Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2017

Notes:
The Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary (TWS) is located in South Tripura District of Tripura and covers an area of about 163.08 square kilometres. It has a number of perennial water rivulets, water bodies and grass land. In this sanctuary, there are patches of virgin forests which are rich in rare vegetation. Indian Gaur (Bison) is an attraction of this sanctuary. Apart from it, there are varieties of Birds, Deers, Hollock Gibbon, Golden Langur, Capped Langur, Pheasant and many other animals and reptiles.

Notes:
The Indo-Bangladesh joint military exercise “Sampriti-7” has started in its northeastern states of Meghalaya and Mizoram from November 6, 2017. This is the 7th edition of the joint training exercise, which will end on November 18. The 13-day exercise will be conducted at India’s Jungle Warfare School at Vairengte in Mizoram and at the Joint Training Node at Umroi in Meghalaya. The purpose of the exercise is to enhance interoperability between the two nations and enrich from each other’s experience while carrying out counter-insurgency or counter-terrorism operations.

Notes:
The Nokrek National Park (NNS) is located in West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya and covers an area of 47.48 square kilometres. It is an important habitat of the Asian elephants and is also an important bird area. In 2009, UNESCO added this National park to its list of Biosphere Reserves. It is noted for its wild varieties of citrus fruits that provide a gene-pool for commercially produced citrus.

Notes:
The 20th International Children’s Film Festival of India (ICFFI) has started in Hyderabad on November 8, 2017 with New India- as the main theme this time. The Telangana government and Children’s Film Society, India (CFSI) are jointly organizing the biennial children’s event. 317 films from over hundred countries will be screened in about 40 theatres in Hyderabad and also at the district head quarters across the state. Of them, over hundred films will be screened in competition sections. Some of the popular international award-winning children’s films are also brought for the festival this time. They include – Sweeden film ‘SIV Sleeps Astray’ Russian film Pitch’, Netherlands film ‘Sky’, film from Germany Nelly’s Adventure, Canada film ‘Anthems: A Journey Around The World’, film from Egypt-Wintry Spring.

Notes:
Natalie Portman, an acclaimed Israeli-born actress and director, has been awarded Israel’s 2018 Genesis Prize in recognition of her commitment to social causes and deep connection to her Jewish and Israeli roots. It is announced by the Genesis Prize Foundation on November 7, 2017. The $1 million award, known as “the Jewish Nobel Prize,” is granted each year to a person recognised as an inspiration to the next generation of Jews through professional achievement and commitment to Jewish values. Ms. Portman is the fifth winner and first woman to receive the prize.

Notes:
Apollo Munich Health Insurance Company has won the ” 2017 General Insurance Company of the Year” award at the 21st Asia Insurance Industry Awards. The Health Insurance Company is a joint venture between Apollo Hospitals Group and the Munich Re Group The award recognises Apollo Munich’s contribution in demonstrating market leadership during the qualifying period via innovation in products, services, practices, responsiveness to end-users and intermediaries, initiatives in boosting the image of insurance in society, narrowing the protection gap, and showcasing exceptional business growth through professionalism and sound management.

Notes:
Assam’s female one-horned rhino “Guppy” has been unveiled as the official mascot of the 2017 AIBA Youth Women’s World Boxing Championship in Guwahati, Assam on November 7, 2017. Guppy has been chosen as it is a symbol of strength and endurance, something that Indian women are known for, traits that are also synonymous with the game of boxing. Apart from this, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Boxing Federation of India president Ajay Singh has also released the championship’s official logo and anthem ‘Make Some Noise’. Approx 200 participants (16-17 years) from 38 countries will take part in the event, which is scheduled to be held from November 19 to 26.

Notes:
The think tank NITI Aayog in collaboration with Proffer, a blockchain startup founded by graduates of MIT and Harvard, will organise a ‘Blockchain Summit’ and hackathon at IIT Delhi from Nov 10-13, 2017. The objective of the event is to explore how blockchain architectures can enable a new digital infrastructure for India, improving efficiency, transparency, privacy, and cost across all sectors. 1,500+ students from IITs, MIT, Harvard, Berkeley, and top engineering institutions around the world will be participating in the event, with 500 attending in-person on IIT Delhi’s campus. Multinational majors that include Microsoft, IBM, Accel, Coinbase, and Amazon AWS are sponsoring $17,000+ in prizes to reward the top 5 blockchain-based applications addressing problems in government/enterprise infrastructure, finance, energy markets, supply chain, decentralized Aadhar identities, information exchange, and more.

Notes:
Dr. Renu Swarup, Senior Adviser for Department of Biotechnology (DBT), has been awarded with National Entrepreneurship Award, 2017 under Mentor (Government) category in the Recognition Track at the National Entrepreneurship Award Ceremony, 2017 in New Delhi. Dr. Swarup also holds position of Managing Director, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), a Public Sector Company.

Notes:
The third edition of international film festival “Russian Film Days” has started at Siri Fort Auditorium in Delhi on November 10, 2017 with a special tribute to Raj Kapoor. It is an initiative to strengthen the Indo-Russian relationship through cinematic and cultural exchange. During the festival over the course of three days, Delhi movie-goers will be able to watch ‘The Bolshoi’, ‘The Ghost of Sonora’, ‘Yana + Yanko’, ‘Kitchen: World chef battle’, and ‘Attraction’ at DT Cinemas in Saket. This year the event expanded its borders and will be held in three major cities—Delhi, Mumbai and Panaji (Goa).The festival will come to an end in Delhi on November 12 before moving to Mumbai. It will conclude at the 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Panaji, Goa from November 20.