Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2019

Notes:
On 18th January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 9th edition of Vibrant Gujarat global investors’ summit- 2019 at Mahatma Mandir Exhibition cum Convention Centre in Gandhinagar. The main theme of the 3-day summit is “Shaping a new India”. More than 30 thousand international and Indian delegates including the 5 Heads of States from from Uzbekistan, Rwanda, Denmark, Czech Republic and Malta are participating in the summit. Apart from this, 11 international organizations are participating as partner organizations for the Summit. The summit will provide a forum for discussion on Global, National and State-level agendas with a sharp focus on all round economic development for a ‘New India’.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Finance has started ‘Know Your Budget’ fortnight series on its Twitter handle to educate general public about the budgetary process. The series would explain the importance of Union Budget and its making, and would continue for about a fortnight. In the first series of tweets, the Ministry explained the terms – Union Budget and Vote on Account. These are as follows: The Budget is the most comprehensive report of the government’s finances in which revenues from all sources and outlays for all activities are consolidated. The Budget also contains estimates of the government’s accounts for the next fiscal year called Budget estimates. The Vote on Account is defined as a grant made in advance by Parliament for expenditure for a part of the next financial year.

Notes:
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad will launch India’s first full-fledged B.Tech (Bachelors of Technology) programme in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the academic year 2019-20. The course will have an intake of around 20 students and the admission will be done on the basis of the JEE-Advanced score. The course syllabus will comprise of the study of algorithms from the computer science department, signal processing from the electrical engineering department, robotics from mechanical engineering department and mathematical foundations. The course will also focus on application verticals such as healthcare, agriculture, smart mobility, among many others. The aim here is to produce students with a sound understanding of the fundamentals of theory and practice of AI and machine learning. Globally, US-based Carnegie Mellon University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) offer similar courses. It must be noted that IIT Hyderabad already offers an M.Tech programme in Artificial Intelligence-Machine Learning.

Notes:
The 2nd World Integrated Medicine Forum (WIMF-2019) on the ‘Regulation of Homeopathic Medical Products’ will be held in Goa from 23-25 January, 2019. The 3-day forum, which will be inaugurated by AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik, will explore and illustrate the potential benefits and pitfalls of bi-lateral/multilateral collaboration and advance global cooperation on a synergistic basis. In it, approx 20 countries are participating.

Notes:
Eminent scientist and recipient of Bharat Ratna, C N R Rao has been chosen for the first Sheikh Saud International Prize for Materials Research, given by the Centre for Advanced Materials of the UAE. The award includes a plaque, a medal and a cash prize of $100000. The award will be presented to Rao at the International Workshop on Advanced Materials in Ras Al Khaima on February 25. Professor Rao is the National Research Professor, Linus Pauling Research Professor and Honorary President of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR). He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of India in 2014.

Notes:
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has launched a rocket carrying a satellite capable of delivering an artificial meteor shower into the Earth’s atmosphere. This will be the world first artificial meteor satellite if the mission succeed. The satellite was launched by Epsilon-4 Rocket from the JAXA Uchinoura Space Center. It is carrying the first of two micro-satellites built by Tokyo-based startup Astro Live Experiences (ALE). The satellite is set to release tiny balls from the micro-satellites in the hope of mimicking shooting stars in the night sky above Hiroshima in 2020. The process of producing such simulation is called Plasma Emission. Once the tiny ball is released in the space, it will automatically burn up to ashes so that no risk is posed to the people. The glow will be so much bright that it will be seen even through the light-polluted Tokyo city. The tiny ball is expected to shine for several seconds before being completely burned up. Apart from this tiny ball, the ALE is also looking forward to introducing disused satellites so that it will produce even brighter glows. Hence, the world’s first artificial shooting star project ‘Sky Canvas’ aims to bring people from all over the world together to witness an unprecedented, collective experience.

Notes:
Raghbir Singh Bhola (92), the former India hockey player, has passed away in New Delhi on January 21, 2019. He represented India in the 1956 Melbourne and 1960 Rome Olympics, winning a gold and silver medals respectively for the country. His dedication and passion for field hockey continued in various aspects throughout his life and he served in diverse roles such as member of the IHF selection committee, FIH international umpire, manager of the Indian hockey team, TV commentator and government observer at the Olympic Games. He successfully captained the Indian Air Force hockey and Services team from 1954-60 and won the Inter Services Hockey Championship three times and the National Hockey Championship on two occasions. In 2000, he was honoured with the Arjuna Award for his life time achievements in Field Hockey.

Notes:
India Steel 2019 Exhibition and Conference has started in Mumbai on January 23. The three-day event organised by Ministry of Steel will help chart out the future growth path of the steel industry. The event will provide an opportunity for all the stakeholders to deliberate and identify ways to contribute towards building a robust roadmap for the further growth of the steel sector. Over 250 exhibiting companies from 15 countries, over 200 International buyers and large number of delegates are expected to hold business meetings during this event. More than 10 thousand business visitors both from India and abroad are expected to visit.

Notes:
Andry Rajoelina has been sworn-in as the new President of Madagascar after taking the oath of office in Antananarivo before 9 judges of the High Constitutional Court. He won the 2018 Malagasy presidential election with 56% of the vote.

Notes:
The Andhra Pradesh government has approved a proposal to grant 5% quota to the Kapu community in the state, after the Central Government recently passed a Bill to provide 10% reservation to Economically Backward Classes (EBCs) from the general category in jobs and education. The decision to ensure that half of the quota under the EBC category be reserved for upper caste Kapus was taken after a state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. The Kapus are primarily an agrarian community based in the Andhra-Telangana region. It is one of the dominant caste groups with political influence in the state. The Kapu community comprises nearly 26% of the state’s five crore people.