UPSC Current Affairs Quiz: March 21, 2025

• It is a leading pan-African health conference uniting policymakers, experts, and organizations to address Africa’s health challenges. Correct: AHAIC is a premier pan-African health conference that brings together policymakers, healthcare experts, and international organizations to discuss strategic solutions for Africa’s health challenges. Organized by Amref Health Africa in collaboration with Rwanda’s Ministry of Health, WHO Africa, and Africa CDC.
• The Alma-Ata Declaration was established in 1978 and emphasizes primary healthcare as essential to achieving Health for All. Correct: The Alma-Ata Declaration, established in 1978, recognizes primary healthcare (PHC) as crucial for achieving Health for All, advocating for equitable health systems globally.

• Specialised Investment Funds (SIFs) are a new product class proposed by SEBI, aimed at providing a safer investment option with stricter regulations than PMS.
• Mutual Funds are collective investment schemes regulated by SEBI, allowing investors to pool their money for diversified investments.
• Portfolio Management Services (PMS) provides personalized investment management services to clients, also under SEBI’s regulatory framework.

• The Middle East is home to numerous religious, ethnic, and linguistic minorities, including Kurds, Druze, Alawites, and various Christian and Jewish communities, who often face discrimination and marginalization.

• India was the second-largest arms importer globally in the 2020-24 period. Correct: India was indeed the second-largest arms importer in the world during the 2020-24 period, as per the data from SIPRI.
• India received the largest share of US arms exports, accounting for 28%. Incorrect: India received 28% of French arms exports, which is significantly higher than the combined share for all European countries, indicating India’s strategic defense partnerships.

Causes of Heatwaves

• 1 is correct: Hot and Dry Air Masses: Large regions of hot, dry air serve as heat reservoirs. When prevailing winds move this air to other areas, temperatures can rise significantly.
• 2 is incorrect: Absence of Atmospheric Moisture: Moist air can trap heat, slowing down temperature increases. In contrast, dry air allows sunlight to penetrate more easily and radiate back out quickly at night, causing faster daytime heating.
• 3 is incorrect: Clear, Cloudless Skies: Clouds reflect sunlight away from the Earth’s surface, reducing warming. Without cloud cover, more solar radiation reaches the ground, leading to intense heating.
• 4 is correct: Large Amplitude Anticyclonic Flow: Anticyclones involve sinking air that compresses and warms through adiabatic heating (warming without adding heat). This process further increases surface temperatures.