Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2017

Notes:
The Government of India (GoI) has recently appointed three part-time non-official directors on the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a 4-year term. These are – Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Dr. Ashok Gulati and Manish Sabharwal. This central Board of directors is responsible for governing the affairs of RBI. The board is appointed by the Union Government. There are five official directors — Governor and not more than four deputy governors. Besides, the government nominates 16 non-official directors on the board. Ten are nominated from different fields, two are government officials and one director each from the four local boards.

Notes:
The world’s first Braille Atlas for visually impaired persons has been launched by Dr. Harsh Vardhan, the Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences. The special edition of the “Atlas for Visually Impaired (India)” in English Braille has been prepared by National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organisation (NATMO) under the Department of S&T. The Atlas priced at Rs.600 and has 20 maps that cover themes such as physical, socio-economic and cultural aspects such as river system, natural vegetation, Metropolitan cities, roads, food and cash crops. The Atlas will be distributed free of cost to various schools across India for educating the students with visual challenges.

Notes:
The 9th edition of BRICS summit-2017 will be held at Xiamen in the Fujian Province of east China on September 2017 with the theme “BRICS: Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future”.

Notes:
India’s first-ever floating elementary school “Loktak Elementary Floating School” has started at Langolsabi Leikai of Champu Khangpok floating village on Loktak Lake in Manipur. The school has been opened under the initiative undertaken by All Loktak Lake Fisherman’s Union with the support of an NGO – People Resources Development Association (PRDA). The school will not only cater to the need of the children but for the illiterate adults as well. The Loktak Lake is referred as the “lifeline of Manipur” as it is highly productive and many lives depend on the lake for endurance. The lake is also an Important Bird Area as it’s a potential breeding site for waterfowl and is a staging site for migratory birds.

Notes:
Bhau Jambhuwantrao Dhote (83), the former Member of Parliament (MP) from Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency, has recently passed away in Yavatmal, Maharashtra. He was known for his demands of a separate state for Vidarbha. Dhote won his first election to Lok Sabha in 1971 from Nagpur as a Forward Bloc nominee. Later in 1980, he joined Congress and won the Nagpur seat on the Congress ticket. After leaving Congress he founded Vidarbha Janta Congress party in 2002. He was elected to Maharashtra Assembly five times. Due to his active participation in various movements for separate Vidarbha and farmers and his aggressive speeches, he was also known as the Lion of Vidarbha.

Notes:
The Canara Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to operationalise the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA). HEFA has been formed as a special purpose vehicle. It would leverage the equity to raise up to Rs. 20,000 crore for funding projects for infrastructure and development of world class Labs in IITs/IIMs/NITs and such other institutions. HEFA would also mobilise CSR funds from PSUs/corporates, which would in turn be released for promoting research and innovation in these institutions on a grant basis. The purpose of the HEFA is to create high quality infrastructure/capital assets in premier educational institutions. All the centrally funded higher educational institutions would be eligible for joining as members of HEFA.

Notes:
V. K. Srinivasan (76), the noted bureaucrat, columnist and director of the Institute of Economic Studies (IES), has recently passed away in Hyderabad. He was known for his candid views and uprightness in the Services, Srinivasan ruffled many feathers in the corridors of power during his career. It resulted in several transfers as well. He served as Collector in Karimnagar and Anantapur districts, and was known for his simple habits.

Notes:
Kenneth J. Arrow (95), the Nobel-winning economist and mathematician, has recently passed away at Palo Alto in California, United States. To date, he is the youngest person ever to have received Nobel Prize for Economics, at the age of 51. His theories on risk, innovation and the basic mathematics of markets have influenced thinking on everything from voting to health insurance to high finance. His most significant works are his contributions to social choice theory, Arrow’s impossibility theorem and general equilibrium analysis. He has also provided foundational work in many other areas of economics, including endogenous growth theory and the economics of information.

Notes:
Kalinga Lancers has won the 5th edition Hockey India League (HIL) tournament by defeating Dabang Mumbai by 4-1 in Chandigarh. Uttar Pradesh Wizards claimed the bronze medal. In the encounter between the two losing semi-finalists, UP Wizards beat Delhi Waveriders 5-4. Dabang Mumbai’s Florian Fuchs was named the Player of the Tournament.

Notes:
The top seeded Indian shuttler duo Tarun Kona and Alwin Francis has recently won the men’s doubles title at the 2017 Uganda International badminton tournament by defeating Aatish Lubah and Georges Julien Paul of Mauritius in the final by 21-8, 21-14 in Kampala.