Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2019

Notes:
The state of Maharashtra achieved first rank in NITI Aayog launched “Agricultural Marketing and Farmer Friendly Reforms Index (AMFFRI). The index ranks states based on the degree of reforms they have undertaken in agricultural marketing. Gujarat ranked second with a score of 71.5 out of 100, closely followed by Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. NITI Aayog launched an index to rank States and UTs based on implementation of seven provisions proposed under model APMC Act like joining e-NAM initiative, special treatment to fruits and vegetables for marketing and level of taxes in mandis. These indicators reveal ease of doing agribusiness as well as opportunities for farmers to benefit from modern trade and commerce and have wider option for sale of her/his produce. These indicators also represent competitiveness, efficiency and transparency in agri markets.

Notes:
The book titled ”War over Words: Censorship in India, 1930-1960” has been authored by Devika Sethi, who teaches modern Indian history at IIT-Mandi. The book explores the diverse mechanisms and motivations for censorship and its role in the shaping of the modern Indian republic. It looks at state censorship in India in the transition period from colonial to national rule, when historical actors behaved in unpredictable ways. The book is divided into four parts – Guarding the State, Protecting the Public: Censorship Policies and Practices in the 1930s; Protests and Publicity: Banning Non-Indian Authors; Political or Military? Censorship in India during the Second World War; and The Censored Turn Censors: Freedom and Free Speech.

Notes:
Former India captain Rahul Dravid has been appointed as Head of Cricket at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. He will oversee all cricket related activities at NCA and will be involved in mentoring, coaching, training and motivating players, coaches and support staff at the NCA. He will also work closely with the National men’s and women’s Head coaches and coaches for India Developmental teams including India A, India Under 19, India Under 23 teams — to identify key training methods and the areas for development. Dravid will also be responsible for monitoring progress of the developmental teams and provide necessary inputs on the same to the senior men’s and women’s head coaches.

Notes:
The new human atlas initiative – named Manav – has been launched by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Persistent Systems for holistic understanding of human body. The aim of the initiative is to create a unified database of molecular network of all the tissues in the human body and to derive a holistic picture of working of human body. The database would eventually help researchers in identifying gaps in current knowledge and help in future projects in diagnostics and disease biology. In this public-private venture, DBT and Persistent Systems will invest Rs 13 crore and Rs 7 crore respectively. The project will be executed by Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) and National Center for Cell Sciences (NCCS) based at Pune.

Notes:
In Assam, a 3- month skill development training programme has been started in Bongaigaon district for the jail inmates. The purpose of the programme is to provide opportunities for the prison inmates to engage themselves in fruitful pursuits during the term of their sentence. Besides the main objective, the course is expected to increase the employability potential of the prisoners after their release. It is said that the prisoners are not in jail to suffer, but to change and reform and to lead a dignified life after release from the jail. Apart from the skill development training, a month long Yoga training session will also begin for the jail inmates in Bongaigaon district.

Notes:
The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) under the Ministry of Forest and Environment (MoEF) has recommended for “in-principle” permission for exploration of Uranium in Amrabad Tiger Reserve in Telangana. The approval comes despite contrary reports by forest officials after field inspections. The revised proposal seeks permission for exploration of uranium in 76 km in Amrabad and Udumilla regions, besides 7 km in the adjoining Nagarjunasagar Tiger Reserve in Andhra Pradesh, for use in nuclear power generation. The report noted that the environmental impact of mining included erosion, formation of sink holes, loss of biodiversity, and contamination of groundwater, surface water and soil, which could affect wildlife. However, the revised proposals will not need approval from the State Board of Wildlife again. They will be sent directly to the advisory panel for final approval, after which the State government will need to issue permission through formal orders. In India, uranium deposit discovered till now was either of low grade or of low tonnage or of both low grade and low tonnage.

Notes:
The Kerala Startup Mission will host the Women Startup Summit (WSS-2019) in association with the Indian Women Network floated by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) at the Integrated Startup Complex, Kochi on August 1. The aim of the summit is to encourage aspiring women professionals to take up their entrepreneurial journey and developing an inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem in the State. The meet will be open for all women professionals, aspiring entrepreneurs, corporate leaders and startup founders.

Notes:
The World Population Day (WPD) is observed every year on 11th of July to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues. Unlike every year, this year (2019) there is no specific theme but the day aims to draw attention towards maternal health. This year, the day calls for global attention to the unfinished business of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development. The landmark conference was attended by 179 governments who recognized that reproductive health and gender equality are essential for achieving sustainable development.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Home has recently banned a US-based secessionist group – Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) for advocating secessionist and pro-Khalistani activities in India. The group was advocating an online campaign for Khalistan “Sikh Referendum 2020” to establish an independent and sovereign country in Punjab. a separate land for the Sikhs. Its founder Avtar Singh Pannu was seen shouting slogans and wearing a T-shirt that said “Khalistan Zindabad, Referendum 2020” at the India-New Zealand cricket match in the U.K. on 10th July 2019. The group has been banned as an unlawful association under Section 3(1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967.

Notes:
TCS iON, a unit of IT major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), has partnered with All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to provide students with a digital learning course to equip them with career skills. TCS iON has curated a free, 20 hour-career skills course that will cover topics like corporate etiquette, effective e-mail writing, impactful presentations and IT awareness that will be available to students throughout the duration of their degree course. The course will be available for students of more than 10,000 AICTE approved institutions. It can be accessed on TCS iON Digital Learning Hub through any device. The unique course provided by TCS iON will help improve placement opportunities for AICTE institutions & will initiate a strong start to the professional careers of the students. AICTE is the national-level apex advisory and regulatory body for technical education.