Daily Current Affairs and GK | 08 January 2020

1. Foundation stone of first Super Specialty Hospital of Lakshadweep laid in Kavaratti

• Foundation stone for Lakshadweep’s first super specialty hospital was laid in Kavaratti by President Ram Nath Kovind.
• President congratulated Rahmath Begum, the only woman to win Padamshri from Lakshadweep. She is the first lady medical officer form Lakshadweep.
• Lakshadweep:

• It is a group of 36 islands, formerly known as Laccadive, Minicoy, and Aminidivi Islands.
• The capital of the Union Territory is Kavaratti.

2. Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment has issued Avalanche warning for Leh in Ladakh and parts of North India

• Avalanche warning has been issued by Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment, a lab of DRDO.
• The warning has been issued for Leh, Ladakh, and parts of North India in the grip of cold wave.
• In Leh, a warning of the low-level avalanche has been issued to occur on 7^th and 8^th January 2020.
• Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment:

• It is a lab of Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) tasked to research in the field of snow and avalanches and to take control measures.
• Its headquarters is in Himachal Pradesh with its regional center in Chandigarh.

• Ladakh:

• Ladakh is the newly formed Union Territory of India, with two districts being Leh and Kargil.
• The world's highest motorable road passes through two passes in Ladakh i.e Chang La and Khardung La.

3. Indo- Iranian Writers’ meet organized by Sahitya Akademi, Iran Embassy

• As part of the cultural exchange program Indo- Iranian Writer’s meet is being organized by Sahitya Akademi and Iran Embassy in New Delhi.
• Culture Counsellor of Iran Mohammad Ali Rabbani, Secretary Sahitya Akademi K Sreenivasarao, and Nasera Sharma eminent writer and scholar participated in the meet.
• A panel discussion on Indo-Iranian cultural bond was also organized.
• Sahitya Akademi:

• Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, was founded in 1954.
• It is an independent organization targeted at promoting Indian literature.

• Iran: It is a West Asian country with capital Tehran and currency Iranian Rial.

4. Leh-Ladakh boys and girls team won 5^th IHAI National Ice Hockey Championship 2020

• Leh- Ladakh, both boys and girls team, have won the top position in the 5^th IHAI National Ice Hockey Championship.
• Delhi has got the second spot in the under-20 Girls competition.
• Maharashtra has scored the third position in the Under-20 Girls competition.
• Ladakh Scouts Regiment Centre (LSRC) has won the bronze medal in the Under-20 Boys category.

5. Ravindra Nath Mahto, the new speaker of Jharkhand Assembly

• Ravindra Nath Mahto has been elected as the new assembly speaker of Jharkhand.
• He is a legislator from Jan Mukti Morcha Party from Nala constituency.
• Jharkhand

• It is an Indian state with the capital being Ranchi.
• It was formed on 15 November 2000 after separation from Bihar.

6. Central  Indian Ocean Leadership Workshop being organized in National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) in Chennai

• Central Indian Ocean Leadership Workshop was being organized at the National Institute of Ocean Technology in Chennai.
• It is a UN-supported workshop.
• Over 100 scientists had gathered in the conference representing 15 Indian Ocean Rim countries.
• The workshop aims to study on preparing a regional framework on how to study the coastal vulnerabilities like from Tsunami.
• NIOT will host another 3-days international event from 8 January 2020.
• National Institute of Ocean Technology:

• It is an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, established in 1993 with headquarters at Chennai.
• The aim of the organization is to research and develop various indigenous technologies to make use of living and non- living resources found in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of India.

7. “The State of Aadhar Report” released

• “The State of Aadhar Report” prepared jointly by Omidyar Network India and Dalberg describes the ten years' success of UIDAI.
• The initiative was started in 2017, with around 1,70,000 participants taking part in the survey.
• Currently, around 95% of the adults have Aadhar Card. In 2009 around 5 million births were unregistered.
• It is the first identity document for around 65-70 million individuals, thus improving public service delivery.
• Around 80% of the participants felt that Aadhar improved the reach of public services.
• Only 34% of the participants linked their Aadhar card to various schemes, as they fear the risk of losing the service.
• UIDAI:

• It is a statutory autonomous body under Aadhar Act 2016.
• UIDAI is under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) and is tasked to look over the overall implementation of Aadhar.
• Its headquarters is in New Delhi.

