Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2020

Notes:
The MANI app, which stands for Mobile Aided Note Identifier Application, was launched by the Reserve Bank of India. It helps the visually challenged people to identify the denomination of the currency. The mobile’s camera scans the currency note and identifies the denomination through audio output.

Notes:
As per the recent announcement of the Chairman of ISRO, India will launch GSAT 30, a heavy geo-stationary communication satellite on January 17, 2020.  This mission would be the first satellite of the year 2020 for India. The satellite will be launched using Ariane-5ECA launch vehicle from Kourou space centre in French Guiana. The satellite will be used to provide communication links to government and private service providers.

Notes:
The powerful Military Commander of Iran, General Qassim Soleimani was killed in the air strike conducted by the United States. The President of the US is said to have ordered a drone attack on the vehicles, in which the Iran military personnel were travelling near the Bhagdad Airport. Another commander and adviser to Soleimani, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was also killed in the attack. Soleimani was the commander of the Quds Force of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)

Notes:
The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) inaugurated their first silk processing plant at Surendranagar district in Gujarat. The Patola is a trademark saree variety of Gujarat. It is regarded as a royal attire as it is priced very high. The reason for high price is the non-availability of processing plants in Gujarat. The silk yarn required to weave the saree is usually purchased from other states. This new plant set up by KVIC would cut down the price of silk yarn and boost production of Patola sarees.

Notes:
The foundation of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Academy was recently laid in Nagpur, Maharashtra by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He also inaugurated a campus of the Nagpur based National Fire Service College. The NDRF Academy, once completed will contain state-of-the-art infrastructure to simulate disasters and provide training to the personnel in various rescue operations. The National Disaster Response Force, a dedicated force for disaster response related operations was constituted in the year 2006.

Notes:
A leading research agency, HexGn conducted a study of the funding patterns in the start-up ecosystem in the year 2019. The total international funding for technology start-ups decreased by 22% to $293 billion when compared to the funding of $375 billion, last year. However, the start-up funding in India has grown by 18% to $14 billion in 2019. For the first time, two Indian cities namely Delhi NCR and Bengaluru were ranked in the “Global Top 10 Cities for Start-up Funding” list.

Notes:
The State Government of Odisha recently launched the e-Gazette portal, to release all gazette publications of the state in digital format. This scheme is launched a s part of the ‘5T initiatives’ of the Odisha Government. After the launch of the portal, the gazette notifications will be published online saving paper and cost of transportation. All the departments of the state will be asked to upload their data in the portal, which will be monitored and verified by digital signatures.

Notes:
The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan recently launched the Kerala Real Estate Regulatory Authority ‘K-RERA’ to boost the confidence of customers and make the real estate sector more transparent. Under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, passed in 2016, all state governments were directed to establish the regulating authority for real estate sector, RERA for regulation and dispute redressal in the sector.

Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India has recently granted ‘in-principle’ approval to Shivalik Mercantile Cooperative Bank, to convert into a Small Finance Bank (SFB). It is the first Urban Cooperative Bank (UCB) to be granted such permission after the announcement of RBI in September 2018, about voluntary conversion of UCBs into Small Finance Banks. 
The bank should comply with the requirements of an SFB such as minimum net worth and Capital to risk ratio, as stipulated by the RBI within 18 months of the in-principle approval.

Notes:
The state government of Mizoram is to organise the cultural festival ‘Zo Kutpui’ in many states of India as well as in some countries including the USA, Bangladesh and Myