Current Affairs Questions & Answers - May 23, 2017

ANSWER: MP

Explanation:
The State Government of Madhya Pradesh has put an indefinite ban on the sand excavation in the Narmada River.

This announcement has been made by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Bhopal. The government has also set up a committee to suggest the scientific ways of mining the rivers.

This committee will submit the report to state government after exploring ways for sand excavation without harming rivers. The government will also promote manufactured sand (made by mixing stones).

Illegal sand mining is one of the serious law & order and environmental issues in several states of India including Madhya Pradesh.

The business has flourished mainly because of nexus between sand mafia, officers and politicians.

Many people including police officers and activists have lost their lives while making attempts to check this illegal activity.

The Chief Minister was has been travelling along side Narmada River to make “Save Narmada” a people’s movement through his “Namami Narmada Yatra”.

The issue of illegal mining in Narmada was sub-judice in state High Court but in July 2015, it was transferred to National Green Tribunal. On the basis of a complaint by Medha Patkar (of Narmada Bachao Aandolan), the NGT had sent a team to investigate the matter.

After investigation, NGT had directed state government to take strong measures and report the progress.

Narmada River: Know More

• Narmada (bringer of pleasure), is one of the largest rivers of India, originating in Amarkantak Hills and flowing through Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
• It is third biggest river after Ganga and Godavari to flow within political boundaries of India.
• It flows in a rift valley between the Satpura and Vindhya Ranges; and serves as lifeline of Madhya Pradesh.
• Its basin covers large areas in the 3 states of Madhya Pradesh (86%), Gujarat (14%) and a smaller area (2%) in Maharashtra.

ANSWER: 2011

Explanation:
Thespian Soumitra Chatterjee and India’s longest serving boss Y.C. Deveshwar were conferred the Banga Samman, West Bengal’s highest civilian award, by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on 20th May, 2017.

The Banga Samman awards were instituted in 2011, after Banerjee came to power. Celebrated artistes, singers, sportspersons, filmmakers, intellectuals have been honoured with these awards in the past.

Two categories of awards are presented as part of Banga Samman - Banga Bhushan and Banga Bibhushan.

Industrialist Deveshwar, pulmonologist Dhiman Ganguly, former Mizoram Governor Arun Prasad Mukherjee, veteran actor Chatterjee, and acclaimed poet Nirendranath Chakraborty were conferred the highest category of awards, the Banga Bibhushan.

Recipients of Banga Bhushan this year are Bangladeshi singer Rezwana Chowdhury Banya, folk singer Hidmat Fakir, Chapal Bhaduri, the last living female impersonator in folk theatre in India, baul exponent Lakshman Das Baul and Liver Foundation secretary and gastroenterologist Abhijit Chowdhury.

ANSWER: President Abdul Kalam

Explanation:
Scientists at NASA have named a new organism discovered by them after the much-loved Indian scientist and former President, APJ Abdul Kalam.

Till date, the new organism, a bacteria, has been found only on the International Space Station (ISS) and has not been found on earth.

Researchers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the foremost lab of NASA for work on inter-planetary travel, discovered the new bacteria on the filters of the International Space Station (ISS) and named it Solibacillus kalamii to honour the late president, who was a renowned aerospace scientist.

Kalam had his early training at NASA in 1963 before he set up India’s first rocket-launching facility in the fishing village of Thumba in Kerala.

The name of the bacterium is Solibacillus kalamii, the species name is after Dr Abdul Kalam and genus name is Solibacillus which is a spore forming bacteria. The filter on which the new bug was found remained on board the ISS for 40 months.

Called a high-efficiency particulate arrestance filter or HEPA filter, this part is the routine housekeeping and cleaning system on board the international space station.

This filter was later analysed at JPL and results recently published. Even as it orbits the earth some 400 kilometres above, the ISS is home to many types of bacteria and fungi which co-inhabit the station with the astronauts who live and work on the station.

Even though Solibacillus kalamii has never been found on earth till date, it is really not an extra-terrestrial life form or ET.

ANSWER: Haryana

Explanation:
Students can now download school books instantly from the e-textbook portal of the Haryana School Education Board which was launched on May 21, 2017.

Inaugurating the website, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar indicated as of now, 26 textbooks of classes IX to XII have been uploaded on the portal and these can be easily converted into audio files.

