Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 27 October 2021

Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 26 October 2021

Recently, a case of Zika Virus Disease (ZVD) has been reported from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

About:

Zika virus disease is a viral disease transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. Aedes mosquitoes usually bite during the day, peaking during early morning and late afternoon/evening.
This is the same mosquito that transmits dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. Zika virus was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in monkeys.
It was later identified in humans in 1952 in Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania.
Zika is also transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy, through sexual contact, transfusion of blood and blood products, and organ transplantation.

Symptoms:

A majority of those infected with Zika virus disease either remain asymptomatic (up to 80%) or show mild symptoms of fever, rash, conjunctivitis, body ache, joint pains.
Zika virus infection should be suspected in patients reporting with acute onset of fever, maculo-papular rash and arthralgia, among those individuals who travelled to areas with ongoing transmission during the two weeks preceding the onset of illness.

Treatment

There is no vaccine or drug available to prevent/treat Zika virus disease at present.

About:

This is honoured with the highest award in the field of cinema, recipients are recognized for their outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema.
Award comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, a shawl, and a cash prize of Rs. 10 lakh.
Instituted in 1969 when presented to Devika Rani, the Award was introduced to commemorateDadasaheb Phalke's contribution to Indian cinema.
Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, popularly known as Dadasaheb Phalke, directed India's first full-length feature film. Raja Harishchandra in 1913.

The report is a collaborative product of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and otherUnited Nations agencies.

About:

It highlights lessons for climate action in Asia and identifies pathways for addressing critical gaps and challenges.
According to the report,the carbon dioxide levels surged to 413.2 parts per million in 2020,rising more than the average rate over the last decade despite a temporary dip in emissions duringCOVID-19 lockdowns.
WMO is a specialized agency of the UN with a mandate in the areas of meteorology, operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences.

Key messages

Temperatures: Asia had its warmest year on record in 2020, with the mean temperature 1.39°C above the 1981–2010 average. There were many notable heat extremes, including a temperature of 38.0°Cat Verkhoyansk, Russian Federation, provisionally the highest known temperature anywhere north of the Arctic Circle.
Precipitation: The East Asian and South Asian summer monsoons were both unusually active, This, combined with frequent tropical cyclones, caused floods and landslides, leading to loss of life and displacement in many countries.
Ocean warmth: Sea-surface temperature changes and ocean heat directly affect the ocean-atmosphere coupling and thus regional and global circulation, as well as marine life.

Barbados has elected its first President, a key step in preparations to become a republic and remove Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II as head of state of the Caribbean island.

About:

Sandra Mason, the current governor-general, is set to be sworn in as President on November 30, the country's 55th anniversary of independence from Britain.
In September 2020, Ms. Mason, 72, announced the break with Britain, saying “the time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind.”

Key information:

Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands.
Its capital and largest city is Bridgetown.
It is at roughly 13°N of the equator.
Barbados lies on the boundary of the South American and the Caribbean Plates.

The Union Minister for Power and renewable energy launched Green Day Ahead Market (GDAM) portal.

About:

It will enable electricity generation and distribution companies to buy or sell renewable energy through open access, the ministry of power said in a statement.
The development assumes significance as India has set a target to have a 450 GW capacity of pure renewable energy by 2030.
At present, India has an installed renewable energy capacity of 147 GW, including hydro power, and another 63 GW is under installation through various projects.
The move is also aimed at reducing the country’s dependence on imported sources of fossil fuels.
The GDAM will operate in an integrated way with the conventional day-ahead market (DAM) in the power sector.
It will allow market participants to submit bids together for both conventional and renewable energy through separate bidding windows.

In view of a much needed solution for providing effective long range Marine communication, the Radio over InternetProtocol (ROIP) System at Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMP, Kolkata), was inaugurated last evening.
ROIP system is being introduced as a marine communication mode, for the first time in any Major Indian Port.
It shall cover the entire Hugli River Estuary from Kolkata to Sandheads, having base stations at 4 Locations.
With this facility, vessels at Sandheads can be directly communicated via Radio, from Kolkata, specially during storms and inclement weather.