Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - March, 2018

Notes:
An India-UK Joint Team has won the Newton-Bhabha Fund for a project on Groundwater Arsenic Research in Ganga River Basin. The Department of Science and Technology has undertaken the project with the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) of United Kingdom (UK) to find solutions to the water challenges faced in the pervasively arsenic-affected Ganga River Basin. The purpose of the project is to assess how the problem of arsenic poisoning can get aggravated in the next 25 to 30 years and influence groundwater management practices and suggest water remedial technologies accordingly. The Newton Bhabha Fund, provided by the British Council, aims to bring together the UK and Indian scientific research and innovation sectors to find joint solutions to the challenges facing India in economic development and social welfare.

Notes:
The Pi Day is observed every year on March 14 (3/14) across the world. It is an annual celebration of the mathematical constant π (pi). Pi represents the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. It’s an important part of the foundation of mathematics, most importantly geometry, where pi is key to equations calculating the area of a circle, A = πr2, and the volume of a cylinder, V = πr2h.

Notes:
The 5th edition of Nadi Mahotsava has started at Bandrabhan of Hoshangabad District of Madhya Pradesh on March 16, 2018. It was inaugurated by Nitin Gadkari, who is Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation. The 2-day mahotsava with various sessions of discussion is taking place for the conservation of Narmada River.

Notes:
Baskaran Adhiban from India has clinched the title in the 33rd Reykjavik Open Chess Tournament 2018 with an impressive performance that saw him win five of the nine games. He became only the second Indian after Abhijeet Gupta (in 2016) to win the prestigious Reykjavik Open.

Notes:
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and the Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University (RGNAU) on March 13, 2018 to strengthen human resource possibility over India’s aviation industry. Under the agreement, the signatory institutions would leverage the existing infrastructure for training in India to expand the reach of vocational training in aviation disciplines. The IATA is a trade association of the world’s airlines and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.

Notes:
India will host the 17th Annual Conference of International Competition Network 2018 (ICN2018) for the first time from 21st to 23rd March 2018 in New Delhi. The ICN advocates adoption of superior standards and procedures in competition enforcement around the world, formulates proposals for procedural and substantive convergence, and facilitates effective international cooperation to the benefit of member agencies, consumers and economies worldwide.

Notes:
The Odisha government will collaborate with the Thailand-based Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES) for strengthening its early warning services and enhancing preparedness for management of hazards in the State. The Odisha State Disaster Mitigation Authority (OSDMA) and RIMES would forge a partnership in the field of drought monitoring and early warning for different natural disasters. RIEMS is owned and managed by 45 collaborating countries in the Asia Pacific and Africa Region. At present, India is chairing RIMES. In collaboration with this intergovernmental body, OSDMA can strengthen its database for more effective management of natural disasters. Odisha is particularly concerned about tsunami originating from the Andamans. Beside this, RIMES is already working with the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority.

Notes:
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has launched a mobile app ‘Lost and Found’ for passengers at 59 airports across India through which travellers can register complaints to recover items they lost or forgot at various airports. The app can be downloaded from the website of the Information and Technology Ministry. The main advantage of this mobile app is that the passengers can directly register complaints and get status of their complaint immediately from the airports under CISF security cover. The mobile phone application can also be used to place a request for obtaining technical consultancy provided by the force. The CISF guards 59 civil airports across the country. It is directly under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and its headquarters are at New Delhi.

Notes:
The United Nations Committee for Development Policy (CDP) has recently announced that the four countries will be recommended for graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category. These are Bhutan, Kiribati, Sao Tome and Principe and Solomon Islands. These countries are set to move up from the ranks of poorest nations due to their increasing national earning power as well as access to better health care and education. LDCs are assessed using three criteria: health and education targets; economic vulnerability and gross national income per capita. The Committee will send its recommendations to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for endorsement, which will then refer its decision to the UN General Assembly (UNGA). Apart from this, Chair of the Committee for Development Policy Professor Jose Antonio Ocampo stated that two more countries, Vanuatu and Angola, are scheduled for graduation in 2020 and 2021 respectively.

Notes:
Dr. Rajiv Kumar, the Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog, has inaugurated the first-ever India-Japan Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction in New Delhi on March 19, 2018. The 2-day workshop is being jointly organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Government of Japan. The workshop marks the beginning of the formal implementation of the initiatives agreed under the Memorandum of Cooperation signed between the two countries on Disaster Risk Reduction in September 2017. It will identify possible areas of cooperation of India with Japan in the field of Disaster Risk Reduction.