Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2018

Notes:
According to the Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/ GM Crops in 2017 by International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA), India has the world’s fifth largest cultivated area under genetically modified (GM) crops. However, this entire area is under single crop – cotton. Currently, the country with highest area under transgenic crops, at 75 mh, is the United States. US grows GM soyabean, maize (corn), cotton, alfalfa, canola, sugar-beet, potato, apples, squash and papaya.

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The French National Football team has clinched the 2018 FIFA World Cup by defeating Croatia 4-2 in a thrilling final match at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on July 15. Croatia were playing in their first World Cup final. They were the smallest country to reach the Final in the modern era. For France, it was a first World Cup crown since winning on home soil in 1998. England’s Harry Kane won the World Cup Golden Boot Award as top scorer with 6 goals. Croatia captain Luka Modric won the Golden Ball award for the World Cup’s best player despite being on the losing side. Kylian Mbappe of France won the Young Player of the Tournament Award after scoring his 4th goal of the competition in the final. Belgium’s Thibaut Courtois won the Golden Glove award for the best goalkeeper. Now, France joined Uruguay and Argentina in winning the World Cup for a second time, after their 1998 triumph over Brazil when Didier Deschamps — now the coach — was the captain.

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The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has organised “Ganga Vriksharopan Abhiyan” in five main stem Ganga basin states – Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal from 9th July to 15th July 2018. It has been observed as ‘Shubharambh Saptah’. The campaign has been initiated as part of the Forest Interventions in Ganga (FIG) component of Namami Gange programme. The aim of the campaign is to bring greater awareness among people and other stakeholders regarding the importance of afforestation for the task of Ganga Rejuvenation. Plantation activities are being carried out with great enthusiasm all along the banks of the River Ganga with participation of local people. Some of the plants which are being sown during the campaign are Kanji, Sheesham, Farmis, Jamun, Arjun, Gutal, Siras, Chhitvan, Mango, Neem, Semal, Jungal Jalebi, Gulmohar, Kadam, Sagwan, Saal, etc.

Notes:
The book “The House of Islam: A Global History” has been authored by Self-proclaimed former Islamist radical Ed Husain. It explores the intricacies of Islam and the inner psyche of the Muslim world. Through the book, he makes three suggestions to help heal the rancour in the Islamic world – create a Middle East union, implement a Muslim Marshall plan and expel extremists from within Islam. The author also feels that as long as the house of Islam provides shelter for Salafi-jihadis, the rest of the world will attack Islam and Muslims. Salafi-jihadis claim to be the truest of true Muslims and inject total certainty into the minds of their adherents, so that they would be prepared to kill if they could. He suggested that there needs to be a global declaration by all 50-plus Muslim governments and their Islamic leaders, disowning these theological brigands as disbelievers.

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Veteran actress Rita Bhaduri (62), who worked extensively in films and television shows, has passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra on July 17, 2018. In her over three decades-long career in the entertainment industry, Rita acted in over 70 movies like Raja, Julie, Beta, Dil Vil Pyar Vyar and 30 TV shows including Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, Choti Bahu, Kumkum, Khichdi and many others.

Notes:
The 2018 Nelson Mandela International Day (NMID) marked the 100th birth anniversary of Nelson Mandela, the former South African President & Nobel Peace Prize winner, i.e. on July 18. The Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF) dedicated this year’s Mandela Day to ‘Action Against Poverty’, honouring Nelson Mandela’s leadership and devotion to fighting poverty and promoting social justice for all. The day is an opportunity to reflect on the life and work of a legend who embodied the highest values of the United Nations (UN). Mandela was South Africa’s first black president, who spent 27 years in three different prisons and was an anti-Apartheid icon who led a memorable life. His negotiations in the early 1990s with South African President F.W. de Klerk led to the end of the country’s apartheid system of racial segregation. For their efforts, both of them jointly received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1993.

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The 8th BRICS Health Ministers’ Meeting was held at Durban, South Africa on July 20, 2018. In it, J P Nadda (the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare) highlighted the achievements of India in the health sector. He said that to reduce Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs), India has already initiated universal screening for prevention and management of five common NCDs including hypertension, diabetes and three common cancers of oral cavity, breast and cervix at pan India level. Beside this, India has started a unique initiative called AMRIT Deendayal pharmacy Centres that provide medicines for cancer & cardiovascular diseases and cardiac implants at significantly reduced prices. Apart from this, the unique programme ‘Ayushman Bharat’ has also launched that rests on the twin pillars of Health and Wellness Centres for provision of comprehensive primary healthcare services and National Health Protection Mission for secondary and tertiary care that aims to cover around 100 million families.

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Recently, Myanmar has joined the India-initiated International Solar Alliance (ISA) and became the 68th signatory to the Framework Agreement of the ISA. The primary aim of the alliance is to work for efficient exploitation of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. It is headquartered at Gwal Pahari village in Gurugram, Haryana. The initiative was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then French President Francois Hollande at the Paris climate summit in 2015. It is open to all 121 prospective member countries falling between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.

Notes:
Gopal Das Neeraj, the Doyen of Hindi poetry, has passed away in New Delhi on July 19, 2018. Neeraj, who was awarded Padma Shri (1991) and Padma Bhushan (2007), was born in Purvali village of Uttar Pradesh’s Etawa district. He won 3 Filmfare awards and penned some of the all-time hits like Likhe jo khat tujhe. His works include: ‘Dard Diya Hai’, ‘Asawari’ ‘Likh Likh Bhejat Pati’ and more.

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Professor Raj Kumar of the Banaras Hindu University has been appointed the new vice-chancellor (V-C) of the Panjab University (PU) in Chandigarh. The term of the appointment will be 3 years with effect from July 23, 2018, or from the date he assumes charge as V-C. He will succeed Arun Kumar Grover. The appointment was made by the Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, who is chancellor of the university, by exercising powers conferred by Section 10 of the Panjab University Act, 1947.