Current Affairs Quiz- November, 2019

Notes:
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has launched a scheme — Mukhyamantri Septic Tank Safai Yojana – to help people in waste management and to ensure the safety of sanitation workers. The government has plans to achieve three objectives with the scheme viz. a collection of waste from septic tanks in the colonies, ensuring safe disposal of the waste in sewage treatment plants, and deployment of trained staff with safety equipment for cleaning septic tanks.

Notes:
Elon Musk-run SpaceX has recently launched 60 “Starlink” satellites into Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida that will bring cheaper  and reliable space-based internet access to the world. The “Starlink” satellites will be deployed at an altitude of 280 km to beam broadband Internet services. These satellites are part of the 2nd batch of SpaceXs broadband Internet mega constellation. Enabled by a constellation of low Earth-orbit satellites, Starlink will provide fast, reliable internet to populations with little or no connectivity, including those in rural communities and places where existing services are too expensive or unreliable.  The Starlink network is one of several ongoing efforts to start beaming data signals from space, and also the most ambitious.

Notes:
The Jayakwadi Dam  is located on Godavari river at the site of Jayakwadi village in Paithan taluka of Aurangabad district in Maharashtra. It is in news because the seismometer , piezometer, earth pressure cell, slope meter and several other key instruments installed at the dam have stopped functioning properly. The seismometer was installed at the Jayakwadi dam after the devastating earthquake in Killari in Latur district in 1993. This instrument is powerful as it has a range of 10,000 kms. In the past, it has recorded the epicentres of earthquakes in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia, Nepal, etc. 

Notes:
The Central government has recently banned Meghalaya-based insurgent group Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) for its increased activities of violence and other subversive acts. The government also declared HNLC and its factions, wings and front organisations as “unlawful associations” by exercising powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967.

Notes:
Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli has been named People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India’s ‘Person of the Year for 2019’ for his animal advocacy efforts.  also reportedly visited an animal shelter in Bengaluru to check on injured and formerly neglected dogs there, sending a message to his fans to adopt animals rather than buying them. The PETA is an American animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. 

Notes:
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) to market and operate the Golden Chariot train. IRCTC is expected to carry out an internal refurbishment of the train and commence operations from March 2020. The new itineraries shall be a mix of history, culture, wildlife and nature. It is proposed to include Bandipur, Mysore, Halebid, Chikmagalur, Hampi, Bijapur and Goa in the itinerary. As per the pact, KSTDC will soon hand over the reins of the train to IRCTC.

Notes:
The United States has recently declared that Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land “West Bank “ donot violate international laws. The US declaration marks the rejection of a 2016 UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution that settlements on the West Bank are a “flagrant violation” of international law and the US legal position on the issue since 1978. It is also a rejection of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, which outlaws transfers of population by an occupying power, and a new rift with US allies in Europe and in the Islamic world.

Notes:
The 2019 World Conference on Access to Medical Products- Achieving the SDGs 2030 was held in New Delhi from 19-21 November 2019. It was jointly organized by the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The conference provided a platform for discussions focused on creating an enabling legal and trade environment for public health which are critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 Agenda.

Notes:
The first-ever pink ball Test match between India and Bangladesh is being held at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on 22nd November 2019. Pink balls will be used in place of red balls for better visibility under lights. BCCI President Sourav Ganguly unveiled the official mascots of the event “Pinku-Tinku”. Its also India’s first Day-Night Test against Bangladesh. The Eden Gardens has a capacity of 67,000.

Notes:
The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to legalize the cultivation of cannabis in the state for medical and industrial purpose.  It is clear that the farmers can only sell their produce to the government and not to private buyers. The government will allow the farming of hemp (a type of marijuana) for medical purposes like in the treatment of cancer. Hemp with a Tetra-Hydro-Cannabinol (THC) content of 0.3 to 1.5% can be used for industrial purposes like in the manufacturing of fiber.