Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2018

Notes:
The Telangana police have launched a mobile-based messenger application “COP CONNECT’ to provide real time information to over 60,000 police officers across the State. The app will also support the police department in improving quality of service delivered to public. The app has been developed based on police’s internal communication strategy, which will enable the entire workforce to pro-actively engage and pass real time information in seconds.Unlike WhatsApp groups which are restricted to only 256 participants, in Cop Connect, one can add any number of groups in a single group. Apart from the text, the internal messaging app will enable to share images, audio, video files and documents. One can also share their current location in the app. It also has an iMeeting option, which will help in creating and scheduling department meeting and setting reminders. The app can be used both offline and online and one can transfer unlimited data.

Notes:
The World Sustainable Gastronomy Day (WSGD) is observed every year on June 18 to focus the world’s attention on the role that sustainable gastronomy can play. The day also reaffirms that all cultures and civilizations are contributors and crucial enablers of sustainable development. The UN General Assembly (UNGA) designated 18 June as Sustainable Gastronomy Day by adopting its resolution A/RES/71/246 on 21 December 2016. The decision acknowledges gastronomy as a cultural expression related to the natural and cultural diversity of the world.

Notes:
Technology giant Google has recently announced the launch of a training programme for journalists with an aim to raise awareness against misinformation and providing new tools to the fourth estate against fake news. The Google News Initiative India Training Network will provide training to 8,000 journalists in English and six other Indian languages in the next one year. The network will select 200 journalists from cities across India, who will hone their skills in verification and training during five-day boot camps that will be organised for English and Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi and Kannada. The focus of the training will be fact-checking, online verification and digital hygiene for journalists, using a curriculum built by experts.

Notes:
A R Rahman, the renowned music composer, has been appointed as the Brand Ambassador of the Sikkim government. He will promote and project the state’s achievements nationally and globally. Sikkim, with its natural and pristine beauty, has over the last two decades emerged as a world famous eco-tourism destination, besides attaining a distinct identity as the first fully organic farming state of the country. Earlier, in 2018, the state government made Rahman its Brand Ambassador of tourism and business.

Notes:
The International Yoga Day (IYD) is celebrated every year on June 21 to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing yoga. Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India. The word ‘yoga’ derives from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolizing the union of body and consciousness. Yoga is an ancient Indian practice which is very useful for curing many diseases and health disorders. The theme for the 2018 celebration, organized by the Permanent Mission of India to the U.N. is “Yoga for Peace”. In India, the main event of 4th IDY-2018 was held at the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. The importance of 21st June is that it is the summer solstice – the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and shares special significance in many parts of the world.

Notes:
On 22nd June 2018, the annual Ambubachi Mela has started at Nilachall hillock where the Kamakhya temple is situated in Assam. The temple will remain close from this evening and re-opened for public in the morning of 26th this month. Over 10 lakh devotees are expected to attend the mela. Temporary camps have been set up in and around the temple. Special thrust is being given in maintaining cleanliness. Around three thousand security personnel have been deployed. 80 buses have been pressed into services by the Assam State Transport Corporation to ferry passengers.

Notes:
Prabhakar Choubey (83), the veteran journalist and litterateur, has passed away in Raipur, Chhattisgarh on June 21, 2018.

Notes:
B Sujatha Devi (72), the well-known poetess, environmental activist and travel writer, has passed away in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on June 23, 2018. Sujatha Devi had served as English professor in various government colleges in the state, including the Maharaja’s college in Kochi. She had won the Kerala Sahithya Academy award for the best travelogue for her work ‘Kaadinte Thaalam Thedi’. She wrote poems under the pseudonym Devi. Her poems have been collected under the title ‘Mrnmayi’. Daughter of freedom fighter Bodheswaran and Prof. Karthyayini Amma, she had played a leading role in the anti-Silent Valley Project struggle in the late 1970s and was active subsequently too in several environmental battles in the State and elsewhere.

Notes:
In Archery, Deepika Kumari clinched a gold medal in the women’s recurve event at stage three of World Cup in Salt Lake City of US on June 25, 2018. She defeated Michelle Kroppen of Germany 7-3. With the win, the four-time World Cup final silver medalist has automatically qualified for the Archery World Cup Final to be held in Samsun of Turkey later this year. Beside her, Abhishek Verma secured an individual silver and a mixed team bronze medal in compound events. In the medal standings, India finished fourth behind US, Colombia and Chinese Taipei with a gold, silver and bronze each in the penultimate stage of the World Cup. India’s Asian Games-bound archery squad will now head to Berlin to take part in fourth stage of World Cup from 16th to 22nd of next month.

Notes:
The Punjab government has launched a new scheme ‘Paani Bachao, Paise Kamao’ to check depletion of underground water. Under this scheme, farmers will get monetary benefit for less use of tube well. The purpose of the scheme was to ensure that farmers use the power with restraint to pump out water from earth. They said every detail regarding the usage of power and the money transferred into account of farmer would be given to him on phone. Initially farmers for Bambiwal, Khusropur, Kukar Pind, Aladinpur and Kot Khurd village of Bambiwal feeder and Malsian, Dabri, Lasuri, Nawajipur, Mullewal Khaira and Mulewal Gharnian under Nawajipur feeder were entitled for this scheme.