Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2018

Notes:
Rohan More, the Pune-based Indian long-distance swimmer, has become the first Asian and the youngest person in the world to swim across the Ocean Seven. Despite sudden drop in water temperature, he covered the distance in 8 hours and 37 minutes. The Ocean’s Seven marathon consists of seven long-distance open-water swims, which includes the North Channel, the Cook Strait, the Molokai Channel, the English Channel, the Catalina Channel, the Tsugaru Strait and the Strait of Gibraltar. With this feat, Rohan has also become the 9th person in the world to swim across Ocean Seven.

Notes:
India and Russia has celebrated 70 years of bilateral relations in the field of agriculture at Suratgarh in Rajasthan on February 14, 2018. Both Indian and Russian delegations visited the Central State Farm (CSF) to commemorate the 70 years of agriculture relationship between the two countries. The CSF was set up in Suratgarh in 1956 with the assistance from erstwhile USSR. Russian scientists helped in laying the foundation of agriculture in the deserts of Thar, which brought about a change in the agriculture farming in nearby areas including fringe area of Punjab. Minister of State for Agriculture Gajender Singh Shekhawat and his Russian counterpart Sergey Beletskiy has inaugurate Russian Machinery Museum and visit a Cattle Breeding Centre.

Notes:
The 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO-2018) will be hosted by China in the city of Qingdao in June, 2018. China had taken over the rotating chair of SCO after the17th SCO summit 2017, which was held in Astana, Kazakhstan in June 2017. The SCO is consists of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan. The SCO focuses on security- related issues of the region especially on counter terrorism cooperation.

Notes:
The Bheemgarh dam is built across the Wainganga river in Chhapara tehsil of Seoni district of Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The dam is also known as Sanjay Sarovar Bandh and Upper Wainganga dam. It is known as the biggest Mud / Earthen dam of Asia. It is bounded by mountains from all sides

Notes:
Vikas Sathaye, a Pune-born person has been honoured with the Scientific and Engineering Academy Award at the Oscars Scientific and Technical Awards 2018 at Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, California. Sathaye and his team received the award for his contribution towards conceptualisation, designing, engineering, and the implementation of the ‘Shotover K1 Camera System’ during his stint at Shotover Camera Systems in Queenstown, New Zealand. The Scientific and Engineering Award is given for scientific achievements that produce a definite influence on the advancement of the motion picture industry.

Notes:
Legendary singer Asha Bhosle has been conferred with the 5th edition of Yash Chopra Memorial Award 2018 on February 16 in Mumbai for her outstanding contribution to the Hindi film industry. The award has been instituted by MP T Subbarami Reddy in the memory of Chopra, who died in 2012, in association with Anu Ranjan and Shashi Ranjan. The award also carries a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh. The previous recipients of the award were Lata Mangeshkar, Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha and Shah Rukh Khan.

Notes:
The Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and UK’s Natural History Museum (NHM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi on February 16, 2018 for cooperation in the field of genetic/taxonomic studies, research and training, conservation in India, including species and habitat conservation assessments, etc. The MoU will pave the way for BSI staff to work in Natural History Museum, London and vice-versa and they will share fairly and equitably the benefits that may arise from the collection, study and conservation of the plant materials such as seeds, herbarium specimens and tissue samples and exchange associated data and images. NHM will help BSI in capacity building in areas of systematic botany and long-term conservation of plant genetic resources in India. The headquarters of BSI is located in Kolkata, West Bengal.

Notes:
Milkbasket, India’s first and largest micro-delivery platform, has been recognised as ‘Startup of the Year’ 2017 at the 7th Small Business Awards held in New Delhi. The startup of the year award is dedicated to young SMEs, aged 7 years or less, with great potential to become big in local/international markets.

Notes:
India will be the global host of 2018 World Environment Day (WED), which is scheduled to be held on June 5, 2018. The theme “Beat Plastic Pollution” urges governments, industry, communities, and individuals to come together and explore sustainable alternatives and urgently reduce the production and excessive use of single-use plastic polluting our oceans, damaging marine life and threatening human health. The World Environment Day is a UN Environment-led global event and is the single largest celebration of our environment each year.

Notes:
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri has won the best film award at the 71st British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England on February 18, 2018. The movie was directed by Martin McDonagh. The movie is about a woman seeking justice for her daughter’s murder.