Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - March, 2018

Notes:
The World Water Day (WWD) is observed every year on 22 March to raise awareness about the importance of water. The 2018 theme ‘Nature for Water’ is exploring nature-based solutions to the water challenges the world faces in the 21st century. The day is about focusing on the importance of water and the need to preserve it. The day encourages people not to waste one of the most important elements that sustain life on the planet. An international day to celebrate freshwater was recommended at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro. The United Nations General Assembly responded by designating 22 March 1993 as the first World Water Day.

Notes:
Chandigarh has become the North India’s first city to install digital automatic speed gun cameras for traffic management. The high-tech speed cameras are equipped with night vision technology and will record the speed of oncoming traffic, helping Chandigarh Police to issue challans to anyone driving above the city speed limits. Not only this, the advanced cameras are installed with digital display to beware motorists of overspeeding. If the speed is above the permissible limit, the digital display will warn the driver with a white light. If, and when, a motorist breaks the law, a Challan will be sent to the driver along with the image of overspeeding.

Notes:
Professor J S Rajput, the former Director of NCERT, has been nominated as the India’s representative to the Executive Board (EXB) of UNESCO. Professor Rajput is an eminent educationist with rich experience in various fields including UNESCO. He has recently completed the project aimed at achieving religious amity through education and his edited book “Education of Muslims in India” was released by the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi on June 15, 2015.The EXB has a 4-year term of office and 58 seats. It is one of the constitutional organs of UNESCO and is elected by the General Conference. The executive board examines the work for the organization and the corresponding budget estimates. In practice, the executive board is the main organ responsible for all policies and programmes of UNESCO.

Notes:
The International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and Transatlantic Slave Trade is observed every year on March 25 to honour and remember those who suffered and died at the hands of the brutal slavery system. The International Day also aims to raise awareness about the dangers of racism and prejudice today. The 2018 theme is “Remember Slavery: Triumphs and Struggles for Freedom and Equality”, which celebrates the gains of people of African descent from slavery to present. It also acknowledges the challenges that have been overcome in the movement towards freedom and equality in all professions.

Notes:
Indian shooter Muskan has clinched the gold medal in women’s 25m pistol event at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Sydney, Australia on March 28, 2018. The 16-year-old Muskan bested China’s Qin Sihang and Thailand’s Kanyakorn Hirunphoem. The team gold was won by Muskan, Manu Bhaker and Devanshi Rana, adding to India’s rich medal haul. Muskan’s medal was India’s fourth individual gold in the prestigious tournament. Indian trio of Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Ayush Rudraraju and Gurnilal Singh Garcha bagged the team silver in men’s junior skeet with a total of 348. Beside Muskan, Anish Bhanwala from India bagged gold medal in the men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol event on March 27. Hence, thus upstaged China with 22 medals, including 9 gold. India have also five silver and eight bronze medals.

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:
Indu Bhushan has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Centre’s ambitious Ayushman Bharat – National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) for a period of two years, Currently, he is Director General (DG) of East Asia Department of Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila, Philippines. The Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently approved the centrally-sponsored Ayushman Bharat mission, which will provide a health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year. The intended beneficiaries of the proposed scheme will be more than 10 crore poor and vulnerable families, based on the Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) database.

Notes:
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved formulation of a new Integrated Scheme for School Education (ISSE) by subsuming Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) , Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE) from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2020. An estimated allocation of Rs 75,000 crore over the period has been approved which is a 20% increase over the current allocations. The vision of the scheme is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education from nursery to senior secondary stage in accordance with the (United Nations’) Sustainable Development Goal for Education. The main emphasis of the integrated scheme is on improving quality of school education by focussing on the two T’s — Teacher and Technology.

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 Union Ministry of Power has partnered with the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship to train the manpower in six states – Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh – for speedy implementation of its household electrification scheme ‘SAUBHAGYA’ on March 27, 2018. The scheme is undertaken as a special project under the government’s Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY). Around 47,000 Distribution Lineman-Multi Skills and 8,500 Technical Helpers will be trained to meet the requirement of power sector. The purpose of the SAUBHAGYA (Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojna) scheme is to achieve universal household electrification in all parts of the country in a time bound manner. Around 4 crore households are expected to get electricity connections under the scheme.