GK & Current Affairs Quiz: December 30-31, 2017

Notes:
In Shooting, ace Indian marksman Jitu Rai won the men’s 50-metre pistol national title, setting a new record score of 233 at the 61st National Shooting Championships Competition (NSCC-2017) in Thiruvananthapuram. Rai also won the team gold in the event combining with Jai and Omprakash Mitherwal for a total of 1658, besting Team Air Force, who managed a total of 1626. Arjun Singh Cheema of Punjab won the junior men’s 50-metre pistol event. A total of 4800 men and women shooters from across the country are participating in the Championship including 200 wildcard entries.

Notes:
Sue Grafton (77), an American author of detective novels, has passed away in Santa Barbara, California on December 28, 2017. According to author’s webpage, she started the alphabet novels in 1982. The mystery writer penned best-selling novels with alphabet-based titles, starting with “A Is for Alibi” and ending with “Y Is for Yesterday”. Her last alphabet mystery was published last August. “Z Is for Zero” was tentatively scheduled to come out in 2019.

Notes:
Israel has has officially confirmed withdrawal from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) over an anti-Israel bias. Audrey Azoulay, the UNESCO chief, stated that she had been officially notified that Israel would leave on December 31, 2018. Earlier in October 2017, the US formally notified the UNESCO that it would withdraw from the organization on December 31, 2018. The 195-member body is best known for producing a list of World Heritage sites that have become tourist favourites. UNESCO also runs science, educational and cultural programmes, including programmes to educate people about the Holocaust and promote intercultural dialogue.

Notes:
The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS) is a medical institution located in Bengaluru, Karnataka. It is the apex centre for mental health and neuroscience education in the country, and operates autonomously under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Recently, it is in news because President Ram Nath Kovind participated in the 22nd Annual Convocation of the NIMHANS and gave away degrees & awards to 150 post graduate students on December 30, 2017. The President also dedicates three projects at a cost of Rs 200 crore at NIMHANS.

Notes:
Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, the BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra, has been appointed new President of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR). He will succeed Prof. Lokesh Chandra. Sahasrabuddhe is the vice-president of Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini which is South Asia’s only training and research academy for elected representatives and voluntary social workers. ICCR was founded in 1950 by India’s first Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, who also served as its first President. The ICCR’s main objectives are to actively participate in the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes pertaining to India’s external cultural relations and to foster and strengthen cultural relations and mutual understanding between India and other countries.

Notes:
The 74th anniversary of First Flag Hoisting Day has celebrated in Andaman and Nicobar Islands on December 30, 2017. Lieutenant Governor Admiral DK Joshi hoisted the National Flag at the main function held at the Gymkhana Ground in Port Blair. On the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor felicitated veteran Islanders who were members of Indian National Army and Indian Independence League. CK Bose, grandson of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose and Indresh Kumar, advisor to Forum for Awareness for National Security (FANS) and family members of veteran freedom fighter Veer Savarkar and others were present. A large number of FANS members attended the function. It was on this day, in 1943; Netaji Subash Chandra Bose had hoisted the National Tri-colour for the first time with the help of Japanese forces at the Gymkhana Ground in Port Blair and declared A & N Islands free from British Rule, four years before India’s Independence.

Notes:
Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has been named Globe Soccer’s Best Player for the year 2017. He retained the title and won it 4th time overall. Ronaldo appeared by video link as he received the award from Italy’s Alessandro del Piero in Dubai. Real Madrid was the named best club of the year and Zinedine Zidane was best coach. In other awards, Francesco Totti and Carles Puyol received player career awards, Marcello Lippi was handed a coaching career award, Spain’s La Liga was best league of the year, and Jorge Mendes named best agent.

Notes:
Viswanathan Anand, Indian chess Grand Master and five time World Champion, has won bronze in the 2017 World Blitz Chess Championship at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 30 following his gold winning performance in the Rapid section only a couple of days back. World Champion Magnus Carlsen won the tournament scoring 16 points and followed by Sergey Karjakin with 14.5 points out of the maximum possible 21 points.

Notes:
Om Prakash Singh, the 1983 batch IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, will be the new Director General of Police of Uttar Pradesh. He will succeed incumbent Sulkhan Singh, whose tenure ends on December 31, 2017. Presently, OP Singh is the Director General of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Till the new appointee takes charge, Anand Kumar, Additional Director General (Law and Order) will look after the day-to-day affairs.

Notes:
The Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary (NWS) is located near Lailad village in the Ri Bhoi district of Meghalaya and covers an area of 29 square kilometres. The animals here include the Bengal tiger, the black bear, the leopard and many such species at the verge of extinction such as the necked hornbill and the brown hornbill bird.