International Day of Epidemic Preparedness
International Day of Epidemic Preparedness on December 27 serves the purpose of creating awareness about epidemics. The truth is, the world has been infected by numerous epidemics in history. However, mankind still managed to survive by finding ways to curb the spread of viruses.
Bomb Cyclone
- A bomb cyclone is an extra-tropical weather phenomenon that develops through a process called bombogenesis.
- It is a pressure system that develops upon contact between a warm air mass or a low-pressure air mass and a cold air mass or a high-pressure air mass.
- A low-pressure system is said to be a bomb cyclone if its pressure drops by 24 millibars within 24 hours.
- The pressure gradient between the two air masses causes the winds to intensify. The Earth’s rotation causes the winds to blow in a cyclonic manner.
- For instance, in the Northern Hemisphere, the winds blow in a counter-clockwise direction due to the Coriolis effect i.e. deflection caused by the planet’s rotation.
Zelensky’s 10-Point Peace Plan
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressing his willingness to come to the negotiating table, Zelenskyy’s plan focuses on various key areas, including nuclear and energy security, food security, the release of prisoners of war and deported persons, the implementation of the UN Charter and the restoration of territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops and the end of hostilities, justice and reparations, and counteracting ecocide.
The Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) Bill, 2022
- The Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) Bill, 2022 is applicable to the Urban Mobility Region of Bengaluru.
- The Bill was launched to regulate the development, operation, maintenance, monitoring and supervision of urban mobility within Bengaluru.
- It aims to create a comprehensive mobility plan for the gridlocked city by adopting sustainable urban transport models.
- It also aims to regulate the travel demand in the Urban Mobility Region through measures like congestion parking, parking regulations, tolling, special purpose lanes etc.
- It also seeks to address the overlapping functions and responsibilities of different government institutions and departments related to transport in Bengaluru. Such overlaps are hindering the process of planning and implementation of major transportation schemes.
GNB1 Encephalopathy Disease
- GNB1 Encephalopathy is a rare genetic brain disease caused due to mutations in the GNB1 gene
- This genetic disorder affects individuals in the foetus stage, with the earliest symptoms being delayed physical and mental development, intellectual disabilities, epilepsy (abnormal brain activity), movement problems and frequent epileptic seizures.
- Individuals having this genetic disorder will experience seizures due to the abnormal activity of ion channels or neurotransmitter receptors.
- It is caused by the mutation of a single nucleotide in the GNB1 gene that makes one of the G-proteins called Gβ1 protein.
IMF’s World Economic Outlook
- IMF has cut its FY23 growth forecast for India by 60 basis points from its July projection of 7.4 percent to 6.8 percent. This is the steepest cut made by the multilateral body for any major economy other than the US.
- The IMF’s current move follows the World Bank’s slashing of its FY2023 growth projection for India from the earlier prediction of 7.5 percent to 6.5 percent. Several other agencies have also slashed India’s GDP forecast in the recent weeks, including the RBI.
- The recent prediction of the IMF reflects “a weaker-than-expected outturn” in the June quarter, a severe fall in external demand and tightening of interest rates by key central banks.
Power Ministry and DRDO Sign MoU for Early Warning System
The Union Ministry of Power and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up early warning systems for vulnerable hydro projects or power stations in the hilly regions.
CEBR Forecast on the Indian Economy
- The “World Economic League Table” is an annual publication of the CEBR.
- This report tracks the macroeconomic trends at the global and national levels.
- It presents economic forecasts for 191 countries until 2037.
- The latest edition of the report had warned of an imminent global recession.
RBI’s Revised Bank Locker Rules
The revised bank locker rules were released by the RBI on August 2021. All the existing locker depositors are required to provide proof of eligibility to access renewed locker arrangements.
Project Vaani
Project Vaani will be implemented jointly by the Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc), ARTPARK (AI and Robotics Technology Park), and Google to gather speech data from across India for the creation of an AI-based language model that can understand diverse Indian languages and dialects.
