiKwik can now quickly make payments to merchants by scanning the UPI QR code and using the UPI PIN for payment authentication.
• This feature provides a smooth and safe payment experience for customers of MobiKwik.
• Additionally, it gives Indian businesses the chance to participate in the credit ecosystem by accepting credit cards via QR codes without the use of point-of-sale terminals.
• The new feature will follow the current standard transaction limits for UPI.
• MobiKwik is a Gurgaon-based Indian payment service provider. It was founded in 2009. Its founders are Bipin Preet Singh and Upasana Taku.

Topic: Important Days

4. World Pulses Day 2023: 10 February

• World Pulses Day is celebrated every year to increase awareness about the nutritional and environmental benefits of pulses.
• The theme for World Pulses Day 2023 is ‘Pulses for a Sustainable Future’.
• 10 February was proclaimed as World Pulses Day by UN General Assembly in 2019.
• Burkina Faso had proposed this day in General Assembly. It is a landlocked country in West Africa.
• UN General Assembly announced 2016 as the International Year of Pulses.
• Pulses are also called legumes. They are considered global foods. They are grown in almost every country.
• Pulses are a rich source of protein. They are low in fat. They are rich in soluble fiber.
• They can lower cholesterol and help in controlling blood sugar. They help combat obesity.
• They help in management of non-communicable diseases like diabetes. Their nitrogen-fixing properties improve soil fertility.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

5. A two-day Urban-20 City Sherpas meeting was held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on 9 February.

• The purpose of the meeting was to focus on fostering solidarity between cities to find common solutions that are in line with the overall objectives of the G20.
• It is the third of the G20 events being held in Gujarat as part of India's presidency of the Group of 20.
• The U20 is one of the G20's engagement groups.
• It provides a forum for cities in the G20 countries to discuss and propose collective solutions to key urban development issues, such as climate change, social inclusion, sustainable mobility and affordable housing.
• The U20 highlights six priority areas – eco-friendly behaviour, water security, climate finance, local identity, urban planning and governance, and digitization of urban facilities.
• More than 30 international cities are participating in this two-day event to discuss the sustainable development of cities.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Space and IT

6. The second developmental flight of SSLV-D2 successfully launched by ISRO from Sriharikota.

• On February 10, the second developmental flight of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV-D2) has been successfully launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• The SSLV rocket carrying three satellites - EOS-07, Janus-1 and AzaadiSat-2 lifts off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
• The 120-tonne weighing 34-metre tall SSLV-D2 lifted off from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
• The three staged SSLV-D2 powered by solid fuel also has a velocity trimming module powered by liquid fuel for precise injection of satellites.
• EOS-07 is a 156.3 kg satellite designed, developed and manufactured by ISRO.
• Janus-1, a 10.2 kg satellite, belongs to Antaris of the US. Janus-1 is a smart satellite mission based on the Antaris software platform.
• The 8.7 kg satellite Azadisat-2 is a joint effort of about 750 girl students from across India guided by Space Kids India, Chennai.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

7. PM Modi inaugurated Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit 2023 in Lucknow.

• He also inaugurated Global Trade Show and launched Invest UP 2.0.
• Global Investors Summit brings together policymakers, industry leaders, think tanks, and leaders from across the world to explore business opportunities and forge partnerships.
• Around 10,000 delegates are expected to attend the three-day summit.
• They include more than 400 participants from 41 countries and diplomats from 10 partner countries along with CEOs of leading companies.
• It is the flagship investment summit of the Government of Uttar Pradesh.
• First time, district-level investor summits were organized to attract local businessmen and entrepreneurs.
• Barabanki was the first district to organize a district-level investor summit.
• Jhansi came in first position. It brought in an investment of Rs 1.84 lakh crore, the highest among districts.
• Kanpur came in second position. Lucknow came in third position with investments of Rs 56,299 crore. 

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: State News/Jammu and Kashmir

8. Lithium reserves have been discovered during exploration by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district.

• 5.9 million tonnes of Lithium reserves have been discovered for the first time in the country in Jammu and Kashmir.
• In the Salal-Haimana area of the Reasi District of Jammu & Kashmir, the Geological Survey of India has for the first time discovered lithium inferred resources (G3) of 5.9 million tonnes.
• During the 62nd Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) meeting, this report and 15 other resource-bearing geological reports (G2 & G3 stage) and 35 Geological memorandums were handed over to respective state governments.
• Out of these 51 mineral blocks, 5 blocks pertain to gold and other blocks pertain to commodities like potash, molybdenum, base metals, etc.
• These are spread across 11 states of Jammu & Kashmir (UT), Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana.
• Lithium is a non-ferrous metal. It is one of the key components of electric vehicle batteries.
• The Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) is an important platform of the Geological Survey of India (GSI), Ministry of Mines.
• Geological Survey of India (GSI):
  • It was established in 1851. Its headquarters is located in Kolkata. GSI is an attached office to the Ministry of Mines.
  • It has six regional offices located in Lucknow, Jaipur, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Shillong and Kolkata.

