Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2017

Notes:
The World Spine Day (WSD) is observed every year on October 16 to raise awareness about spinal disorders as part of the Bone and Joint Decade’s Action Week. The 2017 theme “Your Back In Action” is highlighting the importance of physical activity and improving posture as part of good spinal health and prevention of injury.

Notes:
Shamsher Khan (86), India’s first swimmer who had participated in the 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, has passed away at his native village Repalle in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh on October 15, 2017. Mr. Khan had enrolled himself in the Indian Army in 1949. He had taken part in various national swimming competitions. He won a place in the Indian Olympics contingent that had visited Australia in 1956. However, he secured 4th place in the competition. He continued to serve in the Army till he retired in 1973.

Notes:
Sunny Verghese, co-founder and Group CEO of Singapore-based Olam International, has been appointed as the new chairman of World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). Verghese is the first ever Asian CEO to be appointed as Chair in the organisation’s 25 years of history. His term will begin on January 1, 2018 for a duration of two years and will succeed Paul Polman, whose term ends on 31 December 2017. The WBCSD is a global network of more than 200 CEOs who are responsible for combined revenue of more than $8.5 trillion and 19 million employees.

Notes:
The 4th ADMM (ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting)-Plus meeting will be held in Philippines from October 23, 2017 to deliberate extensively on the situation in Afghanistan and Syria besides China’s growing military presence in the disputed South China Sea. The ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN and its eight dialogue partners to strengthen security and defence cooperation for peace, stability, and development in the region. The two-day meeting will discuss ways to enhance defence and security cooperation among the member nations to effectively counter various transnational security challenges facing the region. From India, Union defense minister Nirmala Sitharaman will attend the meeting.

Notes:
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, has launched the ambitious ‘Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojna’ for the farmers of the state at the Krishi Upaj Mandi in Khurai, Sagar. The scheme has launched as a guarantee to ensure reasonable prices to the farmers for their agriculture produces. To get benefits of the scheme, the farmers are required to sell their crops in the mandi and obtain a receipt for the same. As per the scheme, the government will provide subsidy and loan ranging from Rs 10 lakhs to two crores to the farmers willing to invest in industries. In addition, the state government has approved a web of irrigation projects across the Sagar District which will cover 96-hectare fields.

Notes:
The National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB) Tiruchi has recently signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with the Andhra Pradesh government to develop technologies relating to banana production. As per the agreement, NRCB will be the knowledge partner in developing technologies towards value chain management, supporting banana export, organic production and waste utilisation. It will provide training, human resource development and hand hold growers and entrepreneurs to promote indigenous and commercial varieties for domestic and export markets. NRCB is an institution under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

Notes:
The World Development Information Day (WDID) is observed every year on October 24 to draw the attention of the world to development problems and the necessity of strengthening international cooperation to solve them.

Notes:
Jayant Rikhye has been appointed as the new chief executive of India operations of Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp. Ltd (HSBC). He will take charge from 1 December and will succeed Stuart Milne. Currently, he is HSBC’s international head for Asia-Pacific, which is responsible for 11 markets in the region.

Notes:
The United Nations Day is observed every year on October 24 to make known to the people about the aims and achievements of the UN and to mark the 72nd anniversary of the UN Charter’s entry into force. With the ratification of this founding document in 1948 by the majority of its signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security Council, the United Nations officially came into being.

Notes:
The Topchanchi Wildlife Sanctuary (TWS) is located in Dhanbad district of Jharkhand and covers an area of 8.75 Sq. Km. It is home to Leopard, Jungle Cat, Cheetal, Barking Deer, Wild Boar, Mongoose, Langur, Jackal, Fox, Wild Dog, etc. The Topchanchi Lake increases the richness of the habitat and is visited by migratory winter birds such as pochards, red crested pochards and coots. The forests here are of Dry Mixed Deciduous type with Dry Peninsular Sal in Baneshpur and Bawardaha, the other tree species being Asan, Bijasal, Dhow, Semal, Kendu, Piar, Karam, Siris, Sidha etc. The grassland and bamboo crops are also present.