Current Affairs Quiz - March, 2019

Notes:
Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, a Deputy Director General of Programmes (DDP) of the World Health Organisation (WHO), has been named Chief Scientist of the WHO. The newly created division of chief scientist is being seen as the fifth pillar to strengthen the WHO’s core scientific work, ensure quality and consistency of norms and standards.

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.

Notes:
Vinod Kashyap (88), the veteran Hindi Newsreader, has passed in New Delhi on March 10, 2019. She served All India Radio (AIR) for about 30 years. She started her career in Radio as a drama artist.

Notes:
The World Kidney Day (WKD) is observed every year on 2nd Thursday of March as a global health awareness campaign to raise awareness about impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems worldwide. In 2019, the WKD is been observed on March 14 with theme “Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere”. The 2019 WKD theme calls for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for prevention and early treatment of kidney diseases.

Notes:
Kento Momota has become the first Japanese man to win the All England Open Badminton Championships when he beat Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen 2-1 in the men’s singles final at the Birmingham Arena. Beside this, Chen Yufei of China won the women’s title by upsetting world No.1 Tai Tzu Ying of Taiwan in straight games, 21-17, 21-17.

Notes:
The Geographical Indications Registry has recently granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag to Coorg Arabica Coffee, Wayanad Robusta Coffee, Chikmagalur Arabica Coffee, Araku Valley Arabica Coffee and Bababudangiris Arabica Coffee. According to the GI application, Coorg Arabica Coffee is grown specifically in Kodagu district in Karnataka. As per the application petitions, Chikmagalur Arabica Coffee and Bababudangiris Arabica Coffee are both grown in Chikmagalur district, Karnataka which is also known as the birthplace of coffee in the country. Araku Valley Arabica Coffee, grown around Visakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh and Koraput district in Odisha, is light to medium in strength, has a pleasant acidity with a citrus note of grape fruit and a mild jaggery-like sweetness. As per the GI application for Wayanad Robusta Coffee, the flora of Wayanad is characteristic of the Western Ghats and the plantation crops grown in the cool climate. A GI tag is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation by virtue of their geographical association. The tag conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness which is essentially attributable to the geographical origin of the product. The owner of the GI tag has exclusive rights over the product.

Notes:
International Football Federation (FIFA) President Gianni Infantino has recently announced that India will host the 7th edition of U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2020. This will be the 2nd FIFA tournament India will be hosting, after the U-17 Men’s World Cup in 2017. The Spain under-17 women’s team is the defending champion, while North Korea has had most success in the competition with two titles. Japan in 2014, France in 2012 and South Korea in 2010 have been the other winners.

Notes:
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to prepare a noise pollution map and remedial action plan to solve the issue across the country. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directed the CPCB to identify noise pollution hotspots and categorise cities with specified hotspots and propose a remedial action plan within 3 months. It also directed state pollution control boards to undertake noise level monitoring in conjunction with police administration and take remedial action. The NGT further stated that the absence of implementation of noise pollution norms affects health of citizens, especially infants and senior citizens. It also affects sleep, comfort, studies and other legitimate activities. Additionally, the green panel suggested manufacturing of public address systems with equipment that can monitor the noise pollution parameters and alert authorities once the prescribed limits are crossed. The CPCB is a statutory organisation under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFC). Its head office is located in New Delhi.

Notes:
For the first time, Uttar Pradesh has undertaken census of otters in its protected areas. The exercise that began in the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) will be completed by the end of March 2019. Otters are an important part of the forest ecosystem. A thriving population of otters means a healthy river ecosystem. These mammals, listed in schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, are rarely seen due to their extremely shy nature. They feed on fish, bird eggs and small creatures like frogs. The den of an otter is known as holt and it is close to water bodies. The PTR is in the foothills of the Himalayas, south of Nepal. Covering an area of approximately 800 square kilometres, the reserve sprawls across parts of Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri and Bahraich districts. With the Sharda and Ghaghara rivers encircling a considerable part of the reserve, it is rich in water bodies. The forests of PTR are to home to tigers, leopards, elephants, different species of deer and monkeys and reptiles like snakes, mugger crocodiles and gharials.

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.