Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2019

Notes:
The 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS 13) will be held at 15th to 22nd February 2020 at Gandhinagar in Gujarat. Recently, the Government of India (GoI) has announced that the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) will be its mascot for CMS COP-13. It is an environmental treaty under the aegis of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Representatives from 129 Parties and eminent conservationists and international NGOs working in the field of wildlife conservation are expected to attend the COP. India has been a Party to the CMS since 1983. The Conference of Parties (COP) is the decision-making organ of this convention. CMS, also known as the Bonn Convention, recognizes that States must be the protectors of migratory species that live within or pass through their national jurisdictions and aims to conserve terrestrial, marine, and avian migratory species throughout their ranges.

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:
On 10th of February, the 7th edition of World Government Summit (WGS-2019) was held at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai, UAE to deliver a road map towards a more prosperous future for all nations. The 3-day event was held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai. The focus of the summit was on 7 key topics: the future of technology, the future of health and quality of life, the environment and climate change, education and the labour market, trade and international co-operation, societies and politics and information and communication between governments and society. More than 4,000 decision-makers from 140 countries – including heads of state, ministers and business leaders – are participating the event. The summit is a knowledge exchange platform at the intersection of government, futurism, technology, and innovation. It functions as a thought leadership platform and networking hub for policymakers, experts and pioneers in human development. It is also showcases innovations, best practices, and smart solutions to inspire creativity to tackle these future challenges.

Notes:
The Jharkhand government has recently banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) in the state to curb its anti-national activities and for keeping links with terror outfits like ISIS. According to the government notification, the PFI is banned with immediate effect under the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1908. The decision to ban PFI has been taken after a review that its activities have increased and is dangerous to the state and the nation and it has the power to disrupt peace, communal harmony and secular structure. As per notification, the PFI has been involved in spreading social division, anti-India and pro-Pakistan slogans, and links with ISIS and JMB. The PFI is an extremist and militant Islamic fundamentalist organisation in India, formed as a successor to National Development Front (NDF) in 2006.

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:
The K-SWIFT (Kerala Single-window Interface for Fast, Transparent Clearances) has been launched by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan at ASCEND Kerala 2019. The aim of the online clearance mechanism is to make the state a top investment destination and empower entrepreneurs to launch their enterprises in a speedy and hassle-free manner. K-SWIFT has been developed to simplify and expedite issuance of clearances from departments/agencies for launching enterprises in the state. Here, the proposals of entrepreneurs will get clearance within 30 days of application.

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:
Meghalaya’s state animal – Clouded Leopard will be the official mascot for the 39th National Games 2022, which is coinciding with the 50th year of the creation of the state. This decision was taken at the first National Games 2022 executive committee meeting chaired by Meghalaya Sports and Youth Affairs Minister . Meghalaya will be the third northeastern state after Manipur and Assam hosted the National Games in 1999 and 2007, respectively. It had co-hosted the 2016 South Asian Games with its neighbouring state Assam. An estimated 14,450 athletes and officials are expected to visit Meghalaya during the 2022 National Games. Clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is one of the wild cats that live throughout the forests of Garo, Khasi and Jaintia Hills. Since 2008, it is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

Notes:
On 15th February, the Government of India (GoI), Government of Himachal Pradesh (GoHP) and the World Bank signed a 40 Million Loan Agreement to help bring clean and reliable drinking water to the citizens of the Greater Shimla area, who have been facing severe water shortages and water-borne epidemics over the last few years. The Shimla Water Supply and Sewerage Service Delivery Reform Programmatic Development Policy Loan 1 is expected to improve water supply and sanitation (WSS) services in and around the iconic hill city of Shimla. The 40 Million Loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a 4-year grace period and a maturity of 15.5 years.

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.