GK & Current Affairs Quiz: July 15-16, 2017

Notes:
Indonesia has renamed the northern reaches of its exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea as the North Natuna Sea on July 14, 2017. It is the latest act of resistance by Southeast Asian nations to China’s territorial ambitions in the maritime region. The part of the renamed sea is claimed by China under its contentious maritime boundary, known as the “nine-dash line”, that encompasses most of the resource-rich sea. It should be noted that the South China Sea is a crucial shipping route and believed to be rich in natural resources, such as oil and gas.

Notes:
Indian Railways has launched an integrated mobile app “Rail Saarthi” to cater to all kinds of passenger requirements, which includes ticket booking, inquiry, onboard cleaning and ordering a meal on a single platform. The acronym of Rail “Saarthi” stands for “Synergised Advanced Application Rail Travel Help and Information”. The app has various features such as women safety feature, compliant facility and suggestion for improvement. One can also book unreserved seat tickets and platform tickets besides reserved seat tickets.

Notes:
Bilal Dar (18), an 18-year-old ragpicker of Laharwarpora in Bandipora district, has been appointed the new brand ambassador of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC). He has been earning his livelihood by cleaning the Wular Lake and removing garbage, used bottles and shoes among other things for almost 5 years now and is an inspiration for everybody. Dar will get a special uniform and vehicle to go and meet people and sensitize them about environmental issues, cleanliness and garbage disposal.

Notes:
Lilly Singh, an Indian-origin Canadian YouTube star, has been appointed as the new UNICEF’s Global Goodwill Ambassador at a special event in New Delhi. As the UNICEF ambassador Lilly will use her channel to showcase the organisation’s work and urge millions of her followers to work for children’s rights.

Notes:
India’s first solar-powered 1600 HP Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) broad gauge train has launched from Safdarjung railway station to promote clean and renewable energy. The train will run from Sarai Rohilla in Delhi to Farukh Nagar in Haryana. The solar power DEMU train has six trailer coaches and is expected to save about 21,000 litres of diesel and ensure a cost saving of Rs 12 lakh per year. The coaches are equipped with a battery bank which will optimize solar energy to full load and provide power at night. There will also be a reduction of 1350 tons of carbon dioxide per train over the same time period.

Notes:
The World Youth Skills Day (WYSD) is observed every year on July 15 to raise awareness about the importance of investing in youth skills development. The 2017 theme is “Skills for the Future of Work”.

Notes:
Sundar Singh Gurjar from India has won gold in the men’s javelin throw with a personal best of 60.36 metre at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London, United Kingdom (UK). Sri Lanka’s Dinesh Priyantha Herath came second with 57.93 metre, while defending champion Guo Chunliang of China was third with a season’s best 56.14 metre.

Notes:
Garbine Muguruza Blanco, a Spanish-Venezuelan professional tennis player, has won the 2017 women’s singles Wimbledon Tennis tournament by defeating Venus Williams in the final by 7-5, 6-0 at All England Club in London, United Kingdom (UK). This was Muguruza’s second Grand Slam singles title and she became the second Spanish woman to win Wimbledon after Conchita Martínez in 1994. Muguruza also became the first player to defeat both Williams sisters in Grand Slams singles finals.

Notes:
The book “President’s Lady” (Pranaber Preyosi) has been authored by Sangeeta Ghosh, which is recently released at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. The book is on Late Suvra Mukherjee, the wife of honourable President of India Pranab Mukherjee. Ms. Mukherjee was essentially a private person with a strong interest in music (particularly Tagore music) and paintings. She restricted herself to music, painting and writing and she tried to take Tagore music to a non-Bengali audience.

Notes:
The Rowa Wildlife Sanctuary (RWS) is located in north Tripura district and covers an area of only 0.86 square km. It is home to 150 species of birds, wild beasts and primates. It is the most ideal destination for the tourists, who are more inclined towards eco-tourism. The forest is rich with a large number of economic plants such as medicinal & aromatic, treat fodders, fruit producing trees, oil-seed producing trees, spices & orchids and other ornamental plants.