Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2019

Notes:
The 5th Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) Media Summit on Climate Action and Disaster Preparedness has started in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 26, 2019. The theme of the two-day summit is “Media Solutions for Sustainable Future: Saving Lives, Building Resilient Communities”. The basic aim of the summit is to address the issue of fully utilizing media’s potential of accelerating climate action and disaster preparedness and connect stakeholders to media professionals for collaboration and joint practical projects. Over 200 participants including political leaders, representatives of UN agencies and NGOs, climate change and disaster management experts, scientists and media persons are attending the event.

Notes:
The World Intellectual Property Day (WIPD) is observed every year on April 26 across the globe to spread awareness about the role that intellectual property rights like patents, trademarks, industrial designs and copyright play in encouraging innovation and creativity. It aims to increase people’s awareness and understanding of the intellectual property. The main purpose of intellectual property law is to encourage the creation of a large variety of intellectual goods for consumers. The 2019 theme is ‘Reach for Gold: IP and Sports’. Intellectual property refers to creations of the mind, inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names and images used in commercial activities.

Notes:
On 26th April, Divyansh Singh Panwar bagged silver in 10m Air Rifle event with 249.0 points in the 2019 ISSF World Cup for pistol and rifle shooters in Beijing. He also secured a quota for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In the ongoing tournament, Divyansh had bagged a gold in 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team event along with Anjum Moudgil. This is India’s fourth 2020 Tokyo Olympic quota after Anjum Moudgil and Apurvi Chandela (10m air rifle women) and Saurabh Choudhary (10m Air Pistol men) had secured berths in the earlier World Cups and last year’s World Championship.

Notes:
The 2019 World Immunization Week (WIW) is a global public health campaign i.e. celebrated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) from April 24 to 30 with theme “Protected Together: Vaccines Work!”. The week highlights the urgent need for immunisation against vaccine-preventable diseases for children and adults the world over. The 2019 theme aims to raise awareness about the importance of full immunization throughout life and urge greater action. This year’s campaign emphasizes the role and responsibility of everyone—policymakers, health workers, and individuals—in closing the immunization gap to protect children and broader communities.

Notes:
General (Retd.) Dalbir Singh Suhag has been appointed as India’s new high commissioner to the Republic of Seychelles. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly. His appointment comes amid deepening military ties between India and the island nation. Incidentally, Suhag was the chief of army staff when India conducted surgical raids across the Line of Control into Pakistan-administered Kashmir in 2016 after the terrorist attack on an Indian army camp in Uri. Seychelles is strategically important to India as New Delhi is developing Assumption Island as a naval base to expand its footprint in the strategically-key region where China has been trying to enhance its military presence.

Notes:
Indian Army signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) to construct four underground tunnels for storage of ammunition along the China and Pakistan border. This is a pilot project and the tunnels are expected to be completed within two years. The cost of the pilot project is around Rs 15 crore. At Under the pilot project, three tunnels will be built on China border while one will be built along the Line of Control with Pakistan. The project is meant to bolster the Indian Army’s capabilities along the Chinese border where India’s infrastructural development is far outpaced by that of China. Besides strengthening the defensive capabilities, the tunnels will protect the ammunition and other stored equipment from the air-strikes and detection by the enemy satellite. present, ammunition dumps are mostly over-ground and could be targeted by the enemies and their spies.

Notes:
Puranik Yogendra (or Yogi) from Pune has become the first ethnic Indian to contest and win an election in Japan. He has been elected to Edogawa Ward assembly of Tokyo. Hence, this is the first-ever victory of a naturalized Japanese of Indian origin in elections in Japan. Yogi went to Japan to pursue higher studies in 1997 and worked with various IT companies there. He lived there for 20 years and has been the resident of Edogawa for 15 years. Puranik believes that his ties with his adopted home were strengthened after Japan went through earthquake and tsunami in 2011 and he came to know more about the country when would visit the affected area on weekends to help the people affected due to two calamities. Soon after, he obtained Japanese citizenship and came to enter politics; he was fielded by the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) of Japan in the recent polls.

Notes:
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has recently announced that Qatar will officially abolish its controversial exit visa system for all foreign workers by the end of 2019. It must be noted that Qatar has introduced a series of labour reforms since its selection as the 2022 World Cup host, with the event setting in motion a huge construction programme employing foreign workers. In September 2018, Qatar approved legislation to scrap the “kafala”, or sponsorship, system which required that foreign workers obtain permission from their employers to leave the country. In February 2019, Qatar said it was committed to labour reform following an Amnesty International report that the 2022 World Cup host was failing to stop widespread labour abuse. As part of its pledge to reform the labour section, Qatar has also introduced a monthly minimum wage of 750 riyals ($206) and agreed to work closely with the ILO, which now has an office in the capital.

Notes:
The World Day For Safety And Health At Work is observed every year on 28th of April by the International Labour Organization (ILO) to promote safe, healthy and decent work. The day marks the need and awareness of a safe and healthy environment at the workplace. All of us spend most of our day at our workplaces and it is a necessity that our workplace is safe and secure, and we feel healthy and happy while we are there. It is both the duty of the management and the employees to make sure the best of conditions and environment are provided to the employees to make sure their productivity is always on the rise, and they are healthy throughout the year.

Notes:
The BCCI recommended Indian pacers Mohammad Shami and Jasprit Bumrah, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and women’s team spinner Poonam Yadav for the 2019 Arjuna award. The decision was taken during a meeting of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) in New Delhi. Bumrah is currently playing in the IPL for Mumbai Indians (MI). He is a regular across all three formats of cricket for the country. He will be spearheading India’s campaign in the upcoming World Cup in the UK. Pacer Shami has been a crucial cog in the Indian bowling set up. All-rounder Jadeja has also made a comeback in the limited overs team and has been named in the 15-member squad for the World Cup. The 27-year-old leg-spinner, Poonam, is the fourth name to be nominated for the coveted award. She has picked up 63 wickets from 41 ODIs and 74 wickets from 54 T20 games.