Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2018

Notes:
Cyril Ramaphosa, head of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), has been sworn-in as the new President of South Africa on 15 February 2018. He was elected as the fifth president of South Africa by the ruling party politicians after the resignation of Jacob Zuma. Ramaphosa, who is an anti-apartheid activist, trade union leader and businessman, served as the Deputy President of South Africa from 2014 to 2018.

Notes:
The Maharashtra government will launch cheap sanitary pad scheme “Asmita Yojana” on the International Women’s Day for rural women. Under the scheme, girls in Zilla Parishad schools will get a sanitary napkin packet at Rs 5 while rural women can avail it at a subsidised rate of Rs 24 and Rs 29. The scheme, catering to girl students and women in rural areas, will be formally launched on March 8, 2018.

Notes:
The 44th Khajuraho Dance Festival 2018 will be held at the temple town in Chhatarpur district on February 20. The fest is being organised by the culture department of the Madhya Pradesh government. The 6-day fest will showcase classical dances including Kathak, Odissi, Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali and Mohiniattam. This year, the Art Mart (which is part of the festival) would showcase paintings of international artists from Germany, France and China among other countries. During the festival, dances are performed in an open- air auditorium, usually in front of the Chitragupta Temple dedicated to the Sun God and the Vishwanatha Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temples at Khajuraho, built by the Chandela dynasty between 950 AD and 1050 AD, are world-wide known for their erotic.

Notes:
India’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI) centre will be set up by the Maharashtra Government in Mumbai. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will launch the plan for the institute during the Magnetic Maharashtra Summit and at the Global Economic Conference in Canada in March 2018. The AI institute will give a fresh impetus to the fourth industrial revolution, and promote Mumbai as an investment destination in innovations and data analysis. The main aim of the centre is to integrate artificial intelligence in the field of social development.

Notes:
Didier Lockwood (62), the noted French jazz violinist, has passed away in Paris on February 18, 2018. He was known for his use of electric amplification and experimentation on different sounds on the electric violin. Lockwood was a disciple of the late Stephane Grappelli.

Notes:
The UK – India Joint research projects on ‘Water Quality Research’ and ‘Energy Demand Reduction in Built Environment’ were launched in New Delhi on February 20, 2018. The projects were jointly launched by NITI Aayog member Dr V K Saraswat, Department of Science and Technology Secretary Ashutosh Sharma and Research Councils UK- India Director Daniel Shah. The Water Quality Research programme has 8 projects and ‘Energy Demand Reduction in Built Environment’ programme has four projects, with a total joint investment of up to 15 million British Pound. These projects aim to deliver mutual benefits and research solutions not only to the UK and India but also to address shared global sustainable development goals of clean water and clean energy.

Notes:
State-owned telecom firm BSNL and Japan’s NTT AT along with their Indian partner Virgo Corps, have signed a MoU (memorandum of understanding) to collaborate in futuristic technologies such as artificial intelligence / IoT and jointly create a 5G test bedan agreement to collaborate in developing futuristic technologies. The agreement is in line with the vision of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to collaborate on the next generation technologies and use the expertise of India in software and Japanese expertise in manufacturing.

Notes:
The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) is an Indian think tank focused on public policy. It was established in 1973 and located in New Delhi. It is one of 27 national social science research institutes recognized by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), the apex advisory body of the Government of India for the promotion of research in the social sciences. The aims of CPR are to develop substantive policy options on matters relevant to the Indian polity, economy and society; to provide advisory services to governments, public bodies and other institutions; and to disseminate information on policy issues through various channels.

Notes:
Kunhiraman Panoor (84), the renowned author and human rights activist, has passed away in Kannur, Kerala on February 20, 2018. He was known for his work ‘Keralathile Africa’, in which he portrayed the ill-fated, slavish lives of Kerala tribals. He had won the Kerala Sahithya Akademi award for comprehensive contribution in 2006.

Notes:
R.K. Singh, the Union Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, has inaugurated the ‘International R&D Conclave’ in New Delhi. It is a 2-day conference on Emerging Opportunities and Challenges of R&D in Indian Power Sector. It has been organized by Central Electricity Authority (CEA). The conference was stressed upon the need of a dedicated R&D department in CEA to coordinate the research in the power sector. The sessions in the Conference will focus on R&D activities in Thermal Generation, Hydro Generation, Renewable Energy, Transmission, Grid Operation, Distribution, Trading, Marketing and Tariff.