Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2019

Notes:
On April 1, ISRO has successfully launched India’s latest EMISAT defence satellite from the Sriharikota spaceport. In today’s mission, the rocket PSLV-C45 flew in a new configuration called “QL”. In this configuration, the rocket is fitted with four longer versions of strap-on motors that provide the vehicle the required additional thrust. Earlier, the rocket used to be in “XL” version with six strap-on motors or two or with no strap-on motors known as core alone configuration. The PSLV-C45 successfully injected EMISAT in a 748-km sun-synchronous polar orbit and 28 international customer satellites in a 504-km orbit. Of these, 24 are from the US, two from Lithuania, and one each from Spain and Switzerland. EMISAT is a satellite built around ISRO’s Mini Satellite-2 (IMS-2) bus weighing about 436 kg. The satellite is intended for electromagnetic spectrum measurement.

Notes:
IIT Kharagpur has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy (PGBA) to develop research and training module for the trainees of the Hyderabad-based sports facility. The thrust area of the collaboration is to promote health and wellbeing of sportspersons and coaches for enhancing the quality of performance and resilience. Players and coaches from PGBA will benefit from these programs. Further, the coaches will also be trained on how to use that knowledge while training players. Under the collaboration, IIT-KGP will also set up a sports academy in collaboration with Gopichand. The academy would promote collaborative research related to happiness in sports in general and badminton in particular, and science and technology in sports training. The scope would also include joint monitoring and use of materials used in general and badminton in particular by IIT Kharagpur and PGBA. A sum of Rs10 crore has been allocated to develop modern sports facilities at IIT-Kgp.

Notes:
UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has conferred the prestigious Zayed Medal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving a “big boost’ to bilateral strategic ties between the two countries. The award comes in appreciation of PM Modi’s role in consolidating the long-standing friendship and joint strategic cooperation between the two countries. The Zayed Medal is the highest decoration awarded to kings, presidents and heads of states.

Notes:
The State of the Global Air 2019 report has recently released by the Boston-based Health Effects Institute (HEI). The report revealed that 1.2 million Indians lost their lives due to exposure to unsafe air in 2017. Now, in India, air pollution is the third-highest cause of death among all health risks, ranking just above smoking. This is a combined effect of outdoor fine particles PM2.5, ozone and household (indoor) air pollution. In 2017, exposure to PM 2.5 pollution was found to be the third leading risk factor globally for Type 2 diabetes-related deaths and disability after high blood sugar and excessive body weight. Due to this combined exposure South Asians including Indians are dying early — their life expectancy has reduced by over 2.6 years. In India, early deaths are linked to respiratory diseases, heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, and diabetes that are influenced by air pollution.

Notes:
Scientists at the Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CCMB) have discovered a new enzyme ‘Murein Endopeptidase’ which helps in breaking cell walls of bacteria. This discovery offers a potential for a new drug delivery route to arrest the anti-bacterial resistance through existing antibiotic drugs. Hence, it opens up fresh ways to target microbes, leading to a new wave of antibiotic drugs. The man behind this discovery is Pavan Kumar Chodisetti, research student and his mentor Dr Manjula Reddy. Antibiotics are medicines used to prevent and treat bacterial infections. The findings have been published in the latest issue of Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, USA

Notes:
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has tied up with IIT Delhi to collaborate in the field of standardisation and conformity assessment. Under the MoU, the two have agreed to set-up a Centre of Excellence in the field of Standardisation, Testing and Conformity Assessment with the BIS branding at IIT-Delhi campus. Both have also agreed to appoint a Chair in the field of standardisation and conformity assessment. According to the MoU, IIT Delhi will provide infrastructure support for research and development projects of relevance to standardisation and BIS will provide financial support to IIT Delhi for projects. Initially, the MoU will remain in force for a period of five years and can be extended further.

Notes:
Praful Patel, the president of All India Football Federation (AIFF), has become the first Indian to be elected as a member of the FIFA Executive Council. He got 38 out of 46 votes. Mr Patel was one of the eight candidates vying for the spot in the election which was held during the 29th Asian Football Confederations Congress in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. The membership in the council will be for four years, from 2019 to 2023.

Notes:
To counter growing Chinese footprint in Indian ocean region, the Indian Navy has initiated the process to acquire six lethal submarines under the ambitious Project-75 India (I). The project would cost Rs 50,000 crore. Under Project 75-India, the Navy wants to build six conventional diesel-electric submarines which would be almost 50% bigger than the under-construction Scorpene class submarines being built at the Mazagon Dockyards Limited in Mumbai. As per the requirements stated by the maritime force, it wants the submarines to be equipped with heavy-duty firepower as it wants the boats to have at least 12 Land Attack Cruise Missiles (LACM) along with Anti-Ship cruise missiles (ASCM).

Notes:
Kartik Chandra Rath (70), an eminent theatre organiser and playwright, has passed away in Cuttack , Odisha on April 1, 2019. He wrote a play called “Aie Desa, Aie mati” at the young age of 15 and then never looked back in his artistic journey. His play “Bhagwan Jane Manisha” staged at the National Theatre festival in Allahabad way back in 1980s gave him an opening as a dramatist from where he scripted a passionate career as a dramatist. Recipient of Kendra Sangeet Natak Akademi award and Odishi Sangeet Natak Akademi award, Rath has penned over hundred plays and directed over 500 plays in his career as a dramatist. He is known for organising the international theatre festival in Cuttack for more than 20 years. He won the prestigious literary award for his One Act Play ‘Nisang Bisarga’. “Mansara Phula” is his another widely acclaimed play, which was staged at various theatre festivals across the country.

Notes:
Chinese badminton ace Lin Dan clinched the 2019 men’s singles Malaysia Open at Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur on April 7. After an electric performance , he beat countryman Chen Long 9-21, 21-7, 21-11. The title is Lin’s first win this year, and also his first major success since taking the Malaysia Open in 2017.