Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2019

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:
Prominent economist Abdalla Hamdok has taken charge as the new Prime Minister of Sudan and vowed to work towards ending the country’s economic crisis and establishing peace. In his new role, Hamdok will be tasked to deal with Sudan’s mounting economic problems viz. high inflation and unemployment after decades of poor governance. His biggest challenge would be integrating his country into the international economy after 20 years of crippling United States trade sanctions.

Notes:
South Korea has recently conducted 2-day drill exercise to practise defending disputed islands off its east coast against an unlikely attack from Japan. The annual drills come just days after Seoul terminated a military intelligence-sharing pact with Tokyo. The exercise will involve warships and aircraft. The drill — re-named “East Sea territory defence training” — will solidify the military’s resolve to defend the Dokdo islands and the area surrounding the Sea of Japan. The delayed exercise comes as tensions with neighbouring Japan continue. Seoul has controlled the rocky islets in the Sea of Japan since 1945 when Tokyo’s 35-year colonial rule over the Korean peninsula ended. Tokyo also claims the islands and accuses South Korea of occupying them illegally. The two nations are both market economies, democracies and US allies, and both are threatened by nuclear-armed North Korea.

Notes:
Prabhakar Singh, Director General (DG) of Central Public Works Department (CPWD), has been chosen for the ‘Eminent Engineer Award for the Year 2019’ by the Institution of Engineers (India) for his distinguished and exemplary Service in the field of Engineering and Technology. This Elite and Prestigious Award shall be conferred to him on the ‘Engineers Day’ on September 15, 2019 in New Delhi. Singh is an IIT Graduate and MBA from one of the Premier Business Institute of the Country. His enormous contributions and dedicated Service to the Nation as an Eminent Technocrat has been instrumental in transforming the Premier Engineering Organisation of the Central Government – CPWD.

Notes:
E-commerce major Amazon India has launched a Military Veterans Employment programme in the country to create hundreds of opportunities for military veterans and their spouses across the company’s fulfilment centres. For this noble cause, Amazon India has partnered with the Office of the Director General of Resettlement (DGR) and the Army Welfare Placement Organisation (AWPO) to create continued work opportunities for military families across the country.

Notes:
In Dehradun, the Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP) has set up a plant which can turn plastic waste into diesel. The plant was recently inaugurated by the Union Science and Technology Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan. The plant is not just a good step towards freedom from plastic but will also reduce India’s dependence on other countries for petroleum products. The plant will also boost economic growth as it will produce 800 litres of diesel from one tonne of plastic waste which will be collected with the help of NGOs.

Notes:
Indian Para-badminton player Manasi Joshi from Rajkot has recently clinched her first gold in women’s singles category at the BWF Para Badminton World Championships in Basel, Switzerland. In the final, she defeated 3-time SL3 world champion Parul Parmar with a score of 21-12, 21-7.

Notes:
From 1st September 2019, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has decided to launched a mega 10-week anti-mosquito campaign against dengue and chikungunya that aims to increase the participation of residents in preventing their spread. The initiative titled ‘10 Hafte, 10 Baje, 10 Minute – Har Ravivar, dengue par war’. As part of the campaign, the government has asked the people of Delhi to give 10 minutes every Sunday at 10 a.m. to check all sources of stagnant water at their homes as the dengue mosquitoes breed only in clean water.

Notes:
The Delhi Cabinet has given “in principle” approval to the free-ride scheme of providing free rides for women in city buses and metro trains. For this cause, the Delhi Assembly also passed Supplementary Demands for Grants of Rs 290 crore. Of the Rs 290 crore, Rs 140 crore is for free rides for women in buses and Rs 150 crore for rides in metro trains. The free-ride scheme is slated to begin from October 29. Though, women employees of the Delhi government, local bodies and undertakings will not be entitled for transport allowance if they opt for free ride in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster buses. Both DTC and Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS) will strengthen their ticket checking mechanisms prevent “misuse” and “pilferage” of single journey passes.

Notes:
The Saidan Secondary School of Mizoram has been crowned Under-14 boys champions of 2019 Subroto Cup International Football tournament after defeating Unique Model Academy of Manipur 2-0 in the summit clash. It was the Mizoram school’s first title win in the tournament. Saidan also won the best team award (Rs 3,00,000) while its player B Romalsawma was titled the best player of the tournament. The best goalkeeper award went to Manipur’s Bijando and Lalbulliana of Saidan Secondary School was declared the best coach. The fairplay award went to Our Lady Mount Carmel High School of Goa. The best goalkeeper, best player and fairplay award winners won Rs. 50,000 each.