Current Affairs Quiz - 25th March, 2018 - Current Affairs MCQ

Union Agriculture Minister, Radha Mohan Singh had addressed the 5th India Maize Summit in New Delhi. The aim of the summit was to harness the potential of maize, technological innovations, promoting producer aggregation and linkages that are required.

India has handed over a second advanced offshore patrol vessel (AOPV) to the Sri Lankan Navy. Construction work of this AOPV commenced in 2014 at the Goa Shipyard. The vessel was officially handed over to the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Navy Rear Admiral Neil Rosayro in presence of Sri Lankan High Commissioner in India, Chithrangani Vagiswara and Chairman and Managing Director of the Goa Shipyard Ltd. Rear Admiral (Rtd) Sheker Mithal. The AOPV is capable of conducting patrols, policing, undertaking search, rescue, reconnaissance, surveillance, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) and pollution control operations in Sri Lanka's maritime zones.

In order to ensure the hassle-free administrative engagements during state assembly elections, Karnataka government pitched for the extension of Chief Secretary Ratna Prabha K. Anticipating the poll announcement by the election commission, Siddaramaiah has sought the three-month extension for the incumbent Chief Secretary. Ratna Prabha will be completing her tenure on March 31. Centre's Department of Personnel and Training will take the final call on Karnataka's plea. According to media reports, 1982 batch officer who is serving in Ministry of Social Welfare is in the race for the top post along with S K Pattanayak Secretary to Union Ministry of Agriculture. Ratna Prabha had played a pivotal role in the successful organization of the Invest Karnataka Summit in 2016. A 1981 IAS officer was serving as Additional Chief Secretary before her elevation. In 1999 and 2000, she received the 'Woman of the Year' award from the American Biographical Institute Inc, USA.

Pankaj Advani has defended his Asian Billiards Championships title. In the summit clash at Yangon in Myanmar, Advani defeated his practice partner B Bhaskar 6-1 on March 24, 2018. With this win, Advani remains the reigning Indian, Asian and world champion in billiards for 2017-18. This is Advani's 11th gold medal at the Asian level of cue sports. His continental billiards title tally has gone up to 7, in addition to the back-to-back Asian Games gold medals in 2006 and 2010, one 6-red snooker title and a snooker team gold. Meanwhile, in Snooker, India's Amee Kamani won the Asian Women's title by blanking her Thai opponent Siripaporn Nuanthakhamjan 3-0.

ISRO has signed a Technology Transfer Agreement (TTA) with Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) to transfer the technology for the manufacture of space-grade Li-Ion cells. The TTA was signed at ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru on 23rd March 2018 in the presence of Dr K. Sivan, Chairman of ISRO, and Atul Sobti, Chairman & Managing Director of BHEL. ISRO uses Li-Ion batteries as the power source for satellite and launch vehicle applications due to their high energy density, reliability and long cycle life. This Li-ion cell Technology Transfer will enable BHEL to produce space grade Li-Ion cells which can meet the country's space programme requirements. This technology can also be adopted to cater to the Li-Ion cell requirement for other national needs.

Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has developed "Fluorimeter", an instrument that measures traces of uranium in water. Fluorimeter has been developed by the Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT). RRCAT is a unit of DAE based in Indore. Cost of the fluorimeter is Rs 1 lakh. It will detect traces of uranium in water. It will be highly useful in regions like Punjab where uranium traces have been detected in water at dangerous levels. DAE has transferred its technology to another one of its unit, Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL), for mass production of Fluorimeter,. Fluorimeter can examine traces of uranium in a sample of water from 0.1 PPB (Parts-per-billion) unit to 100 PPB. The permissible radiological limit of uranium concentration for drinking water has been fixed at 60 PPB by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. High levels of uranium traces present in drinking water will increase radiological and chemical risks to human health.

USA launched a challenge at the World Trade Organization (WTO) against China over intellectual property breaches. A statement from the US Trade Representative's office, the United States is taking action at WTO to address China's unfair technology practices that run counter to WTO rules. US President Donald Trump hit China with tariffs up to 60 billion Dollars of imports to retaliate against the theft of American intellectual property, ratcheting up trade tensions between the world's two largest economies. Mr. Trump also announced he was directing the US Trade Representative's office to pursue dispute settlement in the WTO to confront China over its policies that result in unfair treatment for US companies and innovators trying to do business in China. US Trade Representative's office in a statement Chinese policies hurt innovators in the United States and worldwide by interfering with the ability of foreign technology holders to set market-based terms in licensing and other technology-related contracts. China warned the US that it was not afraid of a trade war as it threatened tariffs on 3 billion dollars worth of US goods in retaliation over the US measures. The World Trade Organization is not only a forum for nations to negotiate trade deals, but it also acts as a court to resolve trade disputes.

