Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2019

Notes:
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has recently launched a new governance initiative ‘Mo Sarkar’ on the occasion of 150th Gandhi Jayanti. The objective of the ‘Mo Sarkar’ is to provide service with dignity to people who are coming to government offices for different purposes. The phone numbers of people who are coming to government offices will be collected randomly with the purpose to improve the governance system by collecting feedback on behaviour and professionalism of government officers. The employees will be ranked as good or bad on the basis of the feedback and those with good rank will get out-of-turn promotion and action will be taken against employees with bad rank.

Notes:
The Union government has launched a Prakash portal – ‘Power Rail Koyla Availability through Supply Harmony’ – for better coordination among the Ministries of Power, Coal and Indian Railways for coal supply to power plants. The portal, which is developed by NTPC, is designed to help in mapping and monitoring entire coal supply chain for power plants, viz – – coal stock at supply end (mines), coal quantities/ rakes planned, coal quantity in transit and coal availability at power generating station

Notes:
England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been named the 2019 PCA (Professional Cricketers’ Association)  Player of the Year award after his splendid show in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup and a remarkable unbeaten 135 run to win the third Ashes Test against Australia at Headingley. 

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:
The Nobel Prize 2019 for Physics has jointly been awarded to three scientists – James Peebles, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz – groundbreaking discoveries about the evolution of the universe and the Earth’s place in the cosmos. One half of the award was given to James Peebles for theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology and the other half jointly to Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz for the discovery of an exo-planet orbiting a solar-type star. They will share a 9-million kronor cash award, a gold medal and a diploma. The laureates will receive them at a ceremony in Stockholm on December 10. 

Notes:
The Reliance Mutual Fund has been renamed as Nippon India Mutual Fund (NIMF). The name change came after Nippon Life Insurance of Japan completed the acquisition of 75% stake in Reliance Nippon Life Asset Management from Reliance Capital. Nippon Life is Japan’s largest life insurance company and a global financial services conglomerate. It manages assets worth over $700 billion.

Notes:
Austrian author Peter Handke has been honoured  with the 2019 Nobel Prize in literature for an influential work that with linguistic ingenuity has explored the periphery and the specificity of human experience. His notable works include “Short Letter, Long Farewell” and “A Sorrow Beyond Dreams”. He will receive 9 million Swedish kronor (£740,000), as well as a medal and a diploma.

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:
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has won the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his efforts to end his country’s long-running border conflict with neighboring Eritrea. His peace deal with Eritrea ended a 20-year military stalemate following their 1998-2000 border war.  Abiy was named as the winner of the 100th Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, where he will receive the award in December 2019. The award is seen as a welcome boost for Africa’s youngest leader as he faces worrying inter-community violence ahead of a parliamentary election in May 2020.

Notes:
A research team led by Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) has discovered a unique species of miniature well-dwelling subterranean fish ‘Pangio bhujia’ from Kozhikode. It  is the first species of eel-loach in the world that has been discovered to be living in subterranean environments. Eel-loaches are generally found in fast-flowing streams in the south and the south-east Asia. The Pangio bhujia is approximately 3 centimetres long & pinkish-red in colour, and resides in the purest waters of deep subterranean aquifers.