8. India to set up Indian Data Relay Satellite System (IDRSS)

• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to establish a new satellite series named Indian Data Relay Satellite System (IDRSS).
• Through this system, there is a plan to establish continuous contact with Indian satellites orbiting close to the Earth.
• The IDRSS satellites weighing around 2000 kg will be placed in geostationary orbit (36,000 km away) by the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).
• IDRSS will be operated in a phased manner. The first satellite will be sent by the end of 2020.
• IDRSS will benefit the crew members of the Gaganyaan mission.
• ISRO:

• It is the space agency of the Indian government that was founded in 1969 by Vikram Sarabhai.
• Headquarters: Bengaluru
• Current Director: Kailasavadivoo Sivan

9. Naseem Al-Bahr: India-Oman bilateral Naval Exercise

• The two ships of the Oman Navy have arrived to participate in the 12^th edition of ‘Naseem Al-Bahr’, the India-Oman bilateral naval exercise.
• Indian Navy ships Beas and Subhadra will be part of this exercise this year.
• The harbour phase of this exercise will commence in Goa, followed by sea phase off the Goa coast.
• This bilateral naval exercise is being conducted since 1993 between the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman.
• Oman: It is an Arab country whose capital is Muscat, and the currency is Omani Rial.

10. Zo Kutpui festival being organized across 10 states

• The Mizoram government will organize the first edition of the Zo Kutpui festival across 10 Indian states and countries like the US, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
• The festival will begin on 9^th January in Vanghum in Tripura, and then it will move to other states where the significant Mizo population is present.
• The festival aims at uniting various Mizo tribes living across the world.
• Mizo Tribe:

• It is an ethnic group that is mainly found in Indian states like Tripura, Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland, as well as in Myanmar and Bangladesh.
• The most prominent Mizo groups are Lushai, Pawi, Lakher, and Hmar.

Multiple Choice Questions(MCQs)

1. Kavaratti is the capital of which Union Territory of India?

A. Andaman and Nicobar Island

B. Lakshadweep

C. Puducherry

D. Daman and Diu

2. Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment, a lab of DRDO, is headquartered in-

A. Chandigarh

B. Uttarakhand

C. Jammu & Kashmir

D. Himachal Pradesh

3. Chang La pass is located in which of the following regions?

A. Himachal Pradesh

B. Ladakh

C. Sikkim

D. Jammu & Kashmir

4. Sahitya Akademi was founded in the year-

A. 1967

B. 1980

C. 1954

D. 1995

5. Who has been elected as the new speaker of the Jharkhand Assembly?

A. Ravindra Nath Mahto

B. Vinod Kumar Singh

C. Amba Prasad

D. Bhanu Pratap Shahi

6. Where is the headquarters of the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) located?

A. Dehradun

B. Chennai

C. Lucknow

D. Pune

7. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is a statutory authority established under the provisions of the Aadhar Act of ___.

A. 2014

B. 2016

C. 2017

D. 2018

8. Which of the following country is planning to set up the IDRSS system to establish continuous contact with its satellite orbiting close to the Earth?

A. India

B. Russia

C. Japan

D. USA

9. Naseem Al-Bahr is a bilateral navy exercise between-

A. India and Saudi Arabia

B. Iran and Qatar

C. India and Oman

D. Malaysia and UAE

10. Which of the following state government is organizing the Zo Kutpui festival across 10 Indian states?

A. Assam

B. Mizoram

C. Tripura

D. Sikkim

Answer:

1. B

2. D

3. B

4. C

5. A

6. B

7. B

8. A

9. C

10. B