Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2019

Notes:
The first-ever India International Cooperatives Trade Fair (IICTF) will be held in New Delhi between 11th to 13th October. The initiative is a part of the Agriculture Export Policy 2018 which aims at doubling the agriculture export and integrating Indian farmers and agriculture products with global value chains. The Trade Fair is aimed at promoting cooperative to cooperative trade within the country and abroad leading to enhanced rural and farm prosperity. The fair offers a huge opportunity for the industry and business houses from India and abroad to build alliances, product sourcing and interact with the primary producers of a wide range of products and service providers.

Notes:
Union Jal Shakti Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has recently launched the Jal Shakti Abhiyan – a campaign for water conservation and water security, with an emphasis on 1592 stressed blocks in 256 districts. The campaign will run through citizen participation during the monsoon season, from 1st July, 2019 to 15th September, 2019. The focus of the campaign will be on water stressed districts and blocks. The ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan’ will focus on five aspects — water conservation and rainwater harvesting, renovation of traditional and other water bodies, reuse of water and recharging of structures, watershed development, and intensive afforestation. The conservation efforts will be supplemented by initiatives like developing block and district water conservation plans and ‘krishi vigyan kendra melas’ to promote efficient water use for irrigation and better crop choices. In urban areas, plans with time-bound targets will be developed for waste water reuse for industrial and agricultural purposes.

Notes:
The International Day of the Tropics is observed every year on June 29 to raise awareness to the specific challenges faced by tropical areas, the far-reaching implications of the issues affecting the world’s tropical zone and the need, at all levels, to raise awareness and to underline the important role that countries in the tropics will play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The day provides an opportunity to take stock of progress across the tropics, to share tropical stories and expertise and to acknowledge the diversity and potential of the region. The Tropics are a region of the Earth, roughly defined as the area between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn. The Tropics account for 40% of the world’s total surface area and are host to approximately 80% of the world’s biodiversity and much of its language and cultural diversity. The tropical region faces a number of challenges such as climate change, deforestation, logging, urbanisation and demographic changes.

Notes:
Tamil yeoman (Cirrochroa thais) has been officially declared as state butterfly of Tamil Nadu. These butterflies are also known as Tamil Maravan (which means warrior) and are endemic to Western Ghats. The tawny-coloured creature with a dark brown outer ring is among the 32 butterfly species found in Western Ghats. Hence, Tamil Nadu has become the 5th state in the country to announce its state butterfly. Maharashtra was the first to declare Blue Mormon as its state butterfly, followed by Uttarakhand (Common peacock), Karnataka (Southern Bird Wing) and Kerala (Malabar banded peacock). While the butterfly becomes the pride of the state after such a declaration, the decision also helps conserve its ecosystem and paves the way for eco-tourism. People also recognize the importance of butterflies which subsequently helps in its conservation. There are a total of 32 butterfly hotspots in Tamil Nadu. The state had declared its various other icons earlier, like state animal (Nilgiri Tahr), state bird (Emerald Dove), state tree (palm tree), state flower (Gloriosa) and state fruit (jack fruit).

Notes:
The autobiography titled “Lessons Life Taught Me, Unknowingly” has been authored by Bollywood actor Anupam Kher i.e. set to hit stands on 5 August. It is a story of a small town boy who dared to dream. It is a story about hope, disappointments, success, failures and eternal optimism. The book will be an extraordinary, riveting and no-holds-barred saga in which Kher will make some behind-the-scenes revelations, and share anecdotes and rare nuggets from his life and the lessons it taught him. He has over 530 films in several languages, both in India and the West, 100 plays and numerous TV shows to his credit. He is a winner of two National awards, 8 Filmfare awards and a BAFTA nomination. He is also a recipient of the Padma Shree and Padma Bhushan awards.

Notes:
Manoj Kumar Nambiar, MD of Arohan Financial Services (AFS), has been elected as new chairman of Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN). The MFIN is an industry association consists of 56 NBFC-MFIs (Non Banking Financial Company-Micro Finance Institutions) and 40 associates including Banks, SFBs (Small Finance Banks ) and NBFCs. It is also the Self-Regulatory Organization (SRO) for the regulated NBFC-MFI.

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 United Nations’s Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day (MSME) Day is observed every year on 27 June to raise public awareness of their contribution to sustainable development. These types of enterprises are responsible for significant employment and income generation opportunities across the world and have been identified as a major driver of poverty alleviation and development. MSMEs tend to employ a larger share of the vulnerable sectors of the workforce, such as women, youth, and people from poorer households. MSMEs can even sometimes be the only source of employment in rural areas. The 2019 theme is ‘Big Money For Small Business: Financing the SDGs’.

Notes:
Afghanistan Wicket-keeper batsman, Ikram Alikhil has achieved a rare feat as he broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record of the highest score by a teenager in the World Cup. He scored 86 off 92 balls in Afghanistan’s final league fixture against West Indies in Leeds on 4th July 2019. The record was previously held by Tendulkar who scored 84 against in the 1992 World Cup at the age of 18 years and 318 days.