Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2019

Notes:
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the first-ever Philip Kotler Presidential award in New Delhi for his outstanding leadership for the nation. According to the award citation , under his leadership, India is now identified as the centre for innovation and value added manufacturing (Make in India), as well as a global hub for professional services such as information technology, accounting and finance. The Award focuses on the triple bottom-line of People, Profit and Planet. It will be offered annually to the leader of a Nation. Prof. Philip Kotler is a world renowned Professor of Marketing at Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management.

Notes:
Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu inaugurated the first-ever Global Aviation Summit (GAS-2019) in Mumbai on January 15. The two-day summit, with a theme ‘Flying for all-especially the next 6 Billion’, is being organised by Ministry of Civil Aviation in association with FICCI. It offers stakeholders an opportunity to explore, deliberate and understand how technology-driven innovations will change air travel in the decades to come. The event will host experts and CEOs from Global Aviation Fraternity emphasizing upon the latest trends, futuristic aircraft and cutting-edge technologies. It also gives the opportunity to highlight latest concepts like drones, air taxis, volocopters, new jets and ultra-light aerial electric vehicles etc. It will also entail discussions on airports of future, innovations, safety & security, financing & leasing, sustainability and growth drivers – cargo, logistics.

Notes:
Prof. Sir Michael Atiyah (89), the noted British mathematician has passed away in United Kingdom on 11th January 2019. He was best known for his co-development of a branch of mathematics called topological K-theory and the Atiyah-Singer index theorem. His research also involved deep insights relating to mathematical concepts known as “vector bundles”. Sir Michael was also a recipient of the Abel Prize (2004) and Fields Medal (1966), and was the former president of the Royal Society in London. He was one of the foremost mathematicians whose work encompassed topology and geometry, and worked with several Indian mathematicians such as Indian-American mathematician Harish-Chandra and Vijay Kumar Patodi, during his career.

Notes:
Saksham 2019 is an annual high intensity one-month long people-centric mega campaign, which is organised by Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) under the aegis of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The purpose of the Saksham (Sanrakshan Kshamta Mahotsav) is to sensitize the masses about conservation and efficient use of petroleum products which will lead towards better health and environment. The campaign seeks to promote effective utilization of petroleum products, something that will lead to environmental protection.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Finance has started ‘Know Your Budget’ fortnight series on its Twitter handle to educate general public about the budgetary process. The series would explain the importance of Union Budget and its making, and would continue for about a fortnight. In the first series of tweets, the Ministry explained the terms – Union Budget and Vote on Account. These are as follows: The Budget is the most comprehensive report of the government’s finances in which revenues from all sources and outlays for all activities are consolidated. The Budget also contains estimates of the government’s accounts for the next fiscal year called Budget estimates. The Vote on Account is defined as a grant made in advance by Parliament for expenditure for a part of the next financial year.

Notes:
The Government of India (GoI) has decided to induct women in Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBOR) role in Corps of Military Police for the first time ever. The women will be inducted into the military police in a graded manner, and will eventually comprise 20% of its total strength. The decision to induct women in the military police will enhance their representation in the armed forces. Their role would range from probing rape and molestation cases to assisting the Army wherever required. Currently, women are allowed in select areas such as medical, legal, educational, signals and engineering wings of the Army. The role of the military police includes policing cantonments and army establishments, preventing a breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war, handling prisoners of war and extending aid to civil police whenever required.

Notes:
On 19th January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the India’first Armoured Systems Complex (ASC) built by a private company – Larsen & Toubro (L&T) – at Hazira in Surat, Gujarat. This is the India’s first private facility where the K9 Vajra self-propelled Howitzer guns will be manufactured. Spread over 40 acres within L&T’s 755-acre Hazira Manufacturing Complex, the ASC is executing the K9 Vajra guns programme. The K9 Vajra contract involves delivery of 100 such systems in 42 months, which is the largest contract awarded to a private company by the Ministry of Defence. L&T had signed a transfer of technology contract for guns with South Korean company Hanwha Corporation. The gun weighs 50 tonnes and can fire 47kg bombs at a 43-kilometre distance target. It can turn around at zero radius. The ASC is a state-of-the-art facility to manufacture and integrate advanced armoured platforms such as self-propelled artillery Howitzers, future infantry combat vehicles (FICV), future ready combat vehicles (FRCV) or future main battle tanks.

Notes:
Raghbir Singh Bhola (92), the former India hockey player, has passed away in New Delhi on January 21, 2019. He represented India in the 1956 Melbourne and 1960 Rome Olympics, winning a gold and silver medals respectively for the country. His dedication and passion for field hockey continued in various aspects throughout his life and he served in diverse roles such as member of the IHF selection committee, FIH international umpire, manager of the Indian hockey team, TV commentator and government observer at the Olympic Games. He successfully captained the Indian Air Force hockey and Services team from 1954-60 and won the Inter Services Hockey Championship three times and the National Hockey Championship on two occasions. In 2000, he was honoured with the Arjuna Award for his life time achievements in Field Hockey.

Notes:
On 23rd January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Subhash Chandra Bose museum at the iconic Red Fort in New Delhi to mark the leader’s 122nd birth anniversary. The Museum on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Indian National Army provides a detailed account of Subhash Chandra Bose and the history of Indian National Army (INA). It also showcases various artefacts related to Subhash Chandra Bose and INA. The artefacts include wooden chair and sword used by Netaji, medals, badges, uniforms and other artefacts related to INA. Beside this, Prime Minister also inaugurated the Yaad-e-Jallian Museum on the Jallianwala Bagh and World War I, the Museum on 1857- India’s first war of Independence and Drishyakala-Museum on Indian Art within the Red Fort complex.

Notes:
Microsoft India has launched a new e-commerce platform re-weave.in for handloom weavers under its Project ReWeave, as part of its philanthropic initiatives. This e-commerce platform will help connect artisans to buyers directly and enables them to expand to newer customers and markets. The new e-commerce website hosts signature collections created by weaver communities and showcases traditional designs and products created from natural dyes. This e-marketplace will help sell to a broad set of customers, helping weavers to increase their income and earn a sustainable livelihood, while also reviving forgotten Indian art. The Indian handloom industry is the second-largest employment provider for the rural population in India, with almost 43 lakh weavers. Project ReWeave also aims to help weavers with working capital support through non-profit organisations.