Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2019

Notes:
After 8 years, India will once again mark its presence at the art world’s oldest Biennale in Venice, Italy that begins on 11th May 2019. The overarching theme at the 58th Venice Biennale 2019 is ‘Our Time for a Future Caring’, and India has decided to showcase Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi to ensure a memorable show at the art event. In it, 16 of the 400 Haripura posters will go up on the walls of the India pavilion with the theme ‘Hundred and Fifty years of Mahatma Gandhi’. This will be the second time India will have a pavilion of its own at one of the biggest art events in the world. The India pavilion is curated by the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), and commissioned by the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA). The India Pavilion will revisit through diverse art forms, the indelible memory of Mahatma Gandhi, his philosophical ideas, and the many facets of Gandhi that continue to inspire, provoke and challenge the public, intellectuals and artists alike. In 1938, Mahatma Gandhi commissioned Indian modern artist Nandalal Bose to create paintings portraying different aspects of Indian life to be displayed at the Indian National Congress’ session in Haripura, Gujarat.

Notes:
The fourth of Indian Navy’s stealth Scorpene class Submarines of Project 75, INS Vela has recently launched for trials at the Kanhoji Angre Wet Basin of Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in Mumbai. The submarines are being built at Mazagon Dock Limited, with the main collaborator being M/s Naval group, France. The INS Vela is the 4th of the six Scorpene submarines that has completed its out fittings at MDL. The Scorpene-class submarine in the Indian Navy has been termed as the Kalvari-class. In 2005, a contract was signed between French DCNS (now Naval Group) and MDL under Indian Navy’s Project-75 for the supply of six submarines. Of the six submarines, INS Kalvari was commissioned in December 2018 while INS Khanderi and INS Karanj are are in advanced stages to join the Navy fleet. The remaining two — INS Vagir and INS Vagsheer are in the in the “advanced stages of manufacturing” at the Mazagon Dock. The contract is expected to be completed by 2020. The Kalvari class is a class of diesel-electric attack submarines based on the Scorpene-class submarine being built for the Indian Navy.

Notes:
The World Asthma Day (WAD) is celebrated every year on first Tuesday of May to increase awareness about asthma and aims to improve the lives of people with asthma across the world. Asthma is a chronic disease of the lungs which causes breathing problems. Asthma usually appears through symptoms like coughing, tightness in the chest, breathlessness. The 2019 WAD is observed on 7th of May with theme ‘Stop for Asthma’. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there are 235 million people currently suffering from asthma around the world. Asthma is one of the major non-communicable diseases and it is also the most common chronic disease in children. Regular exercise can help reduce asthma symptoms.

Notes:
Frontline missile destroyer of the Indian Navy ‘INS Ranjit’ has recently decommissioned at a solemn ceremony at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam, after serving the Indian navy for 36 years. INS Ranjit is the third of the five Kashin-class destroyers built by the erstwhile USSR and was commissioned on September 15 1983 by Captain Vishnu Bhagwat . Since being commissioned, INS Ranjit has sailed for 2,190 days, covering over 7,43,000 nautical miles, equivalent to navigating around the world 35 times and 3.5 times the distance from the earth to the moon. The ship was at the forefront of major naval operations and served on both the Eastern and Western seaboards. Apart from naval operations like ‘Op Talwar’ and various multinational exercises, the ship participated in relief operations post Tsunami in 2004 and Hud-hud on 2014. In recognition of the service rendered by INS Ranjit to the nation, the ship was awarded Unit Citations by the Chief of Naval Staff in 2003-04 and in 2009-10.

Notes:
The Volleyball Federation of India (VFI) has recently appointed Dragan Mihailovic (from Serbia) as head coach of the men’s national team in a move linked to the long term goal of Olympic Games qualification. The VFI also announced the appointment of Pryemyslaw Gaszyoski and Valadimir Radosevic as the team’s physio trainer and physiotherapist respectively. Besides the men’s national team, the trio will also look after the men’s U-23 team and other junior teams representing India. All the three have been appointed for 5 months and will work with the team for the Asian Championships scheduled to be held in Iran during September.

Notes:
G D ‘Robert’ Govender, an Indian-origin journalist in South Africa, has been honoured in the UK with 2019 V K Krishna Menon award for his outstanding contribution as a pioneer of decolonized journalism. During a career spanning nearly 60 years, Govender developed a reputation as a campaigning journalist and author and was also the first journalist to call for an international boycott of South Africa’s whites-only sports teams. He was awarded posthumously during an event by the UK-based V K Krishna Menon Foundation to mark the 123rd birth anniversary of Indian diplomat and politician V K Krishna Menon. The objectives of the foundation are to eradicate illiteracy and propagate knowledge among the masses of the world, promote oriental art and culture, eliminate poverty, encourage proliferation and promote Non-Aligned Movement in the world. V K Krishna Menon was a freedom fighter and independent India’s first high commissioner to the UK. Later on he also became defence minister of the country during Jawaharlal Nehru’s prime ministership.

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:
The World Red Cross Day (WRCD) is observed every year on May 8 to recognize the extraordinary contribution and incredible achievements of the stalwarts and volunteers around the world for helping the people in need anytime, anywhere. It is a gentle nod to all the volunteers who have made unparalleled contribution to people in need. The day is also known as World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day. This date is the anniversary of the birth of Henry Dunant, who was born on 8 May 1828. He was the founder of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize. The 2019 theme is “#love” or simply “love”, which will focus on broadening people’s understanding of the society by highlighting diversity and universality of work and approach of Red Cross. On this special day, several blood donation camps will be organised around the world and this day also offers an opportunity to provide voluntary medical services to society.

Notes:
On 7th May 2019, India has been re-elected as an observer to inter-governmental forum Arctic Council at the 11th Arctic Council ministerial meeting at Rovaniemi, Finland. Indian researchers have been studying whether there is a co-relation between Indian monsoon and the Arctic region. The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, an Indian institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, has set up a research station, ‘Himadri’, in Svalbard in Norway that works on the mass balance of glaciers, the effect of the warming on the marine system, the formation of clouds and precipitation, and the effect on biodiversity. The Arctic Council promotes cooperation, coordination and interaction among Arctic states on common issues, particularly on sustainable development and environmental protection. It addresses issues faced by the Arctic governments and the indigenous people of the Arctic. It consists of 8 members countries: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States.

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.