Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2017

Notes:
The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed every year on June 17 to promote public awareness of international efforts to combat desertification. The day is a unique moment to remind everyone that land degradation neutrality is achievable through problem-solving, strong community involvement and co-operation at all levels. The 2017 theme is “Our Land. Our Home. Our Future”.

Notes:
Ajmer Singh Aulakh (75), the renowned Punjabi playwright and Sahitya Akademi awardee, has passed away in Mansa, Punjab. He was known to depict the real picture of rural life of Punjab, especially the Malwa region, under the stress of capitalism. His plays raised a voice against the ills that plague society, be it honour killings, domestic violence, female foeticide, militancy, etc.

Notes:
The first-ever BRICS Games has started at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Convention Center in Guangzhou, China on June 17, 2017. It featured some 300 athletes from five countries- Brazil, China, India, Russia and South Africa with 10 events in 3 sports – men’s basketball, women’s volleyball and Wushu. Recently, India has won six medals in the Wushu competition of the first ever BRICS Games. The medals haul comprised two each in gold, silver and bronze. M. Gyandas and Anjul Namdev won one gold each. The two silver medals came through Bidheswari Devi and Toshibala while L. Sanatgombhi Chanu and Sajan Lama settled for bronze in the Wushu competition.

Notes:
The Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal has launched Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) 2017 in New Delhi to prescribe the energy performance standards for new commercial buildings to be constructed across India. The updated version of ECBC provides current as well as futuristic advancements in building technology to further reduce building energy consumption and promote low-carbon growth. The purpose of the code is to optimize energy savings with the comfort level for occupants, and prefers life-cycle cost effectiveness to achieve energy neutrality in commercial building. The ECBC 2017 was developed by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) with technical support from United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the U.S.-India bilateral Partnership to Advance Clean Energy – Deployment Technical Assistance (PACE-D TA) Program.

Notes:
The World Refugee Day (WRD) is observed every year on June 20 to honor the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children who are forced to flee their homeland under threat of persecution, conflict and violence. This year, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has appointed Syrian refugee Muzoon Almellehan as its newest and youngest Goodwill Ambassador on June 20, 2017 to promote child education. The WRD 2017 has marked a key moment for the public to show support for families.

Notes:
The Punjab Government has recently announced free education for girls in Government Schools and colleges from Nursery to PhD for women empowerment. To promote English in schools, the state government will also launch a pilot project that will roll out from July 2017in all government schools. In addition, the free Wi-FI service will also roll-out for 13,000 primary schools and all 48 government colleges. Meanwhile, the reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies has already been increased by the government from 33% to 50%.

Notes:
The renowned Ayurveda physician ‘Vaidya’ Rajesh Kotecha has been appointed as new special secretary in Ministry of Ayush for three years on a contract basis. Kotecha is the chief consultant of Chakrapani Ayurveda Clinic, Jaipur. The appointment is in line with the Centre’s efforts to bring in specialists from the private sector in the government.

Notes:
Carla Fendi (79), the Italian luxury fashion designer, has passed away in Rome, Italy. She played a key role along with her four sisters in developing and expanding her parents’ small leather workshop, transforming the business into a global luxury fashion brand.

Notes:
The Bhawal National Park is located at Gazipur in Dhaka Division of Bangladesh.The core area of the park covers 940 hectares but extends to 5,022 ha of surrounding forest. Its purpose is to protect important habitats as well as to provide opportunities for recreation. The park has 345 plant species, including 152 different tree species, 53 shrubs, 106 herbs and 34 climber species.

Notes:
Desh Bandhu Gupta (79), the founder and chairman of pharmaceutical major Lupin Ltd, has passed away on June 25, 2017 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He founded Lupin in 1968 and created a global pharmaceutical major with a presence in over 100 countries. Today, Lupin is the 4th largest generics pharmaceutical player by market capitalisation in the world.