Current Affairs Quiz- September, 2019

Notes:
For the first time, the astronomers at the University College London have discovered water vapour in the atmosphere of an Earth-size planet called K2-18b. They used data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The exoplanet “K2-18b” is 8-times the mass of Earth and known as a super-Earth. It orbits a red dwarf star 110 light-years away from Earth in the Leo constellation. The planet was first discovered in 2015 by NASA’s Kepler spacecraft. An exoplanet refers to a planet beyond our solar system.

Notes:
Rajasekar (61), the veteran Tamil actor, cinematographer and director, has passed away in Chennai, Tamil Nadu on 8th September 2019.  He also acted in a number of successful television serials and he became popular for his role in the popular daily – Saravanan Meenatchi.

Notes:
The Gurugram traffic police have tied up with Google maps for dissemination of traffic related information such as planned road closures, diversions, traffic alerts regarding road crash etc. in real time for public use. The basic idea behind this arrangement is to prompt commuters to make intelligent choices in order to make their commuting experience hassle-free.

Notes:
The Haryana government has recently launched two insurance schemes – Mukhyamantri Vyapari Samuhik Niji Durghatna Beema Yojana (MVSNDBY) and Mukhyamantri Vyapari Kshatipurti Beema Yojana (MVKBY) – for registered small and medium traders. An insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh would be provided under the Durghatna Yojana and from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh under the other scheme. The premium of 38 crore people of both the schemes would be paid by the State government. Traders registered under the Haryana Goods and Service Tax (HGST) Act, 2017 would be covered under these schemes.

Notes:
Lieutenant General (retired) Abhijit Guha has been appointed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as the Chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) and head of the United Nations Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA). He has been tasked with leading the UN oversight of a ceasefire agreement between Yemen’s government and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the strife-torn Yemen’ port city of Hodeidah. He will succeed Lieutenant General Michael Lollesgaard.

Notes:
On 14th September 2019, Indian cricket team clinched the 8th edition of ACC Under-19 Asia Cup title with a thrilling 5-run win over Bangladesh in a low-scoring final at Colombo. Left-arm spinner Atharva Ankolekar was emerged as the star of the Indian team, with figures of 5 for 28 from 8 overs.

Notes:
In Badminton, Sourabh Verma clinched the men’s singles title at the 2019 Vietnam Open Super 100 title  at the Ho Chi Minh City. He defeated China’s Sun Fei Xiang in a thrilling summit clash by 21-12, 17-2, 21-14. This victory marks Verma’s second Super 100 win in the ongoing calendar year. He had won the Hyderabad Open earlier in August.

Notes:
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)  has decided to translate and publish an anthology of the writings of Guru Nanak Devji in world languages to mark his 550th birth anniversary. To mark this event, the Indian government is also holding a series of events and has initiated many projects which includes- Construction of Kartarpur Corridor from Deva Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district in Punjab to the international border, the development of the historic town of Sultanpur Lodhi as heritage village, the up-gradation of Sultanpur Lodhi Railway Station and release of commemorative coins and postal stamps. The  National Book Trust (NBT) will also publish Gurbani in different Indian Languages.

Notes:
Recently, a unique exercise of re-habitating deer population has been started in the Kodiakkarai Wild Life sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. This follows up-gradation works being undertaken at the cost of Rs 8 crores in the Sivagangai Gardens of Thanjavoor under the smart city scheme of the Central government. The graceful deers have been transported by using special trucks to Kodiyakkarai, in Vedaranyam district on the shores of the Bay of Bengal.

Notes:
Justice P. Lakshman Reddy, a retired judge of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh High Court, has been sworn in as the first Lokayukta of Andhra Pradesh since the State was bifurcated in 2014. He will hold the position for a period of 5 years. Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan administered the oath to him at Tummalapalli Kshetrayya Kalakshetram. The YSR Congress government amended the Lokayukta Act in the recent budget session & enabled appointment of a retired judge as Lokayukta, which pave the way for constituting the corruption-probing body.