Current Affairs Quiz: 11th November 2020

1. (a)

Explanation:

• Using mRNA as a medicine is a fundamentally different approach in drug therapy.
• Unlike the traditional pharmaceuticals which are small therapeutic molecules or the traditional biologics (recombinant proteins and monoclonal antibodies), mRNA medicines are sets of instructions. These instructions direct cells in the body to make proteins to prevent or fight disease.
• Despite the numerous advantages offered by mRNA technology-based vaccine development strategy, there are still no commercially available m-RNA based vaccines to accurately predict the efficacy of mRNA technology-based vaccines.

2. (a)

Explanation:

• The Union Ministry of Textiles has launched a campaign for Diwali- “Local4Diwali”.
• Aim:
• The main aim of the #Local4Diwali campaign is to urge people to buy and gift Indian handicraft products on this Diwali.
• The basic aim of the campaign is to give a boost to Indian handicrafts and artisans.

3. (d)

Explanation

• Recently, the Minister for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises gave information about the Solar Charkha Mission in Lok Sabha.

• The Solar Charkha Mission is an enterprise driven scheme and envisages setting up of Solar Charkha Clusters which will have 200 to 2042 beneficiaries (Spinners, Weavers, Stitchers and other skilled artisans).

• The Solar Charkha Mission is a Ministry of Micro Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) initiative launched during June 2018.

4. (d)

Explanation:

• Navroz is the new year celebrations for Parsis (Zoroastrians). It is celebrated on 21st March every year.

• In 1079 AD, a Persian (Iranian) king named Jalaluddin Malekshah introduced this festival to generate revenue and collect taxes from people.

• It was observed on March 21 to mark the beginning of spring and the day of equinox.

• The equinoxes are the only time when both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere experience roughly equal amounts of daytime and nighttime.

• The equinoxes happen in March (about March 21) and September (about September 23). 

• These are the days when the Sun is exactly above the Equator, which makes day and night of equal length.

• March equinox is also known as vernal or spring equinox and the September equinox is also known as autumnal or fall equinox.

• It is inscribed in the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of India.

5. (d)

Knowledge Base:

• The Vienna conference was the first global conference on the depletion of the ozone layer, held in Vienna, Austria in 1985. 
• It was held after a hole as large as the size of the US was discovered in the ozone layer. At this conference, Vienna convention for the protection of the Ozone layer was agreed.