Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2020

Notes:
Christina Koch has set the record for the longest stay in space by a woman. The U.S. astronaut landed in Kazakhstan on February 6 after 328 days on the International Space Station (ISS).

Notes:
Jiri Vesely of Czech Republic clinched the Tata Open Maharashtra 2020, held recently in Pune. He won the title after five years of his maiden ATP Tour title in Auckland.
He also become only the eighth player since 2013 to save six match points across two matches in a row, towards winning the ATP Tour crown. The tournament had been previously conducted at Chennai.

Notes:
Renowned space scientist G Narayanan has been named the Chairman of New Space India Ltd (NSIL), Indian Space Research Organisation’s newly formed commercial entity.
Prior to this assignment, G Narayanan was serving as the Deputy director at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), an ISRO unit in Thiruvananthapuram. New Space India Ltd was set up as a Public Sector Undertaking under ISRO, last year to commercially explore the space market. NSIL is set to manufacture launch vehicles with main focus on Small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV).

Notes:
The Australian team was presented with the ICC Women’s Championship trophy. The team has retained the trophy by topping in eight-team ODI competition played from 2017 to 2020.
Australia has scored 34 points from 18 matches with one more series to play. The ICC Women’s Championship qualified hosts New Zealand and four other top teams including Australia, England and South Africa, directly to the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2021.

Notes:
The National Water Conference, 2020 was recently held in the city of Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh. It was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of the state, Kamal Nath.
Several renowned water experts from across the country, including ‘the Water Man of India’ Rajendra Singh, participated in the conference and discussed issues of water crisis. Discussions were also held in topics of traditional water sources, river restoration and right to water.

Notes:
The Economist Intelligence Unit has lowered its global growth forecast for 2020 to 2.2%, from its earlier estimate of 2.3%. The dip was due to the new risks that have emerged following the virus outbreak in China, which was recently named by the WHO as COVID-19.
The real GDP forecast for China in 2020 was also decreased to 5.4%, from the earlier estimate of 5.9%. The agency has assumed that the spread of the virus will be contained by the end of March.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet approved the amendment of the Direct Tax Vivad se Vishwas Bill, 2020, so that it also covers the litigations pending in debt recovery tribunals (DRTs) across the country. The scheme can be availed in search and seizure procedures, where the recovery is up to ₹5 crore.
Vivad se Vishwas Bill, 2020 is aimed at providing resolution of disputed direct taxes. More than ₹9-lakh crore of direct taxes is pending in litigation in India.

Notes:
The regulator of Aviation security in India, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) recently notified that it has banned e-cigarettes and similar products in all airports and aircrafts in India.
It has also prohibited distribution, sale, storage of such products in any airport premises or any aircraft that departs or arrives in India. Last year, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare banned production, sale and import of e-cigarettes, as they include electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS).

Notes:
The United Nations Security Council has recently adopted a resolution for a ‘lasting ceasefire’ in the North African oil-rich country Libya.
The resolution which was drafted by Britain was approved by 14 countries with only Russia refraining from voting. The resolution is aimed at supporting for a lasting ceasefire in Libya without any pre-condition. The country has been in chaos since 2011, after its leader Moamer Kadhafi was killed.

Notes:
The United States has recently approved the sale of an Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS) to India. The Weapon system is to be sold for an estimated cost of $1.9 billion. India would deploy the IADWS to modernise its armed forces and enhance its air defence architecture.
The trade deal is proposed to be signed during the visit of the US President Donald Trump to India, in the month of February, 2020.