Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2018

Notes:
Sitanshu Kar, a 1983-batch Indian Information Service (IIS) officer, has become the principal director general of the Press Information Bureau (PIB). He succeeded Frank Noronha, who had held the post since 2014. Prior to this post, Kar was serving as the AIR’s News Services Division (NSD) director general. In a career spanning nearly 35 years, Kar has worked in key positions in various media units of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Apart from this, he has the distinction of being the longest serving spokesperson of the Ministry of Defence. He served there for over a decade at a stretch.

Notes:
Uma Bharti, the Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation, has launched the GOBAR (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources) – DHAN scheme at the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) Auditorium, Karnal, Haryana on May 1, 2018. The purpose of scheme is to positively impact village cleanliness and generate wealth and energy from cattle and organic waste. The scheme also aims at creating new rural livelihood opportunities and enhancing income for farmers and other rural people. Under the scheme, cooking gas would be provided to rural habitations and technical support would ensure that the scheme functioned on a sustainable basis. 

Notes:
The “2018 Vijay Prahar” exercise of Indian Army’s South Western Command has started near Suratgarh in Rajasthan. Over 20,000 troops of the strike formations of the Army are engaged in the exercise to fine-tune the joint-manship with the Indian Air Force (IAF). During the exercise, the formations are practicing and operationalising certain concepts of operating in the network-centric environment, integrated employment of modern-day sensors with the weapon platforms, employment of attack helicopters in the air cavalry role and a bold offensive of application of the Special Forces. The exercise that began a couple of weeks ago will conclude on May 9 and Army chief General Bipin Rawat and other senior officers are likely to witness the final phase.

Notes:
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, an MP from Gulbarga (Karnataka), has been re-appointed chairman of the 22-member Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament for its fresh term starting on May 1. Kharge, is the leader of Congress party in Lok Sabha. A majority of the members of this parliamentary panel, which is headed by an opposition leader, are from the ruling NDA. It is the oldest parliamentary committee that examines the accounts showing the appropriation of sums granted by Parliament for expenditure of Government of India and such other accounts of autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies.

Notes:
The World Press Freedom Day is observed every year on May 3 to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives while following their profession. The 2018 theme “Keeping Power in Check: Media, Justice and The Rule of Law” highlights the importance of an enabling legal environment for press freedom and gives special attention to the role of an independent judiciary in ensuring legal guarantees for press freedom and the prosecution of crimes against journalists. The day serves as an occasion to encourage and develop initiatives in favour of press freedom and to assess the state of press freedom worldwide.

Notes:
On May 2, Jagdish Mukhi has been sworn in as the acting governor of Manipur by the Acting Chief Justice of Manipur High Court, Justice N Kotiswar Singh. As per official release, Mukhi, who is the governor of Assam and Meghalaya, will hold office in the absence of Governor Najma Heptullah. The swearing-in was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Y Joykumar Singh, Speaker Y Khemchand Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Ksh Bhabananda Singh, the council of ministers, the chief secretary and director general of police and other senior officials.

Notes:
Air Chief Marshal Idris Hassan Latif (94), the former Chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF), has passed away 2018 in Hyderabad on May 1, 2018. He was the IAF chief from September 1978 to August 1981. After his retirement in 1981, Latif held the posts of Maharashtra Governor and Indian Ambassador to France. He had joined the Royal Indian Air Force in 1941 at the age of 18 and was commissioned the next year. On completion of his training at Ambala, he was posted in Karachi, where he flew vintage biplanes like the Wapiti, Audaxes and Harts, on Anti-Submarine flights over the Arabian Sea. During 1943-44, he was one of the few Indian pilots to be seconded to the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom, where he underwent training on more contemporary aircraft like the Hurricane and Spitfire. He returned to India in 1944 and took part in the Burma campaign. At the time of partition, he chose IAF though he was reportedly urged by some to join the Pakistan Air Force.

Notes:
Indian-American Deepa Ambekar has been appointed as the interim judge to a US civil court of New York City. She has become the 2nd Indian-American woman judge in the city after Chennai-born Raja Rajeswari. In 2015, Rajeswari was sworn in as a criminal court judge and became the first India-born woman to be appointed a judge in the city. Judge Ambekar served with the New York City Council for 3 years as Senior Legislative Attorney and Counsel to the Committee on Public Safety. Prior to that, she was a Staff Attorney at the Legal Aid Society, Criminal Defense Division, and a litigation associate at a private firm.

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 12th informal meeting of SAARC Finance Ministers was held in Manila, Philippines on May 4, on the sidelines of the 51st Annual Meeting of Asian Development Bank (ADB). The meeting was attended by the Finance Ministers / Heads of Delegations from the SAARC member states. Finance Minister of Nepal Yuba Raj Khatiwada chaired the meeting. The Finance Ministers/Heads of Delegation briefed the meeting about the current status of economic progress achieved by their countries. They also appreciated ADB for its contribution in the economic growth of SAARC countries. An Indian delegation was headed by Subhash Chandra Garg, Secretary of Department of Economic Affairs (DEA).