GK & Current Affairs Quiz: May 12-13, 2018

Notes:
According to the report ‘RemitSCOPE – Remittance markets and opportunities – Asia and the Pacific’, India has become the largest remittance-receiving country in the world in 2017, with migrant workers from the country sending home 69 billion US dollars. The remittances to the Asia-Pacific region amounted to 256 billion dollars last year. In 2017, India with $69 billion, China with $64 billion and the Philippines with $33 billion are the three largest remittance-receiving countries in the world. Worldwide, an estimated 40% of the total values of remittances go to rural areas. However, in the Asia-Pacific region, remittances go dis-proportionally to countries with a majority of rural populations such as Nepal 81%, India 67%, Vietnam 66%, Bangladesh 65%, Pakistan 61% and the Philippines 56%. As per report, cash-to-cash transactions remain by far the most common form of transfer.

Notes:
In its second-quarter Sovereign Credit Overview for Asia Pacific region, Credit rating agency Fitch has said that India’s economic growth will accelerate to 7.3% in the current financial year FY19 and 7.5% in the next fiscal. The growth rate will accelerate as money supply has recovered to its pre-demonetisation level and disruptions related to the rollout of GST have diminished. The rating agency said India’s ratings balance a strong medium-term growth outlook and favourable external balances against a weak fiscal position and difficult business environment. But the country’s business environment is likely to improve gradually with the implementation and continued broadening of the government’s structural-reform agenda.

Notes:
Scientists have discovered the world’s second oldest grain of magnetic zircon from the Singhbhum rock at the Champua in Kendujhar district of Odisha. The zircon is a mineral that contains traces of radioactive isotopes. It is an estimated that the magnetic zircon in the rock is 4, 240 million years old that will offer fresh clues about the earth’s origins. It must be noted that this rock sample was recovered nearly 8 years ago from Champua that has put India at the forefront of geological research in the world. The geologists from the University of Calcutta and Curtin University, Malaysia, along with researchers from the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences (Beijing) made the discovery, which was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Notes:
The book ‘Across the Bench – Insight into the Indian Military Judicial System’ has been authored by Lt Gen Gyan Bhushan, former Army Commander and Member ‘A’, Armed Forces Tribunal of Lucknow Bench. The book deals with military judicial system vis-a-vis command and management issues within the military establishments besides the whole gamut of issues relating to veterans, their families and dependents. It was released by Gen Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army the Staff on May 11, 2018.

Notes:
Prof. Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel laureate and noted economist, has been conferred with the 11th KISS Humanitarian Award 2018 on May 11 for his unwavering commitment to eradicate global poverty and foster economic and social development. He is the founder of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh and is widely known as the Father of Microfinance. The KISS Humanitarian Award is a prestigious international award given to someone who has made exceptional contribution to the society in various fields relating to social issues and who has distinguished himself or herself as a true humanitarian. It was instituted in 2008 by Dr Achyuta Samanta, the founder of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) Bhubaneswar.

Notes:
Anne V Coates (92), a British film editor, has passed away in Los Angeles, California on May 8, 2018. She was best known as the editor of David Lean’s epic film Lawrence of Arabia in 1962, for which she won an Oscar. During her incredible career, Anne was BAFTA-nominated four times for work including ‘The Elephant Man’ and ‘Erin Brockovich,’ and received the BAFTA Fellowship in 2007. She also received an Academy Honorary Award, known as a Lifetime Achievement Oscar, in November 2016 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She continued working up to the time of her death. She was currently in pre-production as an editor on “A Dolphin In Our Lake” and as executive producer on “Off The Leash”.

Notes:
On May 11, the first-ever joint conference of Indian Customs and Department of India Posts at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi to deliberate on streamlining of imports and exports by post. Commissioners of Customs from all the States having Foreign Post Offices (FPOs) were present along with their counterpart Post Master Generals. Imports and exports by post are the 6th highest cited citizen grievances under under Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMs). Customs and Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) have worked together since a year to liberalise, reform and align laws relating to imports by India Post.

Notes:
India and Peru signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of Renewable Energy at Lima on May 11, 2018. The pact was signed in the presence of Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and the Prime Minister Cesar Villanueva Arevalo. Beside this, Peru’s External Affairs Ministry organized a special programme in Lima to commemorate the 55 years of diplomatic ties with India. Peru is a founder member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), established with India taking the initiative.

Notes:
The International Nurses Day (IND) is celebrated every year across the world on May 12 to mark the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. The day is also mark to recognize the strong commitment, compassion and dedication that nurses display in the practice of their profession. The 2018 theme is – Nurses A Voice to Lead – Health is a Human right.

Notes:
The Dabhol Power Station is located near Anjanwel village in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. The power station was a built by the Dabhol Power Company (DPC), which was a joint venture of Enron, General Electric, Bechtel and Maharashtra Power Development Corporation.