November 30, 2017 - Current Affairs Quiz - Current Affairs MCQ

Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2017 was held in Hyderabad from 28th – 30th November 2017.GES 2017 (eighth edition of GES) was hosted by NITI Aayog in partnership with Government of the United States of America. Theme of GES 2017 was “Women First, Prosperity for All”. The US delegation to GES 2017 was head by Ivanka Trump, daughter and advisor of US President, Donald Trump. United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator, Mark Andrew Green announced several initiatives aimed to empower women entrepreneurs for attaining their full potential.

Eastern Railways brought into service, the first rake of upgraded Sealdah – New Delhi ‘Swarna’ Rajdhani. This rake has become India’s first Swarna Rajdhani rake under Project ‘Swarna’ of Indian Railways. Under Project ‘Swarna’, Indian Railways had given a free hand to Zonal Railways to develop and create aesthetic and passenger friendly coach interiors on running rakes of Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains. The objective was to establish new standards in passengers comfort. Budget of Rs. 50 lakh per rake was allocated for this purpose.

India and Singapore inked a major pact on marine security in New Delhi. The pact was signed during Singaporean Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen’s visit to India. Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Singaporean Defence Minister, Ng Eng Hen held wide-ranging talks, during which India and Singapore declared an intent to ensure freedom of navigation in critical sea lanes and to enhance overall military cooperation with a special focus on combating terrorism.

The first India-New Zealand Cyber Dialogue was held in New Delhi. The Indian Delegation was led by Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma, Additional Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs. The New Zealand delegation was led by Mr. Paul Ash, Director of the National Cyber Policy Office, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Areas of discussion included domestic cyber policy landscape, cyber threats and mitigation, new technologies, mechanism on bilateral cooperation and possible cooperation at various international fora and regional fora. Both sides agreed to hold the next IndiaNew Zealand Cyber dialogue in New Zealand in 2018.

2nd meeting of Higher Education Funding Agency (HEFA) Board was held on November 29, 2017. During this meeting, HEFA board approved projects worth Rs. 2066.73 Cr to improve the research infrastructure in six institutions – IITs Bombay, Delhi, Madras, Kharagpur, Kanpur and NIT Suratkal. Out of the approved projects, 16 projects are for upgrading Research/academic facilities and 11 projects are for other supporting infrastructure.These projects will help the institutions to improve their standing at the global level. It is to be noted that funding under HEFA is in addition to the grants being given to these institutions.

India and Italy signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for enhancing bilateral cooperation in the health sector. This MoU was signed between Union Health Minister J P Nadda and the visiting Italian Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin. The MoU envisages cooperation in health sector by pooling in technical, financial and human resources for accomplishing the ultimate objective to upgrade infrastructural resources, medical education and research in both countries.

Indian Army has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Rajasthan State Government to improve infrastructure for their posts near the India-Pakistan border. As per the terms of the MoU, Indian Army will be able to use an airstrip in Lalgarh-Jatan area in Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan for 10 years. Rajasthan State Government has sanctioned funds for this airstrip, which is near the IndiaPakistan border. Besides, Indian Army can undertake temporary construction work as per their requirement in the border areas of the state.

The Defence Ministry approved procurement of 260 naval communication sets at a cost of Rs 490 crore to improvise surveillance on the high seas. The decision of procuring these 260 naval communication sets was taken at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. It will be the first batch of indigenously designed and developed “software defined” radio sets. The gadgets will improve information sharing through secure voice communications and data transfer on board the naval ships.

According to a report by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), India had the highest share of welfare costs (loss of income from labour), of about $220 billion in South and South-East Asia from mortality due to air pollution. UNEP’s report, ‘Towards a pollution-free planet’, was launched during the first Conference of Parties for the Minamata Convention in September 2017. As per the report, if more stringent measures are not adopted, global mortality costs from outdoor air pollution could rise to about $25 trillion by 2060.

The Russian government has revealed plans to develop an ‘independent internet’ that operates separately from the Domain Name System used worldwide. The Russian Security Council has asked the Russian government to develop a separate infrastructure for BRICS countries’ internet needs while still being linked to the World Wide Web, which would continue services in the event of a global internet infrastructure collapse. The initiative plans to create a separate ‘backup’ system of Domain Name Servers (DNS) that would be totally independent of international bodies and international infrastructure, yet still remaining linked to the global internet

High Level Inter-Governmental Mid-point Review Meeting of Asia and Pacific Decade for Persons with Disabilities, 2013-2022 is being held in Beijing, China from 27th November to 1st December, 2017. This meeting has been organized by United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) in cooperation with Government of China. Primary objective of this meeting is to review the progress made by the member countries during the decade at the mid-point in 2017 with regard to Incheon Strategy (that was adopted at Incheon, South Korea in 2012) to achieve the goals mentioned in UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked co-operative societies not use the word ‘Bank’ in their names as it violates the Banking Regulation Act. RBI has specified that using ‘bank’ in the name of cooperative societies violates Section 7 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. RBI has also issued a statement that some co-operative societies are accepting deposits from public just like banks do. This activity is also a violation of the provisions of the Act. As per the statement of RBI, such societies have neither been issued any licence under the Banking Regulation Act nor are they authorised to conduct banking business.

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) upheld the basic principles of Net neutrality, disallowing telecom operators from prioritising or blocking content on their networks. According to TRAI, internet is the basic infrastructure for the development of other markets, and placing restrictions on its access could hamper growth and innovation. TRAI reiterated that internet use should be facilitated in a manner which advances the free speech rights of citizens.

