Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2018

Notes:
The Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Prakash Javadekar has launched the ‘Samagra Shiksha’ – an integrated Scheme for school education in New Delhi on May 24. The scheme focuses on improving quality of education, enhancing the Learning outcomes and using technology to empower children and teachers. Samagra Shiksha is a program that unifies learning from the pre-school to class 12 levels and encapsulates elements of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE). It aims to treat education holistically as a continuum from pre-school to class 12. The excerpts of the scheme are as follows: provision of quality education, bridging social and gender gaps in school education, promoting vocationalisation of education, strengthening teacher education institutions like SCERTs and Diets to improve quality of teachers, annual grant of Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 per school for strengthening of libraries, etc.

Notes:
Prof. Ganeshi Lal, the Haryana BJP leader, has been appointed as the new Governor of Odisha. The post was vacant since March 2018 after veteran Naga leader S C Jamir completed his tenure. After that, Bihar Governor Satya Pal Malik was additionally discharging the duties of Odisha Governor since March 2018. Meanwhile, Kummanam Rajasekharan, who is Kerala BJP chief, will be the new Governor of Mizoram. He will succeed Lt. General (Retd.) Nirbhay Sharma, who is completing his tenure on May 28, 2018. President Ram Nath Kovind approved their appointments.

Notes:
The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Nepal for having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. With this, Nepal has become the first country in WHO’s South-East Asia Region to defeat the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness. Trachoma, an eye disease caused by infection with the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis, is spread through contact with infective eye or nose discharges. Infection is particularly common in young children. Transmission is associated with poor sanitation and hygiene, which increase the availability of eye discharges and encourage the breeding of flies. Trachoma puts more than 190 million people at risk of blindness in 41 countries. It is responsible for the blindness or visual impairment of around 1.9 million people worldwide.

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The Baglihar Dam is a run-of-the-river power project on the Chenab River in the southern Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir.

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The main event of 4th International Yoga Day celebrations (IDY-2018) will be held on 21st June 2018 at Dehradun in Uttrakhand. Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India. The word ‘yoga’ derives from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolizing the union of body and consciousness. Today it is practiced in various forms around the world and continues to grow in popularity. The day is celebrated every year on June 21 to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing yoga.

Notes:
Indian cricket team skipper Virat Kohli has won the International Cricketer of the Year at the CEAT Cricket Ratings awards in Mumbai on May 28, 2018. Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan was presented the International Batsman of the Year Award, while New Zealand pace sensation Trent Boult won International Bowler of the Year Award. Afghanistan leg spinner Rashid Khan, who impressed everyone with his skills in the recently concluded IPL grabbing 21 wickets, was presented with the T20 Bowler of the Year Award. Woman cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur, who single-handedly took the team to the final of the ICC Women’s World Cup with her breathtaking knock of 171 not out against Australia in the semi-final, won the Outstanding Innings of the Year Award. Lifetime Achievement Award was bestowed on former India wicket-keeper Farokh Engineer.

Notes:
Daniel Ricciardo, an Australian racing driver who is currently competing in Formula One for Red Bull Racing, has won the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix 2018 at the Circuit de Monaco on May 27.

Notes:
The first edition of Global Wind Summit will be held in Hamburg, Germany from September 25, 2018. The organisers of the 4-day event are expecting speakers from about 100 countries, including India, China, the US, Spain and Denmark. The conference on wind is the largest and most important meeting of the wind industry worldwide. The focus of the conferences would be on three major subjects: Dynamic markets, cost efficiency and smart energy. The event will provide a platform for experts from across the globe to discuss innovative and green technologies for harnessing wind energy making.

Notes:
Pankaj Saran, the 1982-batch officer of Indian Foreign Service (IFS), has been appointed as the new Deputy National Security Advisor (NSA). He will at post for a period of two years, on deputation basis initially till the date of his superannuation, i.e., November 30, 2018, then on re-employment on contract basis. Currently, he is India’s envoy to Russia. He served twice in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) — first as Deputy Secretary/ Director during 1995 and 1999, and then as the Joint Secretary between 2007 and 2012. Former chief of the Intelligence Bureau, Ajit Doval is the National Security Adviser (NSA). He is assisted by Deputy National Security Advisers. Ex-chief of India’s external intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Rajinder Khanna was in January 2018 also appointed as the Deputy NSA.

Notes:
Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, who is currently Deputy Chief of the Army Staff, has been appointed the new General Officer Commander-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of Northern Command (of the Indian Army). Lt Gen Singh will succeed Lt Gen Devraj Anbu, who will take charge as Vice Chief of the Indian Army on June 1. Lt Gen Singh was the Director-General of Military Operations (DGMO) when India carried out surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir on September 26, 2016. Lt Gen Singh had also served as commander of the Army’s One Corps in Mathura. The Udhampur-based Northern Command is considered very crucial as it looks after Army’s operations in J&K besides guarding the LoC.