Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2019

Notes:
In a significant victory, India’s Jagjit Pavadia has been re-elected to the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) for a 5-year term beginning 2nd March, 2020. She posted the highest number of votes at 44. Ms Pavadia has been a member of the INCB since 2015 and her current term is set to expire in 2020. The victory added to India’s successful record of winning crucial elections at the UN and to the world organisation’s subsidiary bodies. Established in 1968, the INCB is an independent and quasi-judicial monitoring body for the implementation of the UN’s international drug control conventions. INCB consists of 13 members who are elected by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and who serve in their personal capacity.

Notes:
A Japanese aerospace startup Interstellar Technology Inc. has become the first private firm in Japan to launch a rocket into space. It has successfully launched a small rocket ‘Momo-3’ from its test site in Hokkaido, which reached about 110 kilometers (68 miles) in altitude before falling into the Pacific Ocean after 10 minutes of flight time. With this feat, Momo-3 has become the Japan’s first privately developed model to reach outer space. The rocket is about 10 meters (32 feet) long & 50 centimeters (1.5 feet) in diameter, and weighs about 1 ton. The rocket is capable of putting payloads into orbit. The Interstellar Technology, founded in 2013 by former Livedoor Co. President Takafumi Horie, aims to develop low-cost commercial rockets to carry satellites into space.

Notes:
Dr. NR Madhava Menon (84), the renowned academician and father of modern Indian Legal Education, passed away in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on May 8, 2019. He is credited for revolutionizing the field of legal education by establishing National Law Schools and by conceptualizing the 5-year integrated LLB programme. He was the founder Director of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) Bangalore and the National Judicial Academy (NJA) Bhopal and the founder Vice Chancellor of the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS). The nation honoured him with the Padma Sri in 2003 for his outstanding contributions to the legal field.

Notes:
Baidyanath Mishra (99), the renowned economist, has passed away in Bhubaneswar, Odisha on May 8, 2019. Mishra had started his career as a lecturer in Ravenshaw University in Cuttack in 1949. He later worked at Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT). He was vice-chancellor of OUAT from 1981 to 1985. Mishra was also the chairman of State Planning Board from 1985 to 1990.

Notes:
Iran has recently announced to stop respecting limits on its nuclear activities agreed under a 2015 nuclear deal with major powers until they find a way to bypass renewed US sanctions. The Iran nuclear deal was formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has given an ultimatum of 60 days to remaining signatories – the UK, France, Germany, China and Russia – to implement their promises to protect Iran’s oil and banking sectors from US sanctions. The nuclear deal was designed to curb Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. Under the landmark deal, Iran is required to sell its surplus enriched uranium abroad, rather than keep it, thereby allowing it to generate nuclear power without building nuclear weapons. In it, Iran agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow in international inspectors in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions.

Notes:
India’s Dairy major Amul will be the principal sponsor of the Afghanistan cricket team for the 2019 ICC World Cup, which will be hosted by England and Wales. The logo of brand AMUL, which boasts of an annual sales turnover of Rs 45,000 crores ($6.5 billion), will appear on the Afghanistan team playing jerseys as well as on the training kits throughout the World Cup from May 30 to July 14, 2019. This is the third time that Amul is sponsoring a cricket team in the World Cup. Earlier, the company had associated with New Zealand and Holland teams. Though Afghanistan participated in the 2015 World Cup as an associate nation, this will be the first time it will feature in a tournament as a full-member.

Notes:
Y C Deveshwar (72), the noted industry leader and ITC Chairman, has passed away in Gurugram on May 11, 2019. He was India’s longest serving CEO and had received the India’s third-highest civilian award ‘Padma Bhushan’ in 2011. Deveshwar took over as chairman of ITC group in 1996 when the company was going through its worst crisis. Under his leadership, ITC battled resistance from its largest shareholder BAT and it made a successful diversification in the FMCG category. He transformed the cigarette major into a diversified player with interests in FMCG, hospitality, IT and other sectors. In 2017, Deveshwar stepped down as chief executive of ITC Ltd, India’s largest cigarette maker . After that, he moved to the role of non executive chairman. He was also a director on the central board of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). ITC Limited is an Indian multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal.

Notes:
On 12th May 2019, Top seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia beat Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece 6-3, 6-4 to win his third Madrid Open Tennis title. Djokovic lifted the title in Madrid after progressing through the week without losing a set and has now won 33 Masters 1000 titles – the same number as Rafael Nadal and five more than Roger Federer. Djokovic got the decisive break in the 9th game of the set to move 5-4 up and then held his serve to add the 2019 Madrid Open title to those he won in 2011 and 2016.

Notes:
On 13th May 2019, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial meeting of developing countries has started in New Delhi. The two-day meeting is being held at a time when the multilateral rule-based-trading system is facing serious and grave challenges. The meeting will provide an opportunity for the Ministers to discuss various issues and the way forward. Sixteen developing countries and six Least Developed Countries, LDCs are participating in the meeting. It includes China, South Africa, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Bangladesh. The Director-General of WTO Roberto Azevedo is also participating in the meeting. In two-day meeting following issues are likely to be discussed: Finding a solution to the ongoing impasse in the Appellate Body on an urgent basis, Issues of importance and priority for developing countries including Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in the reform agenda, How to reinvigorate negotiating agenda on issues of critical importance for developing countries?, and How to ensure effective S&D for all developing countries including LDCs?.

Notes:
ISRO Chairman Dr. K Sivan has recently inaugurated Young Scientist Programme (Yuvika-2019) for school children at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The initiative is primarily aimed at imparting basic knowledge on Space Technology, Space Science and Space Applications to the younger ones with the intent of arousing their interest in the emerging areas of Space activities. The Yuvika (Yuva VIgyani KAryakram) 2019, which will be conducted from May 13 to 26, is a two week summer vacation residential training programme. It is launched by ISRO in tune with the Union Government’s vision ‘Jai Vigyan, Jai Anusandhan’.