Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2017

Notes:
The first- ever North East Development Summit (NEDS) 2017 was inaugurated by President of India Ram Nath Kovind in Imphal, Manipur, which was held on November 21-22, 2017. The NEDS 2017 was jointly organized by Manipur State Government in collaboration with Union Commerce Ministry and India Foundation. The main purpose of this summit was to showcase the economic potential and to attract investments in food processing, bamboo industry, real estate and other businesses within the state. During the course of this Summit, approx 20 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) were signed between various Departments of Manipur State Government and National and International Companies/Investors. Approx 175 delegates including various foreign delegates attended the event.

Notes:
The Rani Jhansi Marine National Park (RJMNP) is located in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and covers an area of 256.14 square kilometres. It was founded in 1996 and commemorates Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi (1828-58). The park provides shelter to some very crucial wildlife and habitats which include Dugongs, Crocodiles, Marine Life, Coral Reefs, Mangroves, Terrestrial Moist forest and birds. It is an area which is strictly reserved for the betterment of the wildlife & biodiversity, and where activities like developmental, forestry, poaching, hunting and grazing on cultivation are not permitted. Their boundaries are well marked and circumscribed.

Notes:
Jon Hendricks (96), the legendary jazz singer and lyricist, has passed away in New York, United States on November 22, 2017. Hendricks found fame in the 1950s and ’60s teaming with Dave Lambert and Annie Ross. The Jazz singer wrote the lyrics to existing Basie songs, and the three recorded their own voices in layers instead of using backup singers. The trio’s first album, “Sing a Song of Basie,” won acclaim for its use of vocalese, in which the voices mimic the instrumental parts. Others experimented with vocalese before Hendricks, but he is widely regarded as the father of the spirited singing style for popularising it. After the group broke up in 1962, he pursued a solo career in London, worked as a jazz critic in San Francisco and released several solo albums.

Notes:
Rajnath Singh, the Union Home Minister, has chaired the 12th Standing Committee meeting of the Inter-State Council (ISC) in New Delhi on November 25, 2017. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the recommendations of the Punchhi Commission on Centre-State Relations. The issues discussed in meeting included, financial transfers from Centre to States, GST, devolution of functions to local bodies, district planning, special provisions for Fifth and Sixth scheduled areas, communal harmony, deployment of central forces, migration and criminal justice system. The committee also finalized 118 recommendations.

Notes:
The 2017 International Multilateral Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise (IMMSAREX) has started in Bangladesh from November 26 to 28, 2017. The exercise will be inaugurated by Prime Minister of Bangladesh on November 27, 2017 in Cox Bazar, Bangladesh. From India, Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba will participate in the exercise to consolidate the bilateral naval relations between India and Bangladesh and to explore new avenues for naval cooperation. The exercise is taking place under the aegis of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) — an initiative of the Indian Navy that was launched in 2008 to bring together littoral states in the region. Indian Naval Ships Ranvir, Sahyadri, Gharial and Sukanya along with one Maritime Patrol Aircraft P-8I will take part in the exercise.

Notes:
Rajkummar Rao has won the best actor award for his movie “Newton” at the most prestigious 11th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA-2017). Beside this, the best screenplay award was also goes Amit V Masurkar and Mayank Tewari for “Newton”. Newton is India’s official entry for the foreign language film category at the Academy Awards 2018. The movie is produced by Drishyam Films and directed by Masurkar. It revolves around a young government clerk who is sent on election duty to a Maoist-controlled town and how the ideological struggle puts him in an awkward situation.

Notes:
The first edition of the International Symposium to Promote Innovation & Research in Energy Efficiency (INSPIRE 2017) has started in Jaipur, Rajasthan on November 27, 2017. The 5-day symposium is being organized by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) in partnership with World Bank (WB) and Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE). INSPIRE 2017 is a global conference which aims to bring together various stakeholders like policymakers, innovators, financiers to showcase best practices in the sector. It is designed to provide global and national thought-leaders and implementers to expand perspectives on energy efficiency. Approx 350 participants from 13 countries across North America, Asia, Europe and Middle East are attending the event.

Notes:
Professor Hiroshi Marui of Japan has been conferred with the 3rd Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Distinguished Indologist Award -2017 by the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, for his exemplary contribution to Indology at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. Professor Marui has spent over 40 years working on Indian philosophy and Buddhist Studies. His many acclaimed publications and research papers are considered a final authority on several subjects the world over.

Notes:
The annual meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO-2017) has started in Russian city of Sochi on November 30, 2017. Sushma Swaraj, the Union External Affairs Minister, will represent India in the two-day summit which is likely to discuss regional security scenario, including situations in the Gulf and Afghanistan. On the sidelines of the summit, Ms Swaraj will also have bilateral meetings with several leaders. She also attend the reception to be hosted by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. As a member of the SCO, India is expected to have a bigger say in pressing for concerted action in dealing with terrorism as well as on issues relating to security and defence in the region. In June, India and Pakistan had become full-fledged members of the grouping.

Notes:
In its 2018 edition of Indian Pharmacopoeia, the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) has approved modern, animal-free tests for drug manufacturers. This step would spare animals from suffering due to drug experiments. The 2018 edition of Indian Pharmacopoeia has provided guidelines on tests for drugs manufactured and marketed in India. In it, IPC has replaced the pyrogen test carried out on rabbits and the abnormal toxicity test carried out on guinea pigs and mice with tests that can be done in test tubes. The guidelines in the edition will come into effect from July 1. The pyrogen test is carried out to check impurity or substance that can cause adverse side-effects. For the test, the drug is injected into a rabbit and the animal is closely observed for feverish symptoms. The abnormal toxicity test is carried out to check potential hazardous biological contamination in vaccine formulation. IPC is an autonomous institution of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare which sets standards for all drugs that are manufactured, sold and consumed in India. It is headquartered in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.