GK & Current Affairs Quiz: November 12-13, 2017

Notes:
Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, the Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports (Independent Charge), has released the India Youth Development Index (YDI) and Report 2017 in New Delhi on November 13, 2017. The Index enables recognizing the high and low performing states, identifies the weak domains and informs the policy makers the priority areas of intervention for youth development in the states. The purpose of constructing the index is to track the trends in youth development across the States. The Index will enable the policy makers track the national and the regional progress as well setbacks in youth development policies, planning, priority identification and implementation strategies. The ministry stated that the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD), Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu has come out with Youth Development Index and Report 2017. This is a pioneering attempt made by the Institute in 2010 which it followed up with the India YDI in 2017.

Notes:
The 4-day traditional Lavi Fair has started at Rampur Bushahr in Himachal Pradesh on November 12, 2017, which was inaugurated by Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Devvrat. The 300-year-old Lavi fair is an important trade event between India and Tibet. It is a unique example of the glorious, social, cultural, economic history and legacy of Himachal Pradesh. It provides a good opportunity for people to promote and sale woolens, dry fruits and other traditional crafts and products.

Notes:
Veteran cyclist Ashok Khale (64), who was recently injured in the suspected hit-and-run case on the Sion-Panvel highway, has passed away in the Bombay hospital during treatment on November 12, 2017. He won several medals for cycle-riding in state and national-level championships. He had represented India in Giro d’Italia event and was also called as the King of the Ghats. He was also the recipient of the Shiv Chhatrapati award.

Notes:
Ace Indian cueist Pankaj Advani clinched his 17th world title after thrashing his arch-rival Mike Russell of England in the 2017 IBSF World Billiards Championship at Doha on November 12, 2017. In the best-of-11 summit clash, Advani beat Russell 6-2 to defend the 150-up format title he had won in Bengaluru last year. Advani will be eyeing a ‘Grand Double’ as the lengthier format (long-up) of the IBSF World Billiards Championship 2017, which will begin on November 13, 2017 at Doha.

Notes:
Audrey Azoulay, a former Minister of Culture and Communication of France, has been appointed as the new Director-General (DG) of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). She will succeed outgoing DG Irina Bokova on November 15, 2017. The new Director will set priorities for the organization’s World Heritage program that protects cultural sites and traditions. Ms Azoulay is the 11th Director-General of UNESCO and the second woman to occupy this position. She was born in Paris to a Moroccan Jewish family from Essaouira, and is the daughter of Andre Azoulay, who is current adviser to king Mohammed VI of Morocco.

Notes:
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is organizing a National Conference with the State Governments and Service Providers to brainstorm and showcase various utilization models leveraging BharatNet infrastructure in New Delhi on November 13, 2017. The Conference will be attended by IT Ministers and IT Secretaries from States. In it, DoT will sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with states for the implementation of BharatNet Phase II. Under BharatNet Phase I, Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) connectivity has reached in over 1, 00, 000 Gram Panchayats (GPs) across different States in the country. By Dec 2017, all 1, 00, 000 GPs will be operational on the BharatNet infrastructure. As of today, almost 90,000 installations have been completed and Services are expected to commence in 80,000 GPs shortly.

Notes:
The Ghughuwa Fossil Park (GFP) is located near Shahpura in Madhya Pradesh and was declared a National Park in 1983. It was founded during the 1970s by Dr. Dharmendra Prasad, in which plant fossils belonging to 31 genera of 18 families have been identified. A eucalyptus fossil found at Ghughua is the oldest fossil of its type ever discovered and this find supports its origins from Gondwana.

Notes:
The 4th India-Canada Annual Ministerial Dialogue has started in New Delhi on November 13, 2017. The Indian delegation is led by the Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu and the Canadian International Trade Minister, François-Philippe Champagne is leading the Canadian delegation. As per official release, India and Canada will focus on some of the key commercial drivers to enhance the India-Canada partnership in the current round of the Ministerial Dialogue. The efforts would be made to work towards the expeditious conclusion of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement for a progressive, balanced, and mutually beneficial agreement covering both goods and services. The trade ministers of both countries are likely to discuss issues to explore ways of expediting the early conclusion of the CEPA and the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement.

Notes:
The Public Service Broadcasting Day (PSBD) is observed every year on November 12 to commemorate the first and last visit of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi to the studio of All India Radio, Delhi in 1947. He addressed the displaced people, who had temporarily settled at Kurukshetra in Haryana after partition. This year, in 2017, a function was organized at the premises of Broadcasting House, All India Radio in New Delhi to mark the occasion. Artists of All India Radio (AIR) recited favourite bhajans of Gandhiji and students of two Delhi Schools sung couple of songs on National Unity.

Notes:
The ASEAN Business and Investment Summit 2017 (ABIS 2017) has started in Manila, Philippines from November 12 to serve as a platform for conversations among regional and global stakeholders in the ASEAN Economic Community. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading the Indian delegation in the 3-day summit.