Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2017

Notes:
India’s first electric bus service has launched by Himachal Pradesh Government for Rohtang Pass, a tourist destination near Manali. The electric bus, which is built by Goldstone Infratech, has been certified by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), after extensive testing at the parts and vehicle level. With this initiative, Himachal has become the first in the world to ply electric buses at an altitude of 13 thousand feet. These buses will ply on 51km eco fragile stretch between Manali and Rohtang. Each electric bus has a capacity to carry 30 passengers and can cover 200 km with the fully charged batteries. The fare is yet to be fixed but it would be marginally higher than diesel buses.

Notes:
P Alli Rani has been appointed the Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) Ltd. Presently, she is Director (Finance) in Container Corporation of India (CCI) Ltd. According to Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Rani has been appointed to the post for a period of five years.

Notes:
The 9-day Bathukamma festival is a colourful and vibrant festival of Telangana that has started on September 20, 2017. This fest is celebrated by women with flowers that grow exclusively in each region. This festival is a symbol of Telangana’s cultural identity. On this occasion, the Telangana government has began free distribution of over one crore sarees for women below the poverty line.

Notes:
Jagat Prakash Nadda, the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, has inaugurated a 5-day multi-media exhibition “Naya Bharat-Hum Karke Rahenge” in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh on September 23, 2017. It is the 36th such exhibition organized in the country. The purpose of the exhibition is to aware common people on the different central sponsored schemes through photographs and video clips, so that the people can take benefit from the schemes. The exhibition was organized by Housing and Urban Development Corporation with the help of Union Parliamentary Affairs Ministry.

Notes:
Indian shuttler Vaishnavi Reddy has clinched the women’s singles Under-19 title at the Belgian Junior Open badminton tournament. She defeated top seed Vivien Sandorhazi in a three-game final at Herstal, Belgium on September 25, 2017.

Notes:
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has downgraded India’s GDP growth forecast to 7% from 7.4% for financial year 2017-18 due to weakness in private consumption, manufacturing output and business investment. Further, in its latest Asian Development Outlook (ADO) outlook update, ADB has downgraded India’s growth projection for financial year 2018-19 to 7.4%, from the earlier forecast of 7.6% in July 2017. However, the multilateral lender stated that India continues its strong showing although demonetisation and implementation of the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime have dented consumer spending and business investment. These short-term disruptions are expected to dissipate allowing these initiatives to generate growth dividends over the medium term.

Notes:
The World Tourism Day (WTD) is observed every year on September 27 to raise awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value. The 2017 theme “Sustainable tourism – a tool for development” is dedicated to explore the contribution of tourism to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). On the occasion of World Tourism Day, President Ram Nath Kovind will give away the National Tourism Awards and will Launch Incredible India 2.0 Campaign in New Delhi.

Notes:
The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Women and Child Development. It functions as the nodal body for adoption of Indian children and is mandated to monitor and regulate in-country and inter-country adoptions. Recently, it is in news because, CARA has started a monthly ‘Jan Sampark’ program to enable the public to have interaction with its officials for seeking information related to adoption as well as flagging their concerns. The first of its kind programme was held in New Delhi recently. The event will now be a regular feature every month apart from the quarterly Facebook live chat by CEO CARA.

Notes:
NITI Aayog will host the 8th annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES 2017) in partnership with the USA, which is scheduled to be held in Hyderabad from November 28 to 30. The 2017 theme “Women First, Prosperity for All” will celebrate entrepreneurship in all its strength, diversity and entirety. The four primary focus areas of GES 2017 are Health Care and Life Sciences, Digital Economy and Financial Technology, Energy and Infrastructure, and Media and Entertainment. The 2017 summit will empower Indian entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas, build partnerships, secure funding, and create innovative products and services that will transform societies for a better future. It will not only bring global best practices to India, but will also create an irreplaceable place for India in the global entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Notes:
Royana Singh, an assistant professor at the Institute of Medical Science (Anatomy Department), has been appointed as the first woman chief proctor of Banaras Hindu University (BHU). She succeeded O P Singh, who recently resigned from the post after taking moral responsibility for the lathi charge on students who were protesting against the victim-blaming of a colleague who was molested on the campus.