Current Affairs Quiz- November, 2019

Notes:
The Odisha government has decided to partner with Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) for targeted intervention in a set of social sectors including poorest of the poor through policy formulation and evaluations based on experimental research. The co-founders of J-PAL are Nobel laureates Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo. The Massachusettes Institute of Technology (MIT)-based J-PAL is known for its experimental research studies or randomized controlled trials. It has worked extensively in Africa as well India and its evaluations have helped improve outcomes of social sector initiatives.  

Notes:
The documentary on Real Kashmir Football Club has bagged the prestigious British Academy of Film and Television Awards (BAFTA) and Scotland Awards 2019 at a glittering ceremony in Glasgow, Scotland. The documentary narrates the journey of former Rangers ace David Robertson as the coach of Real Kashmir FC, which is currently India’s second tier football league. The hour-long film won in the ‘Single Documentary’ category.

Notes:
On the first day of India International Science Festival (IISF- 2019), the Guinness World Records for the largest astrophysics lesson (45 minutes) and assembly of spectroscopes was successfully achieved at the Science City in Kolkata with the participation of over 1,598 students. A small personal model of advanced spectroscopes can easily be made by anyone using a box made of cardboard that has a very narrow window used to channel light into the spectroscope. A piece of a Compact Disc (CD) is used to split the light by a process called diffraction. This attempt is dedicated to Meghnad Saha and Sir C V Raman. The astronomers use spectroscopes to know details like temperature, chemical composition, etc. of celestial objects hundreds or millions of light years away from us.

Notes:
Sara Damnjanovic from Serbia has won the 5th edition of Miss Asia Global Title 2019’  at Gokulam Convention centre in Kochi, Kerala. The title is given to the winner from Asian region.  Nguyen Thi Yen Trang from Vietnam was awarded Miss Asia title i.e. given to the winner from the rest of the world. Samiksha Singh from India won the sub-title of ‘Miss Beautiful Face’ Title. The Next ‘Miss Asia Global Title 2020’ will be held in Malaysia.

Notes:
The Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has recently launched the  SkillsBuild platform in collaboration with IBM to offer digital learning content from IBM and partners such as CodeDoor, Coorpacademy and Skillsoft. This initiative is part of IBM’s global commitment to create a job-ready workforce and to build the next generation of skills needed for new collar careers.  As part of the programme, a two-year advanced diploma in IT, networking and cloud computing, co-created and designed by IBM, will be offered at the Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) & National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs). 

Notes:
In New Delhi, the International Conference on Soil and Water Resources Management for Climate has been organized jointly by the Soil Conservation Society of India in association with World Association of Soil and Water Conservation (WASWAC), China and International Soil Conservation Organization (ISCO), USA  on November 6, 2019. The aim of the 5-day long conference is to deliberate upon the various issues and challenges of soil and water conservation. Over 400 national and international experts are expected to share effective cutting-edge technological breakthroughs in ensuring global food security. 

Notes:
In Moscow, the 19th India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC) meeting has been co-chaired by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh and Russian Defence Minister General Sergey Shoigu. Both sides agree to constitute specific working groups for after-sales support of key defence platforms. The Russian Defence Minister assured robust Russian participation in DefExpo 2020 i.e. scheduled to be held in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow between February 5-8. Russia also assures full support in increasing India’s defence capabilities under ‘Make in India’ initiative.

Notes:
In India, the National Cancer Awareness Day (NCAD) is observed every year on 7th of  November to spread awareness about cancer prevention and early detection for the general public.  The day also coincides with the birth anniversary of the eminent scientist Madame Curie, who is remembered for her discovery of radium and polonium, and her huge contribution to the fight against cancer. Her work led to the development of nuclear energy and radiotherapy for the treatment of cancer.

Notes:
The bilateral naval exercise named “Samudra Shakti-2019” has been conducted between the Indian and the Indonesian Navies in the Bay of Bengal  from 06 Nov to 07 Nov 19. The joint exercises include manoeuvres, Surface Warfare exercises, Air Defence exercises, Weapon firing drills, Helicopter Operations and Boarding Operations.

Notes:
India will host the 3rd edition of the conference of the “No Money For Terror” in 2020, which is the ministerial-level grouping of 70 countries that focuses on countering terror financing, terror and radicalisation. The decision was announced during the 2nd ‘No Money For Terror’ Conference in Melbourne on 7th November 2019. The conference is organised by Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) of over 100 countries, jointly called The Egmont Group. The group was set up in 2018 & is a much smaller version of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) that has a single-point agenda to crack down on terror financing.