Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2017

Notes:
Veteran photojournalist Raghu Rai has been bestowed with the Life Time Achievement (LTA) award at the 6th National Photography Awards-2017 by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) for his remarkable contribution to the field. He is known for his books, Raghu Rai’s India: Reflections in Colour and Reflections in Black and White. The subjects of his photographs include MS Subbulakshmi, Bismillah Khan, Mother Teresa, Satyajit Ray, Indira Gandhi, Raj Kapoor and Mrinal Sen. The National Photography Awards (NPA) is an annual event organized by the I & B Ministry to promote art, technique of photography and to encourage professional and amateur photographers from all corners of the country.

Notes:
Minister of State (I/C) for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan has launched an integrated grievances redressal platform “MoP&NG e-Seva” across social media (SM) for all queries and grievances relating to Oil and Gas Sector. This portal will be a single point interface for all customers to reach out to the government for addressing their feedback or grievances related to Oil & Gas Sector on social media. The platform will also deliver 24 x 7 support for consumers.

Notes:
The World Meteorological Day (WMD) is observed every year on March 23 to mark the establishment of a United Nations body specializing exclusively in meteorology. The 2017 theme “Understanding Clouds” highlights the enormous importance of clouds for weather climate and water. Clouds are central to weather observations and forecasts and play a critical role in the water cycle and shaping the global distribution of water resources.

Notes:
The World Sparrow Day (WSD) is observed every year on March 20 to raise awareness about the importance of birds dwelling in urban areas and to educate the public about the threat of polluted urban environments and non-caring humans to the house sparrow population, as well as to other common bird species. The day is an international initiative by the Nature Forever Society of India (NFSI) in collaboration with the Eco-Sys Action Foundation (France) and numerous other national and international organisations across the world.

Notes:
The first-ever Houston India Conference was hosted by Asia Society Texas Center in Houston, United States with the theme of ‘Make in India -The Inside Story’ from March 24, 2017. The 2-day conference is designed to bring together the various constituencies that have an interest in India, and discuss with them the latest developments and the best practices of doing business in India. The central focus of the conference is to provide a collaboration platform and share today’s India story with the audience in Texas who are interested in investing in India, by the people who are playing an important role in shaping up the modern.

Notes:
Odisha has become the first Indian state to carry financial inclusion and extend banking services to unbanked areas through Self Help Groups (SHGs). For this, the state government has signed an agreement with State Bank of India (SBI) to provide banking facilities to people in unbanked areas. In the first phase, SHGs would be engaged as Banking Correspondents (BCs) in around 1,000 remote Gram Panchayats having no banking facilities. Gradually, it would be extended to 4,000 non-banked panchayats. The system would be of great help to people in rural areas under social security schemes like Pradhan Mantri Bima Surakshya Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana etc and would also be helpful in promotion of digital banking.

Notes:
The Indian cricket team has recently won the 2017 Border Gavaskar Trophy by beating Australian cricket team by 8 wickets in the fourth and final Test at Himachal Pradesh. With this victory, India clinched the four test match series by 2-1. Ravindra Jadeja was declared the man of the match and also the man of the series.

Notes:
Bob Dylan, the renowned US musician and poet, will finally accept his Nobel Literature Prize at a meeting with the Swedish Academy in Stockholm, Sweden in April 2017. The 2016 Nobel Prize has bestowed to Dylan for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition. The American singer was awarded the prize in October 2016 but failed to travel to pick up the award, or deliver the lecture that is required to receive the 8m kroner prize. He has become the first songwriter to win the prestigious award and the first American since novelist Toni Morrison in 1993.

Notes:
El Salvador, Central America’s smallest nation, has become the world’s first country to ban metals mining nationwide following a long-running dispute with a Canadian-Australian company over an environmentally questioned gold project. For this, El Salvador passed a law that prohibits all metal mining in an attempt to protect the environment and natural resources.

Notes:
The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee has recently attended the 8th Convocation of the Lovely Professional University (LPU) at Phagwara, Punjab on May 2, 2017. The LPU is a semi-residential university college in North India created under the Punjab State Private University Act 2005 and recognized by UGC under Section 2(f) of UGC Act 1956. LPU offers around 200 programmes and courses at diploma, undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels. The university has more than 30,000 students graduating every year.