Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2019

Notes:
The Maharashtra government has decided to launch a pilot project providing smoke-free environment in the kitchen for women. The project, named “Chullah (wood-fired stove)-free and smoke-free Maharashtra”, will target the women who have not benefited under the Ujjwala or any other LPG distribution scheme. The pilot project will be implemented in Naxal- affected areas as well as the districts where farmer suicide rate is high.

Notes:
The world’s No.3 ODI bowler, Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan has become the most expensive bowler in ICC World Cup history during their match against hosts England at Old Trafford in Manchester on June 18. He leaked 110 runs off 9 overs as England racked up a gigantic 397 for six after electing to bat. The record earlier belonged to New Zealand’s Martin Snedden, who had conceded 105 runs for two wickets against England in the 1983 World Cup.

Notes:
Maharashtra bagged the top slot in the second edition of the US Green Building Council’s (USGBC) list of India’s top ten states that have maximum number of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified green buildings. LEED is a widely used green building rating system. Maharashtra has 334 LEED-certified green buildings, while Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have 232 and 157 buildings, respectively. The top 10 states for LEED are home to more than 840 million Indians and together include more than 475 million gross square feet of LEED-certified space. LEED is an international symbol of sustainability excellence which signifies a building is lowering carbon emissions, conserving resources and cutting down cost, while prioritizing sustainable practices and creating a healthier environment.

Notes:
Indian Navy has recently launched Operation Sankalp in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman to reassure Indian flagged vessels transiting through the area. The development has come in the wake of the suspected attacks on two merchant ships in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman region. Both the attacks took place at Strait of Hormuz, which is a major conduit for global oil supplies. The US has blamed Iran for the attack. The Navy has deployed stealth guided missile destroyers INS Chennai and patrol vessel INS Sunayna in the region for maritime security operations. In addition, aerial surveillance in the area is also being done by IN aircraft. The Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region of the Indian Navy is also keeping a close watch on the movement of ships in the Gulf region. Both the attacks took place at Strait of Hormuz, which is a major conduit for global oil supplies.

Notes:
On June 20, the first-ever International Theatre Festival of Bangladesh inaugurated at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) in Dhaka by the Bangladesh State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid. The week-long festival will feature theatre and puppet shows by eight troupes from seven countries. Rabindranath Tagore’s dance-drama ‘Mayar Khela’ was performed as the inaugural presentation of the festival on Thursday evening. The festival is being organised at the initiative of the Culture Affairs Ministry of Bangladesh. Theatre troupes from India, Bangladesh, Russia, China, France, Vietnam and Nepal are participating in the festival. The festival will also have a dance drama and a seminar on theatre. The Cultural Affairs Ministry has announced that this festival will be organized every other year.

Notes:
On 21st June 2019, India’s ace cueist Pankaj Advani clinched the 35th men’s Asian Snooker Championship in Doha to complete a career grand slam in cue sports. In the final, he defeated Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon 6-3 to become the only one to win the Asian and World championships in all formats. He is also the only one to do so in two sports, both Billiards and Snooker. He conquered the ACBS Asian Snooker events – 6-red (short format) and 15-red (long format) – along with the IBSF World Championships in both formats too. Pankaj will now take part in IBSF World Cup next week in Doha.

Notes:
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has launched a unique flood hazard atlas on the basis of historic flood inundation captured through satellite imagery over the period from 2001 to 2018. It is expected to help the State manage floods more efficiently. The atlas will help the authorities to systematically plan flood control measures, to carry out relief operations, to plan relief shelters & health centres and to control development activities on flood plains. The atlas is prepared by Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) and National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Hyderabad. Around 14 lakh hectare of agriculture land is being affected by floods every year in Odisha.

Notes:
The Rajasthan government has decided to set up Vedic education board and culture board in the state. It was announced by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot at the 25th ‘Bhamashah Sammelan’ at Birla Auditorium in Jaipur. The board will help future generations take inspiration from Vedic culture.

Notes:
Vijaya Nirmala (75), the veteran actress and filmmaker , has passed away in Hyderabad on June 27, 2019. Born on 20th February 1946, Nirmala made her acting debut in 1950 as a child artiste in the Tamil movie ‘Machcha Rekhai’. She holds a record in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the first woman to direct as many as 47 films in different languages. She was also feted with the Raghupathi Venkaiah Award in 2008 for her contributions to Telugu cinema. She featured in over 200 films in Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam.

Notes:
India has signed a loan agreement worth $400 million with the World Bank (WB) to help treat and eliminate Tuberculosis from the country. In India, around five lakh people died every year due to Tuberculosis. According to Finance Ministry, the World Bank supported program will cover 9 States and it will support the government’s National Strategic Plan to end TB in India by 2025. The Program will provide financial incentives to private sector care providers for reporting cases of TB and ensuring that their patients complete the treatment regimen. It will also provide Direct Benefit Transfers to patients for acquiring the critical nutrition needed during treatment. The Program will also strengthen the detection, treatment and monitoring of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis and will track progress in the detection of additional drug resistance.