Current affairs - November 17 2013

Current Affairs

November 17, 2013

1. Doris Lessing, the Nobel prize-winning, free-thinking, world-traveling and often-polarizing author of “ The Golden Notebook” and dozens of other novels that reflected her own improbable journey across the former British empire, has died. She was 94.

2. Abdulla Yameen was sworn in as the new president of the Maldives on Sunday after a shock run-off victory over favourite Mohamed Nasheed, ending nearly two years of political turmoil that plagued the nascent democracy and raised international concerns over the country’s future.

3. In an unexpected finding, Saudis have emerged as the world’s largest active Twitter users, while Indians ranked among the lowest tweeters on the microblogging site, according to new research.

4. Malta was on Sunday unanimously chosen as the host of the next Commonwealth summit in 2015 after Mauritius pulled out in protest against the decision to hold this year’s gathering in Sri Lanka despite an international outcry over alleged rights violations and war crimes.

5. Waheeda Rehman, the veteran actress of Bollywood will be conferred with the inaugural Centenary Award for the Indian Film Personality of the Year 2013 at the 44th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa on 20 November 2013.

6. The first Integrated Checkpost along Agartala-Akhaura, India-Bangladesh border was jointly inaugurated on 17 November 2013 by Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and his Bangladeshi counterpart Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir.

7. The residents of Nepal go to the polls on Tuesday, picking from more than 100 political parties in an election that is not expected to produce a strong winner to deal with the country’s deep-rooted problems.

8. With the scores reading 4-2 in favour of Carlsen and just six games to come, the Norwegian is well on track to win his maiden world title in his first match itself.

9. India’s foreign exchange (forex) reserves rose by $819.5 million to $282.11 billion for the week ended Nov 8, helped by a sharp increase in foreign currency assets, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data showed.

10. Angelina Jolie receives humanitarian award from The Hollywood film industry .

11. Kartika Poornima or Tripuri Poornima or Tripurari Poornima is celebrated along with 544th Prakash Utsav i.e.birth anniversary of the first Sikh Guru, Nanak Dev is celebrated on 17th November 2013.

12. World day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

13. International Students Day is observed on 17th November to commemorate anniversary of the 1939 Nazi storming of the University of Prague.
QUIZ:

1. "Information technology should be used to its maximum potential and common man should be empowered by using technological interventions," Narendra Modi said after inaugurating the country's largest software firm's state-of-the-art 10,000-seat TCS' campus in Gandhinagar on 16 November 2013. What is the name of the IT park he inaugurated?

[A] Kranti Park

[B] Shanti Park

[C] IT Park

[D] Garima Park

2. Who has won the presidential election run-off vote in the Maldives on 16 November 2013?

[A] Abdulla Yameen

[B] Mohamed Nasheed

[C] Maumoon Abdul Gayoom

[D] Mohamed Rasheed

3. Who has been given Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian award, on Saturday, 16 Nov 2013 and hence making him the first sportsperson to be bestowed with the honour?

[A] Major Dhyanchand

[B] Milkha Singh

[C] Sachin Tendulkar

[D] Kapil Dev

4. Who inaugurated the 33rd edition of India International Trade Fair (IITF) - the flagship event of India Trade Promotion Organisation, on November 14, 2013?

[A] Manmohan Singh

[B] Pranab Mukherjee

[C] Kapil Sibbal

[D] Sonia Gandhi

5. Which hardline separatist leader has been put under house arrest on Saturday, 16 November 2013?

[A] Ayaz Akbar

[B] Mir Waiz

[C] Umar Farooq

[D] Syed Ali Shah Geelani

Answers:

1. [D] Garima Park

2. [A] Abdulla Yameen

3. [C] Sachin Tendulkar

4. [B] Pranab Mukherjee

5. [D] Syed Ali Shah Geelani