Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2018

Notes:
At the 4th edition of Google for India event, Google has launched Project Navlekha to help Indian vernacular news publishers to take their content online. It does not require any technical know-how of web publishing and can be used by anyone. Currently, the project has publishers from Delhi and its reach would soon be expanded across India. Navlekha, which means ‘a new way to write’ in Sanksrit, will allow 1.35 lakh Indian publishers to digitize their offline content by creating instant web pages using scanned documents or PDFs. The registered publishers on Navlekha will also be provided with free web hosting, along with a branded domain for 3 years. They’ll also have AdSense support to begin monetising their content. To be available initially in Hindi language, Google will not charge the publication for the publication tools and the domain name for the first 3 years.

Notes:
Ulka Mahajan, who is one of the three founders of Sarvahara Jan Andolan (SJA), has been conferred Praful Bidwai Memorial Award for 2018. The award was presented to Mahajan by social activist Medha Patkar. It was instituted in the memory of journalist and social activist “Praful Bidwai” who died in Amsterdam in 2015 and was committed to radical social transformation, justice for all and gender equality. The award seeks to recognize the efforts of individuals and institutions that strive for similar ends.

Notes:
Despite competing with a severe toothache, Swapna Barman from West Bengal clinched gold in the women’s heptathlon with 6026 points at the 18th Asian Games 2018 in Jakarta on August 29. With this, she created history by becoming the first Indian heptathlete to win an Asian Games gold. Before Barman, only Bengal’s Soma Biswas and Karnataka’s JJ Shobha and Pramila Aiyappa had returned with a medal from the Asian Games. Soma and Shobha had finished two-three at both Busan Asian Games (2002) and the Doha Games (2006), while Pramila had won a bronze at the 2010 Guangzhou edition.

Notes:
In Argentina, the G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting 2018 was held in Salta with theme ‘Building consensus for fair and sustainable development’ on August 23-24. It took place as part of Sherpa Track for 2018 G20 Leaders’ Summit, which is to be hosted by Argentina by end of 2018. India was represented by Union Minister for Electronics and IT & Law and Justice, Ravi Shankar Prasad. The G20 Ministerial meeting allowed India to showcase the inclusive use of digital technology by the Government to empower the people. It also allowed India to articulate it’s views on global issues relating to cyber security, data protection and innovation for growth. The key issues of the meeting were future of work, infrastructure for development, and sustainable food future. It concluded with the adaptation of declaration that reflects G20’s commitment towards promoting policies and actions that catalyze digital transformations.

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.

Notes:
The 6th edition of RCEP Trade Ministers’ Meeting 2018 has started in Singapore on August 30, which consists of 10 ASEAN countries and six ASEAN FTA partners namely, India, China, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand. In it, the Indian delegation is led by Suresh Prabhu, the Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation. The aim of 2-day meeting is to work towards a high quality, balanced and inclusive outcomes that take into consideration sensitivities and interests of member countries. The Ministers will deliberate on the current global economic situation and exchange views on promotion of rule-based multilateral trading system and its importance to the stability and effective functioning of the global economic order. This will be followed by the 15th India-ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting (AEM) which will take stock of the current level of trade and economic engagement between India and ASEAN.

Notes:
The Madhya Pradesh government has organized an interactive programme “Mil -Banche” in government schools of state on August 31, 2018. It is a first of its kind initiative i.e. being organized for multi-dimensional development of children through language skill up-gradation, reading other books in addition to textbooks, developing interest in understanding and other co-curricular activities. Over 2 lakh volunteers who have registered for the programme include 820 engineers, 843 doctors, 36 thousand employees of private sector, 19 thousand public representatives and around 45 thousand government employees and officers. Volunteers will read out one chapter of any book from either the school library or the Hindi textbook during the programme. After the reading session, the students present in the class will be asked interesting questions and will be introduced to the art of conversation and reading after group discussion.

Notes:
India has signed MoU with International Energy Agency (IEA) on enhancing innovation for the Clean Energy Transition on August 30, 2018. The MoU was signed between secretary of Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Dr. Renu Swarup and Executive Director of IEA, Dr. Fatih Birol. The MoU seeks to deepen co-operation in support of clean energy innovations to accelerate the Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D) of clean energy technologies in India and will help support the generation of data for policymaking and improve knowledge of good policy practices for innovation in India and around the world. The MoU will ensure cooperation for sharing of energy policies on RD&D and sharing of best practices on data collection and analysis. IEA is an autonomous intergovernmental organization, which works to ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy for its 30 member countries and beyond. It’s headquarters is located in Paris, France.

Notes:
The 4th edition of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit 2018 was successfully concluded in Kathmandu, Nepal with Kathmandu declaration on August 30 to 31. From India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the summit that focused on increasing regional connectivity between the BIMSTEC nations including roads, airways and transmission lines. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed on establishing a BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection to enhance energy cooperation among the member-States. The BIMSTEC, comprising India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal, accounts for 22% of the global population. It has a combined GDP of USD 2.8 trillion. Here, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena took over the Chairmanship of the 5th Summit of BIMSTEC. Now, the next BIMSTEC summit will be held in Sri Lanka.

Notes:
NITI Aayog will organise MOVE: India’s First Global Mobility Summit 2018 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on September 7. The aim of the summit is to showcase innovation and build a platform to shape the future of mobility, The summit will constitute three designated components – the Conclave, Digital Exhibition, and Featured Events. The six themes of the 2-day summit are asset utilisation and service, comprehensive electrification, alternative energy, reinventing public transit, logistics and goods transport and data analytics and mobility. The summit, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will help drive the government’s goals for vehicle electrification, renewable energy integration and job growth and also speed up India’s transition to a clean energy economy.