GK & Current Affairs Quiz: May 13, 2019

Notes:
The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed 17 global figures including Indian actress Dia Mirza and Alibaba chief Jack Ma as the new advocates to drive action and solidify global political will for the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals. The new class of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Advocates are influential public figures committed to raising awareness, inspiring greater ambition and pushing for faster action on the SDGs, which were adopted by world leaders on September 25, 2015. The Advocates represent the universal character of the SDGs, hailing from governments, entertainment, academia, sport, business and activist organizations around the world. The other newly-appointed SDG Advocates include Queen Mathilde of the Belgians, Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Founder, Education Above All Foundation (State of Qatar), British screenwriter, producer and film director Richard Curtis, Nobel Laureate Nadia Murad, Director of Center for Sustainable Development, Columbia University Jeffrey Sachs, Brazilian footballer and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative, Forest Whitaker.

Notes:
Thopil Mohammed Meeran (74), the well-known Tamil novelist and Sahitya Akademi awardee, has passed away at Pettai in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu on May 10, 2019. Born in the coastal hamlet of Thaengaaipattinam in Kanniyakumari district on 26th September 1944, Mohamed Meeran authored the novels – Oru Kadalora Graamaththin Kathai, Thuraimugam, Koonan Thoppu, Saaivu Naarkkaali and Anju Vannam Theru – between 1988 and 2011. Of these, Saaivu Naarkkaali (The Reclining Chair) bagged him the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 1997. His short story collections — Anbukku Muthumai Illai, Thangarasu, Ananthasayanam Colony, Oru Kutti Theevin Varippadam, Thoppil Mohamed Meeran Kathaigal and Oru Maamaramum Konjam Paravaigalum — and translations gave him a prominent place in the literary world.

Notes:
Veteran actor Pankaj Kapur will soon release his debut novel ‘Dopehri’, based on a play of the same name which he wrote and directed several years ago. “Dopehri” is the story of Amma Bi, an elderly widow who lives alone in her deserted family haveli in Lucknow. Her only companion is a dishevelled young servant who comes in twice a day. Every afternoon, Amma Bi hears the sound of footsteps on the stairs and her heart fills with panic. She peeks out the door only to find no one there. After considering a move to an old peoples’ home, an anxious Amma Bi ends up taking in a lodger, a young woman named Sabiha, with a mysterious occupation and a winsome personality. When Sabiha’s secret is revealed, Amma Bi discovers reserves of ingenuity, skill and love she never knew she had, and what started out as the tale of a haunted haveli turns into a heart-warming one about ageing, self-discovery and female bonding. Originally written in Hindi, “Dopehri” will be published simultaneously by HarperCollins in three editions: Hindi (in Devanagari script), Hindi (in Urdu script) and in English translation.

Notes:
Iran has recently announced to stop respecting limits on its nuclear activities agreed under a 2015 nuclear deal with major powers until they find a way to bypass renewed US sanctions. The Iran nuclear deal was formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has given an ultimatum of 60 days to remaining signatories – the UK, France, Germany, China and Russia – to implement their promises to protect Iran’s oil and banking sectors from US sanctions. The nuclear deal was designed to curb Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. Under the landmark deal, Iran is required to sell its surplus enriched uranium abroad, rather than keep it, thereby allowing it to generate nuclear power without building nuclear weapons. In it, Iran agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow in international inspectors in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions.

Notes:
Justice (Retd.) K S Radhakrishnan has been appointed as a member of the Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal in London. He will render his services as a member of the Tribunal for a period of four years from 1st of June, 2019 to 31st of May, 2023. Justice Radhakrishnan served as the Chief Justice of the Gujarat and Jammu & Kashmir High Courts before his term in Supreme Court from 2009-2014.