Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2019

Notes:
The researchers at NASA space agency has found evidence for a unique mixture of methanol, water ice, and organic molecules on the surface of Ultima Thule, which is located in the Kuiper Belt – beyond the orbit of Neptune. The mixture is very different from most icy objects explored previously by spacecraft. Ultima Thule (also known as 2014 MU69) is 4 billion miles from Earth and has captured scientists’ curiosity since they discovered it had a snowman-like appearance. It has two distinct, flat segments and is thought to be an “ancient relic,” likely forming “billions of years ago”. The research also sheds new light on Ultima Thule’s geology and composition. The 22-mile-long object probably formed after the two lobes orbited each other. However, it’s still unknown what caused them to merge into the object seen today. Scientists have also found new features on Ultima Thule, including several bright spots, patches and craters, including a 5-mile-wide depression that likely formed from some kind of impact.

Notes:
Priyanka Mohite, the 26-year-old Satara based mountaineer, has become the first Indian woman to successfully scale Mount Makalu — the fifth-highest mountain in the world at 8,481 metres. Earlier, in May 2018, Priyanka managed to scale Mount Lhotse, which is the fourth highest mountain in the world. In 2013, Mohite had become the youngest girl from her state to have conquered the 8,848m Mount Everest — the highest peak in the world — becoming only the third-youngest Indian to do so. Mt Makalu is located in the Mahalangur Himalayas, 19 km south-east of Mount Everest, on the border between Nepal and China. The first climb on Makalu was made by an American team led by Riley Keegan in 1954.

Notes:
The National Anti Terrorism Day (NATD) is celebrated every year in India on May 21 to spread the message of global peace and non-violence and stop youngsters from following cult practices and being misguided. The day also honours the sacrifices made by thousands of soldiers who fought against terrorism. It’s a day to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in terrorist attacks. It was on this day in 1991, the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a suicide squad of Liberation of Tamil Tigers Eelam (LTTE), while attending a rally in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. The aim behind the observance of Anti-Terrorism Day is to wean away the people from terrorism and violence.

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The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development is observed every year on May 21 to increase the understanding of issues around cultural diversity and development among governments, non-governmental organizations and the public. The day was created as a result of the destruction of the Buddha statues of Bamiyan in Afghanistan in 2001. This year, in 2019, the UAE has celebrated the day to highlight its efforts in promoting tolerance and cultural diversity. The event will coincide with the country’s declaration of 2019 as the Year for Tolerance and its hosting of many related events. The UAE has cultural relations with many countries and is an active member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

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The State Bank of India (SBI) has announced a strategic partnership with the FMCG arm of The Art of Living — Sri Sri Tattva. Under this partnership, YONO users can avail a discount of 15% on the entire range of products offered by Sri Sri Tattva such as food, personal care, healthcare, homecare, BYOGI apparels and Shankara skincare products. Sri Sri Tattva will make YONO’s online marketplace richer with product portfolio in the organic, wellness and Ayurvedic domains, giving SBI customers formidable shopping experience.

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India has been ranked 117th out of 181 countries in the 2019 KidsRight Index, which ranks countries on the basis of how much they are involved and equipped to improve child rights. Iceland made the top position with an overall score of 0.967, followed by Portugal, and Switzerland. The annual global index is an initiative of Kids Right Foundation in cooperation with Erasmus University in Rotterdam, Netherlands. They release annual reports every year by pooling data from UNICEF, UNDP and UN Committee on the Rights of the Child by considering individual country reports. The index consists of five categories – Right to Life, Right to Health, Right to Education, Right to Protection, and Enabling Environment for Child Rights.

Notes:
The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially recognized Algeria and Argentina as malaria-free countries, after no new cases of the deadly disease have been reported for at least 3 consecutive years. As per WHO, there were now 38 countries and territories that have been declared free of the disease. Algeria, where the malaria parasite was discovered by French physician Dr. Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran in 1880, is only the second country in Africa to reach this milestone. The other is Mauritius, which was recognized as malaria-free in 1973. Argentina is the 2nd country in 45 years to be officially recognized as malaria-free in the WHO Region of the Americas, after Paraguay in June 2018. Malaria is a parasitic disease transmitted through the bite of female Anopheles mosquitoes. The disease is both preventable and treatable.

Notes:
In Germany, the international competition ‘Elsevier Foundation-ISC3 Green and Sustainable Chemistry Challenge’ was recently held at the 4th Green and Sustainable Chemistry Conference. In it, a project idea by Dr. Ankur Patwardhan from Pune has bagged the second prize of €25,000. His project named ‘Butterfly attractant for pollination and ecosystem health’ is about the relation between chemistry and ecosystem. Dr. Patwardhan is currently working as head of the ‘Annasaheb Kulkarni Biodiversity Department’ at Abasaheb Garware College, Pune. He developed the project idea with the help of Tejaswini Pachpor and Dattatray Naik. Patwardhan serves as a member of the Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board. He is also the president of a high-level committee appointed by the Centre on Mahabaleshwar-Panchgani Eco-Sensitive Zone.

Notes:
The United Nations (UN) has recently released the World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2019 Mid-year Update. In it, the UN has lowered its forecast for India’s GDP growth in 2019-20 to 7.1% from its estimate in January of 7.5%, citing an overall slowdown in global growth. The report stated that the global economy is experiencing a broad-based growth slowdown led by slowing industrial production coupled with the weakening of international trade activity due in large part to the unresolved trade disputes between the U.S. and China. Overall, the UN lowered its growth forecast for South Asia marginally to 5.8% in 2020 from the 5.9% estimated for the year in January.

Notes:
The World Turtle Day (WTD) is observed every year on May 23 across the world to bring attention to, and increase knowledge of and respect for, turtles and tortoises, and encourage human action to help them survive and thrive. This year, in 2019, the India Biodiversity Portal (IBP) initiated a ‘Turtle Spotting Week’ as part of a unique exercise to document the creatures across India. The initiative aims to gather information about India’s freshwater turtles and tortoises. Anyone who has an interest in Indian Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises can participate in the first edition of the Turtle Spotting Week 2019 (May 17 to May 23) and contribute by photographing, documenting and submitting observations of turtles and tortoises that they have observed around their neighbourhood, backyard water body or on wildlife trips.