Current Affairs Quiz- November, 2019

Notes:
The Odisha government has decided to partner with Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) for targeted intervention in a set of social sectors including poorest of the poor through policy formulation and evaluations based on experimental research. The co-founders of J-PAL are Nobel laureates Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo. The Massachusettes Institute of Technology (MIT)-based J-PAL is known for its experimental research studies or randomized controlled trials. It has worked extensively in Africa as well India and its evaluations have helped improve outcomes of social sector initiatives.  

Notes:
Tiger Woods made history after he won the 2019 Zozo Championship in Japan for his 82nd US PGA Tour victory. according to the World Golf Hall of Fame, Woods equals legendary golfer Sam Snead 54-year-old record, who won 82 titles throughout his career.  

Notes:
India hosted the 2nd International Solar Alliance (ISA) assembly in New Delhi on 30th-31st October 2019. In it, two countries – Eritrea and Saint Kittis and Nevis – have signed the ISA’s Framework Agreement and took the total number of signatories to 83. The ISA was jointly launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then French President Francois Hollande at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris in November 2015. It is a major global initiative for contributing to the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement through rapid and massive deployment of solar energy.  The Saint Kittis and Nevis is an island country in the West Indies, which is the region of the North Atlantic Ocean.

Notes:
To mark the 550th ‘Prakash Parv’ of Guru Nanak Dev, the Madhya Pradesh government has decided to set up Sikh museum and research centre in Jabalpur  at the cost of Rs 20 crore. Chief Minister Kamal Nath hasalso decided to develop six Sikh places associated with the founder of Sikhism in the state as religious tourist spots. These centres are: Tekri Sahib (Bhopal), Imli Sahib and Betma Sahib (Indore), Gurdwara (Omkareshwar), Gurunanak Ghat Gurudwara (Ujjain) and Gwari Ghat Gurudwara (Jabalpur).

Notes:
The first-ever India-Uzbekistan joint military exercise titled “Dustlik-2019” has started at Chirchiq Training Area near Tashkent on 4th November. During the 9-day exercise, an Indian Army contingent will train along with Uzbekistan Army. The exercise will enable sharing of best practices and experiences between the Armed Forces of the two countries and will lead to greater operational effectiveness.

Notes:
During the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) summit in Bangkok, India has decided not to join the RCEP deal as negotiations failed to address New Delhi’s outstanding issues and concerns. The summit included China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and the 10-nation ASEAN grouping. The RCEP negotiations were meant to create the world’s biggest free trade region that represented half the world’s population and one-third of the global GDP. Beside, RCEP summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part in 16th India-ASEAN summit and 14th East Asia summit.

Notes:
Noted writer Anand has been selected for the 27th Ezhuthachan Puraskaram for his overall contributions to Malayalam language and Literature. It is the highest literary honour of the Kerala government. The prize is named after Ezhuthachan, the father of Malayalam language. It consists of a purse of Rs 5 lakh and a citation.    

Notes:
The Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has recently launched the  SkillsBuild platform in collaboration with IBM to offer digital learning content from IBM and partners such as CodeDoor, Coorpacademy and Skillsoft. This initiative is part of IBM’s global commitment to create a job-ready workforce and to build the next generation of skills needed for new collar careers.  As part of the programme, a two-year advanced diploma in IT, networking and cloud computing, co-created and designed by IBM, will be offered at the Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) & National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs). 

Notes:
In New Delhi, the International Conference on Soil and Water Resources Management for Climate has been organized jointly by the Soil Conservation Society of India in association with World Association of Soil and Water Conservation (WASWAC), China and International Soil Conservation Organization (ISCO), USA  on November 6, 2019. The aim of the 5-day long conference is to deliberate upon the various issues and challenges of soil and water conservation. Over 400 national and international experts are expected to share effective cutting-edge technological breakthroughs in ensuring global food security. 

Notes:
To pay tribute to legendary playwright Mohan Rakesh, the 4-day festival titled “Mohan Rakesh Natya evam Samman Samaroh” is being organized by the Delhi government’s art and culture wing “Sahitya Kala Parishad” held at the Kamani Auditorium from November 11, 2019. The purpose of the event is to provide a platform to the upcoming talents in the field of theatre. Rakesh was widely-known as one of the brains behind the ‘Nai Kahani’ (New Short Story) literary movement of Hindi literature in the 1950s & also wrote the first modern Hindi play titled “Ashadh Ka Ek Din” in 1958.