Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2019

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 International Day of the Girl Child is celebrated on every year on 11th of  October to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls’ face. It aims to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights. The 2019 theme is “GirlForce: Unscripted and Unstoppable”. The day also reflects the successful emergence of girls and young women as a distinct cohort in development policy, programming, campaigning and research.

Notes:
The 10th edition of the joint military exercise “Vajra Prahar” between India and the United States gas started at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Seattle on October 13 & will last till October 28. It  is a Special Forces joint training exerciseconducted alternately in India and the US.

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:
The Sangam Youth Festival (SYF) has been organized by Indian Army at Bhadarwah in  Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) from 11th to 15th October 2019   in a bid to spread the message of peace, prosperity, communal harmony and national integration. Over 1,500 students from 32 colleges & university participated in the fest.

Notes:
Retired academic Kais Saied has been elected as new President of Tunisia after a landslide victory in  the 2019 Tunisian presidential election. 

Notes:
India has been ranked 102nd out of 117 nations at the 2019 Global Hunger Index (GHI) that tracks hunger and malnutrition. The GHI is a peer-reviewed annual report, which is jointly published by Ireland’s Concern Worldwide and Germany’s Welthungerhilfe. It scores countries on a 100-point “severity scale”, where zero is the best score (no hunger) and 100 is the worst. With a score of 30.3, India suffers from a level of hunger that is serious threat.

Notes:
The World Students’ Day (WSD)  is celebrated every year on October 15 to observe the birthday of India’s former President and great scientist Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. He was the 11th President of India, who served from 2002 to 2007, and was widely referred to as the people’s President besides being credited for India’s civilian space programme and military missile systems.

Notes:
The first-ever India Innovation Index (III) has been launched by NITI Aayog in New Delhi in order to promote competitiveness among the states. Karnataka has topped the index, followed by Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Telangana, Haryana, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. Jharkhand finished last in the list of 17 major states. Among the North-Eastern states, Sikkim and among Union Territories Delhi has occupied the top spot.