Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2018

Notes:
Young writer-critic Dr Debabhuson Borah has been honoured with the prestigious Munin Barkotoki Literary Award 2018 in Assam for his book on literary criticism titled ‘Nirbochon’ The annual award, which carries a cash prize of Rs 50,000 along with a citation and a plaque, was instituted in the memory of renowned writer, critic and journalist Munin Barkotoki to encourage young and promising authors writing in Assamese. The Awards for the years 2017 and 2018 will be given away at a function to be held here in February 2019. It must be noted that Short-story writer Dalim Das has been selected for the 2017 award for his collection ‘Hari Jadu Madhu’.

Notes:
The World Diabetes Day (WDD) is observed every year on November 14 to raise awareness among families to discover, prevent and manage diabetes. It is the primary global awareness campaign focusing on diabetes mellitus The theme for WDD 2018 – 2019 is “The Family and Diabetes – diabetes concerns every family”. It focuses on the fact that families need to work together in adopting a healthy lifestyle in order to prevent and manage diabetes.

Notes:
On November 14, the conference on Global Digital Content Market (GDCM) 2018 has started in New Delhi with focus on ‘Asia Pacific region’. The 2-day conference will feature sessions on music, film, broadcasting and publishing, as well as collective management, emerging models and the implications for the market and policy makers. It is being organized by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry. India has been chosen as a host nation for the conference byWorld Intellectual Property Organization(WIPO) due to the strong creative industry in the country in films, music and media. GDCM 2018 is the second edition of the conference. The aim of GDCM 2018 is to give industry stakeholders a platform to come together and discuss new avenues in the films, music, gaming and creative industry along with points of challenge that is presented due to the changing creative landscape because of the disruption brought about by digital technologies.

Notes:
On November 14, ISRO’s GSAT-29 telecommunications satellite was successfully launched into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) by the second developmental flight of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle MarkIII (GSLV MkIII-D2) from the the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota. The 3,423kg GSAT-29 is a multiband, multi-beam communication satellite, intended to serve as test bed for several new and critical technologies. Its Ku-band and Ka-band payloads are configured to cater to the communication requirements of users including those from remote areas especially from Jammu & Kashmir and North-Eastern regions of India. It is designed for a mission life of 10 years. The GSLV Mk III is the 5th generation launch vehicle developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It is designed to place a satellite of upto 4000 kg in Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).

Notes:
South African president Cyril Ramaphosa will be chief guest at the 2019 Republic Day parade of India. With this, Ramaphosa would become 2nd leader from his country to attend the event. Former president Nelson Mandela was the chief guest at the 1995 parade. An anti-apatheid activist and a Mahatma Gandhi follower, Ramaphosa became the 5th president of South Africa after the resignation of Jacob Zuma in December 2017. In April 2018, he led around 5,000 people at the annual ‘Gandhi Walk’ event in Lenasia near Johannesburg, to promote community awareness and fitness. Hence, the move to invite Ramaphosa also coincides with Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary. South Africa is also a key BRICS association partner for India. Generally, chief guests of the parade are heads of states of countries that are strategically important to India, or heads of neighbouring countries.

Notes:
The World Pneumonia Day (WPD) is observed every year on 12th of November to promote interventions to protect against, prevent, and treat pneumonia and to highlight proven approaches and solutions in need of additional resources and attention. Pneumonia is one of the leading causes of deaths in children under five years old despite being easily preventable and treatable. Although vaccines and other preventative efforts are decreasing the burden of the disease, much more work is still required. Those living in poor communities are at highest risk of pneumonia. Every child, regardless of where they are born, deserves access to lifesaving vaccines and medicines. The 2018 theme is ‘Stop Pneumonia: Invest in Child Health’.

Notes:
Induslnd Bank has recently launched the India’s first interactive credit card with buttons called the IndusInd Bank Nexxt Credit Card. The card provides customers with the flexibility of 3 payment options at a Point of Sale (POS) terminal – credit, converting transactions into EMIs with 4 tenure options (6, 12, 18 and 24 months) or using accumulated reward points, by simply pushing a button on the card. The card has been created in partnership with Dynamics Inc, which is headquartered in Pittsburgh, USA. It indicates a customer’s desired payment choice using LED lights associated with the three options. With this card, the customer does not need to fill any paperwork, or call their bank, or log in to any banking channel to convert their POS transactions into EMIs, or to redeem their rewards points. It gives customers the freedom to pay the way they want, by giving them payment options like EMI, Rewards and Credit, at the push of a button.

Notes:
India’s first specialized hospital for elephants has opened by NGO Wildlife SOS (WSOS) in Mathura at Farah block’s Churmura village. The first-of-its-kind hospital has unique facilities including wireless digital X-ray, laser treatment, dental X-ray, thermal imaging, ultrasonography, hydrotherapy and quarantine facilities. The hospital is strategically located near elephant conservation and care centre. It is designed to treat injured, sickor geriatric elephants and is equipped with a medical hoist for lifting elephants, as also an elephant restraining device with a dedicated indoor treatment enclosure for long duration medical procedures.

Notes:
The Government of India (GoI) has set up a tribunal for adjudicating whether or not there is sufficient cause for declaring the two Tripura-based militant outfits – National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) – as unlawful associations under the law. The decision has been taken by the Home Ministry exercising the powers conferred under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act . The tribunal will be headed by Delhi High Court Judge Justice Suresh Kait. The rebel outfits, formed in 1990 with the objective of “expulsion of all foreigners who entered the state after 1956”, were first banned in 1997 following riots involving tribals and non-tribals in Tripura’s Khowai subdivision, in which the outfits intervened on behalf of tribals. Tripura shares an 856-km boundary with Bangladesh.

Notes:
The National Education Day (NED) is celebrated every year in India on 11th of November to commemorate the birth anniversary of great freedom fighter, educationist & social reformer Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. He was also the independent India’s first education minister (served from 1947 to 1958). In 1912, he started a weekly journal in Urdu called Al-Hilal to increase the revolutionary recruits. For his contribution – both as an educationist as a freedom fighter – he was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1992. He is also responsible in establishing most of the major cultural and literary academies including the Sangeet Natak Academy, Lalit Kala Academy, Sahitya Academy as well as the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). The first IIT, IISc, School of Planning and Architecture and the University Grants Commission were established under his tenure. The day also observes to strengthen India’s educational institutions and to raising the quality of education.