Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - March, 2018

Notes:
The ‘2018 National Conference on Down Syndrome’ was organised by the National Trust under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in New Delhi on March 25. A book entitled “Twilights Children” based on the lives of person suffering from Down Syndrome was released on the occasion. The conference brought intellectuals from all walks of life on one platform to spur ideas and channelized knowledge on Down Syndrome which was very beneficial to enable a positive change in the people with Down Syndrome. Down Syndrome is a chromosomal condition associated with intellectual and learning disabilities.

Notes:
As per the data released by Union ministry of Social Justice, a total number of 4,13,670 beggars are residing in India, including 2,21,673 males and 1,91,997 females beggars in the country. The data, based on 2011 census, revealed that West Bengal has topped the chart with 81,224 beggars, followed by Uttar Pradesh (65,835), Andhra Pradesh (30,218), Bihar (29,723), Madhya Pradesh ( 28,695) and Rajasthan (25,853). The figures were given by Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot in a written reply to Lok Sabha. The government data show that Lakshadweep, a union territory, has only two people begging for their livelihood. Among the northeastern states, Assam topped the chart with 22,116 beggars, while Mizoram ranked low with 53 beggars.

Notes:
The Supreme Court has appointed Justice Jawad Rahim as the new acting chairperson of the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The new acting chairperson will discharge his duties until a regular appointment is made and will take part in selection process of other members of the NGT. However, the Chief Justice Dipak Misra bench made it clear that this appointment is an interim arrangement and shall not be construed to be a final determination of the seniority between Justice Rahim and Justice R S Rathore by the apex court. The bench was informed that Justice Rahim and Justice R S Rathore are the judicial members of the NGT and both were appointed to the NGT on the same date that was 12 January 2016.

Notes:
The Department of Posts under Ministry of Communications has launched Cool EMS Service between India and Japan, which will come into force from 29.03.2018. It is one-way service from Japan to India which allows customers in India to import Japanese food items for personal use which is allowed under Indian regulations. Initially, Cool EMS Service will be available in Delhi only. Food items will be carried by Japan Post in special cool boxes containing refrigerant to preserve the quality of the food items and addressee will collect them from Foreign Post office, Kotla Road, New Delhi in-person or through a messenger in the prescribed time frame. All other features like track and trace, etc of Express Mail Service (EMS) will be available for Cool EMS service as well.

Notes:
Veteran director Shekhar Kapur has been appointed as chairman of the central panel of the 65th National Film Awards (NFA). Mr Kapur is known for his work in Hindi cinema and International cinema. The central panel comprises a chairperson and 10 other members, including five regional chairpersons who head the respective regional panels. Film writer Imtiaz Hussain, known for his works in films like Astitva and Parinda will be the regional chairperson of South 1- panel. Mehboob, who is a writer of Bollywood film songs lyrics has been appointed as the regional chairperson of South -2 panel. Film actress Gautami Tadimalla, who is known for her work in Tamil films, is the regional chairman of the North panel, while Director Rahul Rawail known for films like Love Story and Betaab has been appointed as the regional chairperson of the Western panel. Director P Sheshadri, who works in Kannada cinema, is the regional chairperson of Eastern panel. The other members of the panel include Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, Tripurari Sharma, Rumi Jaffery, Ranjit Das and Rajesh Mapuskar.

Notes:
ISRO has successfully launched GSAT-6A telecommunication satellite using the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F08) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, about 110km from Chennai on March 29, 2018. The 49.1-metre tall GSLV F 08 is a three-stage rocket weighing 415.6 ton. The core of first stage is fired with solid fuel while the four strap-on motors by liquid fuel. The second is the liquid fuel and the third is the cryogenic engine. The purpose of the satellite is to provide mobile communication applications in S-band in five spot beams and C-band in one beam during its 10-year life span. This is also the first GSLV rocket launch after Director Sivan took over as Chairman of ISRO.

Notes:
The International Day of Forests is observed every year on March 21 to provide a platform to raise awareness of the importance of all types of woodlands and trees and celebrate the ways in which they sustain and protect us. The 2018 theme “Forests and Sustainable Cities” focuses on how forests and trees in urban areas regulate temperature and water flows, provide nutritious foods and shelter, cleanse the air and foster community cohesion and individual well-being, among other benefits.

Notes:
The Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has signed a $500 million Line of Credit (LoC) agreement with ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) to fund various development projects in the western-south Africa. The LoC of $500 million to EBID is an umbrella limit for financing developmental projects in 15-member countries of EBID in West African region — Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. With the signing of this LoC agreement, Exim Bank till date has extended four LoCs to EBID, with the support of the government, taking the total value of LOCs to $1,000 million. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has a mandate to promote economic integration in all fields of activity of the constituting countries.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and South Asian Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP) for cooperation on the response to Oil and Chemical Pollution in the South Asian Seas Region. The MoU intends to promote closer cooperation between India and other maritime nations comprising the South Asian seas region namely Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka for protection and preservation of marine environment in the region. Indian Coast Guard (ICG) will be the Competent National Authority and national operational contact point for implementation of “Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan” under the MoU and shall respond to oil and chemical spills on behalf of Government of India. The SACEP is an inter-governmental organisation established in 1982 by the South Asian governments to promote and support protection, management and enhancement of the environment in the region.

Notes:
The Rangit Dam is a run-of-the-river power project on the Ranjit River, a major tributary of the Tista River, in the South Sikkim district of Sikkim. The dam is 45 metres high concrete gravity structure of 100 metres length. The reservoir created behind the dam has a storage capacity of 1,175,000 cubic metres. The average annual power generation from the 60 MW (3×20 MW) project is 340 GWh with firm power of 39 MW.