GK & Current Affairs Quiz: August 8, 2017

Notes:
The ISRO and NASA are jointly working on the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission to co-develop and launch a dual frequency (L & S Band) synthetic aperture radar satellite. This earth monitoring satellite is scheduled to be launched in 2021. In this joint mission, NASA will be responsible for design and development of L-band SAR, 12m un-furlable antenna, GPS system and data recorder. ISRO will be responsible for design and development of S-band SAR, Spacecraft Bus, data transmission system, Spacecraft integration and testing, launch using GSLV and on-orbit operations. It is the first big collaboration between NASA and ISRO.

Notes:
The 8th edition of Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES)-2017 will be hosted by India and is scheduled to be held on November 28, 2017. The NITI Aayog in association with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Andhra Pradesh government have been assigned with organising the event. The GES brings together investors and entrepreneurs from around the world to create new opportunities for collaboration. The summit will promote economic growth, inclusion and opportunities among entrepreneurs from across the world, with a special focus on emerging nations from Africa and Asia. The summit was started in 2010 under the leadership of then US President Barack Obama at Washington DC to bring entrepreneurs from across the globe on one platform.

Notes:
Narendra Singh Tomar, the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, has recently launched a Swachh Survekshan (Gramin)-2017 in New Delhi to encourage states and districts to improve their sanitation coverage and Solid Liquid Waste Management (SLWM). Under the Swachh Survekshan Gramin, all districts of the country will be ranked on the basis of performance, sustainability and transparency. So far, 4,600 villages and 1.4 lakh households have been covered under Swachh Sarvekshan (Gramin) Survey. The Union Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has stated that toilet usage have increased to 91% in the country whereas overall toilet coverage in rural India has reached to 66%.

Notes:
The FIBA Asia Cup, which is known as the Asia’s biggest basketball tournament, has started in Beirut, Lebanon from August 8-20, 2017. All 16 teams who qualify for the tournament also qualify for the first round of the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualification for FIBA Asia and FIBA Oceania. Indian men’s team, led by Amjyot Singh Gill, is participating in the tournament in group A.

Notes:
Recently, the Union Government has merged National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) with the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) to improve administrative efficiency and optimal utilisation of resources related to policing. The BPRD Director General (DG) will be the head of the merged new entity, where the NCRB Director, an Additional DG rank post will report to the former. The BPRD is the national police organisation to study, research and develop on subjects and issues related to policing. The headquarters of BPRD is located in New Delhi.

Notes:
The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has won the 91st edition of All-India MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup hockey tournament by defeating Bengaluru Hockey Association (BHA) by 4-2 in the final at Mayor Radhakrishna stadium Egmore at Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Man of the match: Rajkumar Pal.

Notes:
In order to promote cruise tourism in India, a special event ‘The dawn of cruise tourism in India’ has inaugurated in Mumbai, Maharashtra on August 8, 2017. This initiative has a potential revenue gains to all stakeholders of close to Rs. 35000 crore. The promotion of cruise tourism is expected to create over 2, 50,000 jobs. With this new initiative, number of cruise ships visiting India could go up from 158 per year to 955 per year.

Notes:
Amazon India has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Telangana Department of Handloom and Textiles to educate, train and enable weavers and artisans to directly sell their products to Amazon customers across the country. Amazon India will not only provide an online marketplace for marketing but will also engage with weavers and artisans across the state to train them on making the products more attractive, appealing and marketable across the online domain. The partnership also intends to empower and generate livelihood opportunities and income for the artisans and boost their economy

Notes:
Justice Dipak Misra, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, has been appointed as the new Chief Justice of India (CJI) and will have a tenure of nearly 13 months. He will succeed Chief Justice J S Khehar, who will retire on August 27, 2017. Justice Misra is known for the judgment on Yakub Memon who made a last minute attempt to escape the gallows. He had rejected his plea for a stay on the death warrant. Memon was convicted in 1993 Mumbai blasts, in which 257 people were killed.

Notes:
The Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary (NSBS) is located to the west of Ahmedabad near Sanand Village in Gujarat. it is the largest wetland bird sanctuary in Gujarat and one of the largest in India. It harbors over 250 species of wetland birds such as rosy pelicans, flamingoes, white storks, brahminy ducks and herons.