Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2018

Notes:
The coastal security exercise ‘Sagar Kavach’ was held along Kerala shores on April 24, 2018 to strengthen and assess the loopholes in the coastal security mechanism. Apart from the Indian Coast Guard, the Indian Navy, Coastal Police and Marine Enforcement wing and various other security stakeholders were also participating in the 2-day exercise. Three ships of the navy, 10 of Coastguard, four fishing boats, besides 20 coastal police stations from Vizhinjam to Kasaragod are among those took part in the drill held twice a year.

Notes:
The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) is tying up with the United States and Finland to develop a pollution-forecast system that will help anticipate particulate matter (PM) levels at least two days in advance and at a greater resolution than what is possible now. Currently, the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), run out of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, serves as the apex forecaster of pollution trends in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Ahmedabad. It generates a likely air quality profile, a day in advance, for these cities. IITM is an organisation under the MoES. The new system, to be jointly developed with expertise from the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the U.S.’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, will use a different modelling approach as well as computational techniques from that employed in the SAFAR model.

Notes:
The World Malaria Day (WMD) is observed every year on April 25 to recognize global efforts to control malaria, which affects and claims millions of lives annually. Malaria is caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. According to the World Malaria Report 2017 released by World Health Organisation (WHO), there were an estimated 216 million cases of malaria in 91 countries in 2016, an increase of 5 million cases over 2015. Also, deaths caused by the vector-borne disease were estimated around 445 000 in 2016, a similar number (446 000) to 2015. The 2018 theme “Ready to beat malaria” mark the importance of collective responsibility and commitment of global community in bringing together people on working towards making world free of malaria.

Notes:
The bilateral joint training exercise “Harimau Shakti 2018” will be conducted between India and Malaysia in the dense forests of Sengai Perdik in Hulu Langat district of Malaysia from April 30 to May 13, 2018. The Indian Army will be represented by 4 Grenadiers, one of the oldest infantry battalions which have rich operational experience in conventional as well as counter- insurgency warfare. The aim of the exercise is to bolster cooperation and coordination between armed forces of both the nations and to share the expertise of both the contingents in conduct of counter insurgency operations in jungle terrain.

Notes:
The Jalaput Dam is a hydroelectric dam built on the Machkund River, a tributary of the Godavari River, and stands as a boundary between the states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. The dam is situated near Ondra Gadda in the district of Visakhapatnam and is placed along the Mudugal hills. It has a steep fall along it known as the Duduma Falls. It impounds 34.273 Tmcft of water for the needs of down stream 120 MW Machkund Hydro-Electric Scheme (MHES), which is in operation since 1955.

Notes:
As per Indian Standard (IS) 646:1986, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has granted the first license to M/s Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Ltd for Liquid Chlorine on All India basis. The licence has been made operative with effect from 12th April, 2018 for a period of one year. The product ‘Liquid Chlorine’ is in liquid form and stored in metal containers. It is usually used as a gas obtained by evaporating the liquid from the metal container. It is used mainly in paper, pulp, textile bleaching, water sterilization and manufacture of chemicals. The IS 646:1986 for Liquid Chlorine (Technical) prescribes the requirements and the methods of sampling and test for liquid chlorine, technical. The move will facilitate industry to get a quality Liquid Chlorine with Standard Mark under BIS Certification Marks scheme. The headquarters of BIS is located in New Delhi.

Notes:
India has been ranked 138th out of 180 countries in the 2018 World Press Freedom Index (WPFI), which is compiled by Reporters Without Borders. As per index, India fared poorly on indicators such as hate speeches, attacks on journalists on social media, trolling them and targeting their reputation. The report also mentions that at least 4 journalists have been gunned down in India in the previous year. As per the annual report of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the index reflects increasing hostility towards journalists in democratic countries. The index that evaluates press freedom in 180 countries, showed that “media phobia” has become more pronounced. Norway topped the list of having the world’s freest press for the second year in a row, followed by Sweden and The Netherlands. On the other hand, North Korea remained the most repressive country followed by Eritrea, Turkmenistan, Syria and then China.

Notes:
Siddhant Banthia from Pune has won the Indian leg of the junior French Open wild card tournament in New Delhi on April 27, 2018. He beat reigning Under-16 national champion Mann Maulik Shah 6-4, 2-6, 7-6. The girls event was won by Rashmikaa S Bhamidipaty, who defeated Tanisha Kashyap 6-4, 6-4. Banthia will now compete with winners from China and Brazil in the final Qualifier to get an entry into the main draw of the junior French Open.

Notes:
The Maharashtra government has signed a MoU with the British Council to strengthen educational and cultural cooperation. With this MoU, the British Council hopes to expand its existing work in the state, where in recent times, it has trained more than 100,000 teachers benefitting around five million learners. The areas of potential collaboration include developing further initiatives to improve English teaching and enhance employability skills in schools and training institutes, building capacity in higher education and research and further co-operation on inspiring hundreds of thousands of people in the state through arts and culture.

Notes:
The International Dance Day (IDD) is observed every year on April 29 to recognise the value of the art form across the world. It marks the birth anniversary of French dancer Jean-Georges Noverre, the creator of modern ballet. The day was created by the Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute (ITI), the main partner for the performing arts of UNESCO. This day is a celebration day for those who can see the value and importance of the art form “dance”, and acts as a wake-up-call for governments, politicians and institutions which have not yet recognised its value to the people and to the individual and have not yet realised its potential for economic growth.