Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2019

Notes:
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has approved a proposal to declare ocean energy as a renewable source of energy. The decision is expected to boost the use of ocean energy. The MNRE has clarified to all the stakeholders that energy produced using various forms of ocean energy such as tidal, wave, ocean thermal energy conversion among others shall be considered as renewable energy and shall be eligible for meeting the non-solar Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPO). Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) has a theoretical potential of 180,000 MW in India subject to suitable technological evolution. The total identified potential of tidal energy in India is around 12,455 Megawatt whereas the total theoretical potential of wave energy along the country’s coast is estimated at 40,000 MW.

Notes:
Union Culture and Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel has recently launched the book titled – “the Diary of Manu Gandhi (1943-44)” at a function in New Delhi. The book has been brought out by National Archives of India (NAI) in collaboration with Oxford University Press on the occasion of 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The book originally written in Gujarati language and has been edited & translated by a well known scholar Dr. Tridip Suhrud. The first volume of the book covers the period of 1943-1944. It throws light on Gandhiji’s life as a prisoner and his endeavour to establish the possibility of collective non-violence. It also chronicles the spiritual and educational pursuits of a woman who takes up writing as a mode of self examination. She shares a moving portrait of Kasturba Gandhi’s illness and death. Manu Gandhi (Mridula) was a grand niece of Mahatma Gandhi, and stayed with Gandhiji till his assassination. She was an aide to Kasturba Gandhi during her imprisonment in the Aga Khan Palace in 1943.

Notes:
Constable Monali Jadhav from Maharashtra was representing the Indian Police Force (IPF) at the recently concluded 2019 World Police and Fire Games International Championship held in Chengdu, China. She bagged the gold in target and field archery while settled for a bronze in the ‘3D Archery’ in the tournament. She also made a new record with a score of 716 out of 720 points in the game. Jadhav is attached to the Jalamb police station in Buldhana district of Maharashtra.

Notes:
The NITI Aayog in association with Ministry of JAL Shakti and Ministry of Rural Development has released Composite Water Management Index 2.0 (CWMI 2.0). CWMI 2.0 ranks various states for the reference year 2017-18 as against the base year 2016-17. The CWMI is an important tool to assess and improve the performance of States/ Union Territories in efficient management of water resources. The index would provide useful information for the States and also for the concerned Central Ministries/Departments enabling them to formulate and implement suitable strategies for better management of water resources.

Notes:
On 25th August 2019, Komalika Bari from Jharkhand has become recurve cadet world champion at the World Archery Youth Championships in Madrid, Spain. In the final, she defeated higher-ranked Sonoda Waka of Japan 7-3 and earn India’s 2nd gold on the final day of the Championships. Earlier, India also won a gold in the compound junior mixed pair event and a bronze in the compound junior men’s team event. Thus, India concluded their campaign with two gold and one bronze medal in their last event. Now, the 17-year-old Komalika is now India’s second recurve cadet world champion (under-18) after Deepika Kumari who won the title in 2009. This was also India’s fourth individual world championship title after Deepika (cadet and junior) and Palton Hansda (compound junior in 2006). This is the last tournament for the Indian archers to play under the national flag as the World Archery’s suspension of the country will come into effect after this event.

Notes:
In Badminton, ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu has become the first Indian to book a gold medal at the World Championships at Basel in Switzerland. In the final, she defeated her Japanese opponent Nozomi Okuhara by 21-7, 21-7. This was Sindhu’s third straight World Championships final. Sindhu is also the second women shuttler to have five medals and the third to have medals in all three colours.

Notes:
The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has constituted Advisory Board for Banking Frauds (ABBF) to examine bank fraud over Rs 50 crore and recommend action. The panel in its previous avatar called the Advisory Board on Bank, Commercial and Financial Frauds. The 4-member ABBF, which is headed by former Vigilance Commissioner T M Bhasin, has been formed in consultation with the RBI and it will function as the first level of examination of all large fraud cases before recommendations or references are made to the investigative agencies by the respective Public Sector Banks (PSBs). The jurisdiction of board will be confined to those cases involving officers of General Manager (GM) level and above in the PSBs in respect of an allegation of a fraud in a borrowal account. The banks will refer all large fraud cases above Rs 50 crore to ABBF and on receipt of its recommendation, they concerned will take further action in such matter. The tenure of the Chairman and members would be for a period of two years from August 21, 2019.

Notes:
The researchers at IIT-Guwahati have developed a novel technique for production of meat which is completely natural. The lab-grown meat is nutritious and will be a step towards cruelty-free food. The taste of the final meat product will remain similar as raw meat but with improvised nutritional values as per customer needs. The product can be printed in varying shapes and sizes using a 3D bioprinter with the edible components and preserved for future use. According to researchers, the meat industry has been facing immense pressure in keeping up with the food requirements due to rapid increase in population. Citing predictions from the UN population prospects, Dr Biman B Mandal stated that the current meat industry will not be able to meet the global needs by 2050. Around 4,000 litres of water are required to produce one kg chicken meat and more than 8,000 litres of water are required to produce one kg of mutton. Hence, the lab grown meat made will have immense value in the Indian as well as the foreign market as it is nutritious and can be tuned for the high in demand needs of fast-food joints.

Notes:
On 26th August 2019, the 10-day annual festival of the famous Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple has started in Tamil Nadu with a formal flag hoisting ceremony in the sprawling temple premises. The main ceremony of the crowning of Lord Sundareswara will be held on 7th of September, after which Lord Sundareswar will accept the reign of Madurai for six months. One of the interesting aspects of the festival is the enactment of various incidents in the lives of Lord Sundareswara and Goddess Meenakshi. In one of the important incidents enacted during the annual festival, Lord Sundareswar disguises himself as a labourer to help a poor old woman called Pittu. Music and dance performances as well as processions will be held in the brightly lit temple premises including the famous Golden Lotus pond and the Thousand Pillared Hall. It is notable that the Golden Lotus pond was thoroughly cleaned recently and natural water resources underneath the pond were revived using eco friendly geo carpeting technology.

Notes:
The Project SU.RE (Sustainable Resolution) is a joint project of CMAI (Clothing Manufacturers Association of India) of United Nations (UN) & IMG Reliance (International Management Group). It has been inaugurated by Union Minister for Textiles Smriti Zubin Irani during Lakme Fashion Winter/Festive 2019 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The purpose of this project is to move towards sustainable fashion that contributes to a clean environment. The sustainability resolution reflects the thought of Mahatma Gandhi. Project SU.RE involves 16 leading retail fashion brands and is a step towards responsible and smart business. Top fashion and retail brands such as Future Group, Shoppers Stop, Aditya Birla Retail, Arvind Brands, Lifestyle, Max, Raymond, House of Anita Dongre, Westside, Spykar, Levis, Bestsellers and Trends are signatories to the project.