Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2018

Notes:
NITI Aayog has launched a mobility pitch competition “Pitch to MOVE” for budding startups in the mobility field. The competition aims to identify and reward the start-ups offering innovative solutions for shared, connected and environment friendly mobility. It will provide budding entrepreneurs of India a unique opportunity to pitch their business ideas to a distinguished jury. The winners of the event will be felicitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Global Mobility Summit 2018, which is scheduled to be held on September in New Delhi. ‘Pitch to MOVE’ is organised by NITI Aayog in collaboration with Invest India and Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) as a part of a series of engaging featured events in the run up to the main event.

Notes:
Smitha V. Crishna, a third-generation heir of the Godrej family, has been ranked first in the Kotak Wealth Hurun-Leading Wealthy Women 2018 list with an estimated wealth of Rs 37,570 crore. In 2014, she made news with the purchase of a bungalow that belonged to Dr. Homi J. Bhabha for Rs 371 crore. Roshni Nadar, CEO and executive director at HCL, ranked second in the list with an estimated wealth of Rs 30,200 crore. Indu Jain, the chairperson of the Times Group, ranked third in the list, followed by Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Kiran Nadar, Leena Gandhi Tewari, Sangita Jindal and Jayshree Ulla. Industry wise, pharmaceuticals leads with 22 women from that sector on the list. It is followed by Software & Services with 12 individuals, and Food & Beverages with 8 individuals featured in the list.

Notes:
On the occasion of 72nd Independence Day 2018, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao launched three new schemes viz. free life insurance for farmers (Rythu Bima), ‘Kanti Velugu’ eye care scheme and an economic support programme for backward classes. In the ‘Kanti Velugu’ eye care scheme, every citizen of Telangana will be entitle to have free eye care viz. free eye screenings, medicines and spectacles and surgeries. It envisages covering 3.7 crore population. Under the economic support scheme for backward classes, the government would provide a grant of Rs 50,000 to the beneficiaries to start small businesses. Under the ‘Rythu Bima’ scheme, every farmer would get life insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh.

Notes:
The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has launched a VOIP based service “WINGS”. In WINGS, there is no SIM or cable wiring as is a VOIP service through an app. The WINGS service offers unlimited free audio/video calling for one year. The service can be activated with a one-time fee of Rs. 1,099 (Rs 1,297 with GST). Calls can be made using any data connection such as wired broadband, Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G network of any any operator. WINGS can also be used over Internet Leased Lines. The facility can be used anywhere within the country and the app automatically uses the existing address book in the phone. Unlike other app-based VOIP services such as WhatsApp and Telegram calls, the WINGS app can make calls to any phone number – free of cost. As there is no physical SIM, the number can be used as the second number in phones without provision for second SIM. It can even be a third number in dual-SIM phones.

Notes:
On the occasion of 72nd Independence Day 2018, the special film festival on the theme “Freedom Struggle and Freedom Fighters” has started in Mumbai on August 14. The festival was organized by Films Division of India (FDI), a film production house belonging to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B). It was inaugurated by Rama Khandwala, nonagenarian freedom fighter and Indian National Army (INA) veteran. During the festival, noteworthy documentary films on freedom struggle and freedom fighters were screened. Some of them are as follows: Jawan Tujhe Salam, Gandhi – A Universal Man, Netaji, Sardar Patel – The Iron Man, etc.

Notes:
The “Panini Language Laboratory” has been inaugurated by Sushma Swaraj, the Union Minister of External Affairs (MEA), during the 11th World Hindi Conference (WHC) 2018 at Mahatma Gandhi Institute (MGI) at Port Louis in Mauritius on August 19. The Lab has been gifted by the Government of India (GoI) and it will help MGI in teaching of all Indian languages in Mauritius. The eminent scholars have stressed upon on refinement of the Hindi language by making it simple and interesting. The delegates from across the globe underlined the need of developing software for Hindi which can be available to common people on a reasonable price. The basic objective of 3-day conference is to connect Hindi language with culture to spread and popularise it in the entire world.

Notes:
On August 19, Wrestler Bajrang Punia clinched India’s first gold medal in the 18th Asian Games after defeating Takatani Daichi of Japan in the men’s 65 kg freestyle title bout in Jakarta, Indonesia. Punia, who hails from Haryana, had won three consecutive gold medals — 2018 CWG (Gold Coast), Tbilisi Grand Prix (Georgia) and Yasar Dogu International (Istanbul) — ahead of the 2018 Asian Games. Earlier, Indian shooters Apurvi Chandela and Ravi Kumar won the bronze medal in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team event at the 2018 Asian Games. It was India’s first medal in the ongoing event.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Human Resource and Development (HRD) has proposed to set up a 5-member committee to suggest changes to the JEE (Advanced) examination in the wake of an inadequate number of candidates qualifying the entrance test this year. The aim of the committee, which will be headed by IIT-Madras director “Bhaskar Ramamurthy”, is to develop a robust and scientifically designed entrance exam system to test the potential of the candidates as well as to reduce their dependence on coaching institutes. The proposal is on the agenda of the IIT Council, which is considered to be the top decision-making body of all the IITs. Additionally, the IIT-Council is expected to discuss a suggestion made by one of the 23 premier engineering schools that the students who qualify JEE (Advanced) should be allocated an institute and not the engineering branch. According to the suggestion, the student should be allocated an engineering branch only in the second year, based on the aptitude exhibited in the first year. The IIT Council is scheduled to meet on August 21, 2018.

Notes:
On August 20, Indian Shooter Deepak Kumar claimed Silver in the Men’s 10-metre Air Rifle event with a score of 247.7 points at the Jakarta Asian Games 2018 in Indonesia. In the Men’s Trap, Lakshay clinched the silver medal with an impressive 43 from 50 shots. Earlier, Wrestler Bajrang Punia had given India its first Gold of the Games in the 65 kg division.

Notes:
Shooter Saurabh Chaudhary (16) has clinched gold in the Men’s 10m Air Pistol event at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games in Indonesia on August 21. It is India’s first shooting gold in the ongoing event. While another Indian shooter, Abhishek Verma won bronze in the same event. India have won five medals in shooting at the Games so far.