GK & Current Affairs Quiz: March 18-19, 2018

Notes:
The two-day Informal World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial meeting has started in New Delhi on March 19, 2018. Representatives from 50 countries are participating in the meet. The informal meeting is expected to provide an opportunity to engage in free and frank discussions leading to political guidance on some of the major issues, both at the negotiating table and also in other areas. In the absence of Ministerial guidance at the 11th Ministerial Conference that took place in December 2017 in Buenos Aires, it is hoped that the meeting in New Delhi will provide an opportunity for ministers to explore in greater detail options on different issues for re-invigorating the WTO.

Notes:
Juan Martin del Potro from Argentina has won the Indian Wells Masters Tennis tournament 2018 by defeating Roger Federer in a thrilling final by 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 in California on March 18, 2018. Federer, the 20-time Grand Slam champion, was vying for a record sixth title in California, but it was Del Potro who clinched his maiden ATP Masters 1000 trophy. Del Potro also became the first player to beat Federer this year.

Notes:
Defending champion Purva Barve from India has clinched the Women’s Singles (Under-19) title at the Israel Junior Badminton tournament 2018 held in Rishon LeZion, Israel on March 17. She won the long drawn battle against third seeded and top-ranked Russian Anastasiia Pustinskaia in three sets 21-19, 19-21, 21-13. The title is her first in 2018 and third overall. Earlier she won the Israel Junior 2017, Italian Junior International 2017 apart from a bronze at the Russian Junior White Nights 2017.

Notes:
Vidarbha cricket team, the champions of 2018 Ranji Trophy, have lifted their first Irani Trophy cricket tournament on March 18, 2018. On the final day of the match at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, they beat Rest of India by virtue of their massive first innings lead. The hosts had posted a total of 800 in their first innings and then bowled out Rest of India for 390 on the final day. Vidarbha won by virtue of huge 404-run first innings lead.The final scores:- Vidarbha – 800 for 7 declared & 79- for no loss. ` Rest of India – 390 all out. Wasim Jaffer (Vidarbha) won the Player of the Match trophy.

Notes:
The first phase of Indo-French joint naval exercise ‘Varuna 2018’ has kickstarted at the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) in Vasco, Goa on March 19, 2018. The exercise is being held in the Arabian Sea off the Goa coast. French submarine and frigate Jean de Vienne and Indian destroyer INS Mumbai and frigate Trikand with their integral helicopters, Indian submarine Kalvari, P8-1 and Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft and a Mig 29K fighter aircraft are participating in the exercise which will conclude on March 24, 2018. The next two phases would be held off the Chennai coast next month and in La Reunion Island in May 2018. Indian and French navies have been conducting bilateral maritime exercises since May 1993.

Notes:
The Ministry of AYUSH will organise the 2018 International Yoga Fest at the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga in New Delhi from March 21, 2018. The fest is a curtain raiser for International Yoga Day-2018, which is celebrated on the 21st June. Union Minister Jitendra Singh will inaugurate the 3-day fest and AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik will preside over the event. The event will comprise of lectures, yoga demonstrations, special yoga techniques, Satsang, discourses and among other. Delegates from over 16 countries across the globe will participate in the fest. The purpose of the fest is to promote classical yoga based on scientific studies.

Notes:
NITI Aayog has recently released roadmaps for ‘Sustainable Action for Transforming Human Capital in Education (SATH-E)’ project to introduce system-wide governance transformation in school education. These roadmaps, which operate between 2018 to 2020, lay out detailed interventions which will taken by the 3 participating states – Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha – aiming to become ‘Role Model States’ in school education. To increase learning outcomes in schools across the country, NITI Aayog’s project SATH-E is promoting vocational education, skill development, teacher training and introducing technology in classrooms. Besides, the project will promote data-driven analysis to strengthen academic monitoring across schools in the country. These roadmaps present the customised, action-oriented programmes, outlining interventions at the individual, district and State level. The roadmaps were jointly prepared by NITI Aayog, the three States and the knowledge partners of the SATH Initiatives, the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Piramal Foundation For Education Leadership (PFEL).

Notes:
President Ram Nath Kovind has inaugurated the 2018 Festival Of Innovation And Entrepreneurship (FINE) at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on March 19. It is organised by the President’s Secretariat in association with Department of Science & Technology/National Innovation Foundation-India. FINE is a celebration of country’s Innovation potential, particularly those ideas which stem from grassroots level including the citizen at the last mile and also a reflection of power of children’s creativity. About 250 innovative exhibits of school students, grassroots innovators, technology students, entrepreneurs, industry representatives and public sector organisations will be on display during the exhibition that will run up to March 23 at the Football Ground in the Rashtrapati Bhawan complex. The fest would provide an excellent platform to the innovators for building the linkages with potential stakeholders whose support can improve their prospects in coming years for the larger social good.

Notes:
Dr. Rajiv Kumar, the Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog, has inaugurated the first-ever India-Japan Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction in New Delhi on March 19, 2018. The 2-day workshop is being jointly organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Government of Japan. The workshop marks the beginning of the formal implementation of the initiatives agreed under the Memorandum of Cooperation signed between the two countries on Disaster Risk Reduction in September 2017. It will identify possible areas of cooperation of India with Japan in the field of Disaster Risk Reduction.

Notes:
The Serlui B dam is an earthfill and gravity dam on the Serlui river 12 km from Bilkhawthlir Village near the Kolasib district of Mizoram. It has the capacity of power generation of 12MW and Catchment area of 53 km.