Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2017

Notes:
Andhra Bank has launched a new scheme “Pattabhi Sitaramayya — Self Business Group (PS-SBG)” on November 21, 2017 to encourage entrepreneurship. The scheme was launched to commemorate the 138th birth anniversary of its founder Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya, and the Silver Jubilee of the SHG-Bank linkage programme in the country. Under the scheme, maximum financial assistance will be Rs. 25 lakh without collateral security. The Self Help Groups (SHGs), which have had five years of association with Andhra Bank, will be eligible for the scheme. The SHGs should also have completed three credit rotations with good repayment record to be considered eligible. The bank aims to encourage SHGs to Self Business Group model by helping these collectives take up substantial economic activity. Bank will also facilitate capacity building workshops for SHG members.

Notes:
J P Nadda, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, has inaugurated the 1st World Conference on Access to Medical Products and International Laws for Trade and Health in New Delhi. The Conference is organized by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare with the support of WHO Country Office for India and in partnership with Indian Society of International Law. The purpose of the conference is to exchange knowledge and expand understanding on contemporary issues in international trade laws and research and innovation for access to medical products to achieve SDG 2030 agenda.

Notes:
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) through the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) will conduct a multi-State mega mock exercise on tsunami preparedness on November 24, 2017. The exercise will be simultaneously conducted in 31 coastal districts across four States – West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu – and Union Territory Puducherry along the entire East Coast. The participants from 11 Pacific Island countries will observe the entire exercise to take away key lessons and best practices to be adopted while preparing for and responding to a disaster situation. The exercise is one of the various activities planned on the occasion of the 2nd World Tsunami Awareness Day (WTAD) held on November 5 this year. India’s eastern coast is susceptible to both floods and tsunamis and many coastal districts have conducted similar mock exercises for better preparedness over the years.

Notes:
The 2017 Constitution Day (or Samvidhan Divas) is celebrated every year in India on November 26 to commemorate the adoption of Constitution of India. On this day in 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Constitution of India, and it came into effect on 26 January 1950. From 2015, the Government of India (GoI) is observing 26th November as Constitution Day. On the occasion of Constitution Day, in 2017, the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development (HRD) has launched a Digital Signature campaign to generate awareness on fundamental duties enshrined in the Constitution. People can join the campaign by filling a form online.

Notes:
Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, who represented South Africa, has been crowned the Miss Universe 2017 at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. The runner-up was Miss Colombia Laura Gonzalez, while the second runner-up was Miss Jamaica Davina Bennett. Nel-Peters is the second titleholder from South Africa, and the first since Margaret Gardiner won Miss Universe 1978. Contestants from 92 countries and territories participated in the decades-old competition. This year’s edition had the most contestants ever, including the first ever representatives of Cambodia, Laos and Nepal.

Notes:
The Golden Temple in Amritsar has officially been declared the most visited place of the world in 2017 by London-based organization World Book of Records (WBR). The WBR team presented the award certificate to Shriomani Gurdwara Pharbandhak Committee (SGPC), the management body of the Golden Temple. The certificate was given to Golden Temple as over a lakh devotees visit the holy shrine every day. The award, which is bestowed after every three months, has been conferred basis observations made from September 2017. The international organization, established in 2015, catalogues and verifies world records with authentic certification. The Golden Temple stands as a symbol of peace, unity and spirituality and is the holiest pilgrimage site of Sikhism.

Notes:
Nirmala Sitharaman, the Union Defence Minister, has been elected as the new President of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA). The IDSA was set up in 1965 by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) as an autonomous think tank, and it is customary to have the Defence Minister as its President. The Minister chairs the Executive Council which governs the Institute. IDSA is funded by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and its faculty conducts research in military, foreign and strategic affairs. Significantly, the Government has sought its views before taking major policy initiatives, like conducting nuclear tests, as in 1974 and 1998. IDSA also executes specific assignments from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The headquarters of IDSA is loacted in New Delhi.

Notes:
Shaktikanta Das, the former Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), has been appointed as India’s G20 Sherpa till December 31, 2018 for the Development Track of the G20 summit. There are two tracks in G-20 — Finance Track and Development Track. Finance Track is managed by the secretary (economic affairs) as India’s Deputy to G-20 and the Development Track is coordinated by the Sherpa. A Sherpa is a personal representative of the leader of a member country at an international Summit meeting such as the G8, G20 or the Nuclear Security Summit and are responsible for thrashing out the details before the meeting of the leaders. There is only one Sherpa per Summit for each member country; he/she is assisted by several sous Sherpas. Prior to Das, former NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya, held the responsibility of the G20 Sherpa.

Notes:
The Bank of Baroda (BoB) has launched a digital supply chain finance solution to offer working capital loans to small and medium enterprise and large corporate clients. The solution will cover pre and post shipment products – dealer or channel finance, vendor finance and payable finance. This service will accelerate working capital loans by enhancing reporting capabilities. It will bring down the risk and ensure greater satisfaction to the clients.

Notes:
Thodupuzha Vasanthi (65), the veteran Malayalam film and theatre actor, has passed away at Vazhakulam in Kerala on November 28, 2017. She was known for character roles in over 400 Malayalam movies in her four-decade-old acting career. Vasanthi was better known for her roles in God Father, Alolam and Karyam Nissaram.