GK & Current Affairs Quiz: September 13, 2018

Notes:
The National Rail and Transportation Institute (NRTI), which is India’s first railway university, has recently started operations in Vadodara, Gujarat. This institute is located in the National Academy of Indian Railway (NAIR) having about 55 acres of campus. It is India’s first university focused on transport-related education, multidisciplinary research and training. NRTI will offer multi-disciplinary programmes designed to cater to the needs of India’s transportation sector. The Institute will follow a demand-driven curriculum, while aligning with industry priorities. To ensure best-in-class delivery of education, NRTI will follow a highly experiential and unique inter-disciplinary pedagogical approach, that incorporates the latest technologies such as live classrooms and online programs, and is delivered by high-quality faculty with global exposure. It is established as a deemed to be university under de-novo category. NRTI is a brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, currently offering its flagship undergraduate programmes in Transportation Technology and Management.

Notes:
The Tamil Nadu government has banned the manufacture, sale (including online sale), distribution, trade, display, marketing, import and possession of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), which are popularly known as e-cigarettes, with an immediate effect in the state. The government order stated that it is a myth that e-cigarettes are less harmful than beedis and cigarettes. The ban advisory states that the use of e-cigarettes causes adverse health effects due to second-hand exposure to metals like nickel and chromium. These poses a risk to non-smokers and bystanders. E-cigarettes are also dangerous to children and non-smokers.

Notes:
The second edition of the 10-day Nepal-China joint military exercise “Sagarmatha Friendship-2018” will be held at Chengdu, the capital of China’s southwestern Sichuan Province, from September 17. The aim of the exercise is to share expertise in disaster management and to fight terrorism, among others. This will reduce Nepal’s dependence on India and allow China to get a firmer foothold in the sub-continental drama. This comes at a time when Nepal refuses to participate in the first-ever BIMSTEC military exercise “MILEX-18”, which has started in India from September 10.

Notes:
Veteran BJP leader L K Advani has been renominated as the chairman of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. The Committee examines complaints relating to unethical conduct by members of Parliament. It is also free to take up suo motu investigation into the matters relating to ethics and unethical conduct by a member, wherever necessary, and make such recommendations, as it may deem fit. P Karunakaran has also been renominated as chairman of the Committee on Absence of Members from the Sittings of the House. Beside this, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank will head the Committee on Government Assurances. As per Lok Sabha bulletin, Chandrakant B Khaire was also renominated as chairman of the Committee on Papers Laid on the Table, and Dilipkumar Mansukhlal Gandhi as the chairman of the Committee on Subordinate Legislation.

Notes:
Indian pacer Jhulan Goswami has become the first bowler in women’s cricket to pick 300 international wickets. She achieved this feet after reaching the landmark figure in India’s 9-wicket win over Sri Lanka on September 11. Earlier, Indian Cricketer Mithali Raj became the most capped player in the history of Women’s ODIs cricket.

Notes:
Prof. Arul Chinnaiyan, an Indian-American scientist and professor at the University of Michigan, has been awarded an “Outstanding Investigator Award” along with a grant of $6.5 million by the U.S. National Cancer Institute to identify cancer biomarkers. The funding is aimed at identifying cancer biomarkers, which may improve diagnosis and help develop targeted therapies for the deadly disease. The award is designed to support the very best researchers who have a track record of innovation and success. The focus of Prof. Arul’s research is molecular profiling of cancer to discover novel diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets.

Notes:
The Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) has recently launched an indigenously designed and developed India’s first 205T Electric Drive Rear Dump Truck (Model BH205-E) in its Mysuru plant, with an objective of strengthening the ‘Make in India’ initiative. This new rear dump truck is expected to address the growing demand for higher capacity equipment in the mining industry. BH205E is powered by Tier -II emission compliant Modular Common Rail Electronic Engine with 2300 HP. The AC drive system has been engineered to provide exceptional haul road performance with reduced maintenance. The Dump Truck is environmental friendly in relation to mechanical drive due to its superior efficiency. The truck weighs 335 tonnes when fully loaded but it is easily manoeuvrable with power-steering and short turning radius. It has been developed for use in the project of Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL), Singrauli.

Notes:
As per culture study survey by US-based multi-national workforce management firm Kronos Incorporated, India leads the way as the world’s hardest working country with 69% of full-time employees are happy with 5-day workweek. Indians stated that they would work five days a week even if they had the option to work fewer days for the same pay. Mexico was the 2nd-highest at 43% of workers, followed by the US at 27%. The study found workers in the United Kingdom, France and Australia were least content with the standard five-day workweek. According to a survey If pay remained constant, one-third of global workers felt their ideal workweek would last four days (34%), while 20% said they would work 3 days a week. For this study, the survey was carried out amongst 2, 700 full and part-time employees living in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Mexico, the UK and the US. It was conducted by Future Workplace on behalf of Kronos Incorporated between July 31 to August 9, 2018. The study also found that in the matter of overtime, US leads the way with 49% clocking more than 40 hours each week. This was followed by India (44%), Mexico (40%) and Germany (38%).

Notes:
The book “The Twice-Born – Life and Death on the Ganges” has been authored by Aatish Taseer, who is son of late Pakistani politician Salman Taseer and Delhi journalist Tavleen Singh. The Twice-Born is a deeply individual and acutely perceptive book revolving around questions of culture and politics that are going to define our future as a nation. It is the remarkable account of a personal journey to understand today’s India, and truly a book for our times. He is the author of books like “Stranger to History”, “The Way Things Were”, “The Temple-Goers” and “Noon”. The book, published by HarperCollins India, will release on October 22.

Notes:
Goura Chandra Mohapatra (104), the veteran freedom fighter, educationist and social reformer, has passed away in Bhubaneswar, Odisha on September 11, 2018. He actively participated in the freedom movement and jailed during Quit India Movement in 1942. He dedicated his entire life for promotion of Gandhian values and for social upliftment. Mohapatra was the son of nationalist poet ‘Kantakabi’ Laxmikanta Mohapatra, who penned the famous song “Bande Utkal Janani” .