Current Affairs Quiz- November, 2019

Notes:
India hosted the 2nd International Solar Alliance (ISA) assembly in New Delhi on 30th-31st October 2019. In it, two countries – Eritrea and Saint Kittis and Nevis – have signed the ISA’s Framework Agreement and took the total number of signatories to 83. The ISA was jointly launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then French President Francois Hollande at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris in November 2015. It is a major global initiative for contributing to the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement through rapid and massive deployment of solar energy.  The Saint Kittis and Nevis is an island country in the West Indies, which is the region of the North Atlantic Ocean.

Notes:
The 35th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit 2019 has started in Bangkok, Thailand on 1st of November with theme ‘Advancing Partnership for sustainability’. During 5-days summit East Asia summit (EAS) and Regional Comprehensive Economic Summit (RCEP) will be also held. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend this summit on 3rd and 4th November. The ASEAN is a group of 10 member countries that encourages political,economic and social co-operation in the region. The summit would  discuss comprehensive and sustainable ASEAN economic development and s on negotiations related to the RCEP including market opening. The RCEP is a proposed Free Trade Agreement ( FTA) between the 10 members state of ASEAN and its partner countries.

Notes:
Internationally acclaimed sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has been selected for the prestigious Italian Golden Sand Art Award 2019. He will be felicitated during the International Scorrana Sand Nativity in Italy, which is going to held from 13th to 18th Nov.  He will also represent India in this fest.

Notes:
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has represented India at a meeting of Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Tashkent on November 1-2. It was the 3rd CHG meeting of the SCO after India became the member of the grouping in 2017.The SCO is an influential regional security grouping which is seen as a counterweight to NATO. The aim of the SCO is to maintain peace, stability and security of the region. The SCO represents over 40% of humanity and nearly 20% of the global GDP.

Notes:
On 4th November 2019, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Joint Exercise on Urban Earthquake Search and Rescue in New Delhi. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is hosting the event which will continue till 7th of this month. The purpose of the exercise is to rehearse the disaster response mechanism, share knowledge, experience and technology for mutual coordination. This simulation exercise will also provide an opportunity to enhance the coordination and co-operation involving multi-agency operations in an earthquake scenario.       

Notes:
The 13th edition of the Asia Pacific Golf Summit (APGS) has started in Gurugram at the DLF Golf & Country Club till November 6. It is for the first time  India is hosting the summit with theme “A 5G Mindset For Golf’s Future In Asia”. The summit is supported by the Union Ministry of Tourism & will see international speakers discuss various operational and business aspects of golf in the context of the summit.

Notes:
Pooja Gehlot (53kg) has won India’s 2nd silver at the 2019 U-23 World Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Hungary. In the final, she defeated by Japan’s Haruna Okuno by  in the finals of championships. India’s first silver was won by Ravinder (61kg).

Notes:
The world’s first multi-targeting and carbohydrate-based drug “GV-971” for Alzheimer’s disease is extracted from brown algae. Recently, China has approved this home-grown seaweed-based  drug to potentially cure disease. The drug is the only Alzheimer’s medicine out of more than 320 developed by pharmaceutical companies around the globe to survive clinical trials. The orally taken drug can treat mild to moderate forms of the disease and improve cognition. The Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible and progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory, thinking ability and the capability to carry out simple tasks.

Notes:
Rajasthan Patrika group chairman Gulab Kothari has been chosen for the prestigious 2019 Raja Ram Mohan Roy Award for his outstanding contribution towards journalism. The award will be presented by the Press Council of India (PCI) on the occasion of the National Press Day (NPD).

Notes:
The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has partnered with Central Bank of India (CBI) for payment related services. Through this partnership, CBI will be able to offer an array of services including transfer of funds through GeM Pool Accounts (GPA), advising of electronic Performance Bank Guarantees (e-PBG) and Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) to the registered users on the portal. The GeM is an initiative of the Government of India which offers a one stop platform for facilitating online procurement of goods and services by Central and State government organizations. It provides tools for Direct Purchase, bidding and reverse auction for ensuring transparent and efficient procurement.