Current Affairs Quiz - March, 2019

Notes:
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed every year on 21st of March to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination. This day commemorates the lives that have been lost to fight for democracy and equal human rights in South Africa during the Apartheid regime (a regime which embraced racial discrimination). The 2019 theme is “Mitigating and countering rising nationalist populism and extreme supremacist ideologies”. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has also reiterated that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and have the potential to contribute constructively to the development and well-being of their societies.

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The Financial Technology (Fintech) Conclave has been organized by NITI Aayog in New Delhi and was inaugurated by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das. The objective of the conclave is to shape India’s continued ascendancy in FinTech, build the narrative for future strategy and policy efforts, and to deliberate steps for comprehensive financial inclusion. Nearly 300 Representatives from across the financial space – central ministries, regulators, bankers, startups, service providers and entrepreneurs are participating in the conclave. India is one of the fastest growing FinTech markets globally and industry research has projected that USD 1 Trillion or 60% of retail and SME credit, will be digitally disbursed by 2029. The Indian FinTech ecosystem is the third largest in the globe, attracting nearly USD 6 billion in investments since 2014.

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The Langkawi International Maritime Aero Expo (LIMA-2019) has started in Langkawi, Malaysia from 26 March 2019 to 30 March 2019. Indian Air Force (IAF) is participating in the Maritime Aero Expo for the first time, during which it will showcase its indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Tejas. The participation of IAF in LIMA-2019 will provide an opportunity to air-warriors to interact with their Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) counterparts and foster close relationship between the two services. This will serve as a foundation for any future interaction with the Malaysian Air Force. It will also provide an opportunity to RMAF to assess the capabilities of LCA.

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On 25th March, US President Donald Trump has officially recognized Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights. With this, Israel has got an absolute right to self-defence. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war, and subsequently annexed it in 1981. But, Israel’s sovereignty over the territory is not recognized by the international community. Mr Trump’s move reversed more than a half-century of the US policy over the issue. Meanwhile, Russia said, it feared a new wave of tensions in the West Asia following the decision by Washington to recognise Israeli sovereignty over the disputed Golan Heights, which are claimed by Syria. The Syrian government has criticized the move calling it a blatant attack on its sovereignty. The Golan Heights is a rocky plateau in south-western Syria. It is located about 60km south-west of the Syrian capital ‘Damascus’, and covers about 1,200 sq km. The area is also a key source of water for an arid region. Rainwater from the Golan’s catchment feeds into the Jordan River. The area provides a third of Israel’s water supply. The land is fertile, and the volcanic soil is used to cultivate vineyards and orchards and raise cattle. The Golan is also home to Israel’s only ski resort.

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On 27th March, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted its first-ever Anti-Satellite (A-SAT) missile test ‘Mission Shakti’ from the Dr AP J Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha. A DRDO-developed Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) Interceptor Missile has successfully shot down a live satellite on a Low Earth Orbit (LEO), which is 300km from the earth, within three minutes. Hence, Mission Shakti is an important step towards securing India’s safety, economic growth and technological advancement. With this feat, India has joined elite group of four along with US, Russia & China. A-SATs are space weapons designed to disable or destroy satellites for strategic military purposes. Most military satellites orbit up to 2,000 km above the earth’s surface on LEO. However, no country has used A-SAT system in warfare till now. Several nations have shot down their own (defunct) satellites to demonstrate their ASAT capabilities in a show of force.

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In the wake of the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, Facebook has launched two new India-specific -tools to boost civic engagement on its platform — Candidate Connect and Share You Voted. The first feature ‘Candidate Connect’ allows people to see short 20 second videos uploaded by candidates and cross compare them with what other candidates have to say on the same pre-selected topic in 12 Indian languages. While, the “Share You Voted” will provide people with polling information and enable them to announce and celebrate their vote. Facebook has also set up 24×7 response team for elections for monitoring and tracking of objectionable content in real time round the clock. The election response team will be based in Singapore and will work closely with the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Notes:
Tashigang, a small village of Himachal Pradesh, has now become the world’s highest polling station. The polling station falls in Buddhist-dominated Lahaul-Spiti district of the state at an altitude of 15,256 feet, and is one of the 17 assembly segments that form the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, the second largest constituency in the country. Located around 29 km from the India-China border, this polling station covers two villages – Tashigang and Gete. As per the revised electoral rolls, the two villages have 48 voters, of which 30 are men and 18 women. 78-year-old Rigjin is the oldest voter at this polling station. Earlier, the non-descript tiny settlement of Hikkim, positioned at an altitude of about 14,400 ft, was the highest polling station in India.

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The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has recommended adding Break dancing, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games when the full membership meets in June. A final decision must be made by the board in December 2020 after further monitoring of the four. The addition of these four sports to the Paris medal program offers the opportunity to connect with the young generation. All four sports will be assessed in terms of how they are managed, the integrity of competitions and judging, before being finalized for Paris.

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Israeli researchers have discovered the world’s longest salt cave, called Malham. It stretches over 10 km, runs through Mount Sodom, Israel’s largest mountain. The cave is a network of twisting passageways at the southern tip of the Dead Sea. It is near the desert site where, according to the Bible, Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of salt. The Malham cave is larger than the previous record-holding cave in Iran. Iran’s Cave of the Three Nudes (Namakdan) on Qeshm Island, which is about 6km in length, was identified as the longest salt cave after a study by Czech and Iranian scientists in 2006. Mount Sodom is named after a location mentioned in the Book of Genesis, describing how Lot’s wife became a pillar of salt after she looked back at Sodom.

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According to the Skytrax World Airport Awards, New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport has been designated as the best Indian airport but ranks 59th globally. The other Indian airports in the list were Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at 64, the Rajiv Gandhi Hyderabad International Airport at 66, and Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport at 69. The list has been compiled by the UK-based Skytrax, a consultancy firm which runs an airline and airport review and ranking site, featuring 100 airports. Singapore’s Changi Airport has been crowned the world’s best aviation hub for the seventh time in a row. At number two on the list is Tokyo International Airport (Haneda). This hub also won World’s Best Domestic Airport and World’s Cleanest Airport.