Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2017

Notes:
According to 2017 report by the United Nations World Tourism (UNWTO), the island of Tuvalu was the least visited country in 2016. Only 2,000 people ventured to the South Pacific paradise of Tuvalu in 2016. The latest report reveals that there are 15 least-visited countries globally. Kiribati is the 2nd least visited country, followed by Sao Tome and Principe, Montserrat, Comoros, Djibouti, San Marino, Timor-Leste, Liechtenstein, Sierra Leone, Anguilla, Moldova, Bangladesh, Bhutan and French Guiana.

Notes:
Nirmala Sitharaman, the Union Commerce and Industry Minister, has constituted a task force on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for India’s economic transformation. The 18-member panel, headed by Dr. V. Kamakoti of IIT Madras, will comprise of experts, academics, researchers and industry leaders. It will explore possibilities to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) for development across various fields. In addition to regular members, it will have official participation from NITI Aayog, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Department of Science & Technology, UIDAI and DRDO. The task force will submit concrete and implementable recommendations for government, industry and research institutions.

Notes:
The Spice Digital Limited (SDL) has received the final licence from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), to process bill payments as a Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU) in the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS). The BBPS is a RBI conceptualised system driven by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). It is a one-stop payment platform for all bills providing an interoperable and accessible “Anytime Anywhere” bill payment service to all customers across India with certainty, reliability and safety of transactions. The headquarters of the Spice Digital is located at Noida in National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCR). The company provides Telco Solutions, Value Added Services (MVAS), Enterprise Solutions, Financial technology, GSP and Digital transformation products and services. It is a subsidiary of listed entity S Mobility, which has diversified interests in telecom space.

Notes:
Ashish kumar Chauhan has been re-appointed as the new Managing Director and CEO of Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) for the period of 5 years from November 2, 2017 to November 1, 2022. For this, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has recently gave its approval to re-appoint Chauhan as MD and CEO of the company for next 5 years.

Notes:
The Government Nepal has launched the world’s first climate-smart snow-leopard management plan to safeguard this endangered species of snow leopard and its habitat. The Nepal’s conservation plan addressed key current and emerging threats to snow leopards including climate change and will be used as a model for other range countries to adopt. It was discussed in the 2017 International Snow Leopard Summit and Ecosystem Forum in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where world leaders hold critical talks to strengthen previous commitments to safeguard the future of the snow leopard and its habitat.

Notes:
Yogi Adityanath, the Uttar Pradesh chief Minister, has launched the Startup Yatra programme in Lucknow on August 30, 2017. Beside this, the government has also launch a mobile application and a call centre for startups. As per programme, the state government will provide financial assistance of Rs 15 thousand per month and maximum Rs 10 lakh rupees in a year to those who will begin startups. For this, the state government will soon sign MoU with Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI). Under this policy, the government will appoint one person in each district of the state who with the use of technology will develop a brand product and connect it with the concerned district.

Notes:
Dr. R.K. Raghavan, a 1963 cadre IPS officer, has been appointed as the new High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Cyprus and is expected to take up the assignment shortly. Raghavan, who was Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director from January 1999 to April 2001, had investigated high profile cases like Priyadarshini Mattoo murder case, 2000 South Africa cricket match fixing, 2002 Gujarat riots. Prior to this, he was the director-general of Tamil Nadu’s State Vigilance Directorate from 1993 to 1999. He oversaw probe into corruption cases against AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa. After his retirement, Raghavan was also corporate security adviser with Tata Consultancy Services and served as consulting adviser to O P Jindal’s Board of Management.

Notes:
The researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have successfully created an implantable bioartificial pancreas model grown within a 3D silk scaffold. The bioartificial pancreas, which encapsulates insulin-producing cells, is capable of naturally producing insulin in a sustained manner. If successful in animal and human trials, it can be used for treating people with type 1 diabetes. The silk scaffold was found to be biocompatible (not toxic to living tissue) as it did not trigger any immune reaction or cause any adverse reaction when implanted. In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas produces little or no insulin. Insulin is a hormone needed to allow sugar (glucose) to enter cells to produce energy. The results were published in the journal ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering.

Notes:
The Tanintharyi National Park (TNP) is located at the Tenasserim Hills, Myanmar and covers an area of 2072 km2. The main purposes of the park are habitat conservation. It is home to Sambar Deer, Asian Elephant, Barking Deer, Serow, Red Goral, Malayan tapir, tiger, Leopard and a number of bird species.

Notes:
The Krishna Kutir is a special home for 1000 widows set up by the Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD) under the Swadhar Greh scheme. It is said to be the largest-ever facility of its kind created by a government organization, which will be inaugurated by Maneka Sanjay Gandhi and UP CM Yogi Adityanath at Vrindavan in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh on 31st August 2018. The new widows’ home has been constructed to mitigate the plight of widows living in pathetic condition in Vrindavan. The design of the four-storey building has been prepared in consultation with the non-governmental organisation, HelpAge India. It consists amenities like ramps and lifts for senior citizens and differently-abled people. The facility is also equipped with a large modern kitchen and a skill cum training centre. The construction of the home has been funded by Central Government and will be managed by the Government of Uttar Pradesh.