Current Affairs - 2019-20

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The Whitley Awards also called Green Oscars are given annually by the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) to recognise and celebrate effective national and regional conservation leaders across the globe. In 2017, there are two Indians among the awardees- Purnima Devi Barman from Assam and Sanjay Gubbi from Karnataka. Purnima Devi Barman is a renowned environmentalist from Assam and has won the Green Oscars, for her efforts in conserving greater adjutant storks, an endangered bird species found in Assam. Sanjay Gubbi is a scientist with the Nature Conservation Foundation in India, and has received the award for helping to expand the protected area network in Karnataka.

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Zeolites are used as water softeners, to remove calcium ions from water. Clinoptilolite, a natural zeolite is used to clean radioactive wastes from nuclear power plant. Zeolites act as catalyst and are used in catalytic cracking to break down large organic molecules found in petroleum into the smaller molecules that make up gasoline, a process called catalytic cracking.

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PMMSK scheme is envisioned as one-stop convergence support service for empowering rural women with opportunities for skill development, digital literacy, health and nutrition and employment. It aims to improve declining child sex ratio (CSR), ensure survival and protection of the girl child, ensuring the education and empowering her to fulfil her potential. It will provide an interface for rural women to approach government for getting their entitlement and for empowering them through training and capacity building.

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SWAYAM Portal would offer at least 350 online courses and will leverage information technology, access to high quality reading resources, participate in discussion forums; take tests and earn academic grades. Access to SWAYAM would be widened by linkage with DTH channels dedicated to education.

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A total of 134 nations took part in the IAAF World Indoor Championships 2018 which were held at Birmingham, United Kingdom. 554 athletes took part in the event.

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All of the above i.e. Bhin Bhin, Kaka and Atung were the mascots of the 2018 Asian Games which were held at Jakarta and Palembang in Indonesi

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Kenya bagged 10 gold medals in the 2017 IAAF World Championships in Women’s Cross Country Championship. Kenya was followed by Ethiopia and Bahrain.

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In 2018 FIFA World Cup which was held in Russia, the finals were won by France in their match against Croati

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Alexey Lutsenko had won the 2018 UCI Asia Tour circuit. He is from Kazakhstan and plays for Astana team.

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The United Nations has appointed Indian official Chandramouli Ramanathan in one of the top most positions in its Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance (DMSPC). He will take over as the Controller, Assistant Secretary-General for Programme Planning, Budget and Finance in the management strategy, policy and compliance department. He succeeds Bettina Tucci Bartsiotas of Uruguay. The Department of Management, Strategy, Policy and Compliance (DMSPC), was launched on 1 January 2019. It aims to provide strategic policy leadership in all areas of management through a clear, integrated global management strategy and policy framework. The Department will represent the Secretary-General in the relevant intergovernmental/interagency bodies and staff-management mechanisms. Budgetary and financial reporting, as well as human resources policy and strategy, including conduct and discipline, will be consolidated in DMSPC.