ALL EXAM QUIZ 02.01.2025

Explanation:

• Assam introduced Anti-Depredation Squads near Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Morigaon. Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is located in east of Guwahati, Assam.
• It was established in 1998 and spans 48.81 sq km. It is part of the Brahmaputra floodplains and includes Rajamayong and Pobitora Reserve Forests.
• The sanctuary is surrounded by small hills like Kasasila, Hatimuria, Boha, Kardia, Govardan, and Panbari. Pobitora has the highest density of Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros in India.
• It contributed to the Indian Rhinoceros Vision 2020 by translocating eight rhinos to Manas National Park.

Explanation:

• India will host the first-ever World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in February 2025.
• WAVES will cover the entire Media & Entertainment (M&E) industry, bringing together global leaders and innovators. It aims to unite industry leaders, stakeholders, and innovators to discuss challenges, promote trade, and shape the sector’s future.
• The summit will showcase India’s advancements in animation, gaming, entertainment technology, and cinema.
• WAVES-India aims to position India as a global M&E powerhouse by fostering creativity, innovation and investments.
• It focuses on building skilled workforce capacity and embracing technological advancements to strengthen India’s creative economy.

Explanation:

• Norovirus outbreaks in the United States (U.S.) have risen sharply, with 91 cases in early December, up from 69 in late November.
• Norovirus is a highly contagious virus causing gastroenteritis, also known as the “stomach flu” or “winter vomiting bug.”
• It affects people of all ages and spreads quickly through contaminated food, water, surfaces, or close contact. Noroviruses cause 90% of viral gastroenteritis outbreaks and nearly 50% of cases worldwide.
• People can get infected multiple times due to the variety of norovirus strains. Preventive measures focus on hygiene and proper food handling to limit its spread.

Explanation:

• China unveiled the CR450, the world’s fastest high-speed train, with test speeds of 450 km/h and a commercial speed of 400 km/h.
• It surpasses the CR400 Fuxing trains (350 km/h) and reflects breakthroughs in speed, energy efficiency, safety, and comfort.
• Developed through 200,000 km of tests, 3,000 simulations, and 2,000 platform tests.
• Features include water-cooled traction, high-stability bogies, and a 20% reduction in energy use. Enhances passenger comfort with noise reduction, spacious cabins, and storage for bicycles and wheelchairs.
• Aligns with China’s plan to expand its rail network to 70,000 km by 2035.

Explanation:

• The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) extended the deadline for the Vivad Se Vishwas scheme to January 31, 2025, from December 31, 2024. The scheme was announced in Union Budget 2023-24.
• The Vivad Se Vishwas scheme is modeled on the 2019 Sabka Vishwas Scheme for indirect taxes. It facilitates the settlement of disputed tax, interest, and penalties.
• The scheme also grants immunity from prosecution under the Income-tax Act for matters included in the declaration.

Explanation:

• RBI proposed lookup facility for NEFT, RTGS by April 1.
• The RBI proposed to introduce a lookup facility for beneficiary accounts in the Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) systems to prevent fraud.
• It will allow users to view and verify the name of the beneficiary before making a transaction.
• It is similar to the existing features in the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Immediate Payments Service (IMPS).
• At present, the sender cannot see the beneficiary's name before making a transaction through NEFT and RTGS.
• NPCI has been given this task for developing this facility and onboarding all banks for this facility in NEFT and RTGS.
• Under this new facility, the remitting and beneficiary banks will need to store data related to the lookup queries and responses.
• NPCI will not store any data related to the lookup queries.

Explanation:

• IIT Bombay has developed needle-free shock syringes for painless injections.
• IIT Bombay carried out test on rats and it performed better than traditional needles in many ways.
• The needle-free shock syringes have been developed for painless and safe drug delivery.
• A team from IIT Bombay has developed a shockwave based syringe that delivers medicine without piercing the skin with sharp needle.
• The newly developed syringe uses high-energy shockwaves to create a microjet of liquid drugs.
• This microjet moves at around twice the speed of a commercial aeroplane during takeoff, penetrates the skin quickly and softly.
• This new development has the capability to bring a revolution in vaccination campaigns and reduce risks of infections from needle injuries.

Explanation:

• Joint MD of Neuberg Diagnostics, Dr. Sandip Shah, is appointed as the chairperson of NABL.
• He served as the chair of the Medical Labs Accreditation Improvement Committee (MLAIC).

National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories

• NABL provides accreditation to Conformity Assessment Bodies (Laboratories) in India.
• It was established in 1988.
• Its headquarters is located in Gurugram.
• It is a constituent board of Quality Council of India. QCI is an autonomous body set up under DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• NABL celebrates World Accreditation Day (WAD) every year on 9 June.

Explanation:

• The "Balkan Blues" of Bosnia has been recognised by UNESCO.
• UNESCO's National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage now includes Sevdalinka.
• Bosnia and Herzegovina's traditional love ballad is called a sevdalinka. It is frequently called the Balkan Blues.
• It is a melancholic urban love song from the 16th century.
• It combines Ottoman music with oral poetry from the South Slavic people.
• A capella or traditional instruments like a lute are frequently used to accompany sevdalinka performances.
• Through performances at family get-togethers, it has been passed down from one generation to the next.

• Through his SevdahLab initiative, Imamovic helped garner support for the song's inclusion on UNESCO's World Heritage list.

Explanation:

• A study by the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore has shown that the Smart Cities Mission (SCM) has improved the quality of education through smart classrooms.
• Smart Cities Mission: It was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in 2015 and aims to enhance infrastructure, quality of life and sustainability in cities.
• The 'SAAR' (Smart Cities and Academia towards Action and Research) platform, launched in 2022, connects academia and government to document and research urban initiatives under SCM.
• SCM and Education: A study by IIM Bangalore shows that smart classrooms under SCM have led to a 22% increase in enrolment in 19 cities from 2015-16 to 2023-24.
• About 9,500 smart classrooms have been implemented in about 2,400 government schools across 71 cities.
• Karnataka leads with 80 smart classroom projects, followed by Rajasthan (53), Tamil Nadu (23) and Delhi (12). West Bengal has only two projects.
• Teacher training, especially in senior secondary schools, has improved comfort with smart classrooms.