Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2017

Notes:
The World Autism Awareness Day (AWWD) is an internationally recognised day observed every year on April 2 to highlight the need to help improve the quality of life of those with autism so they can lead full and meaningful lives as an integral part of society. The 2017 theme is “Toward Autonomy and Self-Determination”.

Notes:
The Madhya Pradesh government has recently launched mobile app ‘MP e-nagarpalika’ to provide various municipal services online. The app would offer 378 services like online payment of property tax, seeking building permission, birth/ marriage/death certificates etc. It will also register complaints related to garbage, water, streetlights etc. Online payment gateway would be available on this app. The mobile app is a part of Rs 225-crore ‘e-nagarpalika’ project, under which all municipal services would be made available online on a unified web platform.

Notes:
Geeta Johri, a 1982-batch IPS officer, has been appointed Director General of Police (DGP) of Gujarat. With this, Johari has become the first woman IPS officer to be appointed for the top job in the state. Presently, she is posted as managing director in the Gujarat Police Housing Corporation, Gandhinagar. She has been controversial for her role in the investigation into the 2005 Sohrabuddin Sheikh, his wife Kauserbi and 2006 Tulsiram Prajapati encounter cases. The decision comes in wake of sudden ouster of Johari’s predecessor P P Pandey who stepped down from the post following a petition in the Supreme Court. Pandey is an accused in Ishrat Jahan encounter case.

Notes:
The Union Government has recently constituted National Board of Electric Mobility (NBEM) to promote electric mobility and manufacturing of electric (& hybrid) vehicles and their components. The Board will be chaired by Girish Shankar, Secretary of the Department of Heavy Industry. The NBEM will examine, formulate and propose short- as well as long-term plans and contours of the mission programme on electric mobility, its objectives, quantifiable outcomes and roles and responsibilities of the various stakeholders. It will propose and recommend policy guidelines and government interventions and possible strategies for promoting electric mobility and for encouraging manufacture of electric vehicles in the country.

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Aleksandar Vucic, the current Prime Minister of Serbia, has won the 2017 Serbian Presidential election by 55% of votes. He will take office on May 31, 2017. Vucic is also the leader and president of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). The current office holder is Tomislav Nikolic.

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The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $175 million loan to Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. (PGCIL) to expand its solar energy transmission network in the country. The project funding will improve the capacity and efficiency of interstate transmission networks, particularly in transmitting the electricity generated from new solar parks to the national grid.

Notes:
The World Health Day (WHD) is observed every year on April 7 to mark the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO). The day provides with a unique opportunity to mobilize action around a specific health topic of concern to people all over the world. This year (in 2017), the WHO is leading a one-year global campaign on depression with theme “Depression: Let’s Talk”, which is the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide. Depression is the leading cause of ill health and death among 15-29-year olds. More than 300 million people are now living with depression, an increase of more than 18 per cent between 2005 and 2015. It affects people of all ages, from all walks of life, in all countries.

Notes:
Indian boxer K Shyam Kumar has won a gold medal in the 49- kilogram category at the Thailand International Tournament in Bangkok on April 8, 2017. He clinched the medal without even stepping inside the ring for his summit clash, as Olympic champion Hasanboy Dusmatov of Uzbekistan was unable to play the final match due to his injury.

Notes:
The Rajasthan government has imposed a 10% cow cess as surcharge on stamp duty for protection and propagation of cows. The surcharge will be applicable on non-judicial instruments. The cess will have a bearing on costs of making documents like property sale or lease deeds, rent agreements and mortgage. Though, judicial stamps, revenue ticket and insurance ticket have been excluded from this order. Rajasthan is the only state in India which has a dedicated Cow Ministry. At present, the Rajasthan Cow Ministry is allocated 11% share of the entire land registrations revenue.

Notes:
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has launched India’s first NBA Basketball School launched in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The school is a part of a multi-year agreement with India On Track (IOT), which is open to male and female players between ages 6-18. The NBA Basketball School builds an additional track between the Jr. NBA and NBA Academies with the goal of increasing the pool of players who have the talent to attend our academies around the world.