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

9. India’s accreditation system is in the fifth spot in the world.

• India’s national accreditation system under the Quality Council of India (QCI) is in the fifth spot in the recent Global Quality Infrastructure Index (GQII) 2021.
• Global Quality Infrastructure Index (GQII) gives a ranking to 184 economies based on the quality infrastructure (QI).
• In 2020, India was ranked ninth in the world in accreditation.
• India's overall QI system continues to be ranked 10th in the world. India is in 9th position in the standardization system and 21st in the world in the metrology system (under NPL-CSIR).
• The ranking of 2021 is based on the data till the end of December 2021.
• GQII rankings are published each year based on the data collected till the end of that year.
• The GQII measures growth by comparing the QIs of countries. A formula calculates scores for each country based on its position in the sub-rankings for metrology, standards and accreditation.
• The Top 25 QI systems are mainly located in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.
• Germany is in the top spot in the GQII rank while China and the United States are in the second and third spots.
• The National Accreditation System as per international standards in India is established by the Quality Council of India (QCI).

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Science and Technology

10. Israel launched sniffing robot to detect diseases and improve security checks.

• Scientists of Israel have created a sniffing robot equipped with a biological sensor.
• The robot uses the antennae of locusts to diagnose disease and improve security checks.
• The use of antennae of locusts has made it more sensitive than existing electronic sniffers.
• The scientists have placed the locust’s antenna between two electrodes that send the signal to identify the odour.
• The robot can detect different types of scents with machine learning.
• Each scent has a unique signature which, with machine learning, the robot's electronic system can identify.
• Scientists are trying to understand that how some animals detect disease by smell.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

11. The prestigious "Raja Ram Mohan Roy National Award" will be given to the Veteran Journalist Dr ABK Prasad.

• He has been selected for the prestigious "Raja Ram Mohan Roy National Award for Excellence in Journalism-2020" for his outstanding contribution in the field of journalism.
• Dr. Annie Bhavani Koteswara Prasad's journalistic career spans over 75 years and he has the unique honor of being the editor of all the mainstream magazines of Andhra Pradesh.
• He has also served as the Chairman of the Official Language Commission in United Andhra Pradesh from 2004 to 2009.
• On February 28, 2023, the award will be presented to him in New Delhi.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

12. Mission Antyodaya Survey (MAS) 2022-23 has been inaugurated by Shri Giriraj Singh on 9 February.

• Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Shri Giriraj Singh inaugurated the Mission Antyodaya Survekshan (MAS) 2022-23 at a function in New Delhi, which also included the launch of its portal and mobile application.
• The Rural Development Department is conducting Mission Antyodaya survey in all the Gram Panchayats of India since 2017-18.
• The objective of this survey is to assess the outcomes of change in lives and livelihood of the people through convergence of different schemes.
• The aim of the survey is to increase participation in the process of participatory planning for Gram Panchayat Development Planning.
• The survey will improve the delivery of services, enhance citizenship, create pace for an alliance of people’s institutions, and groups and better governance at the local level.
• The village-wise survey is expected to be conducted over a period of one month involving Community Resource Persons (CRPs).
• The purpose of the survey is to collect data at the village level on 183 indicators under 216 data points of 21 sectors.
• Survey questions are classified into five levels:
  • Panchayat Infrastructure
  • Panchayat Services
  • Village Infrastructure
  • Village Services
  • Village Practices

Topic: Biotechnology and Diseases

13. Deaths of 585 sea lions were reported by Peru.

• Peru has reported deaths of 585 sea lions and 55,000 wild bird owing to H5N1virus.
• Avian Influenza or bird flu:
  • It refers to the disease caused by infection with avian influenza Type A virus subtypes- H5N1 and H9N2.
  • These viruses spread among wild aquatic bird naturally and can infect domestic poultry and other bird and animal species.
  • The virus normally does not infect humans. Human infections are acquired through direct contact with infected animals.
  • Most of the human cases of influenza A (H5N1) and A(H7N9) virus infection have been associated with direct or indirect contact with infected live or dead poultry.
  • Avian influenza infection in humans can cause mild upper respiratory infection to rapid progression to severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, shock and even death.

Topic: State News/ Tamil Nadu

14. Tamil Nadu’s proposed Pen Monument is expected to become a Chennai landmark on completion.

• In 2022, the government of Tamil Nadu proposed 81 crore ‘Muthamizh Arignar Dr Kalaignar Pen Monument’ in the Bay of Bengal 360m from the Tamil Nadu coast.
• The proposed monument off Marina Beach falls under Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZ) IA, II, and IVA. It requires clearance under Section 4(ii)(j) of the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification 2011 (amended up to March 2016).
• The monument will represent Tamil culture and architecture. It will incorporate regional motifs, architecture and designs.
• The Pen memorial is a tribute to Karunanidhi who was one of the most influential personality in Tamil Nadu and Dravidian politics.
• Karunanidhi was the President of the DMK from 1969 to 2018 and served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for 5 terms between 1969 and 2011.
• The memorial is in the shape of a pen that represents contributions of Karunanidhi to Iyal (poetry and literature), Isai (music) and Naadagam (theatre). Iyal, Isai and Naadagam are three fundamental pillars of both ancient and contemporary Tamil.
• The monument is designed based on the Veena. It will be 42 metres tall and 2.60 m in diameter. It will be accessible by a lattice bridge from the existing Karunanidhi memorial on Marina beach.  
• 290m of the 650m long bridge will be above land and the remaining part will be above water.