Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2019

Notes:
Debayan Saha, a mechanical engineering graduate from IIT Kharagpur, has invented a device called “PM 2.5” which he claimed when fitted near the silencer pipe in vehicles will curb air pollution. The technology developed by him uses a combination of electric energy and wave energy to influence the pollutants like PM 2.5 such that they act like magnet attracting other particulate pollutants from the ambient atmosphere to get attached to it. As they grow bigger in size they become heavy and fall off safely on the ground like soil.

Notes:
India has been ranked 82nd among the 128 countries  in the 2019 World Giving Index (WGI), which is surveyed by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF). The average figures for India over the past decade show that 34% people helped a stranger, 24% donated money and 19% volunteered or donated their time. The United States stood at the top followed Myanmar, New Zealand and Australia. The CAF is an international organization that promotes giving to transform lives and communities across the world. 

Notes:
The book titled “Mind Master: Winning Lessons from a Champion’s Life” has been authored by Indian Chess legend Viswanathan Anand. Through the book, Anand revisits his greatest games and worst losses, his unique experiences of playing against the best minds, and the methods he employs to prepare for wins, cope with disappointments and, simply, stay in the game. He looks back at a lifetime of games played, opponents tackled and circumstances overcome and draws from its depths significant tools that will help every reader to navigate life’s challenges.

Notes:
The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to implement NCERT course in Class ninth and tenth standard in all government schools of the state from the next academic session. The School Education Minister Dr Prabhuram Chaudhary has said that Parents-Teachers Association meetings will be held once in every 3 months in order to improve the standard of education in government schools. In it, parents and teachers will have an open discussion on students’ education and their problems. He also pointed that Madhya Pradesh is the first state in the country, where the tradition of transfer of teachers as per their convenience has been started online.

Notes:
The oldest known natural pearl in the world has been discovered by Abu Dhabi archaeologists working at a Neolithic site on Marawah Island, just off the coast of Abu Dhabi. The pearl is dubbed as the ‘Abu Dhabi Pearl’. It was found in layers that have been radiocarbon dated to 5,800-5,600 BCE, during the Neolithic period. The discovery is a proof that pearls and oysters were being used in the UAE nearly 8,000 years ago, and represents the earliest known evidence for pearling yet discovered anywhere in the world. Prior to the Abu Dhabi Pearl discovery, the earliest known pearl in the UAE came from a Neolithic site in Umm Al Qaiwain.

Notes:
The World Iodine Deficiency Day (WIDD) is observed every year on 21st of October  to raise awareness of iodine deficiency and its devastating effects on brain development. Iodine is an essential micronutrient required for normal thyroid function, growth, and development. Its deficiency is a major cause of preventable mental retardation. In its most severe forms, Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDDs) can lead to cretinism, stillbirth and miscarriage; even mild deficiency can cause a significant loss of learning ability.

Notes:
Indian sprinter Dutee Chand has won the  Sportsperson of the Year 2019 in the 3rd edition of the Vogue Women Of The Year awards. Besides winning the prestigious honour, Dutee will also feature on the cover of Vogue India’s November 2019 edition. Dutee broke the national record in the 100-metre event at the National Open Athletics Championships in Ranchi Ocrober 11. Besides her record-breaking feats on the track, she is also considered as India’s first openly gay athlete.

Notes:
The International Snow Leopard Day (ISLD) is celebrated every year on 23rd of October to protect and conserve the snow leopards and preserve the beautiful wildlife of the Himalayas. It is believed to have 400 to 700 snow leopards spread across Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Notes:
Vice President, M. Venkaiah Naidu is leading the Indian delegation at the 18th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) at Baku, Azerbaijan on 25th to 26th of October. The theme for the Summit is – “Upholding the Bandung Principles to ensure concerted and adequate response to the challenges of the contemporary world”. The theme is significant as it relates to the forthcoming 65th anniversary of Bandung Principles in 2020 and the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Movement in 2021.The Ten Principles of Bandung is a political statement that encapsulate the need to promote world peace and cooperation were formulated at the Asian-African Conference in 1955. 

Notes:
China will host the inaugural edition of the expanded 24-team FIFA World Cup for Clubs in 2021. The current Club World Cup features 7- teams including the holders of the UEFA Champions League. Qatar will host the competition in 2019 & 2020.