GK & Current Affairs Quiz: April 16, 2018

Notes:
The 29th Arab League Summit 2018 has started in Dahran, Saudi Arabia on April 15 to promote Arab joint action to address challenges facing the nation. In the annual gathering of Arab leaders, Saudi Arabia hopes to push for a unified stand against Iran. The fate of Jerusalem, as US plans to move its Embassy after declaring it the capital of Israel is also expected to dominate the Summit. Although in a long diplomatic stand off for the past nearly 10 months, both Saudi Arabia and Qatar have voiced support for the US led air strike on Syria. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai is leading the UAE’s delegation to the 29th Arab League Summit.

Notes:
The Union home ministry has recently launched the e-FRRO (e-Foreigners Regional Registration Office) scheme to expedite visa services for foreigners visiting India. The aim of the scheme is to build a centralized, transparent online platform for foreigners to avail visa related services and to provide faceless, cashless and paperless services to the foreigners with a user-friendly experience. Using the e-FRRO application, foreigners can apply online and obtain the services through email or post without appearing in person at the FRO/FRRO office.

Notes:
The Haryana government has decided to introduce Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS) and revise the syllabus and workload in 11 subjects at the under-graduation level in state universities keeping with global scenario. The subjects are economics, political science, psychology, mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer science, botany, zoology, commerce and geography. Committees comprising five to six members of the teaching faculties in each subject have been constituted. Members of these committees would meet at Kurukshetra and Rohtak on April 14 and 15. They would review the existing syllabi in the universities of Haryana, the neighbouring states as well as the model curriculum of UGC to make an assessment of the workload and evolve choice-based credit system.

Notes:
Yuki Bhambri from India has won the 2018 Santaizi ATP Challenger tennis tournament by defeating his compatriot Ramkumar Ramanathan in the final of the event by 6-3 6-4 in Taipei, Taiwan on April 15, 2018. It is his first singles Challenger title of the 2018 season. Yuki earned 125 ranking points and a prize purse of $21,600 while Ramkumar got 75 points and $12,720 for his effort. With this, Yuki has now beaten Ramkumar four times in five meetings. This victory enabled him re-entered top 100 rankings.

Notes:
In Nepal, the famous Bisket Jatra is being celebrated in Bhaktapur and other parts of Kathmandu valley. The 9- day annual festival marks beginning of Nepali new year. The Jatra begins four days before the start of new year. It is believed that the festival started during Malla dynasty. There are many legends associated with the Jatra. According to a myth, whosoever marries local princess dies on the very first night of the marriage. Later a brave young man married the princess. In the night, two snakes attacked him and young man killed them. The main attraction of Bisket Jatra is chariot procession of Lord Bhairavanath. The three story chariot is taken out in the streets of Bhakatapur and there is a tug of war between people from upper and lower city to pull the chariot on their side. Thousands of visitors from various parts of Nepal and a large number of foreign tourists gather at Bhaktapur to see this thrilling event.

Notes:
Veteran Marathi actor Vijay Chavhan will be conferred with the prestigious V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement award and actor-director Mrinal Kulkarni with V Shantaram Special Contribution awards. Chavhan, who is a well-known Marathi stage actor, has appeared in many Marathi films as well as on television. He is best known for his role of Mavshi in the famous Marathi stage drama “Moruchi Mavshi”. He has also worked in Hindi films. Kulkarni has worked, both in films and TV, and is best known for featuring in the television show “Son Pari”. She also directed “Prem Mhanje Prem Asta” and the Marathi historical drama “Rama Madhav”. The lifetime achievement award carry a citation and cash reward of Rs five lakh while the special contribution award carry a citation and Rs 3 lakh cash prize. The state government-instituted awards will be given away at the 55th Maharashtra State Marathi Film Festival.

Notes:
Veteran Bollywood actor Dharmendra will be conferred with the prestigious Raj Kapoor Lifetime Achievement and filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani with Raj Kapoor Special Contribution awards of the Maharashtra Government. Dharmendra has acted in more than 250 films in over six decades and has over 100 box office hits including Bandini, Mamta, Anupama, Satyakam, Seeta Aur Geeta, Sholay, Chupke Chupke, Yaadon Ki Baarat, etc. His roles in action films earned him nicknames such as “Action King” and “He-Man”. Beside him, Mr Hirani is regarded as one of the most celebrated filmmakers of Hindi cinema, having made critically-acclaimed and commercially-successful films such as “Munna Bhai MBBS”, “3 Idiots” and “PK”. The lifetime achievement award carry a citation and cash reward of Rs 5 lakh while the special contribution award carry a citation and Rs 3 lakh cash prize. The state government-instituted awards will be given away at the 55th Maharashtra State Marathi Film Festival.

Notes:
The biannual Army Commanders’ Conference, Chaired by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, has started in New Delhi on April 16, 2018. In it, the senior commanders will deliberate on specific issues to Army formations and Army as a whole at the conference. Important issues that are likely to be discussed are management of the extant security dynamics, mitigation of future security threats and enhancement of combat edge over potential adversaries. Other issues like infrastructure development for capacity enhancement along the Northern borders, review of strategic railway lines, issues related to Border Road Organization projects, etc., will be discussed in detail for planning and execution. Army Commanders’ Conference is held biannually for formulating important policy decisions through collegiate deliberations. It is an important event for planning and execution process of the Indian Army.

Notes:
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued its first official forecast for 2018 southwest monsoon rains in New Delhi on April 16, 2018. The second stage forecast will be issued in June 2018. These forecasts are prepared using state-of-the-art Statistical Ensemble Forecasting system that is critically reviewed and improved regularly through in-house research activities. It accounts for about 70% of the country’s annual precipitation. This is an annual event that sets the tone not only for agricultural production but also the manner in which the economy, stock markets, inflation and interest rates would move in the year. Monsoon rains is the lifeblood for India’s farm-dependent 2 trillion dollar economy. The June-to-September rains are vital for farming. IMD is headquartered in Delhi and operates hundreds of observation stations across India and Antarctica.

Notes:
The Sasan Ultra Mega Power Project is located in Sasan village in Singrauli district in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The power plant is operated by Sasan Power Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Power. Sasan UMPP along with the coal mine is the largest integrated coal-cum-power plant in the World. It is India’s first domestic coal-based UMPP.