GK & Current Affairs Quiz: June 27, 2018

Notes:
The 26th edition of the world’s largest multilateral naval exercise ‘Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC-2018)’ has started on June 27 off Hawaii in the Western Pacific Ocean. The 2-month long biennial exercise is likely to be attended by navies of 26 countries including India. Indian Naval Ship Sahyadri has already reached the Pearl Harbour in Hawaii to participate in the RIMPAC exercise. The Indian Navy in statement said INS Sahyadri, commanded by Captain Shantanu Jha, is a state-of-the-art indigenously built guided missile stealth frigate which is a part of the Eastern Fleet under the Eastern Naval Command. India’s participation in the exercise provides a platform for increased interoperability and development of common understanding of procedures for maritime security operations.

Notes:
Anant Barua, who is at present executive director in the market regulator, has been appointed as a Whole-time Member (WTM) of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The post of WTM fell vacant after S Raman retired. Barua has been appointed to the post for 3 years on the pay as admissible to additional secretary to the central government or a consolidated salary of Rs 4 lakh per month. Currently, the SEBI board consists of Ajay Tyagi (Chairman); G Mahalingam and Madhabi Puri Buch (both Whole-time members); besides Subhash Chandra Garg, Injeti Srinivas, NS Vishwanathan and Arun P Sathe as part-time members. Besides the Chairman, SEBI can have three Whole-time Members.

Notes:
The 2018 World Food Prize will be awarded to two men who have dedicated their careers to improving the availability of nutritious food for pregnant women and children in an effort to reduce the effects of malnutrition in developing countries. These are Dr. Lawrence Haddad and Dr. David Nabarro. Both will split the $250,000 award that goes with the prize. The laureates will be recognized at a ceremony in the Iowa State Capitol Building in Des Moines on Oct 18, 2018. Dr. Haddad is a British economist and food policy researcher, whereas Dr. Nabarro has worked with the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations (UN) on health and hunger issues.

Notes:
The Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) has launched report titled ‘Women in Prisons’ which aims to build an understanding of the various entitlements of women in prisons, the various issues faced by them and possible methods for resolution of the same. The report contains a comprehensive list of 134 recommendations for improving the lives of women under incarceration, addressing a wide range of issues pertaining to pregnancy and childbirth in prison, mental health, legal aid, reintegration in society and their care giving responsibilities among others. The report proposes that bail should be granted to those under-trial women who have spent one-third of their maximum possible sentence in detention, by making necessary changes in Section 436A of the CrPC which provides for release after half of the maximum sentence has been served.

Notes:
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has restricted the manufacture of Oxytocin formulations for domestic use to public sector only from 1st July 2018. It has also banned the import of Oxytocin and its formulations. Only Karnataka Antibiotics & Pharmaceuticals Ltd (KAPL), a public sector company, would be manufacturing this drug for domestic use from 1st July 2018. The Oxytocin formulations meant for domestic consumption will be supplied by the manufacturer, i.e. KAPL, to the registered hospitals and clinics in public and private sector directly. Oxytocin in any form or name will not be allowed to be sold through retail Chemist. Oxytocin is a naturally-occurring hormone that causes uterine contractions during labour and helps new mothers lactate. But, its misuse is widespread in the dairy industry, where livestock are injected with oxytocin to make them release milk at a time convenient to farmers. The hormone is also used to increase the size of vegetables and fruits such as pumpkins, watermelons, brinjals, gourds and cucumbers.

Notes:
The “Statistics Day” is celebrated every year on June 29 at the National level in India to create public awareness about the importance of statistics in socio-economic planning and policy formulation. The day also acknowledges the notable contribution of Late Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in the fields of statistics, statistical system and economic planning. The 2018 theme is “Quality Assurance in Official Statistics”, which is chosen to underscore the importance of compliance with essential parameters of quality in statistical systems and products.

Notes:
The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) is organizing a two-day National Seminar on “Conservation of Particularly Vulnerable Tribes of Andaman and Nicobar Islands” in New Delhi from June 27, 2018. The purpose of the seminar is to decide how to preserve the habitat and culture of these tribal groups. This Seminar is being organized in collaboration with Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) and its theme is ‘The Way Forward’. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are home to the most primitive tribal groups: Great Andamanese, Onge, Jarawa, Sentinelese, Nicobarese and Shompens. Some of these tribal groups are on the verge of extinction. It is important to understand the challenges they face and to preserve them. With these objectives in view, the NCST, a Constitutional body set up under Article 338(A) of the Constitution to protect the interests of Scheduled Tribes, is organizing for the first time a two-day Seminar.

Notes:
Screenwriter Supriya Kelkar has authored the book “Ahimsa”, which will be published in India in August 2018. Her debut novel will sheds light on the Indian freedom movement, which is inspired by her great-grandmother’s experience working with Mahatma Gandhi. In 1942, after Gandhi ji asked one member of each family to join the non-violent freedom movement, 10-year-old Anjali was devastated to think that her father will risk his life for the country. But he’s not the one joining. Anjali’s mother was. As the family got more and more involved in the cause, Anjali gives up her privileges and confronts her prejudices to ensure her little contribution to the movement is complete. “Ahimsa”, published by Scholastic India, is essentially about female empowerment and overcoming one’s internal struggles and giving up one’s biases.

Notes:
The Gangrel Dam is built across the Mahanadi River in Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh. It is also known as the R.S. Sagar Dam and is the longest dam in Chhattisgarh. This dam supplies year round irrigation, allowing farmers to harvest two crops per year. The dam also supplies 10 MW of hydro-electric power capacity.

Notes:
Donald Hall, the award-winning American poet and writer, has passed away in New Hampshire, United States on June 23, 2018. Hall began writing when he was just 12 years old. Over the course of a career that spanned more than seven decades, he wrote more than 40 books, half of which were works of poetry. He was the United States Poet Laureate for 2007-08. He received the Robert Frost Medal in 1991 and the National Medal of Arts, the nation’s highest honour for artists, in 2010.