Current Affairs Quiz , 30 Oct 2018

1) Visakha guidelines are concerned with which among the following issues?

a) Sexual Harassment at workplace
b) Maternity benefits
c) Credit target for women entrepreneurs
d) Domestic abuse

Answer: a
• The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a PIL petition to extend the Vishakha guidelines against sexual harassment in workplace to ashrams, madrasas and Catholic institutions
• Vishakha guidelines, as laid down by the Supreme Court put the onus of a safe working environment on the employer.
• The guidelines say that: “It shall be the duty of the employer or other responsible persons in work places or other institutions to prevent or deter the commission of acts of sexual harassment and to provide the procedures for the resolution, settlement or prosecution of acts, of sexual harassment by taking all steps required.”
• The guidelines also lay down a grievance redressal mechanism that mandates all companies, whether operating in the public or private sector, to set up a Complaints Committee within the organisation to look into such offences.
• The Complaints Committee should be headed by a woman and not less than half of its member should be women.
• Further, to prevent the possibility of any undue pressure or influence from senior levels, such Complaints Committee should involve a third party, either NGO or other bodies who are familiar with the issue of sexual harassment.

2) India recently signed a Currency Swap Agreement with which of the following countries?

a) Sweden
b) Japan
c) Denmark
d) Lesotho

Answer: b
• Pact aimed at bringing greater stability to forex and Indian capital markets.
• India and Japan signed a currency swap agreement worth $75 billion during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan.
• Currency Swap Agreement:
o A currency swap typically involves the exchange of interest and sometimes of principal in one currency for the same in another currency.
o Interest payments are exchanged at fixed dates through the life of the contract.
o It is considered to be a foreign exchange transaction and is not required by law to be shown on a company’s balance sheet.

3) What is the IUCN status of Amur Falcons, the world’s longest travelling raptors?

a) Critically endangered
b) Endangered
c) Vulnerable
d) Least concern

Answer: d
• The Amur falcon festival is scheduled for November 7-8, a fortnight before the birds are expected to soar for the next destination on their migration.
• The Amur falcon (Falco amurensis) is a small raptor of the falcon family.
• It breeds in south-eastern Siberia and Northern China before migrating in large flocks across India and over the Arabian Sea to winter in Southern Africa.
• Amur falcons are the world’s longest travelling raptors.
• It was earlier treated as a subspecies of the red-footed falcon (Falco vespertinus) and known as the eastern red-footed falcon.
• IUCN Status: Least Concern.
• Distribution and migration:
o The Amur falcon breeds in East Asia from the Transbaikalia, Amurland, and northern Mongolian region to parts of North Korea.
o They migrate in a broad front through India and Sri Lanka, sometimes further east over Thailand and Cambodia and then over the Arabian Sea, sometimes in the passage on the Maldives and other islands to reach southern Africa.

4) The Statue of Unity, a monument dedicated to Indian independence movement leader Vallabhbhai Patel, is located in which Indian state?

a) Uttar Pradesh
b) Maharashtra
c) Gujarat
d) Madhya Pradesh

Answer: c
• The Statue of Unity is a monument dedicated to Indian independence movement leader Vallabhbhai Patel located in the Indian state of Gujarat.
• It is located facing the Narmada Dam, 3.2 km (2.0 mi) away on the river island called Sadhu Bet near Rajpipla in Gujarat.
• The monument along with its surroundings occupies over 20,000 square metres and is surrounded by a 12 square km artificial lake.
• It is the world’s tallest statue with a height of 182 metres (597 ft).

5) When is World Migratory Bird Day celebrated?

a) September 13th
b) October 13th
c) November 13th
d) December 13th

Answer: b
• World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) is an annual awareness-raising campaign highlighting the need for the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats.
• In 2018 it is celebrated on 13th October. It has a global outreach and is an effective tool to help raise global awareness of the threats faced by migratory birds, their ecological importance, and the need for international cooperation to conserve them.