INS Ganga, an indigenously built frigate of the Indian Navy, was decommissioned in Mumbai on March 22, 2018. Commissioned on December 30, 1985, INS Ganga is a Godavari-class guided-missile frigate of the Indian Navy. It was Built in Mumbai by Mazagon Dock Limited. Decommissioning ceremony of INS Ganga was attended by several officers who had earlier served on board the ship. Vice Admiral A K Bhal, who served on INS Ganga as crew member from 1989 to 1991 was the Chief Guest for the ceremony, while Vice Admiral (Retd.) K K Kohli, the first Commanding Officer of INS Ganga was the special Guest of Honour.

Star shuttler P V Sindhu has been named the flag-bearer of the Indian contingent for the opening ceremony of the 2018 Commonwealth Games (CWG), which scheduled to be held in Gold Coast, Australia on April 4. India will see participation of 222 athletes from 15 different sports including aquatics, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, hockey, lawn bowls, shooting, squash, table tennis, weightlifting, wrestling and para sports in the quadrennial sport. In the 2014 CWG in Glasgow, Sindhu bagged a bronze in Women's Singles. It must be noted that Pistol shooter Vijay Kumar was the flag-bearer in 2014 Commonwealth Games, while 2008 Olympic champion shooter Abhinav Bindra had the honour when India hosted the Games in 2010. In the 2006 Melbourne Games, India's flag-bearer was double trap shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who is currently the Sports Minister.

Singapore Changi Airport has been rated as world's best airport for the sixth consecutive year by UK-based consultancy firm Skytrax. Changi Airport, owned by Government of Singapore, is one of the world's busiest airports by international passenger and cargo traffic. In 2017, Changi Airport served 60 million passengers from almost 100 countries across the world. Major attractions at Changi airport include a rooftop swimming pool, two 24-hour movie theatres screening the latest blockbusters for free and a sunflower garden that features several varieties of sunflowers grown in the airport's on site nursery. The awards were announced at Skytrax World Airport Awards function held in Stockholm, Sweden. Changi Airport is followed by Incheon International Airport in South Korea at No.2 and Haneda Airport in Japan at No.3. Among Indian Airports, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai ranked 63rd, while Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru and Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi ranked 64th and 66th respectively.

As per Census 2011 data, India is home to 413670 beggars. Among all state and Union Territories, highest number of beggars resides in West Bengal (nearly 81000 beggars), while Lakshadweep has only two beggars. Out of total 413670 beggars in India, 221673 are males and 191997 are females. In terms of highest number of beggars, West Bengal is followed by Uttar Pradesh (65835 beggars) and Andhra Pradesh (30218 beggars). Among Union Territories, New Delhi has highest number of beggars (2187).

Chhattisgarh bagged the National 'Water Digest Award' for Water Conservation-Diversion and for increasing the irrigation capacity in the State. This is the first time that Chhattisgarh Water Resources Department had been given national Award during the past 17 years. The Union Minister of State for Water Resources Arjun Ram Megwal presented the award to Chhattisgarh Water Resources Department Secretary Sonmani Bora. The Award is presented every year by the globally renowned magazine 'Water Digest'-which focuses mainly on water resources. Chhattisgarh State bagged the award for increasing the irrigation capacity, community participation, water management -water diversion, water conservation, efforts towards inter-linking of rivers, better techniques utilized in irrigation facilities.

The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has received the 'Most Informative Pavilion' Award in Pride of India Expo organized as part of the 105th Indian Science Congress (ISC) held from 16 to 20 March 2018 at Manipur University, Imphal. DRDO participated in the expo showcasing cutting-edge indigenous defence technologies with over 150 exhibits and models from 18 DRDO laboratories. The DRDO pavilion at the Expo was a big attraction among the visitors particularly students, who got opportunity to interact with DRDO scientists. The scientists engaged the visitors in the lively discussions on science and technologies.