Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2018

Notes:
Fouaad Mirza from Bangaluru clinched silver in the equestrian event with a score of 26.40 at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games on August 26. With this, he became the first Indian to win an Asian Games individual medal in the equestrian event after 36 years. The last individual eventing medal came in 1982 when Raghubir Singh topped the table in New Delhi. Beside this, the Indian equestrian team, comprising Fouaad Mirza, Jitender Singh, Akash Malik and Rakesh Kumar, also won silver in the same competition with a combined score of 121.30 in the ongoing event. Equestrian is a sport related to Horse riding.

Notes:
The 3rd edition of Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) 2018 has started in Hanoi, Vietnam on August 27 with theme ‘Building Regional Architectures’. The 2-day conference was inaugurated by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj along with her Vietnamese counterpart, Pham Binh Minh. Ms Swaraj also unveiled the bust of Mahatma Gandhi in the Chancery building at the Embassy of India in Hanoi. The purpose of the conference is to serve a platform to the countries to come closer and exchange better views on the economic and strategic importance of the region and neighbourhood. The conference will see 43 countries as participants while 28 ministers and officials are set to address the event. The conference will emphasise on better cooperation, strategic collaboration and governance architectures.

Notes:
The Personal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018 eliminates leprosy as a ground for dissolution of marriage or divorce. It is an attempt to end the discrimination against leprosy persons in various central laws: The Divorce Act, 1869; the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939; the Special Marriage Act, 1954; the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955; and the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act of 1956. The Bill is meant to provide for the integration of leprosy patients into the mainstream. Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. It usually affects the skin and peripheral nerves, but has a wide range of clinical manifestations. According to WHO, leprosy affected 2,12,000 people globally in 2015. India alone reported 1,27,326 new cases, accounting for 60% of new cases globally.

Notes:
Satya S Tripathi, the veteran Indian development economist and UN official, has been appointed Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the New York Office of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The appointment was made by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Mr. Tripathi, who will succeed Elliott Harris of Trinidad and Tobago, has worked with the UN since 1998 in Europe, Asia and Africa on sustainable development, human rights, democratic governance and legal affairs. UN Environment is the leading agency at the world body focussed on environment. It works with governments, the private sector, the civil society and with other UN entities and international organisations across the world.

Notes:
Dr. Ravinder Kumar Singhal (53), the Maharashtra cadre IPS officer & presently Nashik Police Commissioner, has successfully completed the immensely difficult “Ironman triathlon” in 15 hours and 13 minutes as against the stipulated time of 17 hours in France on August 26, 2018. The Ironman is an international triathlon consisting of three consecutive events- 3.8 km of swimming, 180 km cycling and 42.2 km of running (a full marathon). It is considered one of the toughest one-day sporting events in the world. The competitors have to complete the events in sequence within 17 hours to earn the title of ‘Ironman’. Earlier, model-turned-actor Milind Soman had successfully completed the race in 2015. Beside this, Anju Khosla (52) became the oldest Indian woman to complete an Ironman Triathlon in Austria on July 2018, while Major General Vikram Dogra became the first serving Indian Army officer and the only General across the world to have successfully completed a gruelling ‘Ironman’ competition held in Klagenfurt, Austria in July 2018.

Notes:
The book “Atal Ji Ne Kaha” is authored and compiled by Brijendra Rehi, who is Doordarshan producer & senior journalist. It is a book on the BJP patriarch and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The book has 26 chapters based on former Prime Minister’s speeches which is on economy, policies, small industries, social development, nuclear programme, science and technology or terrorism. It is replete with pictures of the late Prime Minister. Beside this, Rehi has published 11 books so far including Muktiswar, Kaka and Mewad Ke Itihaas Ki Jhanki.

Notes:
Indra Nooyi, the PepsiCo Chairman and CEO, has been selected as Asia Society’s Game Changer of the Year for 2018 in recognition of her pioneering business achievements, humanitarian record, and advocacy for women and girls around the world. The award will be presented at the 5th Annual Asia Game Changer Awards Dinner and Celebration in New York City on October 9, 2018. The event will also feature the first-ever U.S. performance of Koolulam.

Notes:
On 24 August, the Japan Women’s National Team has won the 9th edition of 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup tournament by beating the Spanish team 3-1 at the final in France. In Japanese football history, it’s their first-ever FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup title. The FIFA Fair Play Award was goes to Japanese team. It must be noted that France will also host the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which is schedule to take place between June-July.

Notes:
Emmerson Mnangagwa was officially sworn-in as the new President of Zimbabwe on August 26, after narrowly winning the 2018 Zimbabwean general election. It was the country’s first election since the ousting of strongman Robert Mugabe. The President of Zimbabwe is the head of state of Zimbabwe, elected by direct universal suffrage using a two-round system. The President is also the head of government, as the office of Prime Minister was abolished in 1987. Zimbabwe is a landlocked country and its capital is Harare.

Notes:
The Government of India has signed a $375 million loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for Madhya Pradesh Irrigation Efficiency Improvement Project (MPIEIP). The aim of the pact is to double farming incomes in Madhya Pradesh by expanding irrigation networks and system efficiency. The project will focus on two large irrigation systems: Kundalia irrigation project & Sanjay Sarovar Irrigation Project. It will develop 125,000 hectares of new, highly efficient and climate resilient irrigation networks, and improve water use efficiency in more than 400 villages, which will benefit over 800,000 people across the state. The project will also help farmers to adopt micro-irrigated agriculture including high-value crops.