Current Affairs Quiz- November, 2019

Notes:
NASA has recently launched its first all-electric experimental aircraft  (or X-plane). The aircraft has been designated as X-57, and will be known as “Maxwell” for short. The aircraft is expected to take its first test flight by late 2020 from Edwards Air Force Base in the desert of southern California.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has launched a mass cleanliness-cum-awareness drive in 50 identified beaches under the programme called ‘Swachh- Nirmal Tat Abhiyaan’ from 11 -17 November 2019. The purpose of the initiative is to strive to make coastal areas across the country clean and to create awareness amongst citizens about the importance of coastal ecosystems so as to save marine creatures from plastic waste, industrial effluents and other harmful substances. The identified beaches are in 10 coastal States/ UTs viz. Gujarat, Daman & Diu, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha. 

Notes:
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has attended the 8th session of the Governing Body of International Treaty of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy. The ITPGRFA (also known as Seed Treaty) is a comprehensive international agreement for ensuring food security through the conservation, exchange and sustainable use of the world’s plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA), as well as the fair and equitable benefit sharing arising from its use. It also recognizes farmers’ rights, subject to national laws. 

Notes:
The Suranga Bawadi is an integral part of the ancient Karez system of supplying water through subterranean tunnels built during Adil Shahi era in Vijayapura, Karnataka. It is in news recently because Bawadi has been selected as the World Monument Watch List for 2020 by the New York-based non-governmental organisation under the category of “Ancient Water System of the Deccan Plateau” along with 24 monuments across the world. Now, the unique underground water system in Vijayapura will receive funds for restoration work. According to historians, the Karez system was built in the 16th century by Ali Adil Shah–I & his successor Ibrahim Adil Shah–II brought in several changes by adding more structures to strengthen it.

Notes:
India will host the 19th Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) 2020 in New Delhi. This will be first time that India is hosting a such high-level meeting of China-led eight-member economic and security bloc after becoming full member of the organisation in 2017. The latest Summit of heads of government was held in Tashkent in November 2019. 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.

Notes:
India has been ranked 78th among 178 nations in the 2019 Global Bribery Risk Index, which was released by Trace Bribery Risk Matrix.The Matrix evaluates countries under four parameters which are business interaction with the government, anti-bribery deterrence, transparency and civil society oversight.TRACE is a US based organisation which provides ranking to various countries in terms of the risk of bribery companies face in doing business in those countries.

Notes:
The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has launched the ‘Nadu-Nedu’ programme to introduce English medium from classes 1 to 6 in state-run schools.The scheme will be implemented in 15,715 schools in the first phase. It will cover all schools in three years’ time with a budget of Rs 12,000 crores.

Notes:
The National Press Day (NPD) is celebrated every year on 16th of November as symbolic of free and responsible press in India.This was the day on which the Press Council of India (PCI) started functioning as a moral watchdog to ensure that not only did the press maintain the high standards expected from this powerful medium but also that it was not fettered by the influence or threats of any extraneous factors.

Notes:
Manoj Bajpayee-starrer and critically acclaimed movie “Bhonsle”, directed by Devashish Makhija, has won the prestigious awards at the 2019 Asian Film Festival Barcelona. The film bagged two awards in the ‘Best Screenplay’ and ‘Best Director’ categories at the festival. The movie revolves around a police constable, who tries to help in the struggles of migrants and their battles with the local politicians. It also addresses the concerns of various ethnic groups and highlights the issues that they face in order to survive in a city like Mumbai, away from their home.

Notes:
The Andhra Pradesh government has selected IIM Ahmedabad to help  curb corruption in the state administration. The institute would study the structural issues in the government departments in relation to corruption and come out with measures to tackle them. The focus would be on government departments that have earned alleged notoriety for corruption. Based on the IIM-A report, it was expected that the government may suitably amend the PC Act for a complete crackdown on corruption.