Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2020

Notes:
The Union Cabinet of India recently approved to set up 13th major port of India, at Vadhavan in Maharashtra. The project is to entail a total cost of Rs 65,544 crore.
The government is expected to hold 51 per cent stake in the project of the new port. All related business activities would be done under private-public partnership (PPP) mode. A special purpose vehicle is proposed to be formed, which would develop the infrastructure of the new port. This port would promote cargo movement from Gujarat, Maharashtra and other land-locked states.

Notes:
The noted astronaut of the US- based National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Christina Koch recently completed the longest-ever single spaceflight by a woman.
Christina Koch landed through a parachute at Kazakhstan, from the Russian Soyuz spacecraft she was onboard. She had created a record by spending 328 days on the International Space Station (ISS) and surpassed the previous record held by the American astronaut Peggy Whitson. In October last year, she performed the first all-female spacewalk along with her fellow astronaut Jessica Meir.

Notes:
Minister of State for Labour Santosh Gangwar recently announced that the government is conducting a new Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS). The survey conducted this year comprises of new parameters and bigger sample size.
As per the results of the PLFS survey being conducted by the government, the Unemployment rate in the country in 2017-18 was 6.1 per cent. The labour force participation in the country in the same time period was found to be 36.9 per cent. The Minister also announced that the new survey conducted through the Ministry of Statistics provides more authentic data.

Notes:
Ministry of Corporate Affairs is replacing the existing SPICe (Simplified Proforma for Incorporating Company Electronically) form with a new web form called SPICe+. The existing form, which is used for reservation of name, company incorporation, DIN allotment, and application for PAN/TAN, in its new avatar, would offer 10 services by three central government ministries and departments.

Notes:
The Cricket team of Bangladesh has clinched its maiden Under-19 World Cup title, in the ICC World cup 2020 cricket tournament, held at Potchefstroom, South Africa.
They beat the Indian team led by Priyam Garg in the Super League final match, by 3 wickets. The team was announced to have won, by D/L method. This is India’s seventh final appearance and the team has missed to earn its record fifth World Cup title.

Notes:
In 2019, the United Nations General Assembly announced 10 February as the World Pulses Day. This was followed by the celebration of the year 2016 as the International Year of Pulses (IYP), across the world, led by the Food and Agriculture Organization.
The day is celebrated to raise awareness about the nutritional values of pulses and ways to tackle malnutrition through pulses.

Notes:
The United States Trade Representative’s (USTR’s) office has recently classified India as a developed economy and it is ineligible for GSP benefits from the US.
The Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) scheme offers a lower tariff to the exporters of a select group of developing countries. India is the largest beneficiary nation under the GSP, which enjoyed a tariff-free access to the US, till last June.

Notes:
National Productivity Council (NPC) is an institution for propagating productivity movement in India, which functions under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
The formation of National Productivity Council is being celebrated annually as Productivity Day (12th February) and following seven days as Productivity Week (12th – 18th February). The organisation conducts various events throughout the week for promoting productivity.

Notes:
Arvind Kejriwal led- Aam Aadmi party won 62 seats out of the total 70 seats in the Delhi assembly elections. Arvind Kejriwal is set to become the Chief Minister of Delhi for the third time. The Bharatiya Janata Party got the remaining 8 seats.
Aam Aadmi party (AAP) MLAs chose Arvind Kejriwal as the leader of the legislature party and he is set to claim to form the next government in Delhi.

Notes:
The Parliament of the Republic of North Macedonia recently ratified the North Atlantic Treaty, an agreement to make their country a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
The country was earlier called Macedonia and was opposed by its neighbour Greece, as the historic place is present in their border. Greece asked the country to rename itself and it agreed to
drop its objections to the country in joining the NATO and the EU.