Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2017

Notes:
Recently, the Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel has laid the foundation stone of the India’s first centre of excellence for differently-abled sportsmen at Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The Center of Excellence is proposed with an estimate of over Rs 50 crore. It will have world class facilities where para athletes can train for various international competitions including Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games. It will also act as a classification center for para athletes. The Center will also hold seminars, educational programmes and workshops throughout the year with the help of International Paralympic Committee. Approx 50 differently-abled sportspersons (boys & girls) between age group 8-12 will be imparted training in Athletics, Swimming and power lifting at the training centre. The entire project will be constructed by CPWD in coordination with various experts and consultants having full accessibility as per the norms of IPC.

Notes:
The 17th International Seminar on Counter Terrorism has been held at Manesar in Haryana on February 8, 2017. The seminar is organised by National Security Guard (NSA) and inaugurated by the Broadcasting Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting. Apart from this, the Minister also unveiled the NSG annual magazine ‘The Bombshell’, which contains details of various IED explosions that occurred in various parts of the world in 2016.

Notes:
Radon is the heaviest known noble gas and is radioactive. Astatine, with the atomic number 85, is the rarest naturally occurring element in the Earth's crust. Graphite, a form of carbon, is the only non-metal that conducts electricity due to its delocalised electrons. Thus, all the statements are correct.

Notes:
Edappadi K Palaniswamy has become the new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on February 16, 2017. He is a senior leader of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). He has to seek the vote confidence of the Tamil Nadu assembly within 15 days. Palaniswamy belong to Gounder community, which is one of the main communities along with the Thevars (or Mukkulathors) that have influenced the AIADMK.

Notes:
Norman Isaac has become the first Indian ever to be promoted by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) as Technical Delegate (TD). As a TD, Isaac will be assigned to any country except his own and will be responsible for conduct of an entire event, ranging from actual competition management to every related aspect from media arrangements to logistics. Prior to this appointment, he was a FIBA Commissioner.

Notes:
Shurhozelie Liezietsu (81), the president of Naga People’s Front (NPF), has been chosen as the new Chief Minister (CM) of Nagaland in place of T R Zeliang who resigned on February 19, 2017 under intense pressure from agitating tribal organizations. Shurhozelie, who is not an MLA and belongs to Angami tribe, will now have to seek an election within 6 months. According to an official source, Liezietsu will be sworn-in as the new CM on February 22.

Notes:
The Central Excise Day (CED) is celebrated every year on February 23 in India to commemorate the enactment of the Central Excise and Salt Act, 1944. The Central Excise officers all over the country celebrate this day by organizing seminars, workshops, trade interactions and cultural events etc. In the “Annual Central Excise Day 2017”, Santosh Kumar Gangwar (the Minister of State for Finance) will be the Chief Guest in the “Auditorium, National Museum , Janpath, New Delhi”. The 32 Officers of Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) and its formations from all over India to receive “Commendation Certificate” on the occasion.

Notes:
Ved Prakash Sharma (62), the popular Hindi novelist, has recently passed away in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. He was famous for novels with unique titles such as Dahej Mein Revolver (Revolver as Dowry), Widhva Ka Pati (Husband of a Widow) and Dulhan Maange Dahej (Bride Asks For Dowry). Sharma had also written scripts for about half-a-dozen Hindi movies.

Notes:
The International Shivaratri festival has started in Mandi village, Himachal Pradesh from February 24, 2017. It is held as per Hindu calendar every year on the Krishna paksha 13th day/13th night (breaking fast/’vrata’ on 14th after sunrise) of the waning moon in the month of Phalguna that corresponds to February/March as per Gregorian calendar. The festival’s popularity is widespread and hence is known as an international festival. In view of the large number of gods and goddesses that are invited to the festival from its 81 temples, Mandi town has the title of ‘Varanasi of the Hills’. The celebration includes maintaining a “jaagaran”, an all-night vigil and prayers, because Shaiva Hindus mark this night as “overcoming darkness and ignorance” in one’s life and the world through Shiva.

Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recently constituted an inter-disciplinary standing committee on cyber security to review the threats inherent in the existing and emerging technology. The 11—member committee headed by Meena Hemchandra, Executive Director of RBI, will study adoption of various security standards and protocols, interface with stakeholders and suggest appropriate policy interventions to strengthen cyber security and resilience. The committee has been formed on the recommendations of the expert panel on Cyber Security and Information Technology Examination.