Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2017

Notes:
The South Asia satellite “GSAT-09” will be launched by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on May 5, 2017 to boost the development and economy of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations in the region. It will be launched into the orbit from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota using a Geostationary Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mk-II launch vehicle. The 2,230 kg satellite has 12 Ku-band transponders. It is cuboid in shape and built around a central cylinder has a mission life of over 12 years. The satellite will enable full range of applications and services in the areas of telecommunication and broadcasting applications viz. Television, Direct-to-Home (DTH), Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATs), Tele-education, Telemedicine and Disaster Management Support. The beneficiaries of GSAT-09 are as follows: Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Maldivies.

Notes:
The Ganga Cleanliness Pledge Day (GCPD) will be observed by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) on May 2, 2017 to spread awareness and to promote active involvement of public for the Ganga swachhta abhiyan. The main objective of this day is to develop a sense of pride and ownership among citizens to engender support for Namami Gange programme. The day, which is also known as Ganga Swachhta Sankalp Divas, will be organised at 12 locations, namely- Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, Bhagalpur, Sahibganj, Kolkata, Raj Ghat (Hardoi), Bithoor, Srinagar ( Uttarakhand), Vidhur Kuti (Bijnor) and Devprayag. The event would also be organized at more than 30 other locations through Ganga Vichaar Manch (a volunteer wing of NMCG), local NGOs and volunteer support.

Notes:
India’s first-ever Blind Football Academy (BFA) with full time training & rehabilitation for the visually impaired persons is expected to come up at Kochi in Kerala. The Society for Rehabilitation of Visually Challenged (SRVC) and the Indian Blind Federation (IBFF) are making an effort to establish the academy. The purpose to set up BFA is to train and develop the best players to create a national team of world class standard and to qualify for the Paralympics by 2024.

Notes:
Karnataka is the India’s most corrupt state on the basis of people’s experience in paying bribes for public services, as per latest survey conducted by the Centre for Media Studies (CMS) on corruption perception. Andhra Pradesh has acquired second position, followed by Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab. The annual corruption survey “CMS India Corruption Study 2017”, which covered 20 states, found Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Chhattisgarh to be the least corrupt. The report stated that around one-third of the households experienced corruption in public services at least once during the last one year in comparison to about 53% of households that admitted to paying bribes during a similar study in 2005. The study further found that the total bribe paid by households across 20 states and 10 public services was Rs 6,350 crore in 2016 as against Rs 20,500 crore in 2005.

Notes:
Joshna Chinappa has won the 19th edition of Women’s singles Asian Individual Squash Championships (AISC) by defeating compatriot Dipika Pallikal Karthik in the women’s final at the Express Avenue Mall in Chennai, Tamil Nadu on April 29, 2017. With this, she scripted history by becoming the first Indian to clinch the Asian Squash title.

Notes:
Dr. Sanjay Pratihar, a scientist at Tezpur University, has been chosen for the prestigious Indian National Science Academy (INSA) medal for the Young Scientist Award for the year 2017 for his excellent contribution to multi-metal complexes, theoretical understanding, selective sensing of Hq2+ions and important applications in agriculture. The award, which consists of a bronze medal, a certificate and cash award of Rs. 25,000, will be given to him during INSA’s anniversary meeting scheduled in December 2017. The award of an Academy medal to a Young Scientist shall be made in recognition of notable contributions to any branch of science or technology, recognised by the Academy, on the basis of work carried out in India.

Notes:
The Government of Japan is hosting the 50th annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of Governors from May 4 to 7, 2017 in Yokohama, Tokyo. The theme of the meeting is ‘Building Together the Prosperity of Asia.’ The event will emphasis issues such as regional cooperation, trade, financial and economic connectivity across Asia and the Pacific, small and medium sized enterprises, sustainable and inclusive cities, and employment.

Notes:
In an annual “Asian Development Outlook” economic report released by Asian Development Bank (ADB), India’s GDP growth is predicted at 7.4% in FY 18 (2017-18). The report states that the growth rate will continue to expand to 7.6% in the successive year FY 19 (2018-19). India had grown 7.1% in the previous fiscal year FY 2016-17). As per ADB Chief Economist Yasuyuki Sawada, the reforms like the Goods and Services Tax and the new bankruptcy law will make it easier to do business in India. Apart from this, the 50th annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of Governors has started in Yokohama, Tokyo from May 4 to 7, 2017. The theme of the meeting is ‘Building Together the Prosperity of Asia.’

Notes:
The World Asthma Day (WAD) is an annual event organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) to increase the awareness among public worldwide about the precautions and prevention of the asthma. It is celebrated on annual basis at first Tuesday of May month. It is thought that as many as 300 million people suffer from some form of asthma in the world – and there are 250,000 deaths each year linked to the disease. The 2017 theme is “Better air better breathing”.

Notes:
According to the Swachh Survekshan 2017 (or Swachh Bharat survey 2017), Indore city of Madhya Pradesh has bagged the first position in the top ten clean cities of the country. Bhopal has acquired second position, followed by Visakhapatnam, Surat, Mysuru, Tiruchirapally, New Delhi Municipal Council, Navi Mumbai, Vadodara and Chandigarh. The Swachh Survekshan was commissioned in 434 cities which saw the participation of 37 lakh citizens. The criteria and weightages for different components of sanitation related aspects used for the survey were: a) Solid waste management including door-to-door collection, processing, and disposal, ODF (open defecation free) status etc, b) Citizen feedback (30%) and c) Independent observation (25%). The survey was carried out by the Quality Council of India (QCI), which had deployed 421 assessors for on the spot assessment of 17,500 locations in 434 cities and towns.