Rapid Fire
Rapid Fire Current Affairs
- 21 Sep 2023
- 4 min read
Three years of the Abraham Accords
- The Abraham Accords are a series of agreements to normalize relations between Israel and normalize relations between Israel and several Arab countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, mediated by the United States.
- The accords were signed in 2020 and marked a historic breakthrough in the Arab-Israeli conflict.
- The Accords fostered normalisation and peace by bridging cultural, religious, and linguistic differences, connecting people beyond borders.
- The Accords laid the foundation for expanded regional and multinational cooperation, leading to economic opportunities for India.
- Following the Abraham Accords, I2U2 Group was formed, comprising Israel, India, UAE, and the U.S., focusing on critical areas such as water, energy, transportation, space, health, and food security.
Read more: Israel, UAE and Bahrain Abraham Accord
Green Nudges
- A study conducted in China has shed light on the positive environmental impact of implementing "green nudges" in online food delivery platforms.
- Green nudges are interventions that encourage people to act more sustainably. They are a relatively new policy tool that aims to encourage pro-environmental behaviour.
- By defaulting to "no disposable cutlery" and rewarding customers with "green points," this simple change led to a 648% increase in no-cutlery orders, offering potential benefits for both the environment and consumer behaviour.
- The study estimated that over 18 months in Shanghai, more than 225.33 million sets of single-use cutlery (SUCs) were reduced, potentially preventing 4,506.52 metric tonnes of waste and saving 56,333 trees.
- India's leading online food delivery platform, Zomato, introduced similar nudges, leading to a substantial reduction in cutlery waste.
Read more: Behavioural Economics for New India
Paryushan Parv, A jain Festival
Paryushan 2023, a significant festival for the Jain community. It is a time for spiritual growth, with fasting, meditation, and purification rituals. Devotees attend speeches, practice non-violence, and seek forgiveness for their sins.
- The festival is believed to have originated in the 6th century BC when the Jain teacher Mahavira taught his followers to abstain from violence and to focus on spiritual purity.
- For both Shvetambara, who observe the ritual over eight days, and Digambars, for whom the festival lasts 10 days, this is a time for introspection, reflection and purification. It takes place in the middle of the rainy season.
- They also do svadhyaya, self-study. Paryushan makes one stay close to one's soul, reflect on one's shortcomings, seek punishment for wrong-doings and vow to minimize one's mistakes.
Read More: Jainism
Truenat Test to Detect Nipah
Kerala has been accorded sanction by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) to use Truenat test to diagnose Nipah.
- Truenat test uses a portable, smart chip-based, battery-operated RT-PCR (Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain reaction) kit to detect the presence of the virus in a sample.
- Truenat is the first kit in India to receive Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for conducting Nipah virus tests.
- Truenat can be used in hospitals that have level 2 biosafety facilities, where there are certain strict protocols in place to prevent contamination of samples. Truenat can help conduct tests faster, detect if there is an outbreak, and set preventive measures faster.
Read More: Nipah Virus
