Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2018

Notes:
Pandurang Phundkar (67), the Maharashtra Agriculture Minister and senior BJP leader, has passed away in Mumbai on May 31, 2018. He was a member of 9th Lok Sabha, 10th Lok Sabha and 11th Lok Sabha from Akola (Lok Sabha constituency) from Maharashtra. He was also former president of State BJP. Pandurang was elected as the member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from Khamgaon (Vidhan Sabha constituency) in 1978 and 1980. He was sworn in as a Cabinet Minister in Devendra Fadnavis government on July 8, 2016.

Notes:
The first official World Bicycle Day (WBD) is observed by United Nations (UN) on 3rd June 2018 to encourage a simple, affordable, reliable, clean and environmentally fit sustainable means of transportation. On this occasion, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu flagged off a cycling event at Connaught Place in New Delhi Nearly five thousand cyclists participated in the 8km long event. New Delhi Municipal Council has organised the event in association with World Cycling Alliance.

Notes:
Tata Motors Ltd.  has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the State Government of Maharashtra for deployment of 1000 Electric Vehicles (EV) across its range of passenger and commercial vehicles in the State. The company also partnered Tata group company, Tata Power Ltd to set up of EV Charging Stations in the State. The MoU will boost the Maharashtra Electric Vehicle Policy 2018 in accelerating the adoption of Evs in Maharashtra.

Notes:
The Union Government has set up an executive committee, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to spread Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy among the people at the national and international level. The committee comprises, senior cabinet ministers, the leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, renowned Gandhians, social activists and noted public figures. The panel was formed after the first meeting of the National Committee (NC) under the chairmanship of President Ram Nath Kovind to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. During the meeting, it was decided to form a sub-committee to consider policies and lay down guidelines for the celebrations. The NC has 125 members, of which 116 are from India. Other members are acclaimed foreign members.

Notes:
Maneka Gandhi, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development (WCD), has laid the foundation stone of India’s first advanced DNA forensic laboratory “Sakhi Suraksha” in the campus of Central Forensic Science Lab of Chandigarh as part efforts to reduce the backlog of cases needing advanced forensic analysis. It will be built at a cost of Rs 99.76 crore from the Nirbhaya Fund. The state-of-the-art lab will assist in investigation and prosecution of crimes including those committed against women and children. It will contribute to address the gap in forensic DNA analysis of pending sexual assault cases in the country. Forensic science plays a vital role in the criminal justice delivery system by providing investigators with scientifically based information through the analysis of physical evidence.

Notes:
India is the global host nation for the 43rd edition of World Environment Day (WED -2018) event, which has started on June 5, 2018. Environment Ministers, representatives from United Nations and members from various industry bodies will be among the various dignitaries who will attend the event. The day is a platform for encouraging awareness and propagating the need for protecting the environment. The 2018 theme is “Beat Plastic Pollution”. Plastic, which is rampantly polluting our water bodies, harming marine life and posing a threat to human health, has been one of the major concerns of environmental bodies this year. This day is a call for awakening of individuals to take charge of protecting their environment and to realize the severity of plastic usage in daily life.

Notes:
Leela Menon (86), the senior journalist and chief editor of Malayalam daily Janmabhumi, has passed away in Kochi, Kerala on June 3, 2018. Menon, who began her journalistic career with The Indian Express in New Delhi in 1978, shot into the limelight for her wide-range of ‘exclusive’ stories and courageous reporting. She used to write for The Hindu, Outlook, and regional dailies. In an era with very few opportunities for woman in media, she broke the glass ceiling by breaking several stories of national relevance like the rampant poverty and prostitution at Aruvacode in Malappuram district, Vypeen hooch tragedy, Suryanelli case and Thopumpaddy prostitution racket. She exposed the first high-profile case of ‘Love Jihad. Ms. Menon penned an autobiography titled ‘Nilaykatha Symphony’.

Notes:
The Chandrabhaga beach on the Konark coast of Odisha has become the Asia’s first beach to get the Blue Flag certification — the tag given to environment-friendly and clean beaches, equipped with amenities of international standards for tourists. The beach awarded the honour on World Environment Day (WED) on June 5, 2018. Apart from this, 12 more Indian beaches are being developed by the Society for Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM), an Environment Ministry’s body working for the management of coastal areas, in accordance with the Blue Flag certification standards. Among them are the Chiwla and Bhogave beaches in Maharashtra and one beach each from Puducherry, Goa, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Blue Flag beach standards were established by Copenhagen-based Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) in 1985. In order to get the Blue Flag tag, a beach has to be plastic-free and be equipped with a waste management system.

Notes:
A. Dhiraj Ram Krishna, a young engineer from Coimbatore, has won the ‘National Gopal Ratna’ award from the Central Government on June 2 for cattle rearing and dairying. He received the award from the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Radha Mohan Singh in New Delhi for ‘upkeep of the best dairy animals of indigenous breeds’.

Notes:
Indian captain Virat Kohli will receive the Polly Umrigar Award for the best international cricketer (2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons) at the BCCI awards, to be held in Bengaluru on June 15, 2018. Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana are set to be maiden recipients of the award for best international cricketer (women) for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons respectively. The BCCI Awards recognizes and honours the top domestic and international cricketers across all age groups.