GK & Current Affairs Quiz: October 12, 2018

Notes:
The World Mental Health Day (WMHD) is observed every year on 10 October to raise the awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilize efforts in support of mental health. It is a day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma. The 2018 theme is “Young people and mental health in a changing world”.

Notes:
On the occasion of 86th anniversary, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has launched an innovative mobile health App named ‘MedWatch’ in keeping with the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Digital India, Ayushman Bharat and Mission Indradhanush’. The app is conceived by the doctors of IAF and developed in house by Directorate of Information Technology (DIT) with ZERO financial outlay. ‘MedWatch’ will provide correct, Scientific and authentic health information to airwarriors and all citizens of India. The app is available on www.apps.mgov.gov.in and comprises of host of features like information on basic First Aid, Health topics and Nutritional Facts; reminders for timely Medical Review, Vaccination and utility tools like Health Record Card, BMI calculator, helpline numbers and web links. It is the first mobile health app in the three Armed Services and was launched by Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa at New Delhi on 08 Oct 18.

Notes:
The International Day of the Girl is observed every year on October 11 to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face while promoting girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights. Today’s generation of girls are preparing to enter a world of work that is being transformed by innovation and automation. Educated and skilled workers are in great demand, but roughly a quarter of young people, most of them female, are currently neither employed nor in education or training. Of the 600 million adolescent girls that will enter the workforce in the next decade, more than 90% of those living in developing countries will work in the informal sector, where low or no pay, abuse and exploitation are common. Hence, under the 2018 theme “With Her: A Skilled Girl Force”, the day will mark the beginning of a year-long effort to bring together partners and stakeholders to highlight, advocate for and invest in girls’ most pressing needs and opportunities to attain skills for employability.

Notes:
India’s first second generation (2G) Ethanol Bio-Refinery will set up in Bargarh district of Odisha by 2020, where ethanol will be produced from rice straw. The proposed plant will be set up by the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) at an estimated cost of Rs 100 crore. The foundation stone of which was laid on 10th October 2018. The bio-refinery will have a capacity to produce 3 crore litre of fuel-grade ethanol annually using rice straw as feedstock. The Bargarh Bio-Refinery will utilise about 2 lakh tonne of rice straw annually as feedstock which will be sourced from nearby locations including Bhatli, Ambabhona, Attabira, Sohela, Burla and Lakhanpur. The refinery will be based on zero-liquid discharge plant technology where water will be recycled back into the plant. Blending of ethanol in petrol will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions as compared to fossil fuels. Apart from Odisha, BPCL will also set up bio-refineries in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. . The National Biofuel Policy of India 2018 targets 20% Ethanol blending to Petrol by 2030. However, due to non-availability of Ethanol, the current Ethanol blending in Petrol is about 3 to 4%.

Notes:
India has been ranked 147th among 157 countries at the UK-based charity Oxfam International’s ‘Commitment to Reducing Inequality (CRI) Index’ 2018. The 2nd edition of the annual index finds that countries such as South Korea, Namibia and Uruguay are taking strong steps to reduce inequality. However, countries such as India and Nigeria “do very badly” overall. In reference to India, the index finds that the tax structure looked reasonably progressive on paper but in practice much of the progressive taxation, like on incomes of the richest, was not collected. India also fared poorly on labour rights and respect for women in the workplace.The index was topped by Denmark, followed by Germany, Finland, Austria and Norway.

Notes:
The 17th edition of Old World Theatre festival 2018 is being organised by India Habitat Centre and the audiences will be able to experience 15 plays starting from October 20 in New Delhi. The theatre festival has been recognised by UNESCO as a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity”. It will open with “Kutiyattam”, which is one of the most stylised and earliest forms of Sanskrit theatre. The 9-day fest will bring to stage productions that mirror the continuities in Indian theatre from the earliest to the most contemporary with a special focus on the next generation of theatre artistes and directors.

Notes:
On October 10, Pistol shooter Saurabh Chaudhary clinched Gold in the 10-metre air pistol event at the 3rd edition of Summer Youth Olympic Games 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is India’s third gold medal in the history of Youth Olympic Games (UOG) and all three have come in this edition in Buenos Aires. Earlier, Shooter Manu Bhaker became the first shooter from India to claim a gold at the ongoing event. She finished on top of the podium in women’s 10m air pistol event with a score of 236.5. While, Weightlifter Jeremy Lalrinnunga won India’s first ever youth Olympics Gold.

Notes:
On October 10, Archer Harvinder Singh clinched men’s individual recurve gold by defeating China’s Zhao Lixue 6-0 in the W2/ST category final. The W2 category of impairment covers athletes with paraplegia, diplegia or double leg amputation below the knee, requiring wheelchair.The ST category is for archers with limited impairment and who may take aim without having to need a wheelchair. In the track and field events, Monu Ghangas claimed the silver in the men’s discus throw F11 category, which deals with visual impairment. While Mohammed Yasser fetched a bronze in the men’s shot put F46 category. The F46 category of disability covers upper limb deficiency, impaired muscle power or impaired range of movement. Now, India clinched 37 medals including 7 Gold.

Notes:
The Maharashtra Prison department has rolled out a smart video- calling facility for female prisoners and inmates lodged at open jails across the state, after gaining success in its pilot project at Pune’s Yerawada Central Prison (YCP). A prisoner can talk to his/her family members for five minutes and will be charged Rs 5. The department has obtained the smartphones for video calling through the Prisoners Welfare Fund. However, the face to face talking facility with the family members will only be available on the mobile phone numbers registered with the department. For security reasons, the conversations will also be tracked by a police constable to ensure that the talks centre around family issues. There are around 28,000 prisoners, which includes both convicts and under-trials, lodged across 54 jails, including 13 open prisons and 2 women prisons in the state.

Notes:
The Haryana government has decided to set up an Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF) ‘Kavach’ to strengthen the present-day security arrangements in the state. The selected Haryana police recruits will be trained by the National Security Guard (NSG). The headquarters of Kavach would be at Gurugram and it would be headed by an officer of inspector general or additional director general of police rank. To deal with terrorist activities, Kavach would have 150 police personnel who would be provided 14 weeks training by the NSG at Manesar.