DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS 17^th August 2021

Parsi New Year: Navroz

• Navroz festival is being celebrated in India on 16th August in India.
• In Persian, ‘Nav’ stands for new, and ‘Roz’ stands for the day, which literally translates to ‘new day’.
• Interestingly in India, people celebrate it twice a year – first according to the Iranian calendar and the second according to the Shahenshahi calendar which is followed by people here and in Pakistan. The festival falls between July and August.

Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Remembered on his Punya Tithi

• Atal Bihari Vajpayee (25 December 1924 – 16 August 2018) was an Indian statesman who served three terms as the prime minister of India, first for a term of 13 days in 1996, then for a period of 13 months from 1998 to 1999, followed by a full term from 1999 to 2004.
•  He was the first Indian prime minister not of the Indian National Congress to serve a full term in office. He was also noted as a poet and a writer.

75 “Hunar Haat” to be organized

• Minister for Minority Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that a target has been set to provide employment and employment opportunities to 7 lakh 50 thousand artisans, craftsmen through 75 “Hunar Haat”, to be organized across the country as a part of “Amrit Mahotsav” of 75 years of India’s Independence.
• Shri Naqvi said that 75 “Amrit Mahotsav Parks” will also be constructed on the vacant Waqf lands across the country under “Waqf Taraqqiati Scheme” and “Pradhanmantri Jan Vikas Karykram” (PMJVK) of the Union Minority Affairs Ministry.
• Hunar Haat is an exhibition of handicrafts and traditional products made by artisans from the minority communities.
• Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karykram (PMJVK) seeks to provide better socio-economic infrastructure facilities to the minority communities particularly in the field of education, health & skill development which would further lead to lessening of the gap between the national average and the minority communities regarding backwardness parameters.

World’s Second-Largest Refurbished Gene Bank

• Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the world’s second-largest refurbished state-of-the-art National Gene Bank at the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), Pusa, New Delhi.
• The National Gene Bank was notified in 1996-97 with a purpose to conserve the Plant Genetic Resources (PGR) for future generations in the form of seeds, genomic resources, pollen etc.
• The NGB has four kinds of facilities, namely, Seed Genebank (- 18°C), Cryogenebank (-170°C to -196°C), In vitro Genebank (25°C), and Field Genebank, to cater to long-term as well as medium-term conservation.

Resolution to Award Congressional Gold Medal for Mahatma Gandhi

• A resolution has been reintroduced in the US House of Representatives to posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal to Mahatma Gandhi for his contributions made through his methods of non-violence.
• If given the award, Mahatma Gandhi would become the first Indian to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, which is the highest civilian award in the US.
• The US Congress (legislature) has commissioned gold medals as its highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions.
• The first recipients of the medal were participants of the American Revolution, the War of 1812 and the Mexican War, Congress subsequently broadened the scope of the medal to include actors, authors, entertainers, musicians, explorers, athletes, humanitarians, and foreign recipients among pioneers in some other fields.

Malaysia’s Muhyiddin Yassin Steps Down as Prime Minister

• Malaysia’s Muhyiddin Yassin has stepped down today as prime minister after months of political turmoil culminated in the loss of his majority.
• Mr. Muhyiddin’s departure comes less than 18 months after taking office and will plunge the country into a fresh crisis amid a worsening pandemic.

Canadian PM calls for snap election on September 20

• Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called for a snap election which will take place on September 20.
• The announcement was made after the Prime Minister met Governor General Mary Simon to request her to dissolve Parliament. As required by law, the campaign for the country’s 44th general election will last 36 days.
• Trudeau’s Liberal Party has been running a minority government for over two years now and the next general election was due in October 2023.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

• Navroz was inscribed in the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of India in
• 2005
• 2009
• 2010
• 2015

ANSWER: B

• Losoong also known as Namsoong is the _____ New Year.
• Sikkimese
• Assamese
• Nepali
• Bengali

ANSWER: A

• ‘Chaitra Shukla Pratipada’ marks the beginning of the new year of the _____also known as the Vedic (Hindu) calendar.
• Vikram Samvat
• Saka Era
• Hijri calendar
• Gregorian calendar

ANSWER: A

• The national calendar based on the Saka Era was adopted on______, along with the Gregorian calendar.
• March 22, 1957
• March 1^st, 1958
• April 1^st, 1957
• April 31^st, 1958

ANSWER: A

• The first recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal were
• Participants of the American Revolution
• Red Cross Society
• Holocaust Survivors
• US Capitol Police

ANSWER: A

• Who of the following has not been awarded US Congressional Gold Medal
• Robert F. Kennedy
• Nelson Mandela
• Aung San Suu Kyi
• None

ANSWER: D

• _________ is referred to as Father of Modernization in Malaysia.
• Mahathir Mohamad
• Najib Razak
• Muhyiddin Yassin
• Malik Usman

ANSWER: A

• _________ is celebrated as Good Governance Day in India.
• 25^th December
• 12^th January
• 5^th July
• 24^th June

ANSWER: A

• Atal Bihari Vajpayee was born in ______.
• Indore
• Surat
• Gwalior
• Jhansi

ANSWER: C

• It is a scheme for containing population decline of Parsis.
• Jiyo Parsi
• Nai Roshni
• Nai Manzil
• Nai Udaan

ANSWER: A

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