Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2019

Notes:
The first-ever “Global Bio-India 2019” Summit is being held in India at New Delhi from 21st to 23rd November 2019. The event is expected to strengthen the indigenous research capabilities, bio-entrepreneurship, investments and last-mile-delivery of technology across rural India and tier-2, 3 cities. The summit is one of the largest biotechnology stakeholders conglomerate.

Notes:
Ilham Tohti, an academic jailed for separatism in China, has been awarded the European Parliament’s top human rights prize ‘Sakharov’  in recognition for drawing attention to ethnic tensions in Xinjiang. Tohti is from the Uighur minority & has been a fierce critic of China’s treatment of the Uighur people. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2014 on separatism charges. The move will pointedly rebuked China’s treatment of the Muslim ethnic minority and may draw a reprisal from Beijing.

Notes:
Thakur Anup Singh, CMD of Marg ERP, has won the prestigious Udyog Rattan Award-2019 for his exceptional work in transforming how MSMEs can accelerate their business by using technology. The award is conferred annually to Indian citizens for their outstanding contribution to the economic development of the country. It is conferred by the Institute of Economic Studies (IES) affiliated to Government of India (GoI).

Notes:
Public sector Indian Overseas Bank unveiled a healthcare insurance policy through online platform in association with Universal Sompo General Insurance Company Ltd. The policy offered on real time basis to customers at the branches of Indian Overseas Bank through integration of technology of the two institutions. The co-branded healthcare policy designed by Universal Sompo General Insurance is offered with a sum insured from ₹50,000 to ₹15 lakh. The one of its kind family floater policy where the premium is charged as per the age of the proposer with no medical checkup up to the 50 years of age.

Notes:
On October 24, 2019, the Indian Railways launched the “one touch ATVM” at 42 suburban stations. The purpose of the service is to render fast ticketing to millions of commuters, especially in the Mumbai Suburban Network. ATVM are Automatic Ticket Vending Machines. They work on Linux software.

Notes:
Ex Shakti -2019 is a joint counter-terrorism drill between Indian and French armies to be conducted in Mahajan Field Firing Range (MFFR) Bikaner, Rajasthan from October 31 to November 13, 2019. The joint exercise will focus on counter-terrorism operations in the backdrop of semi-desert terrain under the United Nations mandate. This biennial exercise between the armies of the two countries had stated in 2011.

Notes:
In October 2019, Ayushmann Khurrana has joined hands with UNICEF and Ministry of Women and Child Development to raise awareness and speak up against sexual abuse of children.

Notes:
Belgian Paralympic champion Marieke Vervoort ended her life through euthanasia at the age of 40. She had announced her intentions after the Rio Games in 2016 to follow that path if her degenerative condition worsened her suffering. Vervoort suffered a degenerative muscle disease that caused constant pain, paralysis in her legs and left her barely able to sleep, and gradually her life became torture. Euthanasia is legal in Belgium.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has given its final approval to Tamil Nadu’s proposal to establish six new medical colleges. The institutes will come up in Tiruppur, the Nilgiris, Ramanathapuram, Namakkal, Dindigul and Virudhunagar at a cost of ₹1,950 crore, and will be attached to existing hospitals in these districts. The new medical colleges would come up with 60% funding borne by the Centre and 40% by the State.

Notes:
Birender Singh Yadav, a 1997-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, has been appointed as the new Ambassador of India to the Republic of Iraq. While, Muktesh Kumar Pardeshi has been appointed as India’s new High Commissioner to Samoa.