Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2019

Notes:
Radheyshyam Julaniya, a 1985 batch officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed the new Union Sports Secretary. He succeeded Rahul Bhatnagar, who is set to join the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. Earlier, Bhatnagar had also served as Director General of Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). During his tenure, IIM Rohtak has also started a MBA programme in Sports Management with Ministry funding. Bhatnagar also outlined the achievements of the Sports Ministry during his tenure, which includes, opening the National Sports University (NSU), Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) besides hosting important international tournaments like the Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar and World Women’s Boxing Championships in New Delhi.

Notes:
India has signed a MoU with Bangladesh to train 1800 Bangladesh Civil Servants at the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) over the next 6 years. They will be trained in e-governance and service delivery, public policy and implementation, information technology, decentralization, urban development and planning, ethics in Administration and challenges in implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is the second time that NCGG signed an MOU for a training program for Bangladesh Civil Servants. Under the first MOU signed 5 years ago, 1500 Bangladesh Civil Servants have already been trained in NCGG. The NCGG is an autonomous institute under the aegis of Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DAR&PG), Government of India. Its head office is at New Delhi. It’s a think tank for governance & policy reforms.

Notes:
The book titled “Law, Justice and Judicial Power – Justice P N Bhagwati’s Approach” has been authored by Professor (Dr.) Mool Chand Sharma. It was formally released by Chief Justice of India, Justice Ranjan Gogoi at a function held in New Delhi. The first edition of the book was received by President Ramnath Govind. Justice Bhagwati has been called the father of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in India. The book is a collection of 24 essays written in honour of Justice Bhagwati, celebrating his judicial work and landmark judgments as well as his work towards introducing PIL in India.

Notes:
On 11th of February, the 13th edition of International Oil and Gas Conference ‘PETROTECH-2019’ has inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at India Expo Mart in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The three-day biennial event is organised under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas. The conference will showcase the recent market and investor friendly developments in India’s oil and gas sector. Over 95 Energy Ministers from partner countries and 7000 delegates from around 70 countries are expected to be part of PETROTECH -2019.

Notes:
Egyptian President, Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has been elected as the chairman of the African Union (AU) at the continental body’s summit in Ethiopia. El-Sisi’s election brought to an end the one-year chairmanship of Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame. The Egyptian leader is expected to focus on the fight against armed groups on the continent and rebuilding efforts of countries recovering from conflict. It is the first time since the AU was founded in 2002 that Egypt assumes the top seat of the body. The African Union (AU) is a continental union consisting of 55 countries of the continent of Africa. The purpose of AU is to achieve greater unity and solidarity between the African countries and Africans. The primary languages spoken include Arabic, English, French and Portuguese and the languages of Africa. Within the African Union, there are official bodies such as the Peace and Security Council and the Pan-African Parliament.

Notes:
The Meghalaya Cabinet has recently decided to rename the Dikkibandi stadium in Tura town after former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A Sangma. The state Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma approved the recommendations received from the state naming authority tasked with the job to name roads, and institutions after personalities. PA Sangma is also a former chief minister ofMeghalaya. He was elected from the Tura Lok Sabha seat a number of times. Conrad K Sangma and James K Sangma are sons of Purno A Sangma. Formerly, Dikkibandi stadium was known as the MP stadium. The state Cabinet has also decided to name a road leading from Mawlai-Mawroh to Madan in honour of Saint Teressa.

Notes:
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science is celebrated every year on 11th of February to promote full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls. The day is a reminder that women and girls play a critical role in science and technology communities and that their participation should be strengthened. The 2019 theme is “Investment in Women and Girls in Science for Inclusive Green Growth”.

Notes:
Vijaya Bapineedu (83), the prominent Telugu film director-producer, has passed away in Hyderabad, Telangana on February 12, 2019. Hails from West Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh, he was known for Telugu films like Gang Leader, Khiladi No. 786 and Magadheerudu. He is also credited for Chiranjeevi’s successful career in films today.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) has recently signed a letter of intent with the Norwegian government to launch the India-Norway Marine Pollution Initiative. In partnership, both the countries will share experiences and competence, and collaborate on efforts to develop clean and healthy oceans, sustainable use of ocean resources and growth in the blue economy. The first Joint initiative of both the governments will combat marine pollution, which is one of the fastest growing environmental concerns. The initiative will seek to support local governments in implementing sustainable waste management practices, develop systems for collecting and analyzing information about sources and scope of marine pollution and improve private sector investment. The Indian and Norwegian governments will also work towards beach clean-up efforts, awareness raising campaigns and pilot project using plastic waste as fuel substitution for coal in cement production and developing frameworks for deposit schemes.

Notes:
On 14th of February, the Bihar government announced a universal old age pension scheme – Mukhyamantri Vridhajan Pension Yojna (MVPY) for all people above 60 years of age. The scheme will come into force from the 1st of April 2019. Except those senior citizens who have retired from government service, all will be eligible for Rs. 400 monthly pension irrespective of caste, religion or community. Currently old age pension scheme is applicable to only the BPL category. The Chief Minister also announced a pension of Rs. 6,000 for journalists above 60 years of age. Those who have been in regular service in the field of media and not getting any other pension will be eligible for Bihar Patrakar Samman Yojana (BPSY). This scheme will also be implemented from the 1st of April 2019.