Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2019

Notes:
Dr. Jaya Arunachalam (87), founder of Working Women’s Forum (WWF), has passed away in Chennai on June 29, 2019. She is best known for her social service contributions through WWF which she initiated in 1978. Through WWF, she helped several lakhs of women from underprivileged background to organise themselves towards becoming financially independent. Dr. Arunachalam was conferred the Padma Shri by the Government of India (GoI) in 1987. She received the Jamnalal Bajaj Award in 2009 for her work towards the welfare of women and children. A graduate in Economics and Geography, she was awarded a honorary doctorate by the University of Lueneberg, Germany in 1999. She is a recipient of the International Activist Award by Glietsman Foundation in 2003, and the Godfrey Phillips National Bravery Social Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010. She has also served as vice president of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) and member of All India Congress Committee.

Notes:
The State Bank of India (SBI) and National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to boost the availability of capital for infrastructure projects. The scope of the MoU includes equity investments, project funding, bond financing, renewable energy support and take-out finance for operating assets. The objective of this initiative is to aid in filling the gap at a time when the availability of equity and debt financing for infrastructure has moderated. The initiative will address concerns relating to the availability of equity and long-term debt funding options to large scale projects, thereby stimulating the infrastructure development.

Notes:
The Indian passport has been ranked at the 86th position with a mobility score of 58 in the latest Henley Passport Index 2019. The score points out that Indian passport holder can access 58 countries around the world without a prior visa. The index includes 199 passports and 227 travel destinations — including micro-states and territories. India shares the 86th position with Mauritiana and Sao Tome and Principe. The list is topped by Japan & Singapore with a mobility score of 189. South Korea, Finland and Germany have acquired 2nd position, while Denmark, Italy, and Luxembourg are on the third rank. France has dropped to the fourth spot, now sharing the position with Spain and Sweden. The ranking is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which maintains the world’s largest and most accurate database of travel information.

Notes:
Indian sprinter Hima Das clocked 23.65s to win gold in women’s 200 metres at the 2019 Poznan Athletics Grand Prix in Poland. Hima is the world junior champion and national record holder in 400m. This was Hima’s first competitive 200m race of the year. She has a personal best of 23.10s, which she clocked in 2018. While national record holder shot putter Tajinder Pal Singh Toor bagged a bronze in the ongoing tournament. Another Indian, V K Vismaya finished third with a personal best time of 23.75 seconds in the race at Poznan.

Notes:
The world’s largest “Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute” has started functioning in Dhaka from 4th July 2019. The 500-bed hospital with 50 ICU and 12 operation theatres will provide advanced treatment to burn patients in Bangladesh. The institute has been built at a cost of over 500 crore Taka.

Notes:
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has recently released its report titled- Working on a Warmer Planet – The Impact of Heat Stress on Labour Productivity and Decent Work’. It stated that working hours will be lost because it is too hot to work or because workers work at a slower pace. The UN report said India will be the most affected country. It said because of its large population, in absolute terms, India is expected to lose the equivalent of 34 million full-time jobs in 2030 in productivity. India is projected to lose 5.8% of working hours in 2030 due to global warming, particularly impacting agriculture and construction sectors. The projections are based on a global temperature rise of 1.5 degree Celsius by the end of the twenty-first century, and labour force trends. Most of the impact in India will be felt in the agricultural sector. But, increasing working hours are expected to be lost in the construction sector, where heat stress affects both male and female workers. Heat stress is defined as generally above 35 degrees Celsius, in places with high humidity.

Notes:
The book titled ‘Whispers of Time’ has been authored by Dr Krishna Saksena. The story witnesses three generations in the author’s long life of 90 years in which she found a great difference. If the first was too strict and severe in clinging hard to traditions, the second had softened down to new values of love and helpfulness. In a way it was a beautiful world of togetherness. But this world soon dwindles into a world of selfishness and deceit. The series of events are developed in a powerful manner that makes the novel both real and revealing. The book has recently unveiled by Smriti Zubin Irani, the Union Minister of Textiles & Minister of Women and Child Development (WCD), at India International Centre (IIC) in New Delhi.

Notes:
Reliance Jio Infocomm has collaborated with Facebook to launch a countrywide digital literacy drive, christened as Digital Udaan, for its growing base of JioPhone users and other first-time internet users. Under the initiative, Jio will engage with users every Saturday to apprise them on features of its 4G VoLTE feature phone (called JioPhone), the use of various apps and internet safety, including the use of Facebook to connect with friends and family in a simple and secure way. The digital literacy engagement will be undertaken via audiovisual training in 10 regional languages. Digital Udaan will initially be launched in nearly 200 different locations across 13 states, and the initiative will subsequently reach over 7,000 locations, empowering millions of JioPhone users and other first-time internet users.

Notes:
The Tata Steel Kalinganagar (TSK) is the first and the only Indian manufacturing plant to be included in the Global Lighthouse Network (GLN) of World Economic Forum (WEF). The lighthouses are chosen for their leadership in applying Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies to drive financial and operational impact. The factories were selected based on their success in integrating these technologies to increase efficiency and drive innovation. Tata Steel’s IJmuiden plant at Netherlands is already a member of this network. The TSK steel plant is the largest single-location greenfield steel project in India and is located at Jajpur district in Odisha.

Notes:
The Asia’s first Six Sigma Institute of Mountain Medicines and High Altitude Rescue will be set up at Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand. It comes after Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat approved the proposal for establishing the mega Rs 750 crore mountain institute in Rudraprayag district of state. The institute will create 1,200 employment, Specialised healthcare, advance education and Rescue Training in the Uttarakhand. The purpose of the institute is to develop all type of research in Allopathy, Homeopathy, Ayurveda, Naturopathy and Yoga concerning High Altitude Mountains and to educate professionals in mountain medicines. The institute will also provide consultancy to the central and state government on key issues and help in promoting healthy lifestyle in mountains.