12-01-22 Daily -Goa- GPSC Current Affairs

Goas popular beaches were besieged by glass and other waste after easing of Covid-19 norms, as post-lockdown, tourists and others hit the bottle with vengeance. Palolem topped with a 3,103% increase in glass waste while Calangute had a 559% increase in litter.
These are findings of a two-phased study byGoa University(GU) researchers and others to assess the quantum and composition of waste on eight beaches in May 2020 during thelockdownand in January 2021, after easing of restrictions.

The survey found an exponential increase inbeachlitter. A part of it may have come from the sea or rivers. After Goas beaches became notorious as the most littered ones, recently implemented initiatives for better beach management have made a difference.

It is an expansion of PSP 1. It brought in several changes to the delivery of passports. The main objective of the second version is to create a digital platform for passport related Services. This is to make the process more transparent, accessible and reliable.

Under the second version, several technological upgrades are to be added. This includes Chat Bot, advance data analytics, auto response, cloud enablement and natural language processing.

The Passport Seva Programme Version 2 is an extension of Passport Seva Programme Version 1. It is an online service. It was launched under the National E Governance Plan.

The Government of India is to launch e Passports very soon for citizens renewing their passport or applying for new passport.

The DEFENCE Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) flight tested the Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM), successfully.

During the flight test, final deliverable configuration of the MPATGM was tested.

MPATGM is an indigenously developed anti-tank missile, a low weight and a fire and forget missile.

It was launched from a launcher, which was man portable. It was integrated with thermal sight.

During the test, the missile impacted designated target with precision and destroyed it.

The MPATGM, dubbed as Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile, is a third-generation fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile.

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh launched (AI) driven Start-Up for water purification through innovative technology.

AI driven start-up for water purification has been developed by an IIT Alumni.

The start-up was launched with the aim of providing clean drinking water at a lesser price, as opposed the Market Price.

The Technology Development Board (a statutory body of Science & Technology department) also signed a MoU with M/s Swajal Water Private Limited which is a tech Start Up company founded by ex-IITians. The company focuses on innovative technologies for making reliable clean drinking water accessible to communities at affordable prices. Their project on IoT has enabled the use of Solar Water Purification Unit for villages, slums, and High Utility Areas.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (Icmr) issued new guidelines on Purposive Testing Strategy, amid rising cases of covid-19 cases.

ICMR issued guidelines on who needs to get tested for the infection, and who doesnt.

As per the guidelines, asymptomatic individuals, and contacts ofCovid patients are not required to be tested unless identified as high-risk individuals based on co-morbidities or age.

It also mentioned that at-risk contacts of patients would be person aged above 60 years and individuals with co-morbidities such as chronic lung or kidney disease, diabetes, hypertension, malignancy and obesity.

People undertaking inter-state domestic travel are also not required to get tested.

Recently, doctors transplanted a pig heart into a patient in a last effort to save his life, in Maryland hospital in USA. It was done for the first time in the HISTORY of medical.

The patient is doing well three days after this highly experimental surgery.

This marks a significant step in the decades-long debate on using animal organs for life-saving transplants. However, it is too soon to know, if the operation will work.

As per Doctors at University of Maryland Medical Center, transplant highlighted that heart from a genetically modified animal can function in human body, without immediate rejection.

The report notes that, Global economic Growth will decrease sharply to 4.1% in 2022 and 3.2% in 2023, from 5.5% in 2021.

It projects Indias annual growth to be 8.3% in the fiscal year 2021-2022, 8.7% in 2022-23, while 6.8% in 2023-24.

It also flagged the risks posed by rising and growing inequality.

It noted that, after having recovered in 2021, global economy is headed towards pronounced slowdown, because of new Covid-19 variants, increasing inflation, debt & income inequality, reducing fiscal & monetary support and decreasing demand.

The cyber threats are growing at humanely uncontrollable rates. The criminals are using tougher tactics and therefore, the cyber threats are becoming more aggressive day by day. Cryptocurrencies are creating easy path of escape for the cyber criminals. Today 90% of the ransomware attacks are paid in cryptocurrencies.

The online platforms have increased tremendously during the pandemic. The COVID has brought in major work shift. People are now attending classes online. This has increased the security risks.

The World Economic Forum recently released the Global Risks Report 2022. Cybersecurity, pandemic, <a href="https://exam.pscnotes.com/Climate-change”>Climate Change and space advancements are the emerging risks to global economy.

The global economy is to shrink by 2.3% by 2024. However, in developing countries this is to be 5.5%. In rich countries, it will be 0.9%