Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2017

Notes:
The Central Government will launch a 15-day ‘Gram Samridhi Evam Swachhta’ campaign to promote development and cleanliness in rural areas on the 1st of October in partnership with state governments. The campaign will focus on educating villagers about hygiene and cleanliness through self-help groups, anganwadi centres and schools, and conducting training programmes.

Notes:
The 2-day Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise “Pralay Sahayam” was held in twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad in Telangana on September 22, 2017. The exercise was for all agencies involved in search, rescue and relief operations during natural disasters, to interact and evolve a seamless and optimized disaster management strategy. The purpose of the exercise is to create public awareness about man-made and natural climate change and urban disasters including floodings.

Notes:
Rajiv Mehrishi, a 1978 batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre, has taken charge as the new Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on September 25, 2017 and will have tenure of about three years. He administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He succeeded Shashi Kant Sharma. The CAG is appointed for a term of six years or till the incumbent attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. As a constitutional functionary, the CAG is primarily entrusted with the responsibility of auditing the accounts of the Union government and of the state governments. Prior to this post, Mehrishi was Home Secretary of Government of India (GoI). He had held several posts in both his state cadre Rajasthan and in the Centre. He also served as Economic Affairs Secretary and Chief Secretary of Rajasthan.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana ‘Saubhagya’ to supply electricity to poor households to mark the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya on September 25, 2017. The scheme will cover all rural families after electrification of all villages by December 2017. The Union government stated that states will be required to complete the household electrification by March 31, 2019. The scheme will be funded by a 60% grant from the government, with the states contributing 10% and the remaining amount will be covered by loans. For special category states, the government will grant 85% of the outlay, with the states contributing just 5%.

Notes:
The Ghatigaon Wildlife Sanctuary (GWS) is located near Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh and covers an area of 511 square kilometers. The sanctuary is also as the Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary. It houses many varieties of flora such as Khair, Murjan, Palash, Seja, Dhawada, Royenja, Ghote, Beweg, Dhaman, Salai, Heans and Katli. The sanctuary is also a home to the blackbuck, chital, monkey, wolf, blue bull, wild boar, fox and hyena.

Notes:
Shashi Shanker has been appointed Chairman and Managing Director of India’s biggest oil and gas producer, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) till March 31, 2021. Currently, he is director (Technical and Field Services) at ONGC and will take over the charge as CMD from October 1.He will succeed Dinesh K Sarraf, who retires on September 30.

Notes:
The Odisha Government has launched Sishu Abond Matru Mrityuhara Purna Nirakaran Abhijan (Sampurna) Yojna for pregnant women, in Odisha. Under the scheme, the state government will provide Rs.1,000 as transport cost for pregnant women to travel to the hospital. The main purpose of this scheme is to reduce the death ration of the newborn child and mother mortality rate. Around 7853 villages will be covered under the scheme. This scheme will be implemented in the areas where 102/108 ambulances cannot reach.

Notes:
The National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation (NHFDC) was set up in January 1997 as a non-profit company under Union ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The corporation provides financial assistance for wide range of income generating activities to disabled persons. Recently, the Jammu and Kashmir government has launched a scheme for disabled soldiers and their dependents in collaboration with the NHFDC. As per scheme, the disabled soldiers or dependent relatives of such soldiers, who are permanent residents of the state, having disability of 40% and above can avail maximum loan of Rs 25 lakh with 4-7% rate of interest per annum.

Notes:
The Sitanadi Wildlife Sanctuary (SWS) is located in Dhamtari District, Chhattisgarh and covers an area of 556 square kilometers. It is a famous tourist attraction which is frequented by wildlife enthusiasts throughout the year. It is named after Sitanadi River which originates from this sanctuary and joins Mahanadi River near Deokhut. Sitanadi Wildlife Sanctuary is known for its lush green flora and rich and unique and diverse fauna and has great potential to emerge as one of the finest wildlife destinations in Central India.

Notes:
Padma Shri awardee Tom Alter (67), who was veteran actor and theatre personality, has passed away in Mumbai on September 29, 2017. The Indian actor of American descent, Tom Alter made his big screen debut in 1976 with a small role in Dharmendra-starrer Charas and later went on to work in films like Shatranj Ke Khiladi, Gandhi, Kranti, Bose: The Forgotten Hero and Veer Zara. But it was his sitcom Zabaan Sambhalke (1993-1997) that made him a household name. Born in Mussoorie in 1950, Alter was a third-generation American in India who studied at Woodstock School in the Himalayas and then briefly at Yale University in the USA, before returning to India in the early 70s.