GK & Current Affairs Quiz: July 23-24, 2017

Notes:
Maneka Gandhi, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development, has launched an online complaint system ” Sexual Harassment e-box (SHe-Box)” for registering sexual harassment complaints at workplace in New Delhi on July 24, 2017. Initially, this online portal is open for central government women employees only and later on, complaints from private sector will be entertained effectively. The complaint management system has been developed to ensure the effective implementation of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (SH Act). This portal will provide a platform to women working or visiting any office of Central Government to file complaints related to sexual harassment at workplace under the SH Act. Beside this, the Ministry will soon conduct a national level survey to examine the magnitude of sexual harassment at workplace.

Notes:
Dharmendra Pradhan, the Union Petroleum Minister, has launched the India’s first petroleum Research & Development (R&D) facility for testing high-end BS-VI quality fuel emissions in Faridabad in the National Capital Region (NCR). The R & D facility will be operated by state-run Indian Oil Corp (IOC) and is designed to test all types of fuel including petrol, diesel, ethanol-blended petrol, bio-diesel, CNG, LNG, hydrogen-CNG and 2G-ethanol blends to ensure they meet the superior BS-VI norms that are to be implemented across the country by April 2020. In addition to generating emission data, the facility will also evaluate the fuel blends for energy-efficiency and engine durability.

Notes:
India and Bangladesh have signed a pact to connect both the countries by waterways. The waterways will facilitate movement of passengers and goods between India’s northeast and West Bengal with Bangladesh. Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Mansukh Mandaviya has stated that infrastructure for the services would be set up along the major rivers in Bangladesh, West Bengal and Brahmaputra in Assam. The services are expected to start by the end of year 2017.

Notes:
The 2017 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships have started at the Nepal Army Sports Complex in Kathmandu, Nepal on July 23, 2017. The delegates from 38 countries including India are taking part in the weeklong event. More than 300 weightlifters will compete for total 96 medals, 48 each in men’s and women’s categories. In the championship, players from 13 to 17 years of age group taking part in youth category and 15 to 20 years in junior category. All four categories have eight weight divisions. The competitions have started from July 24 and will continue till July 29.

Notes:
Indian Shuttler H S Prannoy has won the 2017 US Open Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament title by defeating his compatriot Parupalli Kashyap at Anaheim, California. He beat Kashyap in the final by 21-15, 20-22, 21-12. Prannoy had found place in the final defeating Vietnam’s Tien Minh Nguyen while Kashyap overcame Korean Kwang Hee Heo in the semi-finals. In the women’s singles of the tournament, Japanese Aya Ohori won the final beating Michelle Li of Canada.

Notes:
The National Broadcasting Day (NBD) is celebrated every year on July 23 because on this day, in 1927, the radio broadcasting was started in India. The first ever radio broadcast in India went on air from the Bombay Station on July 23, 1927 under a private company, the Indian Broadcasting Company (IBC). It was by the British Viceroy of India Lord Irwin. On June 8, 1936, the Indian State Broadcasting Service became All India Radio (AIR).

Notes:
Dr. Udupi Ramachandra Rao (85), the internationally acclaimed space scientist and former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman, has passed away in Bengaluru, Karnataka on July 24, 2017. He is credited for contributions to the development of space technology in India and its extensive application to communications and remote sensing of natural resources. Prof. Rao served as the Chairman of ISRO for ten years from 1984-1994. He was the first Indian to be inducted into the Satellite Hall of Fame, Washington and in International Astronautics Federation (IAF). In his career, he published over 350 scientific and technical papers covering wide range of topics including cosmic rays, interplanetary physics, high energy astronomy, space applications and satellite and rocket technology. He also wrote several books on subjects related to space research.

Notes:
Raveesh Kumar, a 1995-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, has been appointed as the new spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Currently, he is posted in Frankfurt as Consul General of India and will succeed Gopal Baglay, who has been appointed as the joint secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The MEA which is also known as the Foreign Ministry is the responsible for the conduct of foreign relations of India. The Ministry comes under Government of India (GoI) and is responsible for the country’s representation in the United Nations. It also advises other Ministries and State Governments when the latter have dealings with foreign governments or institutions.

Notes:
India bagged two medals in the high jump at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London on July 22, 2017. In it, Varun Bhati bagged bronze medal in the T42 event by successfully jumping in the final at 1.77 metre. While Sharad Kumar won a silver medal by recording his career-best performance with a jump of 1.84 metre. Earlier, Sundar Singh Gurjar from India clinched gold in the men’s javelin throw event, Amit Saroha won silver medal in the club throw event in the F-51 category. And, India’s discus thrower Karamjyoti Dalal claimed a bronze medal in the Women’s F55 category. With that, India have increased their medal tally to five in the Championships.

Notes:
Kiren Rijiju, the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, has inaugurated the Research Institution of World Ancient, Traditional, Culture & Heritage (RIWATCH) Museum at Roing in Arunachal Pradesh on July 22, 2017. The museum will serve as a place of exchange of cultural values of various tribes of the state and the North East. The MoS also pressed for documentation and research to preserve age-old culture and traditions of the state and exhorted people to shoulder the responsibility to pass on traditional and cultural values to the next generation. According to UNESCO report, there are 32 languages in Arunachal Pradesh that are on the verge of extinction and the state government is initiating programmes and policies to find out and to revive those minor and major tribal languages. Beside this, Rijiju also inaugurated the 235-meter long Chimari Bridge, which would serve as a life line between the National Highway 52 of Roing-Tezu. The bridge has been constructed by BRO.