GK & Current Affairs Quiz: March 16, 2018

Notes:
The 3-day annual Krishi Unnati Mela has started at Indian Agricultural Research Institute , on its Pusa campus, in New Delhi on March 16 with a focus on doubling farmers’ income. The objective of the event is to create awareness among farmers about the latest agriculture-related technological developments. During the mela, latest agriculture and allied sector technologies will be displayed at more than 800 stalls.

Notes:
The 5th edition of Nadi Mahotsava has started at Bandrabhan of Hoshangabad District of Madhya Pradesh on March 16, 2018. It was inaugurated by Nitin Gadkari, who is Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation. The 2-day mahotsava with various sessions of discussion is taking place for the conservation of Narmada River.

Notes:
The Bengaluru-based non-profit organisation, Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy (Janaagraha) has released the 5th edition of its Annual Survey of India’s City-Systems (ASICS) 2017 report. The study evaluated quality of governance in cities by assessing laws, policies and institutional processes currently in place. In its 2017 edition, the survey covered 23 major cities in India across 20 states based on 89 questions. In it, Pune scored 5.1 out of 10 & topped the chart for the first time. It was followed by Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram, Bhubaneswar and Surat, with scores in the range of 4.6 to 4.5. The report addresses five major issues, and suggests solutions at the local body, State and Central government levels. It underlines the need for sharp focus on City-Systems or institutional reforms to city governance in our cities.

Notes:
KL Rahul has been named as the ‘Cricketer of the Year’ in the 6th edition of Wisden India Almanack. Beside this, Shantha Rangaswamy, India’s first woman superstar, has been inducted into the Wisden India Hall of Fame alongside Erapalli Prasanna. Shantha was the first lady to captain the Indian women’s team. The Almanack pays a tribute to India’s women cricketers, with a wonderful cover picture of celebration at the World Cup. With over 900 pages of essays, commentary, statistics, portraits, and images, Wisden India Almanack is a joyful ride through the entire last season. The magazine also provides insights into the future challenges that are to come.

Notes:
Baskaran Adhiban from India has clinched the title in the 33rd Reykjavik Open Chess Tournament 2018 with an impressive performance that saw him win five of the nine games. He became only the second Indian after Abhijeet Gupta (in 2016) to win the prestigious Reykjavik Open.

Notes:
The Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes (CIRB) has claimed that India’s first cloned Assamese buffalo male calf ‘Sach-Gaurav’ has born in Hisar, Haryana on December 22, 2017. The calf was born to a Murrah buffalo through a normal delivery. It was also the first to be born in the field, 100 kms from the cloning laboratory at Hi Tech Sach Dairy Farm. The birth weight of the calf was 54.2 kgs and it was in good health. It had normal physiological parameters and blood profile. The genotype of the calf was confirmed by microsatellite analysis (parentage verification) and chromosome analysis. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research-CIRB is a central institute and it has a mandate to conserve superior animals of all buffalo breeds.

Notes:
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and the Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University (RGNAU) on March 13, 2018 to strengthen human resource possibility over India’s aviation industry. Under the agreement, the signatory institutions would leverage the existing infrastructure for training in India to expand the reach of vocational training in aviation disciplines. The IATA is a trade association of the world’s airlines and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.

Notes:
The Government of India (GoI) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a $120 million loan agreement for completion of works for double-tracking and electrification of railways tracks along high-density corridors to improve operational efficiency of Indian railways. The tranche 3 loan is part of the $500 million multi-tranche financing facility for Railway Sector Investment Program approved by the ADB Board in 2011. The loan amount will be used to complete the ongoing works commenced under earlier tranches. The purpose of the project is to increase the efficiency of the rail infrastructure through electrification, introduction of modern signaling system, and doubling rail tracks on key routes in the country. ADB loan has a 20-year term, including a grace period of 5 years, an annual interest rate determined in accordance with ADB’s London interbank offered rate (LIBOR)-based lending facility, and a commitment charge of 0.15% per year.

Notes:
The 105th session of the Indian Science Congress (ISC) has been inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Manipur Central University in Imphal on March 16, 2018. The focal theme of the 5-day ISC is “Reaching the Unreached Through Science & Technology”. Approx 5,000 delegates from all over the country and 2,000 scientists along with four Nobel Laureates will grace the event. The Indian Science Congress is an annual event, usually held in the first week of January. The 104th ISC was held at Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh.

Notes:
India will host the 17th Annual Conference of International Competition Network 2018 (ICN2018) for the first time from 21st to 23rd March 2018 in New Delhi. The ICN advocates adoption of superior standards and procedures in competition enforcement around the world, formulates proposals for procedural and substantive convergence, and facilitates effective international cooperation to the benefit of member agencies, consumers and economies worldwide.