Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2017

Notes:
India has been ranked 43rd out of 45 global economies in the 5th edition of Intellectual Property Index (IPI)-2017, as per the latest report titled “The Roots of Innovation” by the US Chamber of Commerce (USCC)’s Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC). This is the 5th year in a row that India has been ranked at the bottom of the pack in the index. The list is topped by United States, followed by United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and Sweden respectively. The GIPC highlighted the need for the government to build upon the positive rhetoric of its IPR policy with the substantial legislative reforms that innovators need.

Notes:
Shurhozelie Liezietsu (81), the president of Naga People’s Front (NPF), has been chosen as the new Chief Minister (CM) of Nagaland in place of T R Zeliang who resigned on February 19, 2017 under intense pressure from agitating tribal organizations. Shurhozelie, who is not an MLA and belongs to Angami tribe, will now have to seek an election within 6 months. According to an official source, Liezietsu will be sworn-in as the new CM on February 22.

Notes:
Altamas Kabir (68), the former Chief Justice of India (CJI), has recently passed away in Kolkata, West Bengal on February 19, 2017. Justice Kabir was the Chief Justice at Supreme Court for a brief period of nine months in 2012-13. As the Chief Justice, he was part of the Supreme Court Bench which heard the case of the two Italian marines in 2013. He would be remembered for the gentle yet firm nature with which he handled court work as well as his administrative job as the head of India’s judicial system.

Notes:
The first edition of Gramin Khel Mahotsav (GKM) will be held from March 25th to 31st, 2017 in New Delhi. The games will be held in five sports disciplines Athletics, Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, Volley Ball and Wrestling. The festival will help participation of rural youth in large numbers in popular sports and encourage them to achieve excellence and adopt healthy life style. The purpose of this fest to promote sports in rural areas across the country and will be replicated in other States and UTs as well.

Notes:
Pakistan army has recently launched nationwide military operation ‘Radd-ul-Fasaad’ to eliminate terrorists and consolidate gains of its counter-terrorism operations. The purpose of the operation is to eliminate residual and latent threat of terrorism and to ensure the security of Pakistan’s borders. The Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy, Civil Armed Forces as well as other security and law enforcement agencies will continue to actively participate and support the efforts of the Pakistan Army to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country.

Notes:
Punjala Shiv Shankar (87), an Indian politician, has recently passed away in Hyderabad. He served as the Minister of External Affairs (MEA), Law and Petroleum. He was a very influential minister in Indira Gandhi’s and Rajiv Gandhi’s cabinets and is one of the most senior politicians in India. He also served as the Governor of Sikkim and Kerala.

Notes:
Zootopia, directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore, has won the Best Animated Feature Film at the 89th Oscar Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The film details the unlikely partnership between a rabbit police officer and a red fox con artist as they uncover a conspiracy which involves the disappearance of predator inhabitants of a mammalian metropolis.

Notes:
The Union Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu has flagged off India’s first Antyodaya Express between Ernakulam and Howrah. The train service was inaugurated by the Railways Minister via video conferencing in New Delhi on February 27, 2017. The Antyodaya Express is a long-distance, fully unreserved, superfast train service, for the common man to be operated on dense routes. The new express train will have facilities like cushioned luggage racks which can serve as seats, LED lights, modular toilets, pleasing interior colour scheme and others. Beside this, the Railway Minister has also flagged off the 4th Humsafar Express between Sriganganagar and Tiruchirapalli. The new train is fully air-conditioned third AC service with an optional service for meals.

Notes:
Yumnam Yaima Singh (95), the Veteran politician and former Member of Parliament, has recently passed away in Imphal, Manipur. Y Yaima Singh was first elected to the Territorial Council in 1957. He was elected seven times continuously to the Manipur Assembly from Oinam Constituency from 1962 to 1985. He had held various Ministerial posts such as Education, IFCD, and Law & Legislative Affairs. He was the Speaker of Manipur Legislative Assembly form 1980 – 85. He was elected to the 10th Lok Sabha in 1991 on the Manipur People’s Party (MPP) ticket, representing the Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency. He was also a brilliant writer, who wrote a book titled “A Piece of Tenth Lok Sabha” in English, amongst many others.

Notes:
The Global rating agency Fitch has forecasted India’s GDP growth for FY 17 to 7.1% and for both FY 2017-18 and FY 2018-19 to 7.7%. Fitch stated that the December quarter GDP number suggests that economic activity was hardly hit by the cash crunch after the government’s move to remove 86% of currency in circulation overnight. It expects the policy interest rate to stay at its current level of 6.25%. Fitch projection of growth for this fiscal is in line with the estimates of global think-tank Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).