10 PM Current Affairs Quiz: March 11, 2020

CRISPR–Cas9 stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats. It is a gene editing technology, which replicates natural defence mechanisms in bacteria to fight virus attacks, using a special protein called Cas9. The technology behaves like a cut-and-paste mechanism on DNA strands that contain genetic information. The specific location of the genetic codes that need to be changed, or “edited”, is identified on the DNA strand and then using the Cas9 protein, which acts like a pair of scissors, that location is cut off from the strand. A DNA strand, when broken, has a natural tendency to repair itself.

The International Conference on Nano Science and Nano Technology (ICONSAT) under the aegis of Nano Mission, Department of Science and Technology (DST), started at Biswa Bangla Conventional Centre, Kolkata focusing on the recent advances in this frontier research field. ICONSAT 2020 is being organized during 5 -7 March at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre by the S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Kolkata. The three day event deliberates on several thematic topics in the field, bringing out cutting-edge developments in the domain of physical, chemical, materials as well as biological sciences. In addition to existing research on nano-materials, several emerging areas such as quantum materials, energy materials and nanotechnology for agriculture have been included in cognizance of the identified thrust areas of DST Nano mission.

Blissful Hygienic Offering to God (BHOG) was launched in 2018 by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).BHOG aim is to encourage all places of worship to adopt and maintain food safety and hygiene in preparation, serving and sale of food along with training of food handlers for basic food safety and hygiene. Under the initiative, places of worship where food is cooked/handled are identified, audit is conducted and basic training of food handlers is done.

In Mizoram, the biggest and most joyful festival of Mizos, Chapchar Kut is being celebrated across the state today. The Chapchar Kut is also regarded as the most popular spring festival to the people of the state. The gaiety and fervour of Chapchar Kut shines through with plenty of dancing and music to keep everyone in good spirits. This festival is a public holiday in the state.

NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform is organising the Fourth Edition of the Women Transforming India Awards (WTI) on International Women’s Day, Sunday, 8 March 2020. The Women Transforming India Awards, instituted four years ago, is NITI Aayog’s Endeavour to recognise and celebrate stories of exceptional women change makers from across India. Since 2018, the Women Transforming India Awards have been hosted under the aegis of the Women Entrepreneurship Platform on the theme of ‘Women and Entrepreneurship’. The Women Entrepreneurship Platform seeks to transform the entrepreneurial ecosystem for women by bringing together stakeholders to offer information and services that will resolve the existing information asymmetry. It was formulated on three pillars: Iccha Shakti,Gyan Shakti and Karma Shakti. It is an aggregator platform for established as well as aspiring entrepreneurs and provides incubator support, mentorship, funding avenues, compliance and taxation support and peer learning.