These included 11 books of class IX, nine books of class X and three books each of classes XI and XII, and the Board has also been at the forefront in implementing e-locker facility.

The initiative of the Board is an important step towards realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of Digital India.

The portal also provides a facility to highlight certain portions of the e - textbooks making it easier for students to study.

ANSWER: Alexander Zverev

Explanation:
Alexander Zverev on 21 May 2017 defeated World No. 2 Novak Djokovic 2 6-4 6-3 to win the Italian Open. The final was held in Rome, Italy.

With the win, Zverev became the youngest Masters 1000 titlist since a 19-year-old Djokovic won the 2007 Miami Open presented by Itau.

Born on 20 April 1997, Alexander Zverev Jr. is a German professional tennis player.

He is the son of former Russian tennis player Alexander Zverev Sr. and the younger brother of tennis player Mischa Zverev.

He entered the ATP top 10 for the first time after defeating Novak Djokovic in the final of the Italian Open. Between October 2013 and June 2014, he was the No. 1 ranked boys junior player.

Italian Open: Know More

• The Italian Open is an annual tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. After the French Open, it is one of the most prestigious red clay tennis tournaments in the world.
• The men’s competition is an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tour, and the women’s competition is a Premier 5 event on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tour.
• The tournament is also known as the Rome Masters and the Italian Championships.
• Rafael Nadal has won the title a record seven times.
• The 2016 Italian Open Men’s Singles title was won by Andy Murray.
• The 2017 Italian Open Women’s Singles title was won by Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina.

ANSWER: Both a and b

Explanation:
Researchers from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid have invented a technique that types Braille in real time and helps deaf-blind people “watch” television without intermediaries.

The technique developed under “PervasiveSUB Project” compiles all the subtitles of television channels and sends them to a central server which forwards them to smartphones or tablets.

The compiled data from smartphones or tablets are sent to the Braille line of the deaf-blind person through an app that makes it possible to control the speed of the subtitles that are captured directly from the TV broadcast in perfect synchronisation.

PervasiveSUB project was financed by Spanish broadband and telecommunications provider Telefonica.

The tests had great success and the technology has already been implemented on all the national and regional Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) channels in Madrid.

The research team is now providing this service free of charge to anyone who needs it.

ANSWER: Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism

Explanation:
The International Day for Biological Diversity was celebrated globally on 22 May 2017 with the theme “Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism”.

The theme was chosen as it coincides with the observance of 2017, which is the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, and also to contribute to ongoing initiatives like the Sustainable Tourism Programme.

The observance of the day aims to raise awareness of the important contribution of sustainable tourism to economic growth as well as to the conservation of biodiversity.

While the diversity in species, ecosystems and landscapes plays a huge role in attracting tourism and promoting economic growth, a well-structured tourism sector can help reduce threats to wildlife population and in turn maintain and increase the biodiversity through the revenue obtained from tourism.

Though there is a growing recognition that biological diversity is a global asset of tremendous value to present and future generations, the threat to species and ecosystems continues at an alarming rate due to certain human activities.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) convened the Ad Hoc Working Group of Experts on Biological Diversity in November 1988 to explore the need for an international convention on biological diversity.

In May 1989, the Adhoc Working Group of Technical and Legal Experts was established to prepare an international legal instrument for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.

The group’s work culminated on 22 May 1992 with the Nairobi Conference for the Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

The Convention entered into force on 29 December 1993. It represents a dramatic step forward in the conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources.

Given the importance of public education and awareness for the implementation of the Convention, the General Assembly proclaimed 22 May, the date of the adoption of its text, as the International Day for Biological Diversity.

UNEP: Know More

• Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya
• Head: Erik Solheim
• Formation: 5 June 1972
• Founded: 1972
• Director: Erik Solheim
• Founders: Wangari Maathai, Maurice Strong
• Parent organization: United Nations

ANSWER: 21^st May

Explanation:
The 2017 World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development was observed across the world on 21 May 2017 with an aim to bridge the gap between different cultures.

The Day celebrates not only the richness of the world’s cultures but also the essential role of intercultural dialogue for achieving peace and sustainable development.

