Current Affairs Quiz -24th August, 2018 - Current Affairs MCQ

The Maharashtra government has appointed actor Raveena Tandon as the brand ambassador of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) to spread environmental awareness among citizens. The SGNP is spread over 103 Sq. Km. and is wedged between the suburbs of Mumbai and Thane. It is home to more than 274 species of birds, 35 species of mammals, 78 species of reptiles and amphibians, 170 species of butterflies and over a staggering 1,300 species of plants. The park is notable as one of the major national parks existing within a metropolis limit and is one of the most visited parks in the world. It was formerly known as Borivali National Park and was renamed SGNP in 1996, after Sanjay Gandhi, the son of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

A new satellite that will use advanced laser technology to track global winds and improve weather forecasts has been successfully put into orbit. The name of the satellite is "Aeolus" - named after the guardian of wind in Greek mythology. The satellite "will probe the lowermost 30 kilometres of the atmosphere in measuring winds around the Earth.

The European Union announced an offer of € 190,000 (Rs.1.53 crore) in aid funding to the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS). It is to provide immediate relief to flood-affected people in Kerala. The announcement was made by the office of the grouping that comprised 28 European countries. The funding is part of the EU's overall contribution to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). It is said the aid will directly benefit 25,000 people from some of the worst hit areas of the state, adding a humanitarian expert from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Operations (ECHO) has also been deployed to assess the situation in the state. As outbreaks of vector-borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and malaria are common following the flood, disease prevention and hygiene promotion activities are also being conducted. The mosquito nets are being provided.

According to Forbes magazine, Akshay Kumar has emerged as the seventh highest-paid actor in the world by earning USD 40.5 million in 2018. Salman Khan ranked ninth place with USD 38.5 million. Hollywood star George Clooney tops the list of 'World's Highest-Paid Actors 2018' with $239 Million. Forbes list of the World's best-paid male actors 2018: George Clooney - $239m; Dwayne Johnson - $119m; Robert Downey Jr - $79m; Chris Hemsworth - $64.5m; Jackie Chan -$45.5m; Will Smith - $42m; Akshay Kumar -$40.5m; Adam Sandler - $39.5m; Chris Evans - $34m; Salman Khan - $33.5m.

IIT-Hyderabad launches First of its kind in India, Fabless Chip Design Incubator (FabCI). It offers facilities like free software tools with leading technology partners in Electronic Design Automation (EDA). The main aim to incubate a minimum of 50 'Make-in-India' chip design companies that can compete globally and generate Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs).

Indian shooter Shardul Vihan (15) from Uttar Pradesh clinched silver in the men's double trap shooting event at the Jakabaring shooting range in the 18th Asian Games 2018 on August 23. He shot 73 to claim the silver medal, while Korea's Shin Hyunwoo clinched gold with a score of 74. Qatar's Al Marri Hamad Ali bagged the bronze after shooting 53 at the Jakabaring shooting range. Vihan, who is coached by former Asian Championship double gold medallist Anwer Sultan, had grabbed four gold medals at Shotgun Nationals Championship in 2017.

Prof. Chander Mohan, an Indian-American scientist, has identified as many as 50 protein biomarkers that can non-invasively detect Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) - a gut disorder that leads to diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, and weight loss. Mohan, who is professor at University of Houston in the US, received a $ 347,490 grant from the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America. Along with IBD expert Subra Kugathasan, a gastroenterologist at Emory University in the US, Mohan is examining stool protein biomarkers that indicate the disease. IBD occurs when the body's immune system fights its intestinal cells. Two of the most common types are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, both of which cause inflammation in the digestive tract.

Scientists have developed a wireless 'in-body GPS' system named "ReMix" that can accurately locate ingestible implants and track tumours inside the body. ReMix was able to track implants with centimetre-level accuracy in animal tests. Similar implants can be used to deliver drugs to specific regions of the body. The test was conducted by scientists from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in the US. ReMix is not accurate enough to be implemented in clinical settings as of now. For actual implementation, the margin of error should be closer to nearly two millimetres.

Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has given recognition to Kho-Kho, India's indigenous sport. Kho-Kho will be included as a demonstration sport in the Asian Indoor Games. Also, it has the possibility to be included as a discipline in the next Asian Games. Rajeev Mehta is the Secretary General of Indian Olympic Association (IOA). He is also the president of Asian Kho-Kho Federation.

Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), world's second largest sovereign wealth fund hired private equity veteran Kabir Mathur to head operations in India. He is a former director with US fund KKR & Co. L.P.

The 9th edition of Mountain Echoes Literature Festival 2018 has started in Thimphu, Bhutan to serve as a collaborative platform for knowledge sharing, leading to global cultural potpourri of ideas. The 4-day Literature Festival began with a tribute to former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was remembered at the annual event for his animated style of poetry recitations. It will celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations between India and Bhutan. The 2018 edition will focus on subjects such as Spirituality and Philosophy, Performing Arts, Environmental Conservation, Food, as well as Film and Theatre, among others. The literary festival of Bhutan was established under the patronage of Her Majesty the Royal Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck and is known for bringing together literary stalwarts from across the world in the lap of the Himalayas.

Volkswagen is to launch an all-electric car sharing service in Berlin. It is to serve a business serving people in big cities who don't own cars. The company planned to expand its "We Share project to big cities" in Europe and North America by 2020. Volkswagen would deploy 2,000 of such cars in the first months of next year. It is to build visibility and ensure that there are enough cars available that customers could always find one near them. It selected Berlin because of its dense population. Nowadays Volkswagen and other global automakers are investing in new business models where people use cars as something to be used when needed rather than owned.

Indian rowers Sawarn Singh, Dattu Bhokanal, Om Prakash and Sukhmeet Singh won the men's Quadruple Sculls to win India's fifth gold medal at the Asian Games 2018. The medal is only the second ever gold medal for India in the rowing competition in Asian Games history. India has now won a total of 21 medals at Asiad 2018.

Ujjivan Small Finance Bank announced the launch of its overdraft facility for micro and small enterprises (MSE). This aimed at the MSEs who don't have easy access to formal credit. It would be offered to all MSEs with a turnover of Rs 50 lakh or more. This interest rate on the overdraft is for one year with a minimum credit of Rs 11 lakh to a maximum of Rs 50 lakh renewed on an annual basis. Ujjivan SFB also offers composite loans, where the overdraft facility can be combined with existing MSE term loan products.

The World Bank launched 'bond-i', the world's first bond to be created, allocated, transferred and managed by using distributed ledger technology. This two-year bond successfully raised 110 million Australian dollars (USD 80.48 million). This was the first time that investors supported the World Bank's development activities in a transaction that is fully managed using the blockchain technology from start to finish.

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) and the government Think Tank NITI Aayog organised two-day 'India Banking Conclave' (IBC) in New Delhi between August 23 and August 24, 2018. The main focus is On reform in the banking sector. About Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) : CEPR is network of over 1100 researchers who are based mainly in universities throughout Europe and collaborate in research and its dissemination. It aims to enhance quality of economic policy-making within Europe and beyond.