Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2018

Notes:
Jalaj Srivastava, a 1984 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, has been appointed the new chairman of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI). Prior to this post, he was working as Additional Secretary in Ministry of Agriculture. He is known for launching the “Shakti Cab” project and “URJA” project for women when he was with the Delhi government as chairman of New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and Principal Secretary in Department of VAT. He is also considered as the man behind the start of “Rahagiri” event that takes place every Sunday in the national capital to promote culture and sports. Jalaj is also the writer of a crime thriller novel titled ‘The Perfect Suicide’. The IWAI comes under the Union Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, currently headed by Nitin Gadkari.

Notes:
Tripura will host the 7th edition of International Tourism Mart (ITM-2018) in Agartala from 22nd November to popularise tourist destinations in the northeastern states of the country. The event would be organised with an estimated budget of Rs 2.60 crores, which would be provided by the Ministry of Tourism. In the 3-day long tourism fair, at least 60 tour operators from 18 foreign countries including Bangladesh, USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, China, Thailand, South Africa and Russia would attend the fair and engage in dialogue with the state tour operators, attend seminars and visit different tourist spots of the state. Apart from the foreign participants, 70 tour operators would join the tourism mart from the eight NE states. 30 others would participate from other states of the country.

Notes:
The 27th BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change was held in New Delhi, India, on 19-20 November 2018. The meeting was chaired by Dr Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) of India. The BASIC Ministers urged the advanced countries to enhance their support to the developing nations in effectively implementing the Paris Agreement to combat climate change. The participating countries reaffirmed that the Paris Agreement is a significant step to advance global action against climate change, recognising the needs and special circumstances of the developing countries. The conclave also reaffirmed the member countries’ commitment to implement the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, its Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. It resolved to promote low carbon transition to safeguard the future of mankind.

Notes:
India has slipped two positions to rank 53rd among 63 nations at the 5th edition of the IMD World Talent Ranking 2018, which is recently released by IMD Business School, Switzerland. The rankings are based on three factors: Investment and Development, Appeal, and Readiness. These factors include indicators that capture the resources invested in developing local talent, the extent to which a country attracts and retains talent, and the quality of skills available in the talent pool. Switzerland has topped the global ranking for the fifth year in a row, it is followed by Denmark, Norway, Austria and the Netherlands in the top-five. At 6th place, Canada is the only non-European nation in the top-ten, which also includes Finland (7th), Sweden (8th), Luxembourg (9th), and Germany (10th).

Notes:
Sandeep Michael (37), the former international hockey player, has passed away in Bangaluru, Karnataka on 23 November 2018. He was a field hockey player who played as a forward for the India national field hockey team. Michael captained the National Junior team to Gold in the Asia Cup before being inducted into the Senior team. He was employed with Air India.

Notes:
The Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) and Sashastra Sima Bal (SSB) have joined hands to provide full proof security to Dudhwa forests and its rich wildlife. As per agreement, all security agencies including SSB on the border, central and local intelligence officers, customs and excise officials, Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) and the Dudhwa field staff will strengthen the patrolling in and around Dudhwa to check forest and wildlife crimes. Hence, the joint long route patrolling comprising SSB, STPF and DTR field staff would be held at regular intervals. The DTR is located in the Terai of Uttar Pradesh and covers an area of 490.3 km2, with a buffer zone of 190 km2 (73 sq mi). It is home for tigers, leopards, Asiatic black bears, sloth bears, Swamp deer, rhinoceros, elephants, cheetal, hog deer, barking deer, sambar, wild boar and hispid hare.

Notes:
Harmanpreet Kaur has been named captain of the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 XI, which also featured opener Smriti Mandhana and leg-spinner Poonam Yadav. A selection panel of ICC in Dubai picked up the team on the basis of the players’ performances in the 2018 ICC Women’s World Twenty-20 tournament , which concluded recently with Australia winning the title.Three players from England, two from Australia and one each from Pakistan, New Zealand and the Windies have also been named in the eleven. The next ICC World T20 tournament will take place in Australia in 2020.

Notes:
Delhi-based artist Anupam Roy has won the FICA Emerging Artist Award 2018, which is granted by Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art (FICA) for his large-scale drawings and paintings speak about systemic violence and injustice. As part of the award, he would receive a 90-day residency in Switzerland in 2019, supported by Pro Helvetia, which would help develop his practice and in forging further artistic collaborations. The FICA award, granted annually in collaboration with Pro Helvetia – Swiss Arts Council, seeks to promote young artists who are studying or practising in India, and demonstrate extraordinary skill and promise in the visual arts. The FICA is a non-profit organization that aims to broaden the audience for contemporary Indian art, enhance opportunities for artists, and establish a continuous dialogue between the arts and the public through education and active participation in public art projects and funding.

Notes:
The National Milk Day (NMD) is celebrated every year on November 26 to mark the birth anniversary of Dr. Verghese Kurien, the father of India’s White Revolution. Dr Kurien was the architect of Operation Flood, the programme which led India from being 50th in the world in terms of milk production to become the largest producer in just a couple of decades.

Notes:
The 13th edition of G20 summit 2018 will be held at Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina on November 30 under the theme ‘Building Consensus for Fair and Sustainable Development’. The annual meeting is being attended by leaders of the top 20 economies of the world and will cover the entire gamut of economic issues, including the agricultural sector reform, the challenges climate change poses and health-care issues faced by the world. From India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to highlight problems of oil price volatility which has a direct impact on the Indian economy in the G 20 platform. Digital revolution and skill India are also among the issues to be discussed during the summit.