Current Affairs Quiz - March, 2019

Notes:
The government policy think tank, Niti Aayog has recently released Delta ranking report. In it, the Hailakandi district of Assam has been ranked first among the 112 aspirational districts of India, followed by Kondagaon district of Chhattisgarh. Hailakandi has made a giant leap from 52nd position to no. 1 position on the basis of its performance during November-December 2018 and January 2019. For securing the first rank as an aspirational district, Hailakandi will be given an allocation of Rs. 10 crore.

Notes:
The Israeli spacecraft “Beresheet” on it’s first-ever moon mission has recently sent its first selfie back to Earth. The image showing part of the Beresheet spacecraft with Earth in the background was beamed to mission control in Yehud, Israel — 37,600 km away. Earlier, on 22nd February 2019, the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and NGO SpaceIL launched the unmanned spacecraft Beresheet from Cape Canaveral in Florida on 22nd February 2019. The 585-kg Beresheet (Genesis) spacecraft took off on a Falcon 9 rocket from the private US-based SpaceX company of entrepreneur Elon Musk. It is the Israel’s first-ever moon mission that will measure the lunar magnetic field to help understanding of the moon’s formation. So far, only Russia, the US and China have made the 239,000 mile (384,000km) journey and landed on the moon. For Israel, the landing itself is the main mission, but the spacecraft also carries a scientific instrument to measure the lunar magnetic field, which will help understanding of the moon’s formation. It also carries a time capsule loaded with digital files containing a Bible, children’s drawings, Israeli songs, the recollections of a Holocaust survivor and the Israeli flag.

Notes:
‘The New Delhi Declaration on Asian Rhinos 2019’ has recently signed by the five rhino range nations – India, Bhutan, Nepal, Indonesia and Malaysia – for the conservation and protection of the species at the recently held 2nd Asian Rhino Range Countries meeting in New Delhi. The declaration was signed to conserve and review the population of the Greater one-horned, Javan and Sumatran rhinos every four years to reassess the need for joint actions to secure their future. The declaration includes undertaking studies on health issues of the rhinos, their potential diseases and taking necessary steps; collaborating and strengthening wildlife forensics for the purpose of investigation and strengthening of transboundary collaboration among India, Nepal and Bhutan for the conservation and protection of the Greater one-horned rhino. The meet was organized by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in collaboration with IUCN Asian Rhino Specialist Group, WWF- India and Aaranyak.

Notes:
Malaysia has become the 124th member of the International Criminal Court (ICC) after ratifying the Rome Statute. It joined the ICC because of the following reasons: Firstly, the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in Ukraine and the Rohingya crisis. Secondly, the May 2018 election of Mahathir Mohamad for his 2nd stint as Prime Minister has brought a significant shift in the relationship between the Malaysian government and monarchy. Thirdly, the election of Mahathir and appointment of a new Attorney General, Tommy Thomas, has seen the main legal obstacles to ratification removed. Finally, Malaysia’s decision to ratify the Rome Statute has also been driven by Mahathir’s stated ambition to see his country “play a more active role” in ASEAN and the United Nations. Hence, it is third country of the 10 member states of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), to ratify Rome Statute after Cambodia and Philippines. However, Philippines has announced its withdrawal from the ICC and it is set to take effect from 19th March 2019. Earlier, Burundi became the first country to quit the court in 2017.

Notes:
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and the National Health Authority (NHA) have formed a Joint Working Group (JWG) to curb fraud in the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). The 11-member group, with NHA Deputy CEO Dinesh Arora as the chair and lRDAl Executive Director Suresh Mathur as the co-chair, would submit a report within 6 months on how to detect and deter fraud through a common repository and capacity-building. The JWG will develop standards for field verifications and investigations besides guidelines to “name and shame” fraudsters. It will also take up a comparative study of packages and their rates, besides defining standards. Additionally, it will suggest common IT infrastructure for health insurance claims management to increase efficiency and transparency among stakeholders. The AB-PMJAY is the health insurance scheme for availing secondary and tertiary care, cashless treatment at empanelled private and public hospitals across the country to families listed in SECC (Socio-Economic Caste Census) 2011. Eligible families get Rs 5 lakh per year.

Notes:
Indian-American television personality and internationally acclaimed food expert, Padma Lakshmi has been appointed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as its newest Goodwill Ambassador on the eve of International Women’s Day (IWD-2019). In this new role, Lakshmi will mobilise support for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a focus on fighting inequality, discrimination and empowering the disenfranchised.

Notes:
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has recently approved the investment sanction for construction of 624 MW Kiru Hydro Electric Project on River Chenab in Kishtwar district of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). The project will be implemented at an estimated cost of Rs.4287.59 crore and is scheduled to be completed in a period of 4 1/2 years. The Kiru HE Project is visualized as a Run of River (RoR) Scheme & designed complying with the requirements of Indus Water Treaty 1960. The Project would generate 2272.02 MU in a 90% dependable year. The CCEA also approved the investment for 1320 Mega Watt Khurja Super Thermal Power Plant at Bulandshahar in Uttar Pradesh.

Notes:
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has recently launched the free milk scheme “Mukhyamantri Anchal Amrit Yojana” for anganwadi children . Under the Amrit Yojana, flavored, sweet, skimmed milk powder will be made available to the 20,000 Anganwadi kendras across the state. Nearly 2.5 lakh children at 20,000 Anganwadi kendras in the state will be given 100 ml milk twice a week for free. This scheme has been launched as part of state government drive to fight against malnutrition in the state. Approx 18,000 children suffer from malnutrition in Uttarakhand.

Notes:
M. Venkaiah Naidu , the Vice President of India and Chairman of Rajya Sabha, has become the first Indian to receive an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Peace Peace (UPEACE) for his contribution to the Rule of Law, democracy and sustainable development in India. Mr. Naidu received the degree of ‘Doctor of Philosophy’ (Doctor Honoris Causa) from the Dean of the University of Peace in the Costa Rican capital of San Jose. The UPEACE is an intergovernmental organization with university status. It was founded by resolution of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 1980 and its main campus is located in Costa Rica. India is a signatory to this resolution.

Notes:
The 34th edition of Aahar 2019 – the International Food and Hospitality Fair has started in New Delhi on March 12. The 5-day fair, organized by India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), features wide range of food products, machinery, food and beverages equipment, hospitality and decor solutions, confectionery items from over 560 participants from India and foreign countries. The foreign participants in the fair are from countries including China, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, Spain, USA and UK among others.