Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2019

Notes:
In February 2019, Jamie Chadwick from England has scripted history by becoming the first female motor racing driver to clinch the MRF Challenge Championship title after scoring a triple win in the final round of the season in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. She is best known for becoming the first ever female and youngest winner of the British GT Championship in 2015.

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:
The World Radio Day (WRD) is observed every year on the 13th of February to celebrate radio as a forum for information and entertainment, as a bridge of communication for remote communities and its role in empowering people. It is also a day to remember the unique power of radio which touches lives and brings people together from every corner of the globe. The day was proclaimed on 3rd November 2011 by UNESCO’s 36th General Conference. The 2019 theme “Dialogue, Tolerance and Peace Broadcasts” provides a platform for dialogue and democratic debate over issues, such as migration or violence against women, can help to raise awareness among listeners and inspire understanding for new perspectives in paving the way for positive action.

Notes:
Indian Army has recently demonstrated its artillery firepower by using ultra light Howitzers and indigenous Swathi weapon-locating radar at the annual ‘Exercise Topchi 2019’ at the vast firing ranges at Deolali Camp near Nasik, Maharashtra. The aviation and surveillance capabilities were also showcased in the Exercise. In addition to the gun fire, the display of rockets, missiles, surveillance and target acquisition radars, remotely piloted aircraft and hi-tech equipments was awe-inspiring.

Notes:
Siddhartha Lal, MD & CEO of Eicher Motors Ltd, was named the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 at the 20th edition of the EOY Awards in India. He is recognised for engineering the operational and financial turnaround of the company and reviving the Royal Enfield brand. Lal will now represent India at the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Award (WEOY) in Monte Carlo from 6 – 8 June 2019. The Entrepreneur Of The Year awards aims to honour entrepreneurs who with their creative ideas and exceptional enterprises have emerged as “Builders of a better India. In addition, Chairman of Wipro group Azim Premji was honoured with the lifetime achievement award for leading Wipro’s transformation from a vegetable oil business into a multi-business technology organization & for putting the Indian information technology industry on the global map.

Notes:
On 13th Feb, the 3rd Indo-German Environment Forum was held in New Delhi with the theme “Cleaner Air, Greener Economy”. The one-day event focuses on challenges, solutions and necessary framework conditions of air pollution control, waste management and circular economy as well as implementation of NDCs and SDGs based on Paris Agreement and Agenda 2030 of UN respectively. Around 250 representatives of ministries, business and science as well as non-governmental organizations participated in the forum, which is organized by the two environment ministries in cooperation with the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business and the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). The Forum provided a platform for the bilateral exchange of high-level policy-makers and other key players on international environmental and climate policy and cooperation between the two countries.

Notes:
On 10th of February, the 72nd British Academy Film Awards 2019 were held at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron’s semi-autobiographical black-and-white drama “Roma” claimed the top prize of best film, alongside director and cinematography honours. “Roma” also won the BAFTA for film not in the English language. “The Favourite” dominated the ceremony with seven wins, including for leading actress (Olivia Colman), supporting actress (Rachel Weisz) and outstanding British film. First-time nominee Rami Malek won the best actor award for his portrayal of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody”. The highest honour ‘the BAFTA fellowship’ was given to film editor Thelma Schoonmaker, a three-time Oscar winner. The special BAFTA award for outstanding British contribution to cinema was presented to producers Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley of Number 9 Films.

Notes:
Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh municipal corporation has won the first prize at the “Swachhata Excellence awards 2019”. The municipal corporations of Ambikapur and Kumbakonam bagged the second and third prizes, respectively. While, Nagar Palika Parishad of Jashpur Nagar, Malappuram Municipality, and Nagar Palika Parishad Surajpur have claimed the prizes in the “Statutory Towns” category. Beside this, for million-plus cities, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has won the award. For aspirational districts, Chas Municipal Corporation has been awarded with a consolation prize.

Notes:
The Union Environment Minister, Dr Harsha Vardhan has recently inaugurated the North Karnataka Agromet Forecasting and Research Centre (NKAFC) at the Farmers’ Knowledge Centre on University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) in Dharwad . It is the first of its kind in India to boost agricultural activities across the country by taking modern technology to farmers. The main purpose of the centre is to give accurate reports on the weather which would enable the farmers to protect the crops and get a good yield. The centre will also forecast on lightning which causes large-scale destruction of livestock and to farmers. About 25 lakhfarmers in the region would be kept updated with information via various platforms like WhatsApp, SMS, social networking sites and community radio stations. The centre has been established by the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences and the India Metrological Department (IMD), in association with UAS.

Notes:
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has recently released World Employment and Social Outlook Trends (WESO) 2019 report. As per the report, unemployment rates will fall to 4.9% in 2019 and remains steady in 2020. The new data gathered for the report show that a majority of the 3.3 billion people employed globally in 2018 worked keeping their economic security at risk in informal employment. The quantity of jobless in serious terms is approximated to rise from 172 million to 174 million in that time as the labour market place expands. The report offers worries about the woman workforce participation fee. The considerably lessen labour pressure participation of girls at 48%, as opposed with 75% for adult men signifies that around 3 in 5 of the 3.5 billion persons in the worldwide labour pressure were being guys. The world wide unemployment among younger folks (between 15-24) stood at 11.8%, which is much higher than it is among other age brackets.