In December 2002, the UN General Assembly in its resolution declared 21 May as the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development following UNESCO’s adoption of the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity in 2001.

The day aims to deepen the understanding of the values of cultural diversity and to advance the four goals of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions:

• Support sustainable systems of governance for culture.
• Achieve a balanced flow of cultural goods and services and increase mobility of artists and cultural professionals.
• Integrate culture in sustainable development frameworks.
• Promote human rights and fundamental freedoms.

ANSWER: Rajiv Gandhi

Explanation:
All over India, May 21st is observed as Anti Terrorism Day in the memory of former Indian PM Mr Rajiv Gandhi who passed away on this day.

On this day in the year 1991, former India’s PM Rajiv Gandhi was killed brutally by terrorist attacks.

On this day Anti- terrorism pledge is taken in all government offices, PSU and in other public organisations.

This day is also aimed in bringing awareness in the country among all sections of people, regarding dangers of terrorism, violence and its effect on people, society and nation as a whole.

There are debates, discussions, symposia, seminars lectures were held in schools, colleges and in universities on dangers of terrorism.

Many NGO’s, social and cultural organisations also organise their own programmes to show negative effects of violence and terrorism.

On the occasion of anti-terrorism day, Home Minister Mr Rajnath Singh administered pledge to the officials of Ministries of Home and Personnel.

Since NDA government came into power last year, this was the first time that anti-terrrorism day was observed.

Rajiv Gandhi: Know More

• Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India, serving from 1984 to 1989.
• He took office after the 1984 assassination of his mother, Prime Minister Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi, to become the youngest Indian Prime Minister at the age of 40.
• Born: 20 August 1944, Mumbai
• Assassinated: 21 May 1991, Sriperumbudur
• Spouse: Sonia Gandhi
• Education: University of Cambridge, Trinity College, Cambridge
• Parents: Indira Gandhi, Feroze Gandhi
• Awards: Bharat Ratna, Indira Gandhi Prize

ANSWER: Both of the above

Explanation:
The Ministry of Women and Child Development has developed a manual titled “Living conditions in Institutions for Children in conflict with Law”.

The manual was prepared following the directions of the Supreme Court dated 5 February 2016 in the matter of Re-inhuman conditions in 1382 prisons, WP (C) 406 of 2013.

The apex court directed the ministry to prepare a manual similar to the Model Prison Manual as being prepared by Ministry of Home Affairs that will take into consideration the living conditions and other issues pertaining to juveniles who are in Observation Homes or Special Homes or Places of Safety in terms of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

The objective of preparing such a Manual for children in conflict with law is to provide guidelines to the States/UTs and other stakeholders which will help them to establish institutions for children in conflict with the law and providing appropriate institutional and rehabilitative services to them.

The Manual has been framed within the purview of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Model Rules, 2016.

The Rule Book puts in one place all aspects of the living conditions and other issues pertaining to children in conflict with the law who are in Observation Homes, Special Homes and Place of Safety.

It also lays down the processes to be followed by all concerned stakeholders while providing services to children.

The Manual shall enable all duty bearers in Observation Homes, Special Homes and Place of Safety to appreciate the importance of their role and contribute positively and proactively in the rehabilitation of children in conflict with law living in these institutions.

Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act: Know More

• The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 has come into force from today and repeals the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000.
• The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill, 2015 was passed by Lok Sabha on 7th May, 2015; was passed by Rajya Sabha on 22nd December, 2015 and received Presidential assent on 31st December, 2015.
• The JJ Act, 2015 provides for strengthened provisions for both children in need of care and protection and children in conflict with law.
• Some of the key provisions include: change in nomenclature from ‘juvenile’ to ‘child’ or ‘child in conflict with law’, across the Act to remove the negative connotation associated with the word “juvenile”; inclusion of several new definitions such as orphaned, abandoned and surrendered children; and petty, serious and heinous offences committed by children.
• The focus is also on clarity in powers, function and responsibilities of Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) and Child Welfare Committee (CWC); clear timelines for inquiry by Juvenile Justice Board (JJB); special provisions for heinous offences committed by children above the age of sixteen year; separate new chapter on Adoption to streamline adoption of orphan, abandoned and surrendered children
• Also part of the act is the inclusion of new offences committed against children; and mandatory registration of Child Care Institutions.