10 PM Daily Current Affairs Quiz | May 19 2021

• Statement 1 is correct: Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), an autonomous Institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, has a Lightning Location Network with about 48 sensors over various parts of the country and are connected to central processing unit at IITM, Pune.

• This network provides exact information about lightning strikes and movement of thunderstorm path. Using this network, by IITM developed a Mobile App, DAMINI LIGHTNING.
• This app gives exact location of current lightning strikes, probable locations of impending lightning around area of 40 sq.km and movement and direction of thunderstorm. It also lists precautionary steps to be taken during lightning and some general information on lightning.

• Statement 2 is incorrect: The report is released by Earth Network. It is a company which operates the largest global hyperlocal weather network & provides companies with weather intelligence data to help automate decision-making. With over 1,800 sensors in over 100 countries, Earth Networks Total Lightning Network is the most extensive and technologically advanced lightning network in the world
• Statement 3 is correct: There is a higher frequency of lighting over land because solid earth absorbs sunlight and heats up faster than water; this means there is stronger convection and greater atmospheric instability, leading to the formation of thunder and lightning producing storms.

• Equator doesn’t pass through Gambia while it does pass through Ecuador and Colombia.

• You can read more about these locations here and here

• Statement 1 is incorrect: These bonds can be bought by any Indian citizen or company incorporated in India from select branches of State Bank of India. The citizen can then donate the same to any eligible political party of his/her choice.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: These bonds are available with only State bank of India (SBI)

• Statement 1 is correct: It is defined as an extraordinary event that constitutes a public health risk to other States through the international spread of the disease and potentially requires a coordinated international response.

• The responsibility of declaring an event as an emergency lies with the Director-General of the WHO and requires the convening of a committee of members.

• Statement 2 is correct: So far 6 PHEIC have been declared by WHO. These are:

• H1N1 (Swine Flu)
• Ebola (In 2014 in West Africa and In 2019 in Democratic Republic of Congo)
• Polio
• Zika
• COVID 19

• Diplomatic Immunity is a privilege provided to diplomats in the country in which they got posted. Generally, these privileges will be in the form of exemption from certain laws and taxes. This may be civil or criminal.
• However, it is possible for the diplomat’s home country to waive immunity. But this can happen only when the individual has committed a ‘serious crime’, anything unconnected to their diplomatic role or has witnessed such a crime.

Read more: Diplomatic Immunity

Statement 1 is correct. In February 2020, the ICTV re-christened what was then called the 2019 novel coronavirus as SARS-CoV-2, which stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. In November 2020, researchers in South Africa sequenced a new and more transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variant, which included an N501Y mutation that allowed the spike protein to bind more tightly to human cells.

Statement 2 is incorrect. the ICTV only names viruses at the species level and higher. So the process for naming variants begins much more informally among scientists—and will vary from pathogen to pathogen

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras have developed a mobile app named “Blocktrack”.

About Blocktrack App:

• Blocktrack is a blockchain-based secure medical data and information exchange system for mobile phone applications.
• Purpose: The App aims to digitise healthcare information systems. At the same time the app will protect sensitive personal information and medical records by decentralising control and ownership of patient data using a blockchain-based innovation.

Read more: Blocktrack App

Children impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic are being provided telecounseling through SAMVEDNA.

About SAMVEDNA:

• SAMVEDNA stands for Sensitizing Action on Mental Health Vulnerability through Emotional Development and Necessary Acceptance.
• Purpose: It is a toll-free helpline number that aims to provide psychological first-aid and emotional support to the COVID-19 affected children
• Provided by: The tele-counselling is provided by the National Commission of Child Rights(NCPCR).
• Number: This tele-counselling service is available on a toll-free number 1800-121-2830. It is exclusive for children who are willing to talk and are in need of counselling.

Read more: SAMVEDNA Helplines

• Recently Telangana government has selected 16 primary healthcare centres (PHCs) spread around Vikarabad area hospital for pilot testing the ambitious ‘Medicine from the sky’, the first-of- its-kind project.
• The project involves delivery of medicines through multiple drones.
• Telangana government has collaborated with the World Economic Forum and HealthNet Global for implementing the project.
• The project aims to assess alternative logistics routes in providing safe, accurate and reliable pick up and delivery of health care items.

There is a difference between push and pull factors of migration. Brain drain of healthcare workers from India is happening due to both.

While 1 and 2 are push factors i.e., pushing workers towards other countries, 3 and 4 are pull factors, which attracts Indian health workers.

Push Factors

• Low Wages
• Lack of government investment in health care
• Lack of health care educational Institutions

Pull Factors

• Access to advanced technology: Developed countries offer better opportunities to pursue research in health care. Health care professionals also get access to advance technology, research facilities and even get higher scholarship amounts for their research.
• Better standard of living and life quality: Many developed and GCCs offer a higher salary, tax benefits, higher standard of living, etc. These act as a pull factor for Indian health care professionals.
• Developed countries adopted migrant-friendly policies towards health care professionals to retain them in their country