Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2019

Notes:
According to a study conducted by property consultant Commercial Real Estate Services (CBRE), New Delhi’s Connaught Place (CP) is the 9th most expensive office location in the world with an annual rent of nearly USD 144 per sq ft. In its annual Global Prime Office Occupancy Costs survey, CBRE tracks the cost of leasing prime office space globally. At the top of the list was Hong Kong (Central) for the second consecutive year with an average price of 322 per square feet. , followed by London (West End) with an average occupancy rate of 222.7 per square feet. London’s (West End) is ranked 2nd, followed by Hong Kong (Kowloon) and New York (Midtown Manhattan). Beijing’s (Finance Street) is at the fifth position on the list. As per the report, Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and Nariman Point-Central Business District (CBD) ranked at 27th and 40th positions, respectively.

Notes:
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has recently launched ‘Operation Thirst’ to crackdown the selling of unauthorized Packaged Drinking Water (PDW). According to RPF, the operation was launched in all major railway stations across the country to curb the menace of unauthorized PDW in the premises of railway stations. During the operation, which was carried out on 8th & 9th July, 1371 persons were arrested for selling of packaged drinking water of unauthorised brands under different sections i.e. 144 & 153 of Railway Act. A total fine amount of Rs 6,80,855 has been realized from these offenders.

Notes:
Italian socialist David Maria Sassoli has been elected as the new President of the European Parliament and will lead Parliament until January 2022. He will succeed Antonio Tajani. Sassoli is a member of the Alliance of Socialists and Democrats. The President of the European Parliament presides over the debates and activities of the European Parliament. He also represent the Parliament within the EU and internationally. The president’s signature is required for enacting most EU laws and the EU budget.

Notes:
The first-of-its-kind Global Conference for Media Freedom was co-hosted by the UK and Canada in London. The conference was aimed to strengthen media freedom around the world. It was attended by Prasar Bharati Chairman A Surya Prakash, Member of Parliament Swapan Das Gupta and Kanchan Gupta, Member of Press Council.

Notes:
In Mumbai, a documentary film club “KSHITIJ” has been launched by Film Division of India (FDI) in association with Indian Documentary Producer Association (IDPA). The public screenings will be organized on the 2nd and 4th Friday of every month during 5:00 pm – 6:30pm at Films Division Complex, followed by a short interaction of audience with the director / curator of the film. The acclaimed documentary film “Secret Life of Frogs” by Ajay & Vijay Bedi will be screened as the inaugural film. Films Division, established in 1948, has been relentlessly striving to maintain a record of the social, political and cultural imaginations and realities of the country on film. It works under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) to produce documentaries and news magazines for publicity of Government programmes and cinematic record of Indian history.

Notes:
An Agri-Business Incubation Centre has been set up by the Union Agriculture Ministry in the Indira Gandhi Agriculture University of Raipur in Chhattisgarh. The Centre is set up under the National Agriculture Development Scheme- RAFTAAR. The objective of the scheme is to make farming a remunerative economic activity by strengthening farmer’s efforts, risk mitigation and promoting agri-business entrepreneurship. Under the scheme, guidance, technology and infrastructure will be provided to youth and entrepreneurs for start-ups in different areas of agriculture. The Agri-Business Incubation Centre in Raipur, with focus on innovations, skill building and entrepreneurs development in agriculture and allied sectors, will act as catalyst for developing an ecosystem conducive for the growth of agri-preneurship in the state and foster a start-up culture.

Notes:
On 11th July 2019, the centuries-old annual Kharchi Puja festival has started with great pomp & show at Puran Agartala in Tripura. The word ‘Kharchi’ is derived from the word Khya which means earth. Kharchi Puja is basically done to worship the earth. Originally a Hindu tribals’ festivity, it is now observed by all communities and religions. The royal fest, which lasts for 7 consecutive days, is meant to cleanse the sins of mortal souls. It involves the worship of the 14 deities – Shiva, Durga, Vishnu, Laxmi, Saraswati, Kartik, Ganesha, Brahma, Abadhi (God of water), Chandra, Ganga, Agni, Kamdev and Himadri (Himalaya) – forming the dynasty deity of the Tripuri people.

Notes:
The West Bengal government has observed the first-ever Save Water Day on 12th July 2019 across the state to spread the message of water conservation. From now onwards, the day will be observed in the state every year to create awareness among people to check misuse of water. The state government also organized the Padayatra in Kolkata to save the natural resource as water scarcity has become a major issue in the world.

Notes:
In August 2019, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan will visit Australia to attend the 10th edition of Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) as its chief guest. Here, he is set to receive an honorary doctorate degree from Melbourne-based La Trobe University for his contributions and efforts towards underprivileged children, women’s empowerment through Meer Foundation and his achievements in the Indian entertainment industry. La Trobe University is the first Australian university to award Khan with an Honorary Doctor of Letters (honoris causa), and will present the honorary doctorate ‪on August 9 at its Melbourne campus in Bundoora.

Notes:
The Union Environment Ministry has selected 12 beaches in India to vie for a ‘Blue Flag’ certification. These beaches are at Shivrajpur (Gujarat), Bhogave (Maharashtra), Ghoghla (Diu), Miramar (Goa), Kasarkod and Padubidri (Karnataka), Kappad (Kerala), Eden (Puducherry), Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu), Rushikonda (Andhra Pradesh), Golden (Odisha), and Radhanagar (Andaman & Nicobar Islands). The Blue Flag certification is an international recognition conferred on beaches that meet certain criteria of cleanliness and environmental propriety. The Blue Flag Programme for beaches and marinas is run by a Denmark-based organization – Federation of Environment Education (FEE).There are nearly 33 criteria that must be met to qualify for a Blue Flag certification, such as the water meeting certain quality standards, having waste disposal facilities, being disabled- friendly, have first aid equipment, and no access to pets in the main areas of the beach. Some criteria are voluntary and some compulsory.