Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2017

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The Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF), which markets the Amul brand of milk and milk products, has been recognised as the India’s best Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Company in the food sector by the International Advertising Association (IAA). Amul was presented the 5th IAA Leadership Award for this recognition at Mumbai on October 9, 2017. The prestigious awards instituted by the IAA’s India Chapter recognise excellence towards contribution in marketing, advertising and media sectors as well as celebrate outstanding achievements of individuals and teams.

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Vinay Mohan Kwatra, the 1988 batch of IFS officer, has been appointed as the new Ambassador to Principality of Monaco, with residence in Paris. He will take his assignment shortly. Presently, he is Ambassador of India to France.

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The Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently approved signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with Japan on establishing a Liquid, Flexible and Global LNG Market. The MoC will provides a framework to cooperate in facilitating flexibility in LNG contracts, abolition of Destination Restriction Clause (DRC) and also explore possibilities of cooperation in establishing reliable LNG spot price indices, reflecting true LNG demand and supply. This MoC is expected to be signed during the forthcoming visit of Hon’ble Minister for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship during October 16-18, 2017 at Tokyo. Apart from this, India and Japan will also sign MoC for a Technical Intern Training Program (TITP). The TITP is an ambitious program to send Indian technical interns to Japan for on the job training for a period of three to five years.

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All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has become the first cricketer from Bangladesh to be inducted in the MCC World Cricket Committee under the chairmanship of Mike Gatting. He is regarded as one of Bangladesh’s finest players since they were awarded the Test status in 2000, with the all-rounder having played 51 Test matches and 177 One-day Internationals (ODI). Beside him, other cricketers added to the committee are Suzie Bates, Ian Bishop and Kumar Dharmasena.

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Gautam Bambawale, an Indian foreign service officer of the 1984 batch, has been appointed as the India’s new ambassador to China and is expected to take up the assignment shortly. He will succeed Vijay Keshav Gokhale. After joining the post, one of the first tasks in front of Bambawale will be to stabilise India-China ties rocked by a military face off in the Dokalam area of Bhutan that lasted 73 days. Currently, he is high commissioner to Pakistan.

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The International Day of Rural Women is observed every year on October 15 to recognize the crucial role that women and girls play in ensuring the sustainability of rural households and communities, improving rural livelihoods and overall wellbeing. The 2017 theme is “Challenges and opportunities in climate-resilient agriculture for gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls”.

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The Rajasthan assembly has become the first in India to call attention and adjournment motions and proposals online from legislators to send them to the state government. The new system is expected to save time, labour and use of paper in the functioning of the assembly, and also help legislators in bringing attention to urgent public issues. It will also streamline the exchange of information and reports among respective departments.

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The Shahid Chandra Shekhar Azad Bird Sanctuary (SCSABS) is located in Unnao district on the Kanpur-Lucknow highway in Uttar Pradesh. It is also known as Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary. The sanctuary provides protection for 250 species of migratory birds such as greylag goose, pintail, cotton teal, red-crested pochard, gadwall, shoveller, coot and mallard. It also houses a deer park, watchtowers and boats.

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Noted Indian-American attorney Ajay Raju has been honoured with the 3rd American Bazaar Philanthropy award in recognition of his philanthropic activities in the US. Asif Ismail, publisher of The American Bazaar, an online ethnic news publication about Indian-Americans stated that Raju was honoured for his commitment to revive Philadelphia through the Germination Project. 

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The AYUSH Festival of Stamps 2017 was inaugurated by Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar at Maquinez Palace in Panaji, Goa on October 17, 2017. The two-day exhibition event is being jointly organised by the Goa Postal Region, Indian postal department and the Ministry of AYUSH. The objective of the first-of-its-kind festival is to promote healthy hobbies such as stamp collection among students and healthy lifestyle habits. He said the event should initiate a movement of philately at schools. Stamps related to ayurveda, yoga and related traditional practices from India and abroad are being displayed at the event. About 150 schools and 5,000 students have registered for the festival.