Daily Current Affairs 18 May 2024, BPSC Exam Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs for BPSC Exam

Economy

Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) - Quarterly Bulletin (January-March 2024)

• Unemployment Rate (UR) in urban areas decreased from 6.8% to 6.7% during January – March 2023 to January – March 2024 for persons of age 15 years and above.
• Female UR decreased from 9.2% in January – March 2023 to 8.5% in January – March 2024.
• Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in urban areas has shown an increasing trend from 48.5% to 50.2% during January – March 2023 to January – March 2024 respectively for persons of age 15 years and above.
• Female Labour Force Participation Rate in urban areas rises from 22.7% to 25.6% during January – March 2023 to January – March 2024, reflecting Overall Increasing Trend in LFPR.
• Increasing Trend in Worker Population Ratio (WPR) for persons of age 15 years and above from 45.2% in January – March 2023 to 46.9% in January – March 2024.
• Female Worker Population Ratio in urban areas rises from 20.6% to 23.4% during January – March 2023 to January – March 2024, reflecting Overall Increasing Trend in WPR.

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• It is an organisation in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation and is the largest organisation in India that conducts regular socio-economic surveys.
• The three major surveys in which NSSO is involved are Socio-economic Surveys, Annual Survey of Industries, and Agricultural Surveys.

• The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) gives estimates of key employment and unemployment Indicators like the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR), Unemployment Rate (UR), etc.

• Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): LFPR is defined as the percentage of persons in the labour force (i.e. working or seeking or available for work)in the population.
• Worker Population Ratio (WPR): WPR is defined as the percentage of employed persons in the population.
• Unemployment Rate (UR): UR is defined as the percentage of persons unemployed among the persons in the labour force.
• Current Weekly Status (CWS): The activity status determined on the basis of a reference period of last 7 days preceding the date of survey is known as the current weekly status (CWS) of the person.

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Environment And Geography

Kanpur Leads in Air Pollution Control

• Initiative: The Clean Air Programme (CAP) has recognized cities for their efforts in improving air quality. Kanpur has been ranked first, followed by Thane, Delhi, Kolkata and Ghaziabad.

• Launch: Initiated by the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) in January 2019.
• Objective: A long-term, national-level strategy to comprehensively address air pollution in India.
• Targets: Aims to implement mitigation measures in 131 Indian cities to prevent, control, and reduce air pollution.
• Goal: Decrease PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations by 20% to 30% by 2024 compared to 2017 levels.

Science And Technology

West Nile Fever

• Kerala has reported several cases of West Nile Fever (WNF) across multiple districts. As of now, Kerala has reported 20 suspected WNF cases, with 10 confirmed and two suspected deaths.

• West Nile fever is an infection by the West Nile virus, which is typically spread by mosquitoes.
• Vectors: The principal vectors are Culex mosquitoes, typically found in stagnant water bodies like paddy fields.
• West Nile virus (WNV) is usually spread by mosquitoes that become infected when they feed on infected birds, which often carry the disease.
• Environmental Factors: Kerala’s large stagnant water bodies and migratory birds create an ideal environment for WNV.
• Symptomatic Cases: Symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, myalgia, nausea, vomiting, and swollen lymph glands.

Society

World Health Organization approves Takeda's Dengue Vaccine

• Target Group: Recommended for children aged 6 to 16 years in high dengue prevalence areas.
• Countries: Already approved in Indonesia, Thailand, and Brazil.
• India: Takeda is negotiating with Indian regulators for approval.
• Comparison: Second dengue vaccine after Sanofi's Dengvaxia.
• Administration: Two doses administered three months apart.
• Production Agreement: Takeda signed a manufacturing agreement with Indian company Biological E in February.
• Annual Production: Expected to produce 100 million doses annually by year-end.

Awards and Honors

Kavita Krishnamurti Lifetime Achievement Award

• Versatility: Sang more than 50,000 songs in over 45 languages, showcasing exceptional talent.

Important Days/ Dates

World Hypertension Day

• Purpose: to increase public awareness about the high blood pressure which is the main risk factor to develop cardiovascular disease.
• Theme: The theme for the year 2024 is , " Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer! ".
• Hypertension (high blood pressure) is when the pressure in your blood vessels is too high (140/90 mmHg or higher).

Obituary

Dr. Kamla Beniwal passed away

• Early Achievement: Appointed as a minister in the Mohanlal Sukhadia government in 1954 at the age of 27, making her the first woman minister in Rajasthan.
• Later Career: Served as the deputy chief minister in the Ashok Gehlot government in 2003.