GK & Current Affairs Quiz: May 19, 2017

Notes:
The 24th edition of bilateral maritime exercise “SIMBEX-17” has started between Navies of the Republic of Singapore and India in the South China Sea from May 18 and will continue to May 21, 2017. The purpose of the exercise is to increase interoperability between the two navies as well as to develop common understanding and procedures for maritime security operations. SIMBEX is an acronym for “Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercises”.

Notes:
Dr. Harsh Vardhan has given the additional charge of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) following the death of Minister Anil Madhav Dave. Dr. Vardhan is the incumbent minister at Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Earth Sciences and represents Chandni Chowk in Delhi as a Member of Parliament (MoP) in the 16th Lok Sabha.

Notes:
The 52nd annual meeting of African Development Bank (AfDB) Group will be held at the Mahatma Mandir convention centre in Gandhinagar , Gujarat from May 22 to 26, 2017 with theme “Transforming Agriculture for Wealth Creation in Africa”. It’s the first-ever AfDB meeting in India, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 23, 2017 . The 2017 AfDB meeting meeting will be a mega international event to be attended by more than 3000 delegates from 81 member countries from across the world including the Governors, Alternate Governors, Executive Directors, policy makers and businesses. It will provide a forum for representatives of government, business, civil society, think-tanks, academia and the media to debate key issues in Africa.

Notes:
China has been ranked first among 40 nations in the 2017 Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index (RECAI) released by Ernst and Young (EY). India has been ranked 2nd, followed by United States, Germany, Australia, Chile, Japan and France. The RECAI ranks 40 markets on the attractiveness of their renewable energy investment and deployment opportunities, based on a number of macro, energy market and technology-specific indicators.

Notes:
Sundaram Ravi is a cricket umpire from India and a member of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires. Recently, he is selected in a team of 20 umpires by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to be held on June 2017. The list of ICC match referees include Chris Broad, David Boon and Andy Pycroft while the umpires who will be seen umpiring in the tournament involve 12 names which are Aleem Dar, Kumar Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney, Ian Gould, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Bruce Oxenford, Sundaram Ravi, Paul Reiffel and Rod Tucker.

Notes:
As per recently released 2017 Brand Finance India 100 report, Tata Group is the most valuable brand in India with an estimated brand value of $13.1 billion. Airtel has acquired 2nd position followed by LIC, Infosys, SBI and Reliance Industries Ltd. The Brand Finance is a global brand valuation and strategy consultancy firm. It advises strongly branded organisations, or those with valuable intangible assets, on how to maximise their value through effective management of their brand and other intangible assets.

Notes:
India’s first Aquatic Rainbow Technology Park (ARTP) will be set up in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The park will have an ultra-modern exclusive facility for ornamental fish equipped with multi-species hatchery and live feed culture units. The facility is being developed by Fisheries College and Research Institute (FCRI), Ponneri in Tamil Nadu. The ARTP will have an advanced infrastructure and technical expertise to boost production of high value ornamental fish species for both indigenous and exotic. It will also develop breeding technologies for high value indigenous ornamental fish species and ensure quality fish seeds in bulk quantities.

Notes:
The International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia & Biphobia (IDAHOT) is observed every year on May 17 to raise awareness of LGBT rights violations and stimulate interest in LGBT rights work worldwide. The 2017 theme “families” focuses on the role of families in the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people and respect of the rights of LGBTI families.

Notes:
Chris Cornell (52), the renowned American musician, singer and songwriter, has recently passed away at Michigan, United States. He was best known as the lead vocalist, primary songwriter and rhythm guitarist for Seattle rock band “Soundgarden” and as lead vocalist and songwriter for the group “Audioslave”.

Notes:
The International Museum Day (IMD) is observed every year on May 18 to raise awareness on how important museums are in the development of society. The day provides the opportunity for museum professionals to meet the public and alert them as to the challenges that museums face. The 2017 theme “Museums and contested histories: Saying the unspeakable in museums” focuses on the role of museums that, by working to benefit society, become hubs for promoting peaceful relationships between people. It also highlights how the acceptance of a contested history is the first step in envisioning a shared future under the banner of reconciliation.