Current Affairs Quiz- September, 2019

Notes:
In New York, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently addressed the 74th Session of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and participated in other multilateral and bilateral engagements. Mr. Modi also addressed the first-ever High-level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC),  which will launch new efforts to provide access for all to affordable, inclusive and resilient health systems. He also addressed the ‘Leaders’ Dialogue on Strategic Responses to Terrorist and Violent Extremist Narratives’ that deals with the Office of Counter-terrorism.

Notes:
The UK government has launched its biggest peacetime repatriation – Operation Matterhorn – in its history, after British  travel firm Thomas Cook collapsed on 23rd September 2019. Thomas Cook’s administration puts 22,000 jobs at risk worldwide. The corporate bankruptcy left some 6, 00,000 tourists stranded worldwide. The travel company was founded in 1841 by a Derbyshire-based cabinet-maker named Thomas Cook.

Notes:
On 24th September 2019, the Gandhi Solar Park (GSP) and the ‘Gandhi Peace Garden’ have inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with others world leaders at UN headquarters. On the occasion, a special UN Postage on Mahatma Gandhi’s 150 years also released.  The GSP is a first-of-its-kind symbolic Indian effort at the UN that highlights India’s willingness to go beyond the talk on climate change and climate action. While, the  Peace Garden is dedicated in the memory of Gandhi and is a crowd-sourced project, with people adopting trees in the memory of their loved ones. Mr. Modi  was also conferred the “Global Goalkeeper” award by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by his government.

Notes:
Bhagat Ram Vats (97), a former PTI senior correspondent who covered India’s first Lok Sabha polls, has passed away on 18th September 2019. He started his career with The Statesman, New Delhi, and later joined the Press Trust of India (PTI). He travelled extensively with first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for 14 years & covered his activities in India and abroad, especially his election tours in 1952, 1957 and 1962. Vats authored a book — ‘Foreign Intrigue Against India’ — on different aspects of the country’s Partition and its neighbours.

Notes:
Ponung Doming  has created history by becoming the first woman Army officer from Arunachal Pradesh to be elevated to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army. Earlier, IAF Wing Commander Shaliza Dhami  became the 1st female officer to be appointed as flight commander of a flying unit. 

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted the first-ever India-Caricom summit in New York with a focus on fighting climate change and increasing India’s participation with the grouping. Mr Modi announced a $14 million US dollar grant for community development projects in the Caricom and another $150 million line of credit for solar, renewable energy and climate change related projects. The Caricom grouping has 15 members-states and 5 associate members. Mr. Modi also invited them to join the International Solar Alliance (IAS) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.

Notes:
Payment technology company Visa has appointed world badminton champion Pusarla Venkata Sindhu (PV Sindhu) as its brand ambassador for two years. Besides promoting the brand through advertising campaigns, Sindhu has also become an athlete member of Team Visa for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Visa has been supporting the Olympic Games as a worldwide sponsor since 1986. It has signed a contract as the exclusive payment technology partner through 2032. It is currently the only payment brand available at Olympic venues.  

Notes:
The mascot ‘Tikki Mausi’ has been launched by the Odisha government in collaboration with UNICEF to spread awareness about child and woman’s nutrition. The mascot has been named as ‘Tikki Mausi’ in reference to the second mother of a child. The mascot resembles a typical friendly neighbourhood aunty that has words of advice for everyone starting from mothers to children and adolescents.  

Notes:
Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat has become the new chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC). He succeeded IAF chief – Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa. The COSC is consists of chiefs of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force and the senior most member is appointed its chairperson. The Chairman of COSC is tasked with ensuring synergy among the three services and evolves common strategy to deal with external security challenges facing the country.

Notes:
NASA has successfully launched the RamanSat 2 miniature satellite designed by 17-year-old Indian student Aabhaas Sikka. The satellite was developed by Sikka during his internship with SPACE India with help from SPACE Group Founder and CMD Sachin Bahmba along with the company’s research team. It is carrying equipment to measure the radiation from Sun and space.