Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2017

Notes:
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) in New Delhi to jointly conduct capacity building exercises in the fields of broadcasting and telecommunications regulation. The agreement would help both regulators to work closely in enhancing mutual cooperation and bilateral relations in telecom and broadcasting regulation. The agreement will facilitate exchange of information and regulatory best practices in the fields of broadcasting and telecommunications, including new and emerging areas.

Notes:
Recently, the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singhhas chaired the 42nd annual general body meeting of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) on August 22, 2017. The meeting approved the annual report and audited accounts of the NMML society for the years 2014-15 and 2015-16. During the meeting various issues including up gradation and renovation of museum, digitization of documents, acquisition of books in regional languages and setting up of a museum for former Prime Ministers, were discussed. The NMML is a museum and library in New Delhi that aims to preserve and reconstruct the history of the Indian independence movement.

Notes:
Naveen Patnaik, the Chief Minister of Odisha, has launched a grid-connected rooftop solar programme through the net-metering system at the State Secretariat in Bhubaneshwar in a bid to enable public participation to harness renewable energy. The State government will provide 30% subsidy to the consumers belonging to residential and institutional segments as well as to registered societies and trusts. At present, current investment for installation of a rooftop project is around Rs 70,000 per KW. The web portal “www.rtsodisha.gov.in” was also launched that will provide an opportunity to the stakeholders to interact with customers for timely delivery of services online. Under the programme, consumers can instal solar plants on their rooftops and consume the generated solar power during day time. Excess power can be sold to the grid at 220 v/440 v levels through service cables. The program is being implemented by Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA).

Notes:
The Murlen National Park (MNP) is located in the Champhai district of Mizoram and covers an area of 200 square kilometres. The tropical, semi-evergreen and sub montane Forests of Murlen are home to a rich variety of flora and fauna. It is home to the tiger, leopard, sambar, barking deer, Malayan giant squirrel, Hume’s pheasant, etc. About 15 species of mammals, 150 species of birds, 35 species of Medicinal plants, 2 species of bamboos, and 4 species of orchids so far have been recorded in this Park.

Notes:
Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu has officially launched the Union Sports Ministry’s much-awaited National Sports Talent Search Portal at a function in the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi on August 28, 2017. The portal will enable any person from across country to upload his information and as per that the Ministry will tap their talent and train them further in their respective disciplines. The portal will provide a three step simple process for registration, profile creation and upload of achievements. Around 1000 children will be selected and they will receive scholarships of Rs 5 lakh per year for eight years. The portal will be available in English and other regional languages so that any boy or girl can upload his or her achievements from any part of the country. The portal will also be available as App which can be downloaded on smart phones.

Notes:
The Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary (AWLS) is located at a distance of 15 km from the city Abohar in the Fazilka district of Punjab and spread over 186.5 sq km area. It is a unique open sanctuary which encompasses 13 revenue villages. The sanctuary is known for highest number of black bucks, besides other protected species. Its 100-m diameter area is termed as Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ). It is home to several varieties of flora and fauna such as Acacia nilotica, Azadirachata indica, Blue Bull, Porcupines, Hare and Wild Boar.

Notes:
Ashish kumar Chauhan has been re-appointed as the new Managing Director and CEO of Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) for the period of 5 years from November 2, 2017 to November 1, 2022. For this, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has recently gave its approval to re-appoint Chauhan as MD and CEO of the company for next 5 years.

Notes:
The International Day against Nuclear Tests (IDANT) is observed every year on August 29 to raise public awareness about the effects of global nuclear weapon tests or any other nuclear explosions and the need for their cessation as one of the means of achieving the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world. The purpose of the day is to end nuclear testing and to promote peace and security.

Notes:
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has launched the world’s first IAEA Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) bank at the Ulba Metallurgical Plant (UMP) in Oskemen, Kazakhstan. The $150 million facility will help ensure a steady supply of low enriched uranium for countries’ nuclear power programmes. The bank is owned and managed by IAEA. It is the first of its kind LEU bank not to be under control of any individual country. The IAEA LEU Bank will be a physical reserve of up to 90 metric tons of low enriched uranium suitable to make fuel for a typical light water reactor, the most widely used type of nuclear power reactor worldwide. The LEU Bank will serve as a last-resort mechanism to provide confidence to countries that they will be able to obtain LEU for the manufacture of fuel for nuclear power plants in the event of an unforeseen, non-commercial disruption to their supplies. The LEU can be used to make enough nuclear fuel to power a large city for three years.

Notes:
The Tanintharyi National Park (TNP) is located at the Tenasserim Hills, Myanmar and covers an area of 2072 km2. The main purposes of the park are habitat conservation. It is home to Sambar Deer, Asian Elephant, Barking Deer, Serow, Red Goral, Malayan tapir, tiger, Leopard and a number of bird species.