India donated 500 metric tonnes of rice to the Kingdom of Lesotho, in Southern Africa, which is facing acute food shortage due to famine. High Commissioner of India to South Africa and Lesotho, Ruchira Kamboj handed over the donation to the government of Lesotho, after she presented her credentials to King Letsie III in Lesotho’s capital, Maseru. Ruchira Kamboj also inaugurated the India-Lesotho Centre for Advanced Information Technology, a project fully-funded by the Government of India, at the Lerotholi Polytechnic in Maseru. The construction of the new building to house the Centre was completed recently.

India’s airline operator, Jet Airways and Air France-KLMannounced a tie-up to boost flights from the Indian subcontinent to Europe and then onwards to the United States. This tie-up could give Jet Airways, unrestricted access to Europe and North America and could reduce the scope of its existing partnership with Etihad Airways. As per the terms of this tie-up, Jet Airways and Air France-KLM will align their inventory and networks and will be selling one another’s tickets and frequent flyer programmes. Both the airlines will also work together on cargo operations. In future, both the entities may also look at synergies on maintenance and joint fuel purchases

Sibi George was appointed the next Ambassador of India to the Holy See. Sibi George is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Officer of 1993 batch. He is presently Ambassador of India to Switzerland. He has been concurrently appointed the next Ambassador of India to the Holy See, with residence in Berne. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly.

The Karnataka government appointed senior woman IAS officer K Ratna Prabha as the new chief secretary of Karnataka. Rathna Prabha will be the third woman civil servant to hold the top bureaucratic post in Karnataka after Teresa Bhattacharya (2000) and Malati Das (2006) and the second woman to concurrently hold the top post in Karnataka with Neelamani N Raju, who is the Director General & Inspector General of Police (DG & IGP).

Actor-activist Dia Mirza has been appointed UN (United Nations) Environment’s Goodwill Ambassador for India. Dia Mirza is 35 years old. She has been recognised by the United Nations for her contribution to environment conservation. As a Goodwill Ambassador, she will work with the UN to further spread the message on priority areas including clean air, clean seas, wildlife protection and climate change.

Ajay Kumar has been appointed as secretary in Department of Defence Production as part of a top-level minor bureaucratic reshuffle effected on 28thNovember 2017. Ajay Kumar is a 1985-batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre. He is at present additional secretary in Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. He has been appointed secretary in Department of Defence Production with effect from December 1, 2017. Raghvendra Singh, director general, National Archives has been made culture secretary. Pritam Singh, additional secretary in Corporate Affairs Ministry, will be director general, National Archives.

Planet Labs Inc, a US-based integrated aerospace and data analytics company, said four of its Dove satellites will be launched aboard India’s PSLV-C40 mission, scheduled to fly in January 2018. The primary payload for PSLV-C40 mission is Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Cartosat-2 Series satellite, and Planet Lab’s four satellites will ride as secondary payloads. In February 2017, Planet Lab’s 88 Dove satellites travelled on the PSLV-C37 as part of ISROs record-breaking launch of 104 satellites.

North Korea has claimed that “Hwasong-15” test-fired on 29th November 2017 is a new type of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) that can strike anywhere on the US mainland. North Korea’s Hwasong series represents the most successful and formidable part of its ballistic missile arsenal. “Hwasong-15” was North Korea’s 20th launch of a ballistic missile in 2017. The missile was reported to have flown for 50 minutes on a very high trajectory, reaching 2,796 miles (4,500km) above the earth (more than 10 times higher than the orbit of the International Space Station) before coming down nearly 621 miles from the launch site off the west coast of Japan. This would make it the most powerful of the three ICBMs North Korea has tested so far.

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar launched the Jai Kisaan App, a farmer engagement app containing features and functions to fulfill the needs of the farmer community in India. The Jai Kisan app is a one-stop solution on agricultural information and cultivation, covering crop nutrition, protection, seeds, and diagnostic services. Its services include soil testing and customized information wherein farmers will have access to fertilizer recommendations on the basis of crop and target yields.

France won its 10th Davis Cup title when France’s Lucas Pouille beat Belgium’s Steve Darcis by 6-3 6-1 6-0 to give France a 3-2 victory in the final against Belgium. This is France’s first title since they beat Australia in 2001 before three defeats in the final in 2002, 2010 and 2014. Belgium, on the other hand has yet to win the title, having now lost three finals after defeats in 1904 and 2015. Yannick Noah, the last Frenchman to win a grand slam title, celebrated his third title as captain after leading France to victory in 1991 and 1996.

The Competition Commission (CCI) imposed a fine of Rs 52.24 crore on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for anti-competitive practices with respect to the Indian Premier League. The Competition Commission had penalised the BCCI for the same amount in February 2013 as well, but that penalty was set aside by the appellate tribunal after an appeal by the BCCI. In its 44-page order, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) had said the penalty of Rs 52.24 crore comes to nearly 4.48 % of the average of the BCCI’s relevant turnover during the last three financial years.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik unveiled the logo and mascot for the Hockey Men’s World Cup 2018 at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Naveen Patnaik launched the countdown timer for the Hockey Men’s World Cup 2018 scheduled to be held in Odisha from November 28 to December 16, 2018. 16 countries, including India, will participate in the 14th edition of the Hockey World Cup. Patnaik also gave away cash awards worth Rs 76.75 lakh to 59 sportspersons from Odisha for their outstanding contributions in their respective sports.

Shadia, an Egyptian actress and singer who captivated Arab audiences for decades died. Shadia’s death was announced on Egypt’s State Information Service website, which did not say where she died. A stroke had left her in a coma at a Cairo military hospital recently. Shadia played roles in more than 100 films in a career that began in the late 1940s. Shadia was named Fatimah Shaker by her parents. But she was known throughout her career as Shadia. She was married three times but had no children.