Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2018

Notes:
The West Bengal government has rolled out a scheme “Swayangsiddha” in different districts of the state to combat human trafficking. The aim of the scheme is to empower young boys and girls to make informed choices so that they are less vulnerable to trafficking and child marriage. Swayangsiddha, which means self-reliance, will be executed by the West Bengal Police. As the per the NCRB data West Bengal has highest recorded case of trafficking among the States.

Notes:
India has signed a financing loan agreement with the World Bank for $74 million for Uttarakhand Workforce Development Project (UKWDP). The purpose of the project is to improve the quality and relevance of training at priority Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and to increase the number of labour-market-relevant workers through short-term training in Uttrakhand. The project has 3 components — improving the quality and relevance of ITI training; increasing the number of skilled workers certified under National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQE); and policy and institutional development and project management. The project has a 5-year grace period & a maturity of 17 years. The closing date for the project is June 2023.

Notes:
On September 19, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved Revised Cost Estimate (RCE) of Dam rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) at the revised cost of Rs 3466 crore with the financial assistance of the World Bank to improve safety and operational performance of 198 Dams. The project aims at comprehensive rehabilitation of 198 existing dam projects located in 7 states of India viz. Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand. It also aims to ensure safety of downstream population and property that are affected in the case of a dam failure or operational failure. Out of Rs.3,466 crore, Rs.2,628 crore will be funded by the World Bank and Rs.747 crore will be funded by DRIP States / Implementing Agencies (IAs) and balance Rs.91 crore to be funded by Central Water Commission (CWC). The CCEA also gave its ex-post facto approval for two-year time extension from 1st July, 2018 to 30th June, 2020.

Notes:
According to Mercom India Research, the total installed capacity of solar power generation of India has crossed 25 giga watts (GV). This includes both large-scale and rooftop solar. The utility-scale solar PV projects in India accounts for over 22.5 GW of installed capacity & the rooftop solar projects account for over 2.4 GW as of date. Karnataka is the top solar state of India followed by Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Mercom India Research forecasts solar installations of approximately 8.3 GW in CY 2018. Out of this, over 5 GW of solar projects have been installed in the first half of the year. Installation rates are forecasted to decline in the second half due to lack of a strong project pipeline. The solar installations in 2019 are also expected to be flat as longer commissioning timeline will push approximately 1.3 GW of large-scale projects from 2019 to 2020.

Notes:
The joint air tactical exercise “Aviaindra-18” has started between Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Air Force of the Russian Federation at Lipetsk, Russia from September 17 to 28. The second session of Aviaindra 18 would be conducted in Jodhpur, India from December 10 Dec to 22. The aim of the exercise is focused towards anti-terrorist operations in a bi-lateral scenario. The exercise would further enhance the co-operation and understanding each other’s Concept of Operations. In addition to flying exercise, there would be formal interactions, discussions, exchange of ideas and friendly sports matches to enhance bonhomie between the two Air Forces. Exercise Aviaindra is an Air Force level exercise between India and the Russian Federation. First Aviaindra was conducted in 2014 and has been planned as a bi-annual exercise.

Notes:
The Odisha Assembly has recently passed a unanimous resolution to name the newly-built Jharsuguda airport after noted freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the airport on 22 September 2018. Earlier, in July 2018, the Centre had asked the State government naming of the airport is to be considered only after a resolution passed in the Odisha assembly. Jharsuguda airport will be the 2nd operational airport in Odisha after Biju Patnaik International airport in Bhubaneswar. Veer Surendra Sai, who was born on January 1809 in Sambalpur district of the State, had sacrificed his life fighting against British East India company. He and his associates resisted the British and successfully protected most parts of Western Odisha region for some time from the British rule. Many of them were hanged by the British & a few died in the Cellular Jail in the Andamans. Surendra Sai died in Asirgarh Jail on 23rd May 1884.

Notes:
Anindo Majumdar, a 1985-batch IAS officer Arunachal Pradesh, Goa and Mizoram Union Territories or AGMUT cadre, has been appointed as the new Secretary of Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). Prior to this post, he was financial Commissioner of Delhi. Before coming to Delhi, he was the Chief Secretary of Andaman and Nicobar (A&N) Islands. The CVC is an apex governmental body created in 1964 to address governmental corruption. It has the status of an autonomous body, free of control from any executive authority, charged with monitoring all vigilance activity under the Central Government of India (GoI), advising various authorities in central Government organizations in planning, executing, reviewing and reforming their vigilance work.

Notes:
India’s first indigenously developed 500-megawatt (mw) prototype fast breeder reactor at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu is expected to achieve criticality in 2019. This was stated by Sekhar Basu, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy, at the 62th General Conference of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, on 19th September 2018. The indigenously developed Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR)is now undergoing sodium commissioning. The reactor was designed by the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR).Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam (Bhavini), a public sector company under DAE, has been given the responsibility to build the fast breeder reactors in the country.

Notes:
India and Sri Lanka have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for construction of a 5000-metric ton temperature controlled warehouse in Dambulla of Central Province. The warehouse will be constructed with an Indian grant assistance of 30 crore Sri Lankan rupees for fruits and vegetables to minimize its post-harvest losses. This initiative will benefit the farming community by reducing the wastage particularly in the peak season when there is surplus production. This project is in continuation of Government of India (GoI)’s efforts to partner with Government of Sri Lanka in people oriented development projects. India’s overall commitment of development assistance to Sri Lanka stands at a total of around 3 billion US dollars, out of which 550 million US dollars is pure grant assistance.

Notes:
Kondapalli Koteswaramma (96), the revolutionary communist leader, writer and feminist, has passed away in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh on September 19, 2018. Born in a prosperous family in Pamarru area of Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh, she grew up in a political environment. She had joined the Congress party when she was around 10 years old by placing her jewellery at the feet of Mahatma Gandhi when he visited Vijayawada, but was soon disenchanted with the party’s stand against freedom fighters Bhagat Singh and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. She was a widow of Kondapalli Seetharamaiah, the founder-member of People’s War Group (PWG). Koteswaramma had gone underground from 1946 for 5 years during the Telangana Armed struggle supported by communists against the Nizam rule. An enthusiastic reader from childhood, she had developed the love for the language and words. She had written four books, including her autobiography ‘Nirjana Varadhi’ at the age of 93 in 2012.