Current Affairs Quiz-September, 2020

Notes:
As per the recent data released by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the Unified Payments Interface (UPI)-based payments clocked 1.62 billion transactions in August.
This mode of payment has been rising around 8 per cent and during the same month last year, there were 918 million transactions. The transaction recorded last month was worth Rs 2.98 trillion which is also greater than Rs 1.54 trillion a year ago.

Notes:
In a boost to Make in India mission in Defence Sector, the Acquisition Wing of Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed contracts with Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. (BEML), Tata Power Company Ltd. (TPCL) and Larsen & Toubro (L&T).
The contracts have been signed for supply of 6 Pinaka Regiments to the Artillery unit of the Indian Army. The approximate cost of the project is Rs 2580 Crores

Notes:
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has recently set up a 10-member council for conservation of biological diversity.
A new council named the Jammu and Kashmir Biodiversity Council will be constituted, which will have the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests as the Chairman and five non-official members. The council shall constitute a fund named as “Jammu and Kashmir Biodiversity Council Fund”.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister has approved a bill which gives official language status to Kashmiri, Dogri and Hindi in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.
These languages are apart from the existing official languages Urdu and English. Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Bill, 2020 would be introduced in the Monsoon session of the Parliament to legislate this bill.

Notes:
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has launched “Future Business Group” initiative to support new businesses launched during the past few years.
This initiative aims at creating a ‘National strategy for future businesses’, together with Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). The initiative will also identify new growth options and help to establish international relations.

Notes:
The “G-20 foreign ministers meeting” was hosted virtually by Saudi Arabia from Riyadh. India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar represented India.
During the meeting, he proposed for the development of voluntary ‘G-20 Principles on Coordinated Cross-Border Movement of People’. Discussions during the meeting focused on strengthening international cooperation across borders amidst COVID-19 crisis.

Notes:
The Indian Institute of Public Administration is a Research and training organization under the Union Ministry of Personnel. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu is the ex-officio President of IIPA.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) and Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) has recently organized a two-day ‘National Tribal Research Conclave’ through virtual platform chaired by the Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Shri Arjun Munda.

Notes:
United Kingdom has named the Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott as a trade adviser. He headed Australia from 2013 to 2015.
Along with the 62-year old former Prime Minister, Former member of the European Parliament, is to become Adviser to Britain’s Board of Trade. However, there were allegations that Tony Abbott was not suitable for the job due to his conservative social views.

Notes:
A loan agreement for $82 million has been signed between the Government of India, the Government of Himachal Pradesh and the World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development).
The loan would be used for implementation of Himachal Pradesh State Roads Transformation Project. The world bank loan is given for a term of 15 years including a grace period of 5 years.

Notes:
India, Israel and the United States of America have begun collaboration in developmental areas.
These include development of a transparent, open, reliable and secure 5G communication network. This collaboration among the three countries is a result of people-to-people collaboration, particularly by Indian Diaspora in the US and Israel.