10 PM Current Affairs Quiz: January 3, 2021

Statement 1 is incorrect. GHTC–India stands for Global Housing Technology Challenge – India, an initiative by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Govt. of India.
Statement 2 is correct. It aims to identify, evaluate and shortlist a basket of proven & potential innovative technologies from across the globe and subsequently mainstream them in Indian construction sector that are sustainable, green, disaster resilient.
Such technologies would be cost effective, faster and ensure a higher quality of construction of houses, suiting to diverse geo-climatic conditions of India and desired structural & functional needs.
# Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of Light House Projects (LHPs) under Global Housing Technology Challenge-India (GHTC-India) at six sites across six States on 1st January 2021.

The World Health Organization (WHO) today listed the Comirnaty COVID-19 mRNA vaccine for emergency use, making the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine the first to receive emergency validation from WHO since the outbreak began a year ago.
The WHO’s Emergency Use Listing (EUL) opens the door for countries to expedite their own regulatory approval processes to import and administer the vaccine. It also enables UNICEF and the Pan-American Health Organization to procure the vaccine for distribution to countries in need.
The Comirnaty vaccine requires storage using an ultra-cold chain; it needs to be stored at -60°C to -90°C degrees. This requirement makes the vaccine more challenging to deploy in settings where ultra-cold chain equipment may not be available or reliably accessible. For that reason, WHO is working to support countries in assessing their delivery plans and preparing for use where possible.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The Thirty Metre Telescope is proposed to be sited on top of the Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Project is expected to be completed in the early 2030s.
Statement 2 is correct. The Thirty-meter telescope (TMT) project is an international partnership between CalTech, Universities of California, Canada, Japan, China, and India; through the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).
The “Thirty Meter” in TMT refers to the 30-meter diameter of the main mirror or the primary mirror. Since making a single 30-m glass blank for astronomy is not possible, it comprises 492 segments of 1.45-m each. The complex project involves making all the 492 segments to act as one single mirror of 30-m diameter while the telescope is tracking the sky with extreme precision.
India’s contribution relates to the software, electronics and hardware to control the 492 segments behave as a single mirror within a few nanometers. More than a dozen industries are involved in making these very precision systems.

Brachytherapy is a type of radiation therapy used to treat cancer. It places radioactive sources inside the patient to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. A small radioactive material called a source is put into your body, inside or close to the cancer.
There are different types of radioactive sources (also called implants) such as seeds, wires or discs. They deliver radiotherapy to the area, destroying the cancer cells. Healthy tissue near to the cancer gets a lot less radiation.
# Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Mumbai has developed Eye Cancer therapy in the form of the first indigenous Ruthenium 106 Plaque for treatment of Ocular Tumours.

Statement 1 is correct. Random numbers have essential roles in many fields, such as Quantum Communication, cryptography (key generation, key wrapping, authentication etc.), scientific simulations, lotteries and fundamental physics experiments. Cryptography requires numbers that attackers can’t guess.
The generation of genuine randomness is generally considered impossible with classical means.
Statement 2 is incorrect. DRDO Young Scientist Laboratory for Quantum Technologies (DYSL-QT) has developed a Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) which detects random quantum events and converts those into a stream of binary digits.
The Laboratory has developed a fiber-optic branch path based QRNG. Branch path based QRNG is based on the principle that if a single photon is incident on a balanced beam splitter, it will take either of the beam-splitter output paths randomly. As the path chosen by photon is random, the randomness is translated to sequence of bits.

Statement 1 is correct. Alpha Centauri star system, a triple system, is the nearest star system to our sun. Of the three stars in Alpha Centauri, Proxima is thought to be the one actually closest to our sun, at 4.22 light-years away.
Statement 2 is correct. Breakthrough Listen project, started by the legendary physicist Stephen Hawking, regularly spot blasts of radio waves using two powerful telescopes– the Parkes Observatory in Australia or the Green Bank Observatory in the US.
BLC1 (Breakthrough Listen Candidate 1) is a candidate SETI radio signal announced in December 2020, possibly coming from the star Proxima Centauri. and an apparent shift in its frequency is consistent with the Doppler effect caused by the movement of Proxima b, a planet of Proxima Centauri.

Both statements are correct.
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that can cause mild to severe illness in people of all ages. It causes the air sacs, or alveoli, of the lungs to fill up with fluid or pus. Bacteria, viruses, or fungi may cause pneumonia. Symptoms can range from mild to serious and may include a cough with or without mucus (a slimy substance), fever, chills, and trouble breathing.
# Some patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have had pneumonia.

Monpa people are of Mongoloid descent and live in the regions of Tawang and West Kameng in Arunachal Pradesh.
The art of making Monpa handmade paper originated over 1000 years ago. Gradually the art became an integral part of local custom and culture in Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. Once produced in every household in Tawang, this handmade paper was a major source of livelihood for the locals.
However, the handmade paper industry almost disappeared in the last 100 years; prompting KVIC to plan revival of this ancient art.
# KVIC has commissioned a Monpa handmade paper making unit in Tawang which not only aims at reviving the art but also engaging the local youths with this art professionally and earn.

Statement 1 is correct. India is the largest manufacturer, consumer and exporter of Turmeric. Turmeric occupies about 6% of the total area under spices and condiments in India.
Curcumin, a substance found in turmeric, in the pharmaceutical for treating critical ailments like cancer, food and cosmetic industries is a major factor driving the growth of the global curcumin market. The rise in demand of curcumin is largely due to the growing awareness among consumers regarding its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Statement 2 is correct. Erode’s unique slender turmeric has a GI tag for its distinctive fragrance and color.

Japan Standard Time is 9 hours ahead of UTC and Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) is 10 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
Eastern region of Australia celebrates the New Year before Japan.