GK & Current Affairs Quiz: March 17, 2018

Notes:
The Odisha government will collaborate with the Thailand-based Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES) for strengthening its early warning services and enhancing preparedness for management of hazards in the State. The Odisha State Disaster Mitigation Authority (OSDMA) and RIMES would forge a partnership in the field of drought monitoring and early warning for different natural disasters. RIEMS is owned and managed by 45 collaborating countries in the Asia Pacific and Africa Region. At present, India is chairing RIMES. In collaboration with this intergovernmental body, OSDMA can strengthen its database for more effective management of natural disasters. Odisha is particularly concerned about tsunami originating from the Andamans. Beside this, RIMES is already working with the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority.

Notes:
India has been ranked 78th among 114 on the World Economic Forum (WEF)’s Energy Transition Index (ETI) 2018. The report titled “Fostering Effective Energy Transition”, ranks countries on how well they are able to balance energy security and access with environmental sustainability and affordability. According to the report India has taken bold measures to improve energy access, energy efficiency, and to improve the deployment of renewable sources of energy. However, energy transition in the country will require large investments, and an enabling environment and robust regulatory frameworks to support the transition. The overall list was topped by Sweden, followed by Norway, Switzerland, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands and UK.

Notes:
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has recently released the Andhra Pradesh Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) Report 2017. According to the report, the State secured an Index value of 0.0825 (value ranges from 0 to 1; 0 being the best and 1 being the worst). It is equivalent to 51st rank globally. India, with an Index value of 0.1911 is at the 66th position. Within the state, East Godavari is the top district with a value of 0.0468 and Vizianagaram is at the bottom of the table with a value of 0.1271. The study was conducted by the Vision Management Unit (VMU) of the Planning Department in collaboration with the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) of the University of Oxford, UK. By conducting MPI study, the Andhra Pradesh has become the first Indian state to conduct a household survey exclusively to estimate the MPI at the State and district levels.

Notes:
Sangeeta Bahadur, an IFS officer of 1987 batch, has been appointed as the new Ambassador of India to the Republic of Belarus. Currently, she is Additional Secretary in Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Notes:
Actor Jackie Shroff’s short film ‘Shunyata’ has won the best film award at 2018 Best of India Short Film Festival at Mack Sennett Studios in Los Angeles, United States on March 3. The 22-minute fiction film directed by Chintan Sarda was selected to be in top 6 from amongst thousands of entries and was played at a theatre in Los Angeles. An industry based jury then adjudged it the best film. The prize includes a cash prize of $1,000. In “Shunyata”, Jackie is seen as hitman Madhur, who leads a gloomy existence with regrets. He is friendly with a child, who lives on the street and sees him getting into the world of crime.

Notes:
National Award-winning Odia filmmaker Nila Madhab Panda’s upcoming movie “Halkaa” has bagged the Grand Prix de Montreal award at the 21st Festival International du Film Pour Enfants de Montréal Film (FIFEM). “Halkaa” was selected among 7 international children’s films from different countries in the official competition of the festival. The film is a take on a slum child’s heroism, aspirations, and dreams. The child protagonist, Pichku (Tathastu) fights to overcome the basic problems that he faces every day like defecating in the open, among others. It is his dream to make a toilet of his own where he can enjoy his privacy and do the deed in peace. The movie features Ranvir Shorey and Paoli Dam in key roles.

Notes:
Indian para-athlete Deepa Malik has won a gold medal in the F-53/54 category javelin event at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai on March 15, 2018. With this, she has secured the No. 1 rank in Asia in F53 Javelin category. With the win, Deepa has also qualified for the 2018 Asian Para Games, which is scheduled to be held in Jakarta, Indonesia from October 8-16. With that she qualified for the 2018 Asian Para Games, which is scheduled to be held in Jakarta, Indonesia from October 8-16. Beside this, Malik is the first Indian woman to win a medal in Paralympic Games and won a Silver medal at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in the shot put. She has been honoured with the Arjuna award in 2012 and has also been conferred the prestigious Padma Shri award in 2017 for her achievements.

Notes:
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has launched a mobile app ‘Lost and Found’ for passengers at 59 airports across India through which travellers can register complaints to recover items they lost or forgot at various airports. The app can be downloaded from the website of the Information and Technology Ministry. The main advantage of this mobile app is that the passengers can directly register complaints and get status of their complaint immediately from the airports under CISF security cover. The mobile phone application can also be used to place a request for obtaining technical consultancy provided by the force. The CISF guards 59 civil airports across the country. It is directly under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and its headquarters are at New Delhi.

Notes:
The United Nations Committee for Development Policy (CDP) has recently announced that the four countries will be recommended for graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category. These are Bhutan, Kiribati, Sao Tome and Principe and Solomon Islands. These countries are set to move up from the ranks of poorest nations due to their increasing national earning power as well as access to better health care and education. LDCs are assessed using three criteria: health and education targets; economic vulnerability and gross national income per capita. The Committee will send its recommendations to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for endorsement, which will then refer its decision to the UN General Assembly (UNGA). Apart from this, Chair of the Committee for Development Policy Professor Jose Antonio Ocampo stated that two more countries, Vanuatu and Angola, are scheduled for graduation in 2020 and 2021 respectively.

Notes:
M Sukumaran (76), the well-known Malayalam writer, has passed away in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on March 16, 2018. The writer, whose works focused on the sufferings of the dispossessed, won the prestigious Kerala Sahitya Akademi award for his book ‘Marichittillathavarude Smarakangal’ in 1976. He later went on to win the award again in 1997 for Janathikam. In 2006, the writer won the Kendra (Central) Sahitya Akademi award for his short story collection ‘Chuvanna Chihnangal’. Another one of his seminal works is ‘Seshakriya’, which made into a film, and he won the State Government Film Award for Best Story in 1981. Two of his works ‘Sangha Ganam’ and ‘Unarthupattu’ were also made into feature films.