Current Affairs Quiz , 08 Nov 2018

1) The Global IT Challenge for Youth with Disabilities, 2018 is being organised by which of the following ministries?

a) Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
b) Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
c) Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
d) Ministry of Electronics & IT

Answer: b
• “Global IT Challenge for Youth with Disabilities, 2018” is being organised by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• India is hosting the event in collaboration with Government of Korea and Rehabilitation International (RI).
• The Global IT Challenge for disability is a capacity building project that helps youth with disabilities to overcome their limitations and challenges for a better future through access to ICT.
• Significance:
o It will alleviate the digital divide and expand participation of youth with disabilities in the society.
o It propagates implementation of United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) – Article 21 relates to access to information.

2) The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty is between which of the following countries?

a) U.S-North Korea
b) India-Pakistan
c) U.S-Russia
d) China-India

Answer: c
• Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump declared that the U.S. is quitting the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, a bilateral agreement with Russia signed in 1987.
• The 1987 Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty required the United States and the Soviet Union to eliminate and permanently forswear all of their nuclear and conventional ground launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 Kilometers.
• Treaty marked the first time the super powers had agreed to reduce their nuclear arsenals, eliminate an entire category of nuclear weapons and utilize extensive onsite- inspections for verification.
• As a result of the INF treaty, the United States and the Soviet Union destroyed a total 2,692 short medium, and intermediate range missiles by the treaty’s implementation deadline of June 1,1991.

3) According to latest research, how many ‘Dust Moons’ does Earth have?

a) One
b) Two
c) Three
d) Four

Answer: b
• After more than half a century of speculation, it has now been confirmed that Earth has two dust ‘moons’ orbiting it which are nine times wider than our planet.
• The new moons exist at a distance of approximately 250,000 miles — more or less the same distance as our moon.
• The presence of the dust ‘moons’ or Kordylewski clouds had been inferred by researchers since long before. But the first glimpse of the clouds was seen only in 1961 by Polish astronomer Kazimierz Kordylewski, after whom the dust clouds were named.
• The new findings note that each Kordylewsky cloud is about 15 by 10 degrees wide, or equal to 30 by 20 lunar disks in the night sky.
• They are spread over a space area that is almost nine times the width of Earth — about 65,000 by 45,000 miles in actual size.
• The dust ‘moons’ are huge but they are made of tiny dust particles that barely measure one micrometre across.
• When sunlight hits the dust particles, they glow very faintly, much like the zodiacal light we receive from the dust scattered in between planetary orbits.
• Since these satellite dust clouds emit an extremely faint light, they are very difficult to find amidst the star light, sky glow, galactic light and zodiacal light in the sky though they are as close to us as the moon.

4) The United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) is headquartered in

a) Geneva
b) Vienna
c) Hamburg
d) New York

Answer: d
• On November 8, 2018, to mark the celebration of Deepawali, United Nations Postal System issued stamps with Diyas lamps.
• United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) is the postal agency of the United Nations headquartered in New York
• It issues postage stamps and postal stationery, denominated in United States dollars for the United Nations offices in New York, in Swiss francs for the offices in Geneva and in euros (formerly schillings) for the offices in Vienna.
• Postage rates charged are identical to those of the host nation.

5) According to Moody’s Investor Service, India’s economic growth in 2019 will be

a) 6.8%
b) 7.9%
c) 8.1%
d) 7.3%

Answer: d
• On November 8, 2018, Moody’s Investor Service in its report titled ‘Global Macro Outlook 2019-20′ stated that Indian economy will slow down to 7.3% in 2019.
• Indian economy will expand 7.4 per cent in 2018, but the growth will slow down to 7.3 per cent in the next fiscal.
• The economy grew 7.9 per cent in the first half (January-June) of 2018, reflecting post demonetisation base effect.
• The downfall has been cited cause of the effect of domestic demand on higher borrowing cost due to rising interest rates.
• The benchmark rate would be raised through 2019, which will further dampen domestic demand which will in turn lead to low economic growth.
• This is why with real GDP will grow by 7.3 per cent in 2019 and 2020.
• However, the greatest downside risk to India’s growth prospects stem from concerns about its financial sector.