GK & Current Affairs Quiz: July 23, 2019

Notes:
Yukiya Amano ( 72), the former Japanese diplomat and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Chief, has passed away on 23rd July 2019. He had been chief of the key U.N. agency that regulates nuclear issues worldwide since 2009. It is not yet clear who will succeed Amano on an interim basis. During his tenure, Amano oversaw the signing of a landmark deal in 2015 between Iran and six major powers — Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States — under which the Islamic republic agreed to curb its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. As Head of the IAEA, Amano also dealt with the aftermath of the devastating 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan. Amano had wide experience in disarmament, non-proliferation diplomacy and nuclear energy.

Notes:
India has successfully launched its 2nd lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 onboard its powerful rocket GSLV-MkIII-M1 from Sriharikota to explore the uncharted south pole of the Moon by landing a rover. The Rs 978 crore mission will mark a giant leap in India’s space research and make it only the 4th country to have landed a rover on Moon. For the first time in India’s space history, an interplanetary expedition is being led by two women – Muthaya Vanitha (the project director) & Ritu Karidhal (the mission director). According to ISRO, the lunar South Pole is an interesting surface area which remains in shadow than North pole. There is a possibility of the presence of water in permanently shadowed areas around it. The lander ‘Vikram’, named after father of Indian space research programme Dr Vikram A Sarabhai, carrying the rover ‘Pragyan’, will be landed in a high plain between two craters at a latitude of about 70 degrees South of the moon. Then the 27-kg ‘Pragyan’ meaning ‘wisdom’ in Sanskrit and a six-wheeled robotic vehicle, will set out on its job of collecting information on lunar surface. A safe site free of hazards for landing would be decided based on pictures sent back by the camera onboard the lander and after touchdown the rover will carry out experiments for 14 Earth days, equals one Lunar Day.

Notes:
The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has launched a research project for developing an online platform in order to facilitate effective fish marketing systems. The project aims to develop a fish market information system, fish price information and facilitate an e-auctioning system trade platform for commercially important fish species. As many as 1,500 fish markets, including landing centres, wholesale markets, retail markets and aquaculture production markets, across the country will be selected for implementing the programme. The project on fish market and price information system is funded by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Hyderabad. The headquarters of CMFRI is located in Kochi, Kerala.

Notes:
In Kerala, the 4-day International shark meet 2019 is being held in Kochi from July 24 to set up a platform for researchers from across the globe working on shark and ray trade to share their experience in the field. It is a first-of-its-kind event in India, which is being jointly organized by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) and the FAO under the collaborative research project of the two entities on sharks and rays non-fin commodities. The purpose of the meet is to bring together scientific community in the spectrum to describe various methodologies being transpired and adopted in research works on sharks and rays, to define their strengths and weaknesses and develop practical but not rigid set of guidance. Representatives from the FAO and experts from various countries such as UK, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Peru, Italy, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Somalia, Myanmar and Namibia will attend the meet to discuss the priorities in monitoring shark and ray fisheries, trade and market chain assessment..

Notes:
The book titled “Indo-Pak Relations: Beyond Pulwama and Balakot” has been authored by Dr. U V Singh. The book deals with the fundamental causes of the Indo-Pak conflict—why it is difficult, if not impossible, to have peace between the two neighbors. Also it explores the short spurt of Pulwama-Balakot stand-off or a game of one-upmanship.