Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2018

Notes:
Prime Minister Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu have dedicated the iCREATE facility to the nation, located on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. iCreate is an independent Centre created with the objective of facilitating entrepreneurship through a blend of creativity, innovation, engineering, product design and leveraging emerging technologies to deal with major issues such as food security, water, connectivity, cybersecurity, IT and electronics, energy, bio-medical equipment and devices etc. The purpose of iCreate is to develop an ecosystem in India to generate quality entrepreneurs.

Notes:
Vijay Kumar has been appointed the new Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX) for three years with effective from January 18, 2018. He succeeded Samir Shah. He has over 25 years of experience in leadership roles in the areas of commodity trading and merchandising along with risk management, logistics and operations. Kumar is an agro-industry veteran who has worked for companies such as National Bulk Handling Corporation, Cargill, Reliance Industries, Arthur Andersen, ITC Ltd, Britannia and Sharp Group. He had worked at NCDEX as Chief Business Officer (CBO) between June 2009 and September 2014.

Notes:
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has celebrated its 13th Raising Day on January 19, 2018 in New Delhi. The NDRF raised on January 19, 2006, is a specialised force capable of responding to any type of disaster in the country and abroad. It is strategically deployed across the nation as per the vulnerability profile of the country.

Notes:
Mauritius was the largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India in FY17, according to recent census by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). It has 21.8% share at market value. As per RBI’s data on Census on Foreign Liabilities and Assets of Indian Direct Investment Companies 2016-17, United States has acquired 2nd position followed by UK, Singapore and Japan. Beside this, Singapore (19.7% was the major FDI destination, followed by the Netherlands, Mauritius, and the USA. According to the data, manufacturing sector accounted for nearly half of the total FDI at market prices. Information and communication services, and financial and insurance activities were the other major sectors that attracted FDI.

Notes:
‘Hindi Medium’, directed by Saket Chaudhary, has bagged honours in the categories of Best Film and Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male) for Irrfan Khan’s impeccable performance at the 63rd Jio Filmfare Awards 2018. Vidya Balan won her career’s 6th Filmfare award for her passionate portrayal of a middle-aged homemaker who turns into a radio jockey in ‘Tumhari Sulu’ as she claimed the Black Lady for the Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female). Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari has won the Best Director award for ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’. The ceremony was held on 20 January 2018 and hosted by Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar.

Notes:
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was honoured with the 24th Crystal Award at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He received the award for his leadership in championing children’s and women’s rights in India. Shahrukh received the award alongside Elton John and Hollywood actress Cate Blanchett.

Notes:
As per latest PwC 21st CEO Survey 2018, the United States has acquired the top spot for global investment, followed by China, Germany, United Kingdom (UK), India and Japan. The survey reveals surprising faith and optimism among CEOs in the economic and business environment worldwide, at least over the next 12 months As per the survey, 54% of the CEOs plan to increase their headcount in 2018 while only 18% expect to reduce their staff. The sectors having the highest demand for new recruits are health care (71%), technology (70%), business services (67%), communications (60%), hospitality and leisure (59%).

Notes:
Rachel Morrison, an American cinematographer, has been nominated for the 90th Academy Awards 2018 for her work in the film ‘Mudbound’. With this, she has become the first female cinematographer to receive an Oscar nomination in the 89-year-old history of the Awards.

Notes:
The 2018 India-ASEAN commemorative summit has started in New Delhi on January 25 with theme “Shared Values, Common Destiny”. The focus of the Summit, which marks the 25 years of Indo-ASEAN ties, will be counter-terrorism, security, trade and connectivity. All 10 leaders of ASEAN countries will attend the Summit. The 2018 summit will mark the conclusion of a series of events held over the last one year to mark the 25th anniversary of the Dialogue Partnership. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is comprised of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Notes:
Ursula K. Le Guin (88), the award-winning science fiction and American author, has passed away in Portland, Oregon on January 22, 2018. She explored feminist themes and her best-known works are the 1969 science fiction novel “Left Hand of Darkness”, which explore themes of gender by featuring characters with no fixed sex, and the 1968 coming-of-age story “A Wizard of Earthsea”.