GK & Current Affairs Quiz: August 21, 2018

Notes:
Indian Women National Football team has clinched the 2nd edition of South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Under-15 Women’s Championship 2018 after defeating Bangladesh in the final in Thimpu, Bhutan on August 18. A solitary second-half strike by Sunita Munda helped the Indian U-15 team clinch the title. The SAFF is an association of the football playing nations in South Asia and is part of the larger Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Notes:
Vinesh Phogat has created history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to win a gold medal at the Asian Games. in the final match in freestyle 50 kg category, she defeated Japan’s Yuki Irie in Jakarta, Indonesia on August 20, 2018. The gold also enabled Vinesh to achieve another feat as she became the only woman wrestler to win two medals in back-to-back Asian Games. Earlier, Vinesh had won a bronze medal in the 48kg category at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. Vinesh also won back-to-back gold medals in Glasgow and Gold Coast Commonwealth Games this year. Beside her, Wrestler Bajrang Punia clinched India’s first gold medal at the Jakarta Asian Games 2018 after defeating Takatani Daichi of Japan in the men’s 65 kg freestyle title bout.

Notes:
Former Indian Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag has been awarded the United States (US) ‘Legion of Merit (Degree of commander)’ on August 17, 2018, at Pentagon, Washington DC. The award was given to Singh for exceptionally meritorious service as Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) from August 2014 to December 2016. With this, he became the 2nd Indian military officer to get this award after General Rajendrasinghji Jadeja in 1946. The Legion of Merit is awarded in four degrees – Degree of Chief Commander, Degree of commander, Degree of the officer, Degree of Legionnarie.

Notes:
On August 20, Indian Shooter Deepak Kumar claimed Silver in the Men’s 10-metre Air Rifle event with a score of 247.7 points at the Jakarta Asian Games 2018 in Indonesia. In the Men’s Trap, Lakshay clinched the silver medal with an impressive 43 from 50 shots. Earlier, Wrestler Bajrang Punia had given India its first Gold of the Games in the 65 kg division.

Notes:
Uri Avnery (94), a trailblazing Israeli journalist & peace activist and one of the first to openly advocate for a Palestinian state, has passed away in Tel Aviv, Israel on August 20, 2018. He was famous for crossing the lines during the Siege of Beirut to meet Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat on 3 July 1982. It was first time that the Palestinian leader ever met with an Israeli. Avnery was the author of several books about the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, including 1948: A Soldier’s Tale, the Bloody Road to Jerusalem (2008); Israel’s Vicious Circle (2008); and My Friend, the Enemy (1986).

Notes:
SK Arora, the Delhi government’s additional director of health, has been honoured with the prestigious World Health Organization (WHO) World No Tobacco Day 2017 Award for his extraordinary contribution towards tobacco control. He was presented the award by Henk Bekedam, WHO India country head in New Delhi, on August 16, 2018. It is awarded every year by WHO to individuals or organizations alike in each of six WHO regions for their accomplishments in the area of tobacco control. The National Health Policy 2017 of the Government of India (GoI) has set targets of relative reduction in tobacco prevalence by 15% by 2020 and 30% by 2025. Delhi has already achieved these targets before 2017. The Delhi government’s health department has been fighting against direct advertisement of brand promotion of tobacco and surrogate advertisement of tobaccos in the name of pan masala and other eatables such as tea, ilaichi (cardamom) for the past 4 years. According to Global Adult Tobacco Survey-2 (GATS 2, 2016-17), the prevalence of tobacco use has reduced by 27% in Delhi as compared to 17% for the rest of India average.

Notes:
On August 19, India has successfully test-fired the indigenously developed helicopter launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) ‘HELINA’ from an Army helicopter ‘Rudra’ in Pokhran test range in Rajasthan. The HELINA weapon system tested for its full range was released smoothly from the launch platform. The missile hit the target with high precision. The missile is guided by an Infrared Imaging Seeker (IIR) operating in the Lock-on-Before-Launch mode. It is one of the most advanced anti-tank weapons in the world. It is the helicopter-launched version of NAG and has a hit range of 7-8 km. The production and induction of the missile are likely to happen in 2019. Beside this, the indigenously designed and developed guided bombs Smart Anti Airfield Weapon (SAAW) also successfully flight tested from IAF aircraft at Chandan range in Jaisalmer. The SAAW is the combined effort of the DRDO, IAF and HAL. This weapon is capable of destroying a variety of ground targets using precision navigation.

Notes:
The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has become the first Public Sector Unit (PSU) to make a transaction on the “TReDS platform”. The transaction was financed by Bank of Baroda (BoB) and since stands settled. The TReDS platform is an online electronic institutional mechanism for facilitating the financing of trade receivables of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) through multiple financiers. The acronym ‘TReDS’ stands for Trade Receivables Discounting System. In October 2017, the central government mandated all major PSUs to join TReDS platform to facilitate payments to MSME vendors. RXIL (Receivables Exchange of India), which is India’s first TReDS platform, is promoted by the National Stock Exchange, Small Industries Development Bank of India, State Bank of India, ICICI Bank and Yes Bank.

Notes:
The World Mosquito Day (WMD) is observed every year on August 20 to raise awareness regarding what all causes malaria and ways to prevent it. The day also observed to mark British doctor Sir Ronald Ross’ 1897 landmark discovery that female mosquitoes “Anopheles” transmit malaria to humans. This discovery laid foundations for scientists across the world to better understand the deadly role of mosquitoes in disease transmission and come up with effective innovative interventions. Some of the best ways to prevent malaria include insecticide treated mosquito nets, indoor spraying with insecticides and anti-malarial drugs. Quinine is a medication used to treat malaria.

Notes:
Shooter Saurabh Chaudhary (16) has clinched gold in the Men’s 10m Air Pistol event at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games in Indonesia on August 21. It is India’s first shooting gold in the ongoing event. While another Indian shooter, Abhishek Verma won bronze in the same event. India have won five medals in shooting at the Games so far.