10 PM Current Affairs Quiz : April 9, 2019

The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) was launched by Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) in 2015. It provides for a methodology to rank institutions and universities across India.

The Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-Madras) has topped overall in the National Institution Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings, 2019. Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, and IIT-Delhi has ranked 2nd and 3rd respectively.

The Indian government has decided to skip BS-V and directly move to BS-VI from April 2020. The main difference between BS-IV and BS-VI is in the amount of sulphur in the fuel. BS-VI fuel is estimated to bring around an 80% reduction in sulphur content. Recently, Delhi became the first city in the country to switch from BS-IV grade petrol and diesel to BS-VI fuels

The Platinum Jubilee of the Battle of Kangla Tongbi War was commemorated on 07 Apr 2019 by Army Ordnance Corps at Kangla Tongbi War Memorial near Imphal, Manipur.

During the Second World War (1942-1945), Japanese forces had planned three pronged strategy to capture Imphal and surrounding areas. At Kangla Tongbi, a detachment of the 221 Advance Ordnance Depot (AOD) put a stiff resistance stalling the advance of Japanese forces till reinforcement arrived and forced the Japanese to withdraw.

Dhanush is the first indigenously built 155 mm x 45 calibre long-range artillery gun with strike range of 38 kilometres. Further, they are improved version of Bofors guns acquired by India between 1987 and 1991.

Dhanush is a versatile weapon that can operate in all climatic conditions. The gun is equipped with (a)inertial navigation-based sighting system, (b)auto-laying facility (c)on-board ballistic computation and (d)advanced day-night direct firing system. The self-propulsion unit allows the gun to negotiate and deploy itself in mountainous terrain with ease.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is an intergovernmental organisation of 14 nations, founded in 1960 in Baghdad by the first five members (Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela) and headquartered since 1965 in Vienna, Austria.

The current OPEC members are the following: (a)Algeria (b)Angola, (c)Ecuador (d)Equatorial Guinea (e)Gabon (f)Iran (g)Iraq (h)Kuwait, (I)Libya (j)Nigeria (k)the Republic of the Congo (l)Saudi Arabia (j)United Arab Emirates and (k)Venezuela. Indonesia and Qatar are former members.

OPEC’s objective is to coordinate and unify petroleum policies among Member Countries, in order to secure fair and stable prices for petroleum producers and an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consuming nations and a fair return on capital to those investing in the industry.

India and Russia are finalising an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for a multi-billion deal to locally manufacture AK-103 assault rifles.

According to the arrangement with Russia, a Kalashnikov factory will be set up in India in collaboration with the OFB (Ordnance Factories Board). It would cater to the forces for hinterland and counter-insurgency operations.

The Indian Armed Forces are currently equipped with INSAS (Indian National Small Arms System) Rifle. There is an urgent requirement of replacing the in-service INSAS Rifle with an Assault Rifle which is compact, robust and modern in technology.