Current Affairs Quiz - March, 2019

Notes:
The Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC) of the Delhi government has constituted a 17-member high-level committee to reform higher education in the capital. The committee, chaired by DDC vice-chairperson Jasmine Shah, will recommend goals, metrics, policies, and actionable plans for reforming Delhi’s higher education system within a year. The DDC is the premier think-tank which advises the state government on key policy issues. Nalanda 2.0, a non-profit policy think tank with a “mission to making India’s higher education system world class”, is collaborating with the DDC as the knowledge partner in the initiative.

Notes:
Young Mumbai sailor Upamanyu Dutta bagged the bronze in the Laser Standard race for men in the Asian Open Laser Sailing Championship in Singapore. It is the India’s first ever medal in the competitive single handed Laser Standard Category. Nethra Kumanan of Chennai achieved a creditable 4th position in the Laser Radial event for women.

Notes:
Arecanut (also known as supari or betel nut) is the latest entrant in the list of agricultural produce with a Geographic Indication (GI) tag. The Registrar of Geographical Indications, under the Union government, accorded a GI tag to ‘Sirsi Supari’ grown in Sirsi, Siddpaur and Yellapur taluks of Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka. The Totagars’ Cooperative Sale Society (TSS) Ltd, a Sirsi-based agri cooperative, is the registered proprietor of the GI ‘Sirsi Supari’. The GI tag will guarantee the authenticity of arecanut grown in these taluks, and ensure a better market for ‘Sirsi Supari’. The arecanut has unique features like a round and flattened coin shape, particular texture, taste. The total carbohydrates in ‘Sirsi Supari’ are 23% to 26%, total arecoline is 0.11% to 0.13%, total tannin content is 14.5% to 17.5%. ‘Sirsi Supari’ is used both as ‘chali’ (white arecanut) and red arecanut. The ‘chali’ variety is made by peeling the ripened nuts and sun drying them later. The red arecanut is produced by harvesting the tender nuts, then boiling and colouring them, then making them into different grades and finally sun drying them.

Notes:
Astronomers from Japan, Taiwan, and Princeton University have discovered 83 quasars powered by supermassive black holes in the distant universe, which were formed when the universe was only 5% of its current age. These quasars are lying 13 billion light-years away from the Earth. The team used data taken with ‘Hyper Suprime-Cam’ (HSC) instrument, mounted on the Subaru Telescope of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, which is located on the summit of Maunakea in Hawaii. This finding, published in The Astrophysical Journal, increases the number of black holes known at that epoch considerably, and reveals, for the first time, how common they are early in the universe’s history. It also provides new insight into the effect of black holes on the physical state of gas in the early universe in its first billion years. Supermassive black holes, found at the centers of galaxies, can be millions or even billions of times more massive than the Sun. While they are prevalent today, it is unclear when they first formed, and how many existed in the distant early universe. A supermassive black hole becomes visible when gas accretes onto it, causing it to shine as a quasar.

Notes:
Padmanaban Gopala, a social entrepreneur from Tamil Nadu, has bestowed with the 2019 Commonwealth Youth Award for the Asian region at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London for his technology-based food rescue organisation. Gopalan, founder of No Food Waste, was named the winner of the award worth 3,000 pounds for his work towards achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of Zero Hunger with his innovative system of recovering excess food to distribute to those in need. Every year the Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work celebrates the achievement of young people aged between 15 years and 29 years, whose projects serve the people and communities in their country and drive the progress to realize the different SDGs.

Notes:
Karnataka has won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for the first time. In the final, they defeated Maharashtra by 8 wickets at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore. With the win, Karnataka set a record of most number of wins in a row by an Indian domestic team as they won 14 T20 matches to lift the coveted T20 trophy. Karnataka also equaled Indian Premier League outfit Kolkata Knight Riders’ record of 14 consecutive wins.

Notes:
Chinmoy Roy (79), the veteran Bengali actor, has passed away in Kolkata on March 18, 2019. Born in Kumilla district in present day Bangladesh in 1940, Roy had started his career in Bengali films in the 60s and became indispensable to the film makers for his portrayal of comic characters retaining the very essence of Bengaliness. He was equally noticed along with big names such as Soumitra Chatterjee and Rabi Ghosh in films like ‘Basanta Bilap’ and ‘Dhonni Meye’. Roy was cast by Satyajit Ray in a small role in children’s fantasy ‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’. He had immortalised the character of Tenyda in the film ‘Charmurti’ which became a major hit in the 1980s.

Notes:
Indian psychologist, psychoanalyst and co-founder of the postcolonial theory, Prof. Ashis Nandy has been chosen for the prestigious 2019 Hans Kilian award for his efforts to adapt western traditions of thought such as psychoanalysis to non-western context. With this, he will become the first Asian to receive the prestigious award on May 9 at the Ruhr-University Bochum in Germany. The award is given to researchers whose outstanding scientific achievements provide insight into the historical and cultural existence of humankind and the constantly evolving human psyche. It was instituted by the Kohler Foundation in Germany and named after social psychologist and psychoanalyst Hans Kilian. It is awarded every two years and was first awarded in 2011. The prize includes 80,000 euros.

Notes:
Indian Coast Guard Ship ‘INS Vijit’ has become the first-ever Coast Guard ship to visit Indonesian port of Sabang on March 17, 2019. The ship is commanded by Comdt T Ashish (0532-J), who is a long Navigation Direction officer. The 4-day visit of INS Vijit highlighted the close proximity between the two countries and the strengthening cooperation in maritime security and safety. During its maiden voyage officers and crew of Vijit will hold interaction with officials of Bakamla (Indonesian Coast Guard), Indonesian Armed Forces and the civil administration at Sabang. It is the another step forward in implementation of “Shared Vision of Maritime Cooperation in the Indo Pacific”. ‘Vijit’ meaning “Winner or Victorious” is the testimony of India’s shipbuilding capabilities and the resolve of Govt of India to safeguard country’s maritime interests. Earlier, in July 2018, Indian naval ship INS Sumitra visited Sabang and highlighted the maritime proximity between India and Indonesia.

Notes:
Bengaluru FC won the 5th edition of the Indian Super League (ISL-2019) by defeating FC Goa 1-0 in the final at the Mumbai Football arena on 17th March 2019. It’s their first-ever ISL title. The two teams were locked 0-0 after 90 minutes. Even the first extra time saw no goals but Bengaluru got better of a 10-men Goan team 1-0, 4 minutes from the end of the second extra half. In it, Bengaluru FC defender Rahul Bheke became the match winner for the team in the dying minutes of the final.