Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2019

Notes:
The Union Water Ministry has  excavated an old, dried-up river in Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad) that linked the Ganga and Yamuna rivers. The aim is to develop a newly discovered river as a potential groundwater recharge source. This “ancient buried river” is around 4 km wide, 45 km long and consisted of a 15-metre-thick layer buried under soil. The discovery was made by a team of scientists  from the CSIR-NGRI (National Geophysical Research Institute) & the Central Groundwater Board (CGB) during a helicopter-borne geophysical survey covering the Prayagraj and Kaushambi region in Uttar Pradesh.

Notes:
India’s first-ever Floating Basketball Court has opened in the Arabian Sea near Bandra Worli Sealink in Mumbai. It was installed by the National Basketball Association (NBA). The NBA India Games 2019 will feature the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers, who will play two pre-season games on October 4 and 5 at the Dome in NSCI, SVP Stadium. 

Notes:
Dr Hargovind Laxmishanker Trivedi (87) was the renowned nephrologist, immunologist and stem cell researcher. He passed away in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on 2nd October 2019. He was an expert in handling kidney transplant surgeries & was awarded Padma Shri in 2015 for his contribution to society as a nephrologist.

Notes:
Indian Army has started its  first-of -its kind biggest ever mountain combat exercise titled ‘Him Vijay’ in Arunachal Pradesh. It is the first-ever such drill that the military is holding in the northeastern state i.e., 100 km away from the Line of Actual Control (LAC).  The exercise is to test mobility, communication and coordination of such huge body of fast-moving troops in difficult terrain. The exercise is to be conducted in two phases. The first phase will be held between 7th to 10th October 2019  and the other phase will be from 20th- 24th October 2019.

Notes:
Indian captain in the shortest format, Harmanpreet Kaur has become the first Indian cricketer to play 100 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) as she took the field against South Africa in Surat on 5th October 2019. She achieved this milestone before MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, who have played 98 T20Is for India. Beside this, she is also the first Indian cricketer – male or female – to sign a Big Bash League contract with Sydney Thunder in Australia. In June 2017, she became the first Indian to sign with Surrey Stars in ECB’s Kia Super League.

Notes:
The 5th edition of the World Parliament of Science, Religion and Philosophy has been organized by the MIT World Peace University in Pune on October 2.  The theme of the 5-day event for year 2019 is ‘Role of science, religion and philosophy for world peace and well-being of mankind’.  The aim of the Parliament was to create and promote interfaith and inter-religious movement for World Peace. 

Notes:
The book titled ‘150 Years of Celebrating the Mahatma the South African Legacy’ has been penned by author and journalist Fakir Hassen. It is a 160-page coffee table that records how commemorations of Gandhi’s activities (including his birth and death anniversaries) were confined to the local Indian community only.

Notes:
Mexican actress Yalitza Aparicio has been named UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Indigenous Peoples. She made history as the first indigenous performer nominated for a best actress honor at the 2019 Academy Awards for her performance in the film “Roma”, in which she speaks in an indigenous language and in Spanish.

Notes:
NASA has recently launched its new Ionospheric Connection Explorer (Icon)  satellite  from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to explore the mysterious, dynamic region where air meets space. The refrigerator-size Icon satellite will study the airglow formed from gases in the ionosphere and also measure the charged environment right around the 360-mile-high (580-kilometer-high) spacecraft. Apart from this, a NASA satellite ‘Gold’ ( launched in 2018) is also studying the upper atmosphere, but from much higher up. 

Notes:
The book titled “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need” has been authored by founder of Microsoft Corporation and American philanthropist Bill Gates. In the book, Gates will explain why he cares so deeply about climate change and what makes him optimistic that the world can prevent the worst impacts of the climate crisis. The book will hit the stands on June 24, 2020.