Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2018

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:
India has been ranked 177th out of 180 countries in the 2018 Environmental Performance Index (EPI). The report was released on the sidelines of the ongoing World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. The Index stated that deaths attributed to ultra-fine PM2.5 pollutants have risen over the past decade and are estimated at 1,640,113 annually in India. Switzerland has topped the index, followed by France, Denmark, Malta and Sweden in the EPI, which found that air quality is the leading environmental threat to public health. The 10th EPI report ranks 180 countries on 24 performance indicators across 10 categories covering environmental health and ecosystem vitality.

Notes:
Dr V Narayanan, a rocket propulsion expert, has taken charge as new Director of ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC). He succeeded S Somanath, who has been appointed Director of, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). Narayanan played a vital role in the successful launch of GSLV Mk III vehicle in its maiden attempt in 2017 from the spaceport of ISRO “Satish Dhawan Space Centre”. He is a Fellow of Indian National Academy of Engineering (FINAE) and Member of Space Propulsion Committee of International Astronautical Federation (IAF) and member in various national and international professional bodies. The LPSC is the centre for design, development and realisation of liquid propulsion stages for ISRO’s Launch Vehicles.

Notes:
India has been ranked 81st out of 119 countries in the 2018 Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI). The list was developed by Yale and Columbia Universities along with the World Economic Forum (WEF). The global index measures how countries grow attract and retain talent. The list is topped by Switzerland, followed by Singapore and United States. The 2018 report investigates the theme of ‘diversity for competitiveness and explored the benefits of diversity, such as how it can be leveraged for retention, talent development, innovation and sustainability.

Notes:
India’s first indigenously developed vaccine “Rotavac” has been pre-qualified by the World Health Organisation (WHO). To be “pre-qualified” means that the vaccine can be sold internationally to several countries in Africa and South America. The vaccine was developed by the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech Limited (BBL) and was included in India’s national immunisation programme. The Rotavac vaccine protects against childhood diarrhea caused by the rotavirus. Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe diarrhoea and kills more than 200,000 children every year.

Notes:
Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández has been sworn-in for a second term in capital Tegucigalpa with high security after a disputed presidential election 2017. President Hernández, has been in power since 2013, and is the first president in Honduran running for a second term after the country’s Supreme Court lifted a ban on re-election. It must be noted that, the country’s 1982 constitution bars presidents from seeking a new term and conservative politicians deposed a leftist president in 2009 for allegedly even considering re-election. But, Hernandez won a Supreme Court ruling in 2015 to get around that prohibition.

Notes:
Asha Bhosle, the legendary playback singer, will be awarded with the 5th edition of Yash Chopra Memorial Award 2018 for her outstanding contribution to the Hindi film industry. The award will be presented to her on February 16. The previous recipients are Lata Mangeshkar, Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha and Shah Rukh Khan. The award has been instituted by the TSR Foundation of T. Subbarami Reddy in memory of producer-director Yash Chopra, who died in 2012. Asha Bhosle has officially acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most recorded artist in music history. In her illustrious music career spanning nearly seven decades she has recorded over 11,000 songs in 20 different languages. The Government of India (GoI) has honoured her with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2000) and the Padma Vibhushan (2008).

Notes:
The Government of India (GoI) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a $250 million loan agreement for the construction of over 6,200 kilometres all-weather rural roads in Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). The program is aimed at improving rural connectivity, facilitating safer and more efficient access to livelihood and socio-economic opportunities for rural communities through improvements to about 12 thousand kilometres Rural Roads across the 5 States.

Notes:
Radha Mohan Singh, the Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, has launched the Rapid Detection Kits for adulterants (ammonia and formaldehyde) in fresh fish in New Delhi on January 30, 2018, which has been developed by Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), Kochi. Ammonia helps in preventing ice from melting and use of formaldehyde increases the shelf life of fish therefore many people in the fisheries sector are using these chemicals. The kit helps in detecting both the chemicals in the fish. Because, the continuous ingestion of ammonia and formaldehyde can lead to many health issues including abdominal pain, vomiting, unconsciousness, and sometimes even cause death.

Notes:
Chintaman Wanaga, the Member of Parliament (MP) of 16th Lok Sabha from Palghar in Maharashtra, has passed away in New Delhi on January 30, 2018. An advocate by profession, he served as the President of BJP’s Thane district office from 1990 to 1996. He was elected to the Lok Sabha thrice and once as the member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.