Current Affairs Quiz -17th September, 2018 - Current Affairs MCQ

Union Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh inaugurated two Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) pilot projects along the India-Pakistan border in Jammu region. The pilot project includes two 5.5 kilometre-stretches in Jammu, the performance of which will be monitored, and based on the feedback improvements will be made for the rest of the system. A 60-kilometre long pilot project along the Bhramaputra river in Assam's Dhubri district would also be launched in November.

Moutaz Mousa Abdallah has become Sudan's new Prime Minister. A 21-member cabinet was sworn in at the presidential palace in Khartoum. Mousa Abdallah is also holding the finance portfolio in a bid to revive the country's ailing economy.

According to the 14th report "HIV Estimations 2017" released by Health and Family Welfare Ministry, Maharashtra has the highest number of people living with HIV in India. It was compiled by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Medical Statistics (NIMS). Maharashtra has around 3.30 lakh, contributing 15 per cent of total immunodeficiency virus-affected people. Other states with high prevalence of PLHIV are: Andhra Pradesh (2.70 lakh), Karnataka (2.47 lakh) and Telangana (2.04 lakh), Lowest adult HIV prevalence was in Jammu & Kashmir.

Salesforce.com Inc. founder Marc Benioff and his wife Lynne agreed to acquire Time magazine from Meredith Corp. for $190 million in cash, joining Jeff Bezos among tech billionaires buying venerable print publications. The move thrusts the brash 53-year-old entrepreneur, who helped lead the shift of software to an on-demand model, into a new role: media baron. TIME magazine publisher Time Inc was sold to Meredith for $1.8 billion in January 2018.

Federal Bank, which is in the process of formation of a wholly owned subsidiary company, has executed MOU with Infopark Kakkanad for leasing space in their campus. The Bank has already obtained in principle approval of the Reserve Bank of India for the creation of a subsidiary company. The proposed company will integrate and handle all the back-end operations of the Bank. This move towards having a distinct and exclusive outfit for back-end activities is a stride is in line with the practice of progressive financial institutions.

Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge set a new marathon world record in Berlin (Germany), smashing the previous best as he clocked 2 hours 1 minute 39 second. Kipchoge has dominated marathon racing since making his debut in Hamburg in 2013. The 33-year-old Olympic champion, aided by a string of pacemakers through to 25km of the 42.195 km race, took 1 minute 17 second off the previous best set four years ago by Dennis Kimetto. Ethiopian Ruti Aga finished second and her compatriot Tirunesh Dibaba third.

The first edition of the World Heritage Cuisine Summit and food festival will be held at the Qila Gobindgarh in Amritsar, Punjab from October 12-14. It will be organise by the World Cultural Culinary Heritage Committee, under the aegis of the World Association of Chefs' Societies (World Chefs). The summit, hosted by the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations, will celebrate traditional cuisine with live demonstrations, food tasting, presentations, panel discussions, master classes by chefs from around the world in the holy city. It will focus on inculcating appreciation for food culture and traditions, good food habits and sustainable practices.

India ranks third globally in terms of number of family-owned businesses with 111 companies having a total market capitalisation of $839 billion. India closely follows China with 159 firms and the US with 121 firms,according to the 'Credit Suisse Family 1000 in 2018' study, published by the Credit Suisse Research Institute (CSRI).

State Bank of India announced that Prashant Kumar has taken charge as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Bank. Before Kumar, Anshula Kant, who has been promoted as Managing Director of SBI, was the CFO. Prior to this appointment, Kumar was designated as Deputy Managing Director (HR) & Corporate Development Officer of India's largest bank.

External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj, along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the website for the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2019, www.pbdindia.gov.in. The online registration for participation has started for this biennial event.

State-run Punjab National Bank (PNB) bagged the "Rajbhasha Kirti" award for outstanding performance in implementing the Official Language Policy during 2017-18. The award was given on the occasion of Hindi Diwas (15th September). The award, under the category of 'Nationalised Banks and Financial Institutions in Region A', was presented by Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu to PNB Chief Executive and MD Sunil Mehta.

For the first time in India, dog owners will have a dedicated dog park to visit. Set up in Hyderabad, the park is spread across an area of 1.3 acres. The park houses dog training equipment, play equipment, splash pool, fountain, areas for exercise, amphitheatre, lawns, separate kennels for small and big dogs and a dedicated dog clinic.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched PSLV C 42 with two British earth observation satellites NovaSAR and S1-4 in precision from the Sathish Dhawan Space Centre Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The satellites were put into sun-synchronous orbit just over 17 minutes after liftoff from the first launch pad. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated ISRO scientists for the successful launch of 2 UK satellites.

Cisco, a U.S.-based firm, that makes networking telecommunications equipment, has signed two agreements with the NITI Aayog and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to speed up its Country Digital Acceleration programme in India. The current set of investments will focus on fostering innovation and entrepreneurship through the Atal Innovation Mission and in developing use cases to showcase the possibilities of 5G in citizen services and application of innovative digital technologies in transportation modernisation.

The Delhi government has signed a "Friendship and Cooperation Agreement" with the Seoul Metropolitan Government under which the two cities would exchange expertise for betterment in 12 fields including environment, transport, tourism, solid waste management and public health. As per the MoU, the Delhi government will solicit support of its Urban Development Department and other departments for implementing all the relevant aspects of the agreement. It also requires the Delhi government to set up and operationalise a 'Twinning Cell' at the Urban Development Department and a committee to support the cell. Besides, it will support activity related workshops, conduct community participation activities, and maintain documentation. The 'Twinning Agreement' will remain in force till three years from September 14, 2018, and it could be amended by written agreement between the two parties.

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has approved Rs 65,634.93 crore loan so far to 93 prioritised irrigation projects under the government's flagship scheme Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY). The NABARD is funding the central and state share of 99 prioritised irrigation projects under the PMKSY through long term irrigation fund (LTIF). It is mandated to provide Rs 70,000 crore loan to these projects to be completed by 2019.