Current Affairs Quiz , 26 Oct 2018

1) Which country lies at the far end of the East-West Economic Corridor starting from India and passing through 4 countries in between?

a) Vietnam
b) Laos
c) Cambodia
d) Thailand

Answer: a
• The India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway is a highway under construction under India’s Look East policy that will connect Moreh, India with Mae Sot, Thailand via Myanmar.
• The road is expected to boost trade and commerce in the ASEAN–India Free Trade Area, as well as with the rest of Southeast Asia.
• India has also proposed extending the highway to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
• The proposed approx 3,200 km (2,000 mi) route from India to Vietnam is known as the East-West Economic Corridor (Thailand to Cambodia and Vietnam became operational in 2015).
• This highway will also connect to the river ports being developed along the way at Kale (also called Kalemyo) and Monywa on Chindwin River.

2) The new citizen-science repository on Indian mammals, called Mammals of India was launched by a

a) Zoological Survey of India
b) National Centre for Biological Sciences
c) International Union for Conservation of Nature
d) National Biodiversity Authority

Answer: b
• Scientists and researchers from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) in Bangalore have come up with a new citizen-science repository on Indian mammals, called Mammals of India (MaOI).
• It is an online, peer- reviewed, freely-accessible portal that was launched late September 2018.
• The photographs will not only help gather information on the distribution of the various species but also interactions between different species of mammals, like predation and mutualism.
• The website, www.mammalsofindia.org, aims to develop individual species pages for all Indian mammals with information on identification, variation, distribution, breeding and non-breeding ecology and species conservation.
• The website provides an opportunity to any person to upload geotagged photographic observations about mammals with information on habitat age of the observed individual.
• Over time, these observations will be reviewed by subject experts and uploaded on the website.

3) The 5th edition of the ‘Women of India National Organic Festival’ was organised by

a) Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
b) Ministry of Women and Child Development
c) Ministry of Environment and Climate Change
d) Ministry of Social Justice and Environment

Answer: b
• The 5th edition of the ‘Women of India National Organic Festival’ was inaugurated by Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, Union Minister for Women and Child Development.
• The Festival celebrates and promotes women entrepreneurs/producers and farmers in the organic field from across India.
• This year’s edition is the largest ever and has a large vegan section as well as food court.
• The participants are being encouraged to sell their products on a long term basis on WCD Ministry’s e-marketing portal Mahila-e-Haat, she added.

4) Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) observes the Vigilance Awareness Week every year during the week of whose birthday?

a) Dr B R Ambedkar
b) Mahatma Ganghi
c) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
d) Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose

Answer: c
• The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) observes the Vigilance Awareness Week every year during the week in which the birthday of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (31st October) falls.
• This week, through its various outreach activities, it seeks to motivate stakeholders to collectively participate in the fight against corruption and also aims at raising public awareness regarding the detrimental consequences of corruption.
• This year, the Vigilance Awareness Week is being observed from 29th October to 3rd November, 2018 on the theme “Eradicate Corruption-Build a New India”.

5) World Agriculture Prize was instituted by which of the following organisations?

a) Indian Council for Agricultural Research
b) Indian Council of Food and Agriculture
c) Food and Agricultural Organisation
d) International Food Policy Research Institute

Answer: b
• Agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan will receive the first World Agriculture Prize instituted by the Indian Council of Food and Agriculture (ICFA).
o It will carry a cash component of $1,00,000.
o It will be an annual prize and would be presented to any individual or institution, importantly from Asian, African or Latin American countries who have played a seminal role in transforming agriculture globally and saving humanity from the curse of hunger, the release said.
• The prize will be presented by Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu at Vigyan Bhawan at a special session, named Swaminathan Global Dialogue on Climate Change and Food Security organised by the Indian Council of Food and Agriculture.