Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2018

Notes:
The Odisha government has come out with lexicons of 21 rare tribal languages to preserve vanishing native languages in State with largest tribal diversity. The bilingual tribal dictionaries will be used in Multilingual Education (MLE) initiated by the State government at the elementary level in tribal-dominated districts. The bilingual tribal dictionaries for MLE and trilingual tribal language proficiency modules in all the 21 tribal languages have been formulated by the Special Development Council (SDC). Odisha has a unique place on the tribal map of India for having the maximum number of Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities. The State is home to 62 different tribal communities, including 13 particularly vulnerable tribal groups. These tribes speak 21 languages and 74 dialects. Of the 21 tribal languages, seven have their own scripts. However, Odia is used as the medium of communication in the dictionaries.

Notes:
Bhavani Devi from India has won the gold in the Sabre event in the Senior Commonwealth Fencing Championship 2018 held in Canberra, Australia. She defeated England’s Emily Ruaux 15-12 in the final. With this feat, Bhavani became the first Indian to win a gold medal in the Commonwealth Championship. Earlier, Bhavani Devi won a silver medal in the Tournoi Satellite Fencing Championship in Iceland.

Notes:
Renowned scientist Nageshwara Rao Guntur appointed as Chairperson of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) for the period of 3 years. Guntur is the chairman at Project Design Safety Committee, Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) and former distinguished scientist Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL). The mission of AERB is to ensure that the use of ionising radiation and nuclear energy in India does not cause undue risk to health and the environment. Its headquarters is located in Mumbai.

Notes:
The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (IDEVAW) is observed every year on 25th of November to raise public awareness on issues of violence against women and girls, including how men and boys can play a more active role in eliminating this violence. The day also marks the start of the “16 Days of Activism”. The 2018 UN theme for 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence under the UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign is “Orange the World: #HearMeToo”. The aim of #HearMeToo is to bring to the forefront the voices of women and girls who have survived violence, who are defending women’s rights every day and taking action, many of them very far away from the limelight or media headlines.

Notes:
The Croatia Davis Cup team has won the 107th edition of the Davis Cup tennis tournament 2018. In the final at Lille’s Stade Pierre Mauroy, Marin Cilic clinched the title by defeating France’s Lucas Pouille 7-6(3) 6-3 6-3 to give his side a decisive 3-1 lead. This is Croatia’s second title. Their maiden victory happened in 2005 when they overcame Slovakia.

Notes:
Varsha Varman from Madhya Pradesh has won the women’s trap gold at the 62nd National Shotgun championship 2018 in Jaipur, Rajasthan. She shot 38 in the final to get the better of Junior World Cup finalist Soumya Gupta of Delhi, who ended with 37 hits for the silver medal. Defending champion Shagun Chowdhary of ONGC won bronze with a final round effort of 30. Earlier, Varman won the bronze at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games in the women’s double trap team event, along with Shagun Chowdhary and Shreyasi Singh.

Notes:
IIT Kharagpur has recently signed an MoU with Auckland University to foster academic exchange and research collaboration, faculty exchange and student mobility.The institutes will typically explore opportunities for research in healthcare technologies, new materials, cyber security and Artificial Intelligence (AI). This is the first strategic partnership of University of Auckland with a higher educational institution in India. The MoU also involves the scope of outreach centers at IIT KGP and Auckland representing various prestigious higher educational institutions of both countries. At present Indian students form the third largest student community in New Zealand’s academic field with enrolments mostly in science, engineering and business.

Notes:
The Ministry for Human Resource Development (MHRD) has launched a unique initiative called Bhasha Sangam to introduce school students to all 22 Indian languages of Schedule VIII of the Constitution. The initiative, under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, was launched on 22nd of November and will continue till the 21st of December. The aim of the programme is to enhance linguistic tolerance and respect, and promote national integration. During the Bhasha Sangam programme, the school authorities have to introduce students to five sentences of the language fixed for that particular day/date by reading out the sentences in the morning assembly and asking the students to repeat them. Hnce, Bhasha Sangam is a programme for schools and educational institutions to provide multilingual exposure to students in Indian languages.

Notes:
On 27th of November, Tamil Nadu has been adjudged the Best State in Organ Donation at the 9th Indian Organ Donation Day (IODD-2018) in New Delhi by the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare. It’s fourth time in a row, the state has received the best-performing state award for organ donation. Tamil Nadu is also the first State in India to have initiated mandatory certification of brain stem death, streamlining organ distribution and setting up green corridors. Apart from this, the State of Maharashtra received an award for being the best State for promoting awareness on organ donations. Dr Subramania Iyer K, AIMS, Kochi was felicitated for conducting first hand transplant in the country and Dr Shailesh Puntambekar, Pune, received the award for conducting 1st Uterine Transplant in India.

Notes:
‘Walking with the Wind’, directed by Praveen Morchhale, has won the 2018 ICFT –UNESCO Gandhi Medal. The award is instituted by the International Council for Film, Television and Audiovisual Communication (ICFT), Paris and UNESCO. The criteria for the Gandhi Medal reflect UNESCO’s fundamental mandate of building peace in the mind of men and women, particularly human rights, intercultural dialogue, promotion and safeguard of diversity of cultural expressions. ’Walking with the Wind’ tells the story of a 10 year old boy in Himalayan Terrain, who mistakenly breaks his friend’s school chair. His daily 7 km long journey to school in mountainous terrain on a donkey, turns mammoth and challenging when he decides to bring the chair to his village.