Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2019

Notes:
Pardeep Singh from Punjab has created a new Commonwealth record in the clean and jerk category on the way to gold in the 109kg category by lifting 202 kgs at the 2019 Commonwealth Championships (CWC) in Apia (Samoa). Two-time Commonwealth Games medallist Vikas Thakur clinched the silver in the men’s 96 kg event. Vikas lifted a total of 338 kg (153kg185kg). India ended their campaign with a rich tally of 35 medals in the youth, junior and senior categories, breaking numerous national, Commonwealth, world and Asian records.

Notes:
Meghalaya has become the first state in India to approve a draft water policy to address water issues, conservation, and protection of water sources in the state. The draft policy was approved by the State Cabinet in a meeting chaired by state Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma. The purpose of the policy is to recognize water resources as a common pool resource, to provide safe and hygienic water for drinking, domestic and sanitation and livelihood development to all residents of the state. It seeks to protect and improve management of water resources while actively involving the community. It also aims at ensuring protection and conservation of catchment areas of all water sources to prevent degradation of the quantity and quality of water sources.

Notes:
Justice Arjan Kumar Sikr, an eminent jurist and a former judge of the Supreme Court of India (SCI), has been appointed as an International Judge of the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC). He will assume charge as an international judge with effect from August 1 & his term will expire on January 4, 2021. . The SICC is a division of the Singapore High Court and part of the Supreme Court of Singapore. It is designed to deal with transnational commercial disputes. It currently has 16 international judges as part of its panel. Justice AK Sikri was recently appointed as the Chairperson of the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) by the News Broadcasters Association (NBA).

Notes:
Researchers at Assam’s Tezpur University have developed a simple and cost-effective filtration system – Arsiron Nilogon – that may help reduce the health burden caused by arsenic and iron contaminated groundwater. The system filters out 99.9% of the arsenic contamination from the groundwater to make it suitable for drinking. The chemicals used in the filtration process are cooking soda for pH conditioning, potassium permanganate for supplying oxygen and ferric chloride for providing solid iron oxide adsorbents of arsenic. The method can remove arsenic even to below 2 ppb (parts per billion) level while the World Health Organization (WHO) has set 10 ppb as the standard level. According to theWHO, arsenic is a natural component of the Earth’s crust and is widely distributed throughout the environment — in air, water and land. However, it is highly toxic in its inorganic form. The long term exposure to inorganic arsenic, mainly by drinking contaminated water, eating food grown or even prepared with this water, can cause skin lesions and cancer. The filtration process also removes other toxic metal ions like manganese, lead, nickel, chromium, copper, etc, very well along with arsenic and iron.

Notes:
The Delhi government has recently launched “Happiness Utsav” in its schools to celebrate completion of a year of introduction of its happiness curriculum. During the festival, the first 50 minutes of each day, all children studying in Delhi govt schools will take part in various activities. Activities like plays, poems, exhibitions will be part of the 15-day festival which will culminate in a grand ceremony. During the fest, the morning assembly session and the first period will be combined to conduct activities.

Notes:
In shooting, Vijayveer Sidhu picked up his third gold medal of the ongoing ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany. With Rajkanwar Singh Sandhu and Adarsh Singh, he clinched the men’s 25m pistol event. For Adarsh, it was his second gold of the competition. India maintained its top spot at the medal standings after day three with 7 gold 7 Silver and 2 Bronze in a total of 16 medals won so far. China is second with 5 Gold 3 Silver and 5 bronze.

Notes:
In Madhya Pradesh, Air India has recently launched the state’s first international flight from Indore to Dubai from Devi Ahilyabai Holkar International Airport. The non-stop flight AI903 has fulfilled a long-standing desire from the travel fraternity and tourists for direct connectivity to the Gulf. From Indore, Air India is operating a 162-seater A320 Neo aircraft which will fly three times a week — Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays — non-stop to Dubai. Indore born Sunish Kumar Bhargava was the commander of this first-ever international flight from his home city. The aircraft will fly directly to Dubai on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday while the return leg from Dubai will be on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. It will have very attractive fares starting from Rs. 18,700 (return fare) and the return fare for the business class will be Rs. 42,000.

Notes:
The Cricket Association of Pondicherry (CAP) has been granted the status of a Full Member of the BCCI by the Committee of Administrators (CoA). CAP will now become a voting member of the BCCI. It was given Associate Member status in October 2018 and went on to take part in the Ranji Trophy and other age-group tournaments of the Board.

Notes:
The Union HRD Minister, Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank released UGC Guide to Student Induction Programme (SIP) – “Deeksharambh” in New Delhi on 18th July 2019. The guide will help new students to build bonds with fellow students and faculty members in the new environment. The programme is intended to empower the aspirant learners to face the Competitive world with confidence, open new horizons of life leading to character building based on Universal Human Values such as Truth, Righteous conduct, Love, Non-violence, Peace and assist in developing self awareness , compassion and oneness. To spread awareness about Deeksharambh – SIP in Higher Education Institutions and its stakeholders, UGC has decided to conduct Awareness Programmes and training programme for teachers in different regions of the country.

Notes:
India’s track and field legend PT Usha has been nominated for the International Association of Athletics Federation’s (IAAF) ‘Veteran Pin’ for her outstanding service to the sport. She is often called the “queen of track and field”. The IAAF CEO Jon Ridgeon has also extended an invitation to PT Usha to attend the award ceremony during the opening of the 52nd IAAF Congress in Qatar in September 2019. She won five gold medals — 100 metres(m), 200m, 400m, 400 m hurdles and the 4×400 m relay — besides a bronze in the Asian Games which were held at Jakarta in 1985 . Usha’s most memorable performance came in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics where she became the first Indian to reach the finals of the 400m hurdles, but lost the bronze by one-hundredth of a second.