Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2017

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the 15th edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit (HTLS) in New Delhi on November 30, 2017. The 2-day summit is based on the theme ‘The Irreversible Rise of India’ to bring up ‘revolutionary ideas’ to accelerate India’s growth and rise on the international stage. The list of dignitaries attended the summit includes Former US President Barack Obama, Afghanistan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Chattishgarh Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh and many others.

Notes:
Suresh Prabhu, the Union Minister of Industry and Commerce, was the chief guest for the Shared Value Summit 2017 in New Delhi on December 1. The summit was organised by Shared Value Initiative India, Institute for Competitiveness (India), and SoulAce & India Council on Competitiveness in association with BusinessLine. The theme of the summit was “Equity and Empowerment”. The purpose of the summit is to encourage businesses to adopt the practice of shared value by imbibing the spirit of inclusivity in their business models. The summit aims to provide a platform to identify and address the barriers that exist to equality and empowerment in the Indian society.

Notes:
Salil S Parekh has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) of Infosys, with effective from January 2, 2018. Parekh joins Infosys from Capgemini, where he was a member of the Group Executive Board. He has Master of Engineering degrees in Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, and a Bachelor of Technology degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay.

Notes:
Wrestler Sushil Kumar and Boxer M C Mary C. Kom have submitted their resignation as National Sports Observers. As both the top athletes are still active in their respective fields, wrestling(Men) and Boxing (Women). This decision came after Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore made it clear that active sportspersons will not be considered for the position. Both are among 12 national observers appointed in March 2017. The list also includes Olympic-gold-medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra, double Olympic-medallist Sushil Kumar and former Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Akhil Kumar, among others.  The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has recently accepted their resignations as National Sports observers.

Notes:
India was re-elected to the Council of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) under Category B at an assembly of the organisation at its headquarters in London on December 1, 2017. Indian High Commissioner to the UK, YK Sinha represented India at the assembly where India secured the second-highest 144 number of votes from member-countries, just after Germany’s 146. India has been one of the earliest members of the IMO, having ratified its convention and joined it as a member-state in the year 1959. India has been elected to the Council of the IMO ever since it started functioning, except for a two-year hiatus during 1983-1984. The IMO Council plays a crucial role in deciding various important matters within the mandate of the IMO, in relation to the global shipping industry and its work strategy and budget. 

Notes:
The Andhra Pradesh assembly has unanimously passed the Kapu reservation bill to provide 5% quota to Kapu community under the Backward Castes (BC) ‘F’ Category in education and employment in the state. The bill will be sent to Centre for its approval and to include the Kapu reservation in Schedule 9 so that it will become legitimate. Though, Kapu quota if issued, will take the total quota in the state to 55%, which is more than 50% limit restricted by the Supreme Court. The state already has 29% reservation for Backward Castes under A, B, C, D and E categories. Apart from this, 15% and 6% reservations exist for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), respectively.

Notes:
The Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary (RWS) is located in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh and is spread over an area of 6.14 square kilometers. It is home to a varied set of faunal and avifaunal species such as foxes, jackals, bonnet macaques, jungle cats, sloth bears and black bucks. It also houses 132 bird species with the Alganur reservoir near the sanctuary frequented annually by migratory species.

Notes:
The United States has pulled out from the UN Global Compact on Migration as it does not meet the policies and principles of the Donald Trump administration. The US has been a part of the non-binding New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants since it was unanimously adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2016. The declaration called for negotiations on a Global Compact for Migration, aimed at protecting the rights of refugees and migrants and helping them resettle. It also seeks to fight xenophobia, racism and discrimination towards refugees and migrants. Under Trump and his “America First” policies, the United States has withdrawn from several global commitments made under the administration of President Barack Obama, including the Paris climate deal. The US has also withdrawn from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and UNESCO, the UN organisation which aims to improve education and preserve cultural heritage worldwide.

Notes:
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro launched a crypto-currency “Petro” to advance issues of monetary sovereignty, make financial transactions and overcome the financial blockade. Beside this, Petro will also circumvent US-led financial sanctions. The digital currency will be backed by Venezuelan reserves of gold, oil, gas and diamonds.

Notes:
Uttar Pradesh has become the first State to endorse the Central government’s draft bill that makes instant triple talaq a cognisable and non-bailable offence. The draft law, which provides for three-year imprisonment and a fine to a man trying to divorce his wife by uttering “talaq” three times, got the State government’s approval at a Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow on December 5, 2017.