Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2018

Notes:
In Haryana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently laid foundation of India’s first Sri Vishwakarma Skill Development University at village Dudhola in Palwal district via remote control . The University would impart skill training to the youth and encourage them to be self employed. It’s campus would be developed over 82.7 acres at a sum of over Rs 1,000 crore. PM Modi also inaugurated the Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE), which is popularly known as Kundali-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) expressway. The six-lane KMP expressway is expected to reduce traffic congestion and pollution in Delhi. It will act as a ring road around Delhi and also could reduce heavy vehicle traffic by diverting up to 50,000 commercial vehicles away from Delhi. KMP will connect National Highway-1 (towards Panipat), near Kundli, with National Highway -10 (Rohtak Road, near Bahadurgarh), NH-8 (Jaipur expressway at Manesar), and NH-2 (Delhi-Agra highway near Palwal).

Notes:
Dr. Thanjavur Santhanakrishna Kanaka (86), who was Asia’s first & world’s third female neurosurgeon, has passed away in Chennai, Tamil Nadu on November 14, 2018. She served in the Indian Army as a commissioned officer during the 1962-1963 Sino-Indian War. Beside this, she was the first neurosurgeon in India to perform chronic electrode implants in the brain; having performed deep brain stimulation as early as in 1975. Dr. Kanaka, who retired as professor of Neurosurgery in Madras Medical College (MMC) in 1990, was known to have inspired many women to take to the field of neurosurgery in the country. She used her own funds to establish a hospital, named after her parents as Sri Santhanakrishna Padmavathi Health Care and Research Foundation, which offers free healthcare to the needy.

Notes:
Brigadier (retd) Kuldip Singh Chandpuri (78), who was known for his heroic leadership in the famous Battle of Longewala during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, has passed away in Mohali, Punjab on November 17, 2018. He was decorated with the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) for the heroic stand-off that forced the enemy to retreat. The Battle of Longewala (1971) was one of the first major engagements in the western sector during the Indo-Pak war of 1971, fought between assaulting Pakistani forces and Indian defenders at the Indian border post of Longewala in the Thar desert of Rajasthan. The 1997 Bollywood war film ‘Border’ was based on the real life events that happened at the Battle of Longewala, with his role played by Sunny Deol.

Notes:
The Indo-Japan Business Council (IJBC) hosted the first of its kind business festival “Konnichiwa Pune” in Pune, Maharashtra on 17th November, 2018. The aim of the 2-day fest was to promote exchange of trade, culture and educational ties between India and Japan in a friendly festive manner. It gave a platform to both Japan and India to come together under one umbrella and explore further opportunities in terms of business, culture, education and other areas of interests.

Notes:
In China, the world’s first underground hotel “the InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland”has opened in Shanghai, which is buried almost 90 metres deep in an old quarry. The 18-storey luxury hotel is almost entirely subterranean having two floors above ground and the rest underground, including two floors that are underwater. Built in the Sheshan Mountain Range, it encloses 336 rooms and suites which mimic the landscape of the quarry offering a picturesque view into the abyss. The bottom floors have underwater suites that feature in-room aquariums where guests can enjoy the aquatic ecosystem of the decommissioned quarry. Other highlights of the exotic resort are its cascading glass waterfall, a glitzy amusement park and exposed rocks. The sprawling property is built by British firm Atkins, who is also responsible for architectural marvels such as Burj Al Arab in Dubai and skyscraper Landmark 81 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The hotel can withstand a magnitude 9 earthquake.

Notes:
India’s first National Institute of Inter-Faith Studies will be set up by the Government of India (GoI) in Punjab to promote brotherhood and diversity as part of the year-long activities to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, for which the state Government will provide land free of cost. PM Narendra Modi has constituted a National Implementation Committee (NIC) under the Chairmanship of Union Home Minister to roll out events including release of commemorative coin & postage stamps. The highlights of year-long celebration are as follows: Sultanpur Lodhi (where Guru Nanak spent much of his life) will be developed as a heritage city, a high powered telescope will be install in India for the devotees to view Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan, Publication of Gurbani in different Indian languages will be made by National Book Trust (NBT), etc.

Notes:
Veteran cricketer Wasim Jaffer has become the highest run-scorer in the history of Ranji Trophy after scoring 11,056 runs in the competition. He surpassed Amol Muzumdar. Jaffer, who plays for Vidarbha, achieved the feat in the third round of the 2018–19 Ranji Trophy against Baroda by scoring 153 off 284 balls at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur on November 21. He played 31 Tests and two ODIs for India. He last played for India in April 2008.

Notes:
The Universal Children’s Day (UCD) is observed every year on 20th of November across the world to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children’s welfare. The 2018 theme is ‘Children are taking over and turning the world blue’. The day was established in 1954, offers each of us an inspirational entry-point to advocate, promote and celebrate children’s rights, translating into dialogues and actions that will build a better world for Children.

Notes:
Fahmida Riaz (73), the noted India-born Pakistani poet and human rights activist, has passed away in Lahore on November 22. She worked with Radio Pakistan and BBC Urdu service (Radio) Riaz fled Pakistan during former military dictator Gen Zia-ul-Haq’s rule and lived in self exile in India for 7 years. The poems from her collection ‘Apna Jurm Sabit Hae’ reflect her homeland’s experience under the dictatorship of General Zia-ul-Haq. She was born into a literary family of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh and settled in Hyderabad in Sindh Province. She always raised her voice for women rights and democracy in Pakistan.

Notes:
Golfer Shubhankar Sharma from Chandigarh has become the first Indian to win European Tour ‘Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year’ award. He achieved the feat soon after finishing tied 41st at the season-ending 2018 World Tour Championship event in Dubai. No Indian has won the Rookie of the Year award in European Tour, though three Indians – Arjun Atwal (1995), Shiv Kapur (2005) and C Muniyappa (2009) emerged as Rookie of the Year on the Asian Tour. Some of the other golfers to have won this prestigious award include Jon Rahm (2017), Wang Jeunghun (2016), Byeong Hun An (2015) and Brooks Koepka (2014).