winmeen.

com 2018 Apr 10

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1. India’s first high-speed electric locomotive has been flagged off from which state?

Ans: Bihar

 India’s first high-speed electric locomotive has been flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi from the Madhepura Electric Locomotive Factory in Bihar on April 10, 2018. It has a 12000
horsepower (HP) engine with a maximum speed of 110 km per hour.
 The first big Make-in-India project is developed & completed in collaboration with French firm
Alstome. As per Indian Railways & Alstome pact, 800 such trains will be manufactured in the
country over a period of 11 years.
 The Rs 20,000-crore project includes the Rs 1,300 crore cost for setting up the factory at
Madhepura and two loco maintenance depots at Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh) and Nagpur
(Maharashtra), beside building 800 locos.
 The average cost of each locomotive is estimated to be Rs 25 crore. With this induction, India
will join an elite list of countries, including Russia, China, Germany and Sweden, that have
12,000 HP and above capacity electric locomotives.

2. Which country is hosting the 2018 International Conference on Human Rights in

South Asia?

Ans: Nepal

 The International Conference on Human Rights in South Asia has started in Kathmandu, Nepal
on April 9, 2018. The 3-day conference is organized by the National Human Rights Commission
of Nepal with theme “Identifying Challenges, Assessing Progress, Moving Forward: Addressing
Impunity and Realizing Human Rights in South Asia”.
 The representatives of Human Rights Commissions and institutions, human rights activists from
20 countries including India are participating in the event.
 The delegates will discuss various issues including different types of discrimination in South
Asia including rights of marginalized groups, collective rights, violence against women, rule of
law, due process and combating impunity.

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3. Who is the newly elected Chairman of Boao Forum for Asia (BFA)?

Ans: Ban Ki – Moon

 Ban Ki-moon, the former United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, has been elected as the new
Chairman of Boao Forum for Asia (BFA). He succeeded Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.
 The BFA is a non-profit organisation i.e. committed to promote regional economic integration
and bringing Asian countries closer to their development goals.
 The 2018 BFA conference, often called Summer Davos, was held at Boao, a coastal town in the
southern island province of Hainan from April 8 to 11 with theme ‘Open and Innovative Asia for
a World of Greater Prosperity’.

4. FSSAI has launched which project to address Vitamin D deficiencies (VDD)

amongst youngsters?

Ans: Project Dhoop

 The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has launched a unique initiative
‘Project Dhoop’ to encourage schools to shift their morning assembly to around noon-time,
mainly between 11 am to 1 pm, to ensure maximum absorption of Vitamin D in students through
natural sunlight.
 The move comes in the backdrop of rising incidence of Vitamin D deficiency (VDD), particularly
amongst the young people, in the country as the studies have found that over 90% of boys and
girls in various Indian cities are deficient in Vitamin D despite most part of India receiving
abundant sunshine all the year through.
 The ‘Project Dhoop’ has been launched by FSSAI in association with National Council of
Educational Research and Training (NCERT), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and North
MCD Schools at National Bal Bhavan.

5. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has inaugurated a scientific convention on the

World Homoeopathy Day (WHD 2018) in which city?

Ans: New Delhi

 The World Homoeopathy Day (WHD) is observed every year on April 10 to commemorate the
birth anniversary of Homoeopathy founder Dr Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann, a
German physician.

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 Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has inaugurated a scientific convention on the World
Homoeopathy Day (WHD 2018) in New Delhi on April 10. The theme of the 2-day convention is
“Innovate: Evolve, Progress: Exploring Science since 40 years”.
 On this occasion, Ministry of AYUSH awards relating to Homoeopathy for Life Time
Achievement, Best Teacher, Young Scientist and Best Research paper will be conferred. Council
is signing MoUs with PG Homoeopathic Colleges on this Day to support the development of
research infrastructure in an effort to link education with research.
 The convention will pay tributes to Dr. Hahnemann, on his 263rd birth anniversary.
Homoeopathic researchers, practitioners, students, industrialists as well as representatives of
various homoeopathic associations are participating in the event.

6. Which country is hosting the first International conference on ‘Water,

Environment and Climate Change: Knowledge Sharing and Partnership’?

Ans: Nepal

 The first international conference on ‘Water, Environment and Climate Change: Knowledge
Sharing and Partnership’ has started in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 10, 2018. The 3-day
conference is organised by the Department of Water Supply and Sewerage, Govt of Nepal in
association with the Society of Public Health Engineers Nepal and Nepal Engineers Association.
 The basic objective of the conference is to bring together professionals, academicians,
researchers, entrepreneurs, government and NGO’s to discuss and deliberate on challenges,
opportunities and strategies related to water and environmental issues.
 More than 100 international participants from 20 countries, including India, are participating in
the conference. An exhibition showcasing various products and technologies related to water
security and environment conservation is also organised.

7. Heena Sidhu bagged gold in the women’s which pistol event at the 21st
Commonwealth Games 2018?

Ans: 25-metre pistol event

 Pistol shooter Heena Sidhu from India bagged gold in the women’s 25-metre pistol event at the
21st Commonwealth Games in Gold Cost, Australia on April 10, 2018. This was Sidhu’s second
medal at the ongoing Games after having claimed a silver in the 10-metre air pistol event
behind 16-year-old compatriot Manu Bhaker.

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 The other medal of the day was a Bronze which was won by para-powerlifter Sachin Chaudhary
in the men’s heavyweight final. In a 10-man final, Chaudhary finished with a combined effort of
181 kg at the Carrara Sports Arena.
 It was India’s first medal in Para-sports at the Commonwealth Games.

8. Indian women’s Table Tennis team has clinched its first-ever gold at the 21st
Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2018. The team is led by whom?

Ans: Manika Batra

 Indian women’s Table Tennis team has created history by clinching their first-ever Gold medal
at the 21st Commonwealth Games 2018 in Gold Coast, Australia. Indian paddlers Manika Batra,
Madhurika Patkar and Mouma Das won the final tie 3-1 against Singapore’s Tianwei Feng, Yihan
Zhou and Mengyu Yu.
 Manika Batra led Table tennis team’s victory was historic as Singapore had never lost since
2002. Apart from this, Indian men’s table tennis team led by Sharath Kamal defeated Nigeria 3-
0 in the final event to clinch gold at the Commonwealth Games for the first time since 2006.
 With this, India joined England to bag second-most table tennis gold medals (5) at CWG. This
is the first time that India have won both men’s and women’s TT team events at a single CWG
edition.

9. Who has been appointed as the new Director General (DG) of Central Industrial
Security Force (CISF)?

Ans: Rajesh Ranjan

 Rajesh Ranjan, a 1984 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Bihar cadre, has been
appointed as Director General of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). He has been
appointed as the chief of the CISF till November 30, 2020, i.e. the date of his superannuation.
 At present, he is Special Director General of Border Security Force (BSF). The post was lying
vacant after incumbent O P Singh took over as Director General of the Uttar Pradesh Police in
January 2018.
 The CISF is tasked with providing security to various government installations including the
country’s airports.

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10. Who has been appointed as the new member of Union Public Service
Commission (UPSC)?

Ans: M Sathiyavathy

 M Sathiyavathy, an IAS officer of the 1982 batch of Union Territories cadre, has been appointed
as the new member of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Currently, she is secretary in
Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, and has been given
additional charge of the post of secretary, Ministry of Labor and Employment.
 She has held several important positions in the central government, including first woman chief
of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
 She had been the joint director general in the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Ministry of
Commerce and Industry, Controller, ISRO Satellite Centre, Department of Space, member
secretary, Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles, and additional secretary and financial
adviser, Ministry of Civil Aviation.

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