Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2019

Notes:
India has slipped sharply by 10 places to rank 68th on the 2019 WEF Global Competitiveness Index due to improvements witnessed by several other economies. The index is compiled by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum (WEF). In the overall competitiveness ranking, Singapore replaced the US to take the first position.

Notes:
The first Government-sponsored and operated day-care cum recreation centre for senior citizens has been inaugurated by Supreme Court judge – Justice S. Abdul Nazeer – in Leh. The centre will be one stop-shop for entertainment, medical services and legal aid for the aged people of the Ladakh region. It will also provide a raft of medical facilities including geriatric care, health consultations and check-ups, physiotherapy as well legal service the senior citizens would require on various legal issues. The premise will also be equipped with computer learning and a library and the aged citizens can entertain themselves with indoor games and recreational activities.

Notes:
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in collaboration with the Union Health Ministry has recently launched the first-ever website and mobile application “e-Dantseva” on oral health awareness. The digital platform will provide oral health information gathered from authentic scientific resources and connect the people to timely advise for managing any dental emergency or oral health problem. It contains information about the National Oral Health Programme (NOHP), a detailed list of all the dental facility and colleges, Information, Education and Communication (IEC) material and a unique feature called the ‘Symptom Checker’. The website also provides GPRS route and satellite images of the facility for easier access to the people.

Notes:
On 9th October 2019, the Pradhan Mantri Innovative Learning Programme “DHRUV”  has been launched by Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank   from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Headquarters at Bengaluru and will conclude on 24th of this month at IIT Delhi. 60 brightest and talented students from Science, Mathematics and Performing Arts have been chosen for the programme. The programme is named after the Pole Star and every student to be called ‘DHRUV TARA’. It aims to sharpen innovative imagination, skills and knowledge of the students who are expected to contribute to bringing solutions to socio-economic, political and environmental issues in the country. 

Notes:
On 12th October 2019, the SARAS Aajeevika Mela has been organised by the Ministry of Rural Development at India Gate Lawns in New Delhi and will carry on till October 23. It was formally inaugurated by Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. The aim of this SARAS Mela to bring the rural women Self Help Groups (SHGs) formed with support of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), under one platform to show-case their skills, sell their products and help them build linkages with bulk buyers. 

Notes:
The World Bank has recently released its report titled ‘South Asia Economic Focus, Making (De) Centralization Work’. As per report, Bangladesh has become the 2nd fastest growing economy in south Asia after Bhutan. The report point out that Bangladesh’s economy is likely to maintain growth above 7% i.e. supported by a robust macroeconomic framework, political stability, and strong public investments. However, the report stated that the financial sector vulnerability, fiscal pressures and loss of external competitiveness pose challenges to its growth rate.

Notes:
American artistic gymnast Simone Biles broke the all-time record for most medals by any gymnast at the world championships by winning the balance beam competition at the 2019 World Gymnastics Championship in Stuttgart, Germany. She surpassed Belarusian Vitaly Scherbo’s record 23 world medals by winning her 24th and 25th world medals (both gold).

Notes:
Ashleigh Barty has won ‘The Don’ award at the annual Sport Australia Hall of Fame and was recognized as currently the top Australian athlete. She won the 2019 French Open tennis tournament and is currently the top-ranked WTA player in the world. Barty became only the 2nd tennis player to win the prestigious award after  Pat Rafter in 2001. ‘The Don’ award is Australian sport’s highest individual honour.

Notes:
The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction  (IDDR) is observed every year on 13th of October to promote a global culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction. The 2019 theme “Reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services” is based on Target (d) of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030: ‘Substantially reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption services, among them health and education facilities, including through developing their resilience by 2030’.

Notes:
In London, Margaret Atwood and Bernardine Evaristo have jointly won the prestigious 2019 Man Booker Prize for Fiction for their novels – ‘The Testament’ and ‘Girl, Woman, Other’, respectively. The pair will split the literary award’s £50,000 prize money equally. The Booker rules say the prize must not be divided, but the judges insisted they “couldn’t separate” the two works. Atwood (79) is the oldest-ever Booker winner, while Evaristo is the first black woman to win since its creation in 1969.