Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2019

Notes:
The 42nd Indian Social Science Congress (ISSC-2018) was inaugurated by Manipur governor Dr Najma Heptulla at KIIT University campus in Bhubaneswar, Odisha on December 27. The theme of the Congress was ‘Human Future in Digital Era’. The ISSC is the annual meet of social scientists organised by Indian Social Science Academy (ISSA). It is a multidisciplinary national forum, which promotes integration of Science of Nature-Humans-Society through intra, inter and multi disciplinary appraisal of current research and theory.

Notes:
Stylish left-handed Indian opener, Smriti Mandhana has won the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award for the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year and also been named as the ICC Women’s ODI Player of the Year. She scored 669 runs at an average of 66.90 in 12 ODIs and 622 runs at a strike-rate of 130.67 in 25 T20Is during the voting period, which ran from 1 January to 31 December 2018. Beside her, Australia’s wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy voted ICC T20I Player of the Year. England’s Sophie Ecclestone named ICC Emerging Player of the Year. Mandhana is only the second Indian woman to win an ICC award after fast bowler Jhulan Goswami who was named the women’s player of the year in 2007.

Notes:
Justice (retd) H L Dattu, the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), has recently launched a toll-free number — 14433 — and also a facility to file complaints through Common Service Centre (CSC) at the Manav Adhikar Bhawan, New Delhi. The toll-free number would be available only during the office hours of the NHRC. The commission has shortlisted 750 CSC with at least one each in a district. The service will be expanded to all the CSCs in a phased manner. The NHRC is an autonomous public body constituted on 12th October 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Ordinance of 28 September 1993. It is responsible for the protection and promotion of human rights, defined by the Act as “rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the International Covenants”.

Notes:
The Indian Panorama Film Festival (IPFF) has started at Siri Fort Auditorium II, New Delhi from 4th January. The 10-day Festival is being organized by the Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B). The directors of the opening feature film ‘Olu’ and of the opening non-feature film ‘Kharvas’ viz. Shri Shaji N Karun and Shri Aditya Suhas Jambhale were presented at the inauguration of the fest. All the films selected under the Indian Panorama section in the 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2018) will be screened during the Festival. The entry for the Festival is free and seating is on the first-come-first-served basis.

Notes:
C. H. Lokanath (91), a noted Indian Kannada language veteran stage and cine artist, has passed away in Bengaluru, Karnataka on 31st December 2018. He had acted in more than 1000 plays and 650 films. He is affectionately addressed as “Uncle Lokanath” or “Uppinakayi” by the industry people. Some of his noted characters he has played are: Galileo in “Galileo”, Rajaram in “Aspota”, Dr. Faustus in “Dr. Faustus”, Dushtabudhi in “Chandrahasa” and many such plays. His most famous films include “Bhootayyana Maga Ayyu”, “Collegu Ranga”, “Hosa Neeru” and Mane Mane Kathe. He has even acted in several episodes of Malgudi Days.

Notes:
Parliament has passed the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2018, with the Rajya Sabha approving it on 3rd January 2019. The bill seeks to amend a law to abolish the ‘no detention policy’ till Class VIII by enabling state governments to allow schools to fail students. The Lok Sabha had already passed the bill seeking to further amend the Right to Education (RTE) Act of 2009 to abolish the no-detention policy in schools on July 2018. Under the current provisions of the RTE Act, no student can be detained till class 8 and all students are promoted to the next grade. As per the amendment, it would be left to the States to decide whether to continue the no-detention policy. HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar assured the Rajya Sabha that no child will be excluded from school in case he or she fails. The Bill provides for a regular examination in classes V and VIII and if the child fails, he or she shall be given additional opportunity for re-examination in two months’ time.

Notes:
The 13th edition of Global Healthcare Summit (GHS-2019) will be held in Hyderabad, Telangana from July 21 to 24. The summit is being organized in partnership with the Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin. It would have over a 100 speakers, who would share their expertise on clinical practice. The summit would have an international research competition for which the American Association of Physicians with Indian Origin (AAPI) would work in collaboration with a leading academic medical college in Hyderabad. The competition would be for medical students, residents, fellows and junior doctors. It would have five categories for abstract submission, including basic sciences, hospital administration, innovation, AYUSH and clinical science and patient-based research. A medical quiz competition for medical students would also be held during the summit. Winners would be given Rs. 5 lakh, Rs. 3 lakh and Rs. 1 lakh for first, second and third prizes respectively. More than 500 physicians are expected to attend the summit.

Notes:
Egypt has recently opened West Asia’s largest cathedral in its New Administrative Capital, 45km east of Cairo. President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated the newly-built Cathedral of Nativity and a mosque on the eve of Coptic Christmas in a symbolic message of tolerance in the predominantly Muslim nation. The newly built Al-Fattah Al-Aleem Mosque will be able to accommodate almost twice that of the cathedral, both of which are located in the major development that is the new administrative capital.

Notes:
Lady Head constable Rani of 5th Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) of Himachal Pradesh Police won a Gold medal in 78 kg category in the Senior National Women’s Judo Championship at Visakhapatnam on January 7, 2019. Rani was also declared the best Judoka at the Championship.

Notes:
The 27th New Delhi World Book Fair has started at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi on January 5 with theme “Readers with Special Needs”. The All India Radio (AIR) is the radio partner for book fair. Over 20 countries including Canada, China, Sri Lanka, and the US are participating in the book fair. More than 600 publishers from across the country are participating in the event. The book fair focuses on Readers with Special Needs, to promote the idea of inclusive learning through a series of exhibitions. The timing of the fair is from 11 am to 8 pm and tickets are available at 50 metro stations. The cost of the entry tickets is 30 rupees for adults and 20 rupees for children. There will be free entry for students in school uniform and senior citizens.