Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2019

Notes:
The World Thyroid Day (WTD) is observed every year on May 25 to promote awareness and understanding of thyroid health and the advances made in treating thyroid diseases. The thyroid gland is an important part of the body and is extremely important as it regulates metabolism, affects energy levels, crucial body functions, and heart rate. Abnormalities in the thyroid gland can lead to excess production of the thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism), less production of the thyroid gland (hypothyroidism), thyroid nodules (lumps in the thyroid gland), goitre (enlargement of the thyroid gland), thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid gland) and thyroid cancer.

Notes:
On 2019 World Meterology Day, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL) has recently introduced redefined International System of Units for the country. The redefined systems are Kilogram (SI unit of weight), Kelvin (SI unit of temperature), Mole (SI unit of amount of substance), and Ampere (SI unit of current). The purpose of a system of units is to enable world-wide coherence of measurements. CSIR- NPL has also sent the new definitions to the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MoHRD) for the engineering course syllabus and to National Council of Educational Research and Training for adoption in schools. It must be noted that the world’s scientific community adopted the resolution to redefine four of the 7 base units during the open session of the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) at BIPM in November 2018. Therefore, there is no change in the definition of three other SI units—second, metre and candela — which were defined based on natural constants.

Notes:
Motilal Oswal Asset Management Company (AMC) has launched its WhatsApp transaction platform for new as well as existing investors. It is the first of its kind initiative by any fund house in India to do mutual fund transactions through the popular cross-platform messaging app. Investors can use WhatsApp to invest in any scheme from Motilal Oswal AMC. The investor through his/her registered number can initiate a transaction in Motilal Oswal MF schemes just by typing ‘Hi’. A customer can complete the entire process in less than two minutes and gets an instant transaction confirmation through the medium. The investor can make the investments either in a lump sum or through systematic investment plans (SIP).This feature is not a part of WhatsApp Pay and is different from using it as a payment channel.

Notes:
The Telangana government has decided to set up the India’s first ‘Blockchain district’ in Hyderabad to create an ecosystem for all the start-ups and institutes working in the space. Though the Blockchain technology encompasses all domains, the district would focus on banking, financial services and insurance; pharma and healthcare; logistics and supply chain; and the government sectors. The district would have a co-working space, an international liasioning office, a T-Hub-like incubator to mentor early-stage start-ups in the Blockchain space and a supporting R&D institute to promote innovation.

Notes:
India has invited the leaders of the BIMSTEC Member States for the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 30, 2019. Beside this, the invitations have also been sent to the President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay Jeenbekov who is the current Chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, the Chief Guest at this 2019 Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD). The invitations are in line with the Government’s focus on its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy. The BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) member states are: Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan including India. President Ram Nath Kovind will administer the Oath of Office and Secrecy to Mr Modi for the second term and other members of Union Council of Ministers at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constituted a 6-member committee to review the existing state of mortgage securitisation in India and suggest measures to deepen it. The committee on the development of housing finance securitisation market, headed by Bain & Co Senior Advisor Harsh Vardhan, will review the regulations relating to Mortgage-Backed Securitization (MBS) currently in place, and make specific recommendations on suitably aligning the same with international norms. It will recommend specific measures for facilitating secondary market trading in mortgage securitisation instruments, such as broadening the investor base, and strengthening the market infrastructure.

Notes:
The scientists at the Stanford University in the US have developed a more stable prosthetic foot which they say could make challenging terrain more manageable for people who have lost a lower leg. The new design has a kind of tripod foot that responds to rough terrain by actively shifting pressure between three different contact points. Prosthetic emulators allow them to try lots of different designs without the overhead of new hardware. According to the study published in the journal IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, prosthetic limbs can better handle the rough ground. Outfitted with position sensors and motors, the foot could adjust its orientation to respond to varying terrain, much as someone with an intact foot could move their toes and flex their ankles to compensate while walking over rough ground.

Notes:
The Gujarat government has decided to equip the traffic police with ‘laser guns’ for detection of over-speeding by vehicles. The state traffic police has purchased 39 such high-tech guns at a cost of Rs.3.9 crore. The gun uses laser technology to detect the speed of a vehicle. It can record speed of three vehicles simultaneously in a second, even if the vehicles are a km away. The speed gun is an online device which can send an e-memo to the owner with a photo of the vehicle. If required, the speed gun can also generate and print the challan offline on the spot. It is also capable of recording videos of the over- speeding vehicles which will serve as a proof if the vehicle owner confronts the police.

Notes:
The IIT-Madras has recently launched an Integrated Database on Infrastructure Projects (IDIP) at the 15th World Conference on Transport Research conference held at IIT Bombay. The purpose of the data platform is to enhance the efficiency of infrastructure development and enable effective decision-making among different stakeholders involved in the sector. The initial focus of IDIP will be on the road sector, which has received the highest private investment among all infrastructure sectors. The PPP programme in the road sector in India is the largest in the world. The platform includes data coverage across the project life cycle comprising development, construction and operation phases. In addition to roads, other sectors such as railways, ports, and airports would also be included in the platform shortly.

Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will observe 2019 Financial Literacy Week (FLW) across the country from 3rd to 7th of June. The theme this year is – ‘Farmers and how they benefit by being a part of the formal banking system’. The posters and leaflets will be used to spread awareness and spread the message of financial literacy among the farming community. The RBI has advised banks to display the posters and content in their rural bank branches, Financial Literacy Centres, ATMs and websites. It will also undertake a mass media campaign this month on Doordarshan and All India Radio to disseminate essential financial awareness messages to farmers.