Current affairs 19 March 2024

India’s first oil palm processing unit commenced in Arunachal Pradesh.

• The features include an advanced processing factory, a zero-discharge plant, and a palm waste power plant, inaugurated by PM Modi.
• It is aimed at boosting farmer income in the Northeast.
• It represents a significant step in achieving Atmanirbharta in edible oils.
• Beside this, PM Modi laid the foundation stone for various other projects worth over Rs 55,000 crore in the north-east.

First room temperature drug for Sickle Cell disease developed.

• Hydroxyurea Oral Suspension, the first (at room temperature) stable drug for Sickle Cell Disease has been launched, offering treatment at lower costs.
• The Akums Drugs & Pharmaceuticals has developed this drug.
• The company pledges to provide this life-changing medicine to the government at a cost of less than Rs 600.
• Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that affects haemoglobin.

ECI launched "Mission 414" campaign in Himachal Pradesh.

• The Election Commission has initiated 'Mission 414' in Himachal Pradesh, targeting a higher voter turnout at 414 polling stations that had registered under 60% turnout in the previous Lok Sabha elections.
• The campaign efforts have been aimed at enhancing democracy, coinciding with by-polls for six Assembly seats and four Lok Sabha seats on June 1.

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Google introduced AI agent SIMA that can play games like profesionals.

• Google DeepMind has introduced SIMA, an AI agent that can play games like professionals and respond to natural-language instructions.
• SIMA was trained and tested on games like No Man’s Sky, Teardown, Valheim, and Goat Simulator 3.
• The goal is to have agents that can do high-level strategic planning and take action.
• SIMA stands for Scalable, Instructable, Multiworld Agent.

Scientists found potential new drug target to prevent Ebola.

• Scientists have discovered a new mechanism by which Ebola reproduces in human body.
• It interacts with human ubiquitin proteins, targeting the VP35 protein for potential drug development.
• Advanced computational models have identified the potential compounds which disrupt the interaction between Ebola's viral protein & human proteins.