Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2018

Notes:
The 4th edition of International Dharma Dhamma conference (IDDC-2018) has inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind in Rajgir, Bihar on January 11, 2018. This 3-day conference has been jointly organised by India Foundation, Nalanda University, Ministry of External Affairs, ASEAN-India and Vietnamese Buddhist Sangha. The conference is an endeavour of Nalanda University as a bridge between India and other nations. Over one hundred dignatories and experts from 11 countries will hold deliberations and present research papers on various topics related to Buddhism and other religions and global peace. The conference brings together a wide array of dignatories who are responsible for governance, policy making and giving directions to countries. Sages, monks and Swamis will also share their spiritual views in different sessions.

Notes:
The Punjab government has rolled out e-Raktkosh web portal in all the 45 government blood banks. The web portal provides the guidelines and streamlines the workflow of blood blanks and storage centres across the nation and interconnects all blood banks with a single network. Brahm Mahindra, the State Health Minister, has stated that in the next phase all 59 private blood banks of the state will be linked with the e-Raktkosh application software.

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Dr. K Sivan will be the new Secretary of the Department of Space, and Chairman of the Space Commission and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Sivan is popularly known as the “Rocket Man” for his significant contribution in the development of cryogenic engines for India’s space programme. Currently, he is director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). He will succeed A.S. Kiran Kumar, who is going to retire on January 14, 2018. He joined ISRO in 1982 in the then young PSLV project and has been project director of the GSLV rocket.

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In a major digital initiative to help plan the traffic flows and optimize freight operations, Ministry of Railways has launched Smart Freight Operation Optimisation and Real Time Information (SFOORTI) App for freight managers. The app provides features for monitoring and managing freight business using Geographic Information System (GIS) Views and Dashboard. With this application both passenger and freight trains can be tracked over Zones, Divisions and Sections in single GIS View. The app provides a bird’s eye view of all freight assets in a single window and end to end rake movement on Geospatial view. Expected traffic at interchange points can be viewed to evaluate daily performance. Position of rakes for specific type of stock can be viewed through this application.

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The Uri Dam is a 480 MW hydroelectric power station on the Jhelum River near Uri in Baramula district of the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). It is located very near to the Line of Control, the de facto border between India and Pakistan. The station is largely built under a hill with a 10 km tunnel. It is of the run-of-the-river type without a large dam, since the Indus Waters Treaty gives Pakistan the exclusive right to regulate the Jhelum River.

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The 22nd National Youth Festival (NYF-2018) has inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Gautam Buddha University in Greater Noida on January 12. The Festival has commenced on the occasion of birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the youth icon of India.The theme of 5-day festival is ‘Sankalp Se Siddhi’, to capitalise on the demographic dividend of young India, to capture the vibrancy and fresh perspective of youth and to pledge to accomplish the Goal of New India. The fest is organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh government. This is the first time that the NYF is being organised in National Capital Region (NCR). The purpose of organising the NYF is to provide a platform to bring the youth of the country together in an attempt to provide them with an opportunity to showcase their talents in various activities.

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The Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS) is an anthropology museum to present an integrated story of the evolution of man and culture with special reference to India. It is located in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh and is also known as the National Museum of Humankind. This museum depicts the story of mankind in time and space. Prof. Sarit Kumar Chaudhuri is the current director-in-charge of IGRMS. The museum also has a regional centre for the South India region at Mysore in Karnataka.

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Former world silver medallist Sarjubala Devi representing Manipur claimed the gold in 48kg category in the 2018 National Women’s Boxing Championships in Rohtak on January 13. She was also given the best boxer trophy. Former world and Asian champion L Sarita Devi representing the All India Police, AIP picked up a gold medal in the 60 kg category. The other gold winners were Sonia Lather representing Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) in 57 kg category, Meena Kumari of AIP in 54 kg category and Rajesh Narwal from RSPB in 48 kg category. RSPB emerged as the overall champions.

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The 4th ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry (AIMMAF) was held in New Delhi on January 12, 2018. The topic of discussion was based on food and agricultural future developments. The meeting was co-chaired by Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Radha Mohan Singh and Thai Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Grisada Boonrach. It was attended by delegates from 10 ASEAN countries. In it, it was announced that the 5th ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry to be held in Brunei Darussalam in 2019.

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The 13th edition of joint military drill exercise “Iron Fist 2018” has started between American and Japanese forces at Camp Pendleton in California on January 12 and will continue till February 12.. More than 500 U.S. Marines and sailors are partnering with about 350 members of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force to train in fire support operations and amphibious assaults. Iron Fist is an annual, bilateral training exercise where U.S. and Japanese service members train together and share techniques, tactics and procedures to improve their combined operational capabilities.