Current Affairs Quiz- November, 2019

Notes:
Indian-origin researcher, Dr Neeraj Sharma has won the Australian government’s  ‘Early Career Researcher of the Year (Physical Sciences)’ for developing next-generation battery systems such as sodium-ion battery that will leave minimal environmental impact. The awarded research explores inherently safe solid-state batteries, energy-dense lithium-sulfur batteries, dual function solar batteries and methods for recycling. DR. Sharma is researcher at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) of Sydney.

Notes:
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has recently launched two new IT Initiatives – ICEDASH and ATITHI – for improved monitoring and pace of customs clearance of imported goods and facilitating arriving international passengers. ICEDASH is an Ease of Doing Business (EODB) monitoring dashboard of the Indian Customs that allows public see and compare import clearance times at all ports and airports across India.  The ATITHI app will facilitate hassle-free and faster clearance by Indian Customs at the airports and increase the experience of international tourists and other visitors at the airports. 

Notes:
The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) Igniter Complex has recently inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik at High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) in Pune, Maharashtra. The purpose of the laboratory is to design & develop any kind of ignition systems for key DRDO projects. Ignition is a crucial and highly critical phenomenon in the ignition chain of Rocket motor. The Ignition system for Agni, Prithvi, Akash, Nag, Pinaka, Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM), etc. have been designed and developed in HEMRL. The technology for AKASH, Nag missiles and Pinaka Mk-I Rocket has been transferred to Ordnance Factory, Dehu Road, Pune and private industries.

Notes:
The Government of Bangladesh has banned the Islamist outfit ‘Allar Dol’ because it poses threat to public safety and security. It is the 9th Islamist group to be banned for extremism and militancy in Bangladesh.The Allah’r Dol was formed in 1995 with the aim to establish Caliphate through armed struggle. In 2004, it merged with banned militant organisation Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). After arrest of leaders of JMB following serial blasts of 2005, some of its leaders left it to re-organise Allar Dol. 

Notes:
To pay tribute to legendary playwright Mohan Rakesh, the 4-day festival titled “Mohan Rakesh Natya evam Samman Samaroh” is being organized by the Delhi government’s art and culture wing “Sahitya Kala Parishad” held at the Kamani Auditorium from November 11, 2019. The purpose of the event is to provide a platform to the upcoming talents in the field of theatre. Rakesh was widely-known as one of the brains behind the ‘Nai Kahani’ (New Short Story) literary movement of Hindi literature in the 1950s & also wrote the first modern Hindi play titled “Ashadh Ka Ek Din” in 1958.

Notes:
Nepal has recently formally protested over the inclusion of the disputed area of Kalapani on the fringes of Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand as part of Indian Territory in the new political map of India. Kalapani is claimed by Nepal as a part of its Darchula district. It has been controlled by India’s Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) since the 1962 war with China.

Notes:
The bilateral naval exercise named “Samudra Shakti-2019” has been conducted between the Indian and the Indonesian Navies in the Bay of Bengal  from 06 Nov to 07 Nov 19. The joint exercises include manoeuvres, Surface Warfare exercises, Air Defence exercises, Weapon firing drills, Helicopter Operations and Boarding Operations.

Notes:
The Sanskrit Bharati Vishwa Sammelan has started in New Delhi on 9th of November 2019. Thousands of Sanskrit lovers from 17 countries are attending the 3-day mega event.

Notes:
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has proposed to merge Assam Rifles with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and to serve under the operational control of the MHA. At present, the Assam Rifles (a Central paramilitary force) is under the administrative control of the MHA and operational control of the Army, i.e. the Ministry of Defence. The Army is opposed to this proposal.

Notes:
The 15 year-old Shafali Verma from Haryana has become the youngest Indian cricketer to score a half-century in international 50 & surpassed Sachin Tendulkar’s 30-year-old record.She achieved this feat by scoring 73 runs off 49 balls in the first T20I against West Indies at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Saint Lucia.