Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2018

Notes:
Guruji Ravinder Sharma, the renowned sculpture and mentor of artists, has passed away at Kala Ashram in Adilabad, Telangana on April 30, 2018. He was the founder of Adilabad’s Kala Ashram and is credited to playing a vital role in protecting ancient rural and tribal art forms and knowledge system of the country for nearly four decades. He was honoured with Kala Ratna award by the Andhra Pradesh government in 2014 for rendering matchless services to the field. After bifurcation of the State, the Telangana government awarded him the Ugadi Puraskaram in 2015. Guruji was also conferred the D. Litt (Honoris Causa) by the SGT University, Gurugram, Haryana the same year

Notes:
P P Lakshmanan (83), the former President of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and ex-member of the Appeals committee of FIFA, has passed away at Kannur in Kerala on April 30. He was the first Indian to be chosen as the member of FIFA’s appeal committee. He was an eminent member of FIFA World Cup Appeal Committee for two consecutive editions, Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010. He had also served as Kerala Football Association president.

Notes:
The 12th edition of the bilateral border trade between India and China from Nathu La border in Sikkim has resumed for the scheduled period from May 1 to November 30. The trading days are from Monday to Thursday and the trade will continue till November 30. The announcement in this regard was made by the General Secretary of the Indo-China Border Traders’ Welfare Association, Tenzing Tsepel. In 2017, the trade was disrupted following the Doklam standoff. It must be noted that the Nathu La pass was sealed by India after the 1962 Sino-Indian War and was re-opened in 2006 following numerous bilateral trade agreements.

Notes:
The Barkana Falls is a water falls located near Agumbe in Shimoga district of Karnataka. It is among the ten highest waterfalls in India and is formed by Seetha River. The water falls is filled with water only during rainy season.

Notes:
The 4th edition of ‘Vibrant North East 2018’ has started in Guwahati, Assam on 3rd May 2018 in which people would be made aware of central government’s schemes and programmes. It is organised by Delhi-based NGO, Centre for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD) and is supported by the North Eastern Council, Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Commerce and Industry and All India Farmers Alliance. The main purpose of the event is to disseminate information about the schemes, grants and projects of the Central government to ensure that they are implemented as envisaged officially.

Notes:
On May 1, the Government of Manipur has launched ‘Go to Village’ mission across the State from Konuma ground of Komlakhong gram panchayat in Imphal West district. The mission was launched simultaneously in 60 villages in all 60 constituencies. Under the new mission, the government will identify the eligible and deserving beneficiaries and deliver government services at their doorstep.

Notes:
The bi-annual Naval Commander’s Conference will be held in New Delhi from May 8, 2018. During the 4-day conference, the Navy will review its new mission-based deployment philosophy aimed at ensuring peace and stability in the region. The philosophy of the conference will be at sustained, peaceful and responsive presence of Indian Naval ships in critical areas and choke points. During the conference, measures to ensure safety, continued training and checks and balances on crew proficiency on-board its frontline warships will be reviewed.

Notes:
The first organised census of Indus Dolphins will be carried out by the Punjab government along with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) -India for the conservation of Indus dolphins, which are one of the world’s rarest mammals. This is India’s first organized Dolphin Census, which will be completed within a span of five years. The main purpose of this census is to find out the exact population of this species of dolphins. After this, their protection program will be run. The Indus dolphins are found only in India and Pakistan and are confined to only a 185 km stretch between Talwara and Harike Barrage in India’s Beas river in Punjab.

Notes:
Pradeep Kumar Sinha, a 1977-batch IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, has been given one year extension to the post of Cabinet Secretary. With this, he will continue as cabinet secretary till June 12, 2019 as against his current retirement date of 12th June 2018. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the extension. In May 2015, Mr Sinha was appointed as cabinet secretary for a fixed two-year term. This is his second extension. As per government rules, no government servant shall be granted extension in service beyond age of retirement of 60 years but as per rule FR 56, extension in public interest may be given “for a period not exceeding four years in the case of Cabinet Secretary”. The Cabinet Secretary is the top-most executive official and senior-most civil servant of the Government of India. He is the ex-officio head of the Civil Services Board, the Cabinet Secretariat, the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and head of all civil services under the rules of business of the government.

Notes:
Dr Tahir Hussain, an Indian-American professor of Pharmacology at the University of Houston, has received a grant of 1.6 million dollars from the National Institutes of Health to examine a kidney cell that could prevent damage from inflammation caused by obesity. The targeted cells express a protein called the angiotensin type 2 receptor, which recently has been indicated to have anti-inflammatory and renoprotective actions. If activated, the AT2R will protect against chronic and acute kidney injury. Dr Hussain, an alumnus of the Aligarh Muslim University, will study the impact of inflammation in kidneys with active AT2R as well as those with no AT2R. This is the first time the receptor’s role to protect kidney structure and function against injury in obese subjects will be investigated.