Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2017

Notes:
The Uttar Pradesh government has recently launched a free household power connection scheme ‘Prakash hai to vikas hai’ for the poor in the state to mark former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birthday. Initially, the two village Lohban and Gausana of Mathura district have been covered for 100% electrification. Under this scheme, the state government has a target of covering 16 million by the end of 2018. Apart from this, the UP government has also introduced Kisan Uday Yojana, scheme for farmers in which existing 5 HP/7.5 HP submersible and coupling sets of farmers will be replaced free of cost. The scheme, which would cover 10 lakh farmers by 2022, would lead to 35% saving on power consumption.

Notes:
The world’s tallest and longest glass floor bridge has opened in Shijiazhuang, China to the public. The bridge stretches 488 meters long and two meters wide. It stands at 218 meters above the valley between two steep cliffs in Hongyagu Scenic Area in Pingshan County. It is made of 1,077 panes of transparent glass with each being four centimeters thick and weighs a total of 70 metric tons. The sky bridge is designed in a such a way that it swings a little when visitors walk to its center. As per reports, the bridge can support up to 2,000 people, however, only 500 people will be on it at one time.

Notes:
The National Sugar Institute (NSI) is located in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh and is involved in research, training and advisory services to the sugar and allied industry, and functions under the Department of Food and Public Distribution of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. The institute provides technical education and training in research in all branches of sugar chemistry, sugar technology, sugar engineering and allied fields. It also provides assistance to central and state governments in matters relating to sugar and allied industries.

Notes:
The Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR) is an autonomous organization engaged in agricultural research related to spices in India. The institute has its headquarters in Kozhikode, Kerala and is a subsidiary of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR-New Delhi), under the Ministry of Agriculture.

Notes:
The Union Environment Ministry has launched a regional project on ‘Climate Resilience Building among Farmers through Crop Residue Management’ under National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC) on December 28, 2017. The project was approved at the meeting of the National Steering Committee on Climate Change (NSCCC) under the chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, C.K Mishra. The first phase of the project has been approved at a cost of approximately Rs. 100 Crore for the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The project not only aims to mitigate climate change impacts and enhance adaptive capacity, but will also counter the adverse environmental impacts that arise from burning.

Notes:
The 78th session of the Indian History Congress (IHC) has started at the Jadavpur University campus in Kolkata, West Bengal on December 28, 2017. The 3-day IHC will have six sections this time – Ancient India, Medieval India, Modern India, Countries Other than India, Archaeology and Contemporary India. The aim of conducting Indian History Congress is for promotion and encouragement of the scientific study of Indian History, holding Congresses and publishing of the proceedings, bulletins, memoirs, journals and other works.

Notes:
Sue Grafton (77), an American author of detective novels, has passed away in Santa Barbara, California on December 28, 2017. According to author’s webpage, she started the alphabet novels in 1982. The mystery writer penned best-selling novels with alphabet-based titles, starting with “A Is for Alibi” and ending with “Y Is for Yesterday”. Her last alphabet mystery was published last August. “Z Is for Zero” was tentatively scheduled to come out in 2019.

Notes:
The 74th anniversary of First Flag Hoisting Day has celebrated in Andaman and Nicobar Islands on December 30, 2017. Lieutenant Governor Admiral DK Joshi hoisted the National Flag at the main function held at the Gymkhana Ground in Port Blair. On the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor felicitated veteran Islanders who were members of Indian National Army and Indian Independence League. CK Bose, grandson of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose and Indresh Kumar, advisor to Forum for Awareness for National Security (FANS) and family members of veteran freedom fighter Veer Savarkar and others were present. A large number of FANS members attended the function. It was on this day, in 1943; Netaji Subash Chandra Bose had hoisted the National Tri-colour for the first time with the help of Japanese forces at the Gymkhana Ground in Port Blair and declared A & N Islands free from British Rule, four years before India’s Independence.

Notes:
Om Prakash Singh, the 1983 batch IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, will be the new Director General of Police of Uttar Pradesh. He will succeed incumbent Sulkhan Singh, whose tenure ends on December 31, 2017. Presently, OP Singh is the Director General of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Till the new appointee takes charge, Anand Kumar, Additional Director General (Law and Order) will look after the day-to-day affairs.

Notes:
The Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary (NWS) is located near Lailad village in the Ri Bhoi district of Meghalaya and covers an area of 29 square kilometres. The animals here include the Bengal tiger, the black bear, the leopard and many such species at the verge of extinction such as the necked hornbill and the brown hornbill bird.