Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2018

Notes:
The researchers at IIT Kharagpur have devised a Decision Support System (DSS) to help maximise the number of LPG connections in Below Poverty Level (BPL) households in the ‘Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY)’ . A DSS is a computer programme that helps in making sound rational decisions using mathematical programming and operation research techniques. The DSS mathematical model devised at IIT KGP has found the optimum number of total (BPL) connections required in a region and the number of dealerships that need to be commissioned in a region over the policy time frame. This type of mathematical modeling of a policy (LPG) can be used as a reference for mathematical model. The PMUY, launched in May 2016, aimed at providing 5 crore LPG connections by 2019 to BPL families with the support of Rs 1,600 to each family. The Central government has recently revised the target to 8 crore LPG connections by 2020.

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The Sulabh International has launched India’s first sewer cleaning machine to put an end to the unsafe manual scavenging and to reduce sewer deaths. The machine will do away with 99% of manual scavenging in the country. With the help of sewer cleaning machine, a safai karamchari” (manual cleaner) won’t have to enter the sewers. But if the need arises and a person has to go, then the machine is fully equipped with gas checking machine, protective gears and dress to protect the workers from harmful gases. The new machine is ideal for periodic mechanical desilting of manholes and to flush out sewer lines using the powerful jetting pump capable of producing 150 bar operating pressure and a flow of 150 litres per minute. It is electro-hydraulically operated, with personal protective devices and a quick-view pipe inspection camera which extends up to 20 feet. The machine, which costs Rs 43 lakh, was unveiled on the occasion of World Toilet Day (WTD) 2018 by the mayors of all the three Municipal Corporations of Delhi (MCD), in the presence of Sulabh International founder Dr Bindeshwar Pathak.

Notes:
On 20th of November, the Bangladesh Krida Shiksha Prothishtan (BKSP) clinched the 59th edition of the junior boys Subroto Cup International Football Tournament 2018. In the final, BKSP defeated Amini School of Afghanistan by a solitary goal at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi. A total of 95 teams participated in the tournament, including 8 teams from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Notes:
The researchers at IIT-Hyderabad have developed a smartphone-based system to detect adulteration in milk. The detector system can measure the level of acidity in milk using an indicator paper. The sensor-chip based method measures pH, which is an indicator of the acidity and the colour of the paper indicates different pH levels. The IIT team, led by Prof. Shiv Govind Singh, used a process called “electrospinning” to produce paper-like material made of nanosized nylon fibre, loaded with a combination of three dyes. The paper is “halochromic” which changes colour in response to changes in acidity. They have also developed a prototype smartphone-based algorithm, in which, the colours of the sensor strips after dipping in milk are captured using the camera of the phone and the data is transformed into pH (acidity) ranges. On being tested, the above method is found to be 99.71% accurate to detect adulteration in milk.

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.

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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:
The Andhra Pradesh government has recently launched web portal ‘Bhuseva and Bhudaar’ which makes land records available to people with unique identification numbers just like Aadhar number. The “Bhudaar’’ is an 11-digit unique identification code assigned to each agriculture land holding and rural and urban properties in the state. With this, the land records will be available to people on the lines of Aadhar card enable the people to carry their land records in their pocket. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu also launched Bhudaar security policy to provide security to the land records of farmers. Bhuseva portal will provide information related to all transactions of a particular land or property in a single source. The history of transactions will be available initially for the last 12 years then for the last 15 years which is authentic information which is authorised by the competent authority and will be available at wwwbhuseva.ap.gov.in.

Notes:
To mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev in November 2019, the Union Cabinet has recently approved the building and development of the Kartarpur Corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district of Punjab to the international border with Pakistan. The corridor will facilitate pilgrims from India who visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur, on the banks of the Ravi River in Pakistan every year, where Shri Guru Nanak Devji spent 18 years. The Kartarpur corridor will be implemented as an integrated development project with Government of India funding, to provide smooth and easy passage, with all the modern amenities. The corridor was proposed by the then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999. If connected on the both sides, this could also provide a major tourism boost as more pilgrims would be able to visit the holy shrine throughout the year.

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IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP) has recently signed pact with Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) to promote the startup enterprises in East and Northeast India. The pact will bring incubator and industry together in a more formal way. ICC services for the startup entrepreneurs in the country include facilitating funding, queries, meetings, Market Connect, Legal Connect, Mentoring, B2B and B2G interactions. IIMCIP is a not for profit (Section 8) company established under the aegis of IIM Calcutta to promote Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The park is currently incubating 40 startups with almost half from Bengal.