Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2018

Notes:
The Oxford Dictionaries has been chosen “toxic” as its ‘Word of the Year 2018’. Traditionally, the word “toxic” has been used to describe harmful chemical substances e.g. toxic waste and toxic gas. The dictionary defines “toxic” as “poisonous” with its roots derived from the medieval Latin term “toxicus,” meaning poisoned or imbued with poison. But, it has recently developed wider social meanings in light of the #MeToo movement and the increasingly volatile political landscape fostered by the Brexit vote.

Notes:
The Government of India (GoI) has appointed UIDAI CEO & GSTN Chairman Ajay Bhushan Pandey as new Secretary of Revenue in place of Hasmukh Adhia, who is set to superannuate on November 30. Pandey, who is 1984 batch Maharashtra-cadre IAS officer will continue to hold additional charge of CEO of UIDAI and also Chairman of GST Network. Interestingly, the government also appointed Sanjay Kumar Mishra, a 1984 batch IRS Officer, as Director of Enforcement Directorate (ED) for two years. Similarly, Gujarat cadre IAS Girish Chandra Murmu will be new Secretary of Expenditure and will take over from AN Jha who will superannuate in January 2019.

Notes:
After Maharashtra and Gujarat, Punjab has become the India’s third state to legally ban hookah bars or lounges. The ban was announced through a law after President Ram Nath Kovind gave assent to the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2018 recently. The purpose of bringing the law is to check the use of tobacco in various forms and prevent diseases caused by the use of the tobacco products. As per available data, an hour’s average of hookah includes 20-200 puffs, delivering 50 litres of smoke contain, hazardous and carcinogenic chemicals. The smoking of hookah increases health risks includes exposure to toxic chemicals that are not filtered out by the water, and also the risk of infectious disease like tuberculosis resulting from sharing a hookah.

Notes:
The 10th edition of joint military exercise between Indian and Russia “INDRA 2018” on combating insurgency has started at Babina Field Firing Ranges in Babina Military Station, Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh) from 18th November 2018. The purpose of the exercise is to practice joint planning and conduct to enhance interoperability of the two Armies in the peace keeping/ enforcement environment under the aegis of the United Nations (UN). It focuses upon training on enhancing team building, special tactical level operations such as Cordon and Search, house intervention, handling and neutralisation of Improvised Explosive Devices and integrated employment of force multipliers. The primary focus of the tactical field exercise is to share best practices amongst the militaries and hone existing skills of the troops in the backdrop of interoperability between the two Armies in the peace keeping/ enforcement environment.

Notes:
Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the New Delhi (India)-based independent research and advocacy think tank, has won the prestigious 2018 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development. The CSE has been awarded for its pioneering pioneering work over almost four decades on various burning issues from air and water pollution, food safety, waste water management, climate change and so on. The award is conferred by Indira Gandhi Trust each year on the late Prime Minister’s birth anniversary. The international jury for the awards was headed by former President Pranab Mukerjee. The CSE was established in 1980 under leadership of the late Anil Agarwal and is presently headed by Sunita Narain.

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:
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:
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.