Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2020

Notes:
US had recently launched air strikes on the bases of the Iranian-backed Iraqi militia, Kataib Hezbollah in retaliation to the killing of a US civilian contractor in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base. Many in Iraq had taken to the streets against the US in response to the air strikes.

Notes:
The Kerala government became the first in India to pass a resolution opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019. According to the state government, the Act is against the basic principles of the Indian constitution. This contentious law has caused widespread protests across the country.

Notes:
The Prime Minister of Britain, Borris Johnson recently announced to increase the minimum wage of the workers by more than four times the rate of the inflation prevailing in UK. For the workers of age more than twenty-five, an increase of 6.2 % is to be provided so that the national living wage of 8.21 pounds would rise to 8.72 pounds. This decision, being the biggest increase since 2016, is taken at the back drop of economic uncertainty existing in the county.

Notes:
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet recently approved the re-appointment of Umesh Sinha as the Deputy Election Commissioner of India on a contract basis. The appointment is made for one year from January 1, 2020 up to December 31, 2020. Umesh Sinha was a 1986 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Officer, who was about to attain his age of superannuation. He has earlier served as the Chief Election Commissioner of Uttar Pradesh.

Notes:
A famous figure among the basketball Community David Stern passed away recently. He served as the Commissioner of National Basketball Association, NBA from 1984 to 2014. He also made a record of being the longest serving Commissioner of a major league. He played a crucial role in broadening the scope of NBA in the international arena and making it popular and successful.  The Women’s National Basketball Association was founded under his leadership.

Notes:
The Raisina Dialogue is an annual joint conference organized since 2016, by the Ministry of External Affairs in association with the leading think-tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF).  The conference hosts various global leaders from all sectors to discuss the challenges faced by the global community. The title of this year’s event is ‘Navigating the Alpha Century’ and will be held from January 14 to 16 in New Delhi. The Australian Prime Minister who was expected to be the key speaker cancelled his participation recently after severe bush fires in his country.

Notes:
Veteran Theatre artist and Social Activist of Assam, Ratna Ojha passed away at Guwahati. He played an instrumental role in reviving the theatre play movement of the state. He had also actively participated and addressed demonstrations in several social issues of the country including those against Citizenship amendment act. For his great contribution towards the theatre art, he was honoured with the ‘Natasurya Award’ by the Assam Government.

Notes:
The Ministry of External Affairs recently announced that it would set up a new division under its aegis called the New, emerging and strategic technologies (NEST) division’. The proposed NEST would act as the nodal division under the ministry for addressing the issues related to emerging technologies. It will help our country to closely work with foreign partners in the field of 5G and artificial intelligence. Recently all companies including the Chinese major Huawei were allowed to participate in 5G trials.  

Notes:
The Professor and Head of the Department of ENT and Head-neck surgery of AIIMS, Dr. Suresh Chandra Sharma has been appointed as the first Chairman of National Medical Commission (NMC). The appointment is approved for a tenure of three years or until the age of 70 years. Rakesh Kumar Vats is appointed as the new Secretary of NMC. The Medical Council of India (MCI) was dissolved and the National Medical Commission (NMC) was formed as the replacing body after the Union Cabinet approval, last year.

Notes:
The 12th edition of the ‘Naseem-Al-Bahr’ bilateral exercise between the navies of India and Oman is to be held in Goa. The exercise is held once in every two years between Indian Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman since 1993.The previous edition of the exercise was held in December 2017 in Muscat, Oman.
Recently, two naval ships of the Oman Navy arrived in Goa, while the Indian Navy ships Beas and Subhadra will participate in the exercise.