Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2019

Notes:
For the 2019 kharif season, the West Bengal government has rolled out a free crop insurance scheme in collaboration with the Agriculture Insurance Company of India (AIC). The scheme called Bangla Shashya Bima (BSB) is applicable for farmers in 15 districts – Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Purba Medinipur, Malda, Hooghly, Nadia, Murshidabad, Cooch Behar, Birbhum, Purulia, Dakshin Dinajpur, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas. The crop insurance scheme would be free of cost for the farmers since the government will pay the full premium. The crops that will come under insurance are aman paddy, aus paddy, jute and maize. All farmers taking loans (granted or applied for) and even those not taking loans can avail of the insurance. The insurance will be paid in four stages – for any losses suffered during planting, during cultivation, during the period post-cutting when crops are lying in the field, and for adverse weather situations. The amount will be decided by the state government and will be calculated per hectare.

Notes:
Abburi Chaya Devi (86), the popular Telugu fiction writer, has passed away in Hyderabad on June 28, 2019. Born on 13th October 1933 in Andhra Pradesh, she was active in literary circles since the fifties and even in her 70s, was still known as a creative feminist writer. She highlighted the cause of women in her writings & received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2005 for her book ‘Thana Margam’. Chaya Devi is the wife of the late Abburi Varada Rajeswara Rao, who himself was a writer, critic and former Chairman of Official Languages Commission (OFC). Her works are Anaga Anaga (folk stories for children), Abburi Chayadevi Kathalu (short stories), 1991, Mrityunjaya (long story),1993 Tana Margam (short stories about the exploitation of women in the guise of family bonds).

Notes:
The World Vitiligo Day (WVD) is observed every year on June 25 to raise awareness about the condition. The 2019 theme ‘The Quality of Life of a Vitiligo Patient’ focuses on mental and medical journey of vitiligo. Vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder wherein the immune system of the body attacks the healthy cells and in turn starts affecting the body. The condition is characterized by white patches on the skin that develops as a result of melanocytes within the skin. These are the cells that are responsible for the skin pigment melanin that gives color to your skin. The white patches appear when the melanocytes die off. The condition is also termed as Vitiligo or Leucoderma or White Leprosy.

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:
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:
Dr. Narinder Batra, President of Indian Olympic Association (IOA), has been elected as a member of International Olympic Committee (IOC) during the IOC Session in Lausanne, Switzerland. Batra now has a rare distinction of becoming a member of the IOC, while heading a National Olympic Committee (NOC) as well as an international federation. He is the first Indian to have this distinction. He has already become the first Indian to head an international federation of an Olympic sport — that of International Hockey Federation (FIH). With the election of Batra, the number of Indians who are currently active members of IOC will rise to two. Reliance Foundation Chairperson Nita Ambani was elected as an individual member of the IOC in 2016. She is the first Indian woman to be elected to the prestigious seat.

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 US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) has selected Mastercard CEO and President Ajay Banga and Wipro Chairman Azim Premji for its 2019 Global Excellence Awards. The prestigious award will be presented to both the business leaders at its 2nd Annual Leadership Summit in Washington on July 11. The leadership summit will highlight areas of bilateral cooperation like trade and investment, strategic energy ties, manufacturing and innovation partnership.

Notes:
After 18 years of research, the scientists from the University of Queensland in Australia and a team of Indian researchers have identified a new gene – called NAPRT1 – directly linked to schizophrenia. Using DNA from thousands of people in India, the team has found clues in the quest for the causes of schizophrenia, and for potential treatments. This study identified a gene that encodes an enzyme involved in vitamin B3 metabolism — we were also able to find this gene in a large genomic dataset of schizophrenia patients with European ancestry. The team of Indian researchers was led by R. Thara, co-founder and director of the Chennai-based Schizophrenia Research Foundation. Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels and behaves. People with schizophrenia may seem like they have lost touch with reality.

Notes:
Arinjeeta Dey, a village girl from West Bengal, has won a silver under-12 age group category in the 2019 World Youth Cup in Umag, Croatia. The tournament was organised by World Karate Federation affiliated to the International Olympic Association. A total of 35 countries participated in this competition.