Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2017

Notes:
The 3rd G-20 Framework Working Group (FWG) meeting was held in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh from March 28-29, 2017. The focus of the meeting was to deliberate on the inclusive growth agenda of the G20 and formulation of a framework for country specific inclusive growth policies. The meeting was co-hosted by the Union Ministry of Finance and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Notes:
Japan will provide an Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan for an amount of Yen 371.345 billion (=Rs.21,590 crore approx) under FY 2016-2017 to India for infrastructure projects, the dedicated freight corridor. For this, the notes were exchanged in New Delhi between S Selvakumar, Joint Secretary under Department of Economic Affairs and Kenji Hiramatsu, Ambassador of Japan to India. (Exchange Rate: Re.1 = Yen 1.72).

Notes:
Germany has become the first North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member to launch a self-contained cyber command unit, which is designed to shield IT and weapons systems from growing attacks. The Cyber and Information Space Command (Kdo CIR) will have a status equal to that of the army, navy, and air force. The Kdo CIR is the youngest branch of Germany’s military “Bundeswehr”. It will operate and protect the military’s own IT infrastructure and computer-assisted weapons systems, and tackle online threats. The center would also focus on war-game offensive skills and capabilities.

Notes:
Ecuadorean leftist Lenín Boltaire Moreno Garces has won the 2017 Ecuador Presidential election after securing 51.16% of votes in the election. He will be Ecuador’s 44th President and will take office on May 24, 2017. Prior to this, Moreno served the nation as Vice President from 2007 to 2013 under President Rafael Correa. The current President of Ecuador is Rafael Correa.

Notes:
The National Maritime Day (NMD) is celebrated every year in India on April 5 to commemorate the maiden voyage of the first Indian –owned ship “SS Loyalty” sailed from Bombay to London on 5th April 1919. This was a crucial step for Indian shipping history when sea routes were controlled by the British. The 2017 theme of 54th edition of NMD is “Connecting India through Shipping”. The United Nations’ World Maritime Day (WMD) is observed every year on September 29 to highlight the importance of shipping safety, maritime security and the marine environment.

Notes:
Ikutaro Kakehashi (87), the Roland founder and digital music pioneer, has passed away on April 1, 2017 in Japan. The Japanese engineer was best known for founding Roland Corporation in 1972 as well as his roles in the development of Roland drum machines and the MIDI standard. He invented a series of drum machines and synthesisers such as the TR-808, TR-909 and TB-303 that have been used by some of music’s biggest names since the mid-1970s, from Prince to Kanye West, New Order to Dr Dre.

Notes:
The G-7 Foreign Ministers meeting has started in Luca, Italy from April 10, 2017. The civil war in Syria is likely to dominate talks in the two day summit, with Italy hoping for a final communique that will reinforce United Nations’ efforts to end six years of conflict. The fight against terrorism is also expected to be high on the agenda. The meeting comes as the United States moves a Navy strike group near the Korean peninsula amid concerns over North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, and as the West’s relations with Russia struggle to overcome years of mistrust. The Group of 7 (G7) consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (USA).

Notes:
Bengaluru city police has launched “Pink Hoyslas” police patrol vehicles for women safety. Pink Hoysalas will be stationed at 51 hot spots’ that have been identified on the basis of the crime pattern in various city areas, especially those related to safety of women and children. The vehicles will also patrol during the night to extend a moral support for women of Bengaluru. Apart from this, an emergency panic alarm app “Suraksha” has also launched for women to send emergency alerts directly to the city police control room in case of threat. The Suraksha app is available from Android and iOS platforms.

Notes:
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has appointed an internationally acclaimed actress and philanthropist Kristin Davis as its new Goodwill Ambassador. Davis from United States championed UNHCR’s work through media interviews and via her social media channels. She has also supported key UNHCR advocacy and fundraising events and campaigns – including traveling to Australia in 2016 to help raise funds for women victims of sexual violence in DR Congo. The headquarters of UNHCR is located in Geneva, Switzerland.

Notes:
Maharashtra became the first Indian state to launch a special awareness drive to ensure that transgenders in the state register as voters. The state branch of the Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched the drive on April 15, celebrated as Third Gender Day (TGD). According to ECI officials, Maharashtra has over 10 lakh transgenders and only about 1,700 are registered voters. It must be noted that the ‘third gender’ status for hijras or transgenders was created by the Supreme Court in its landmark judgment on 15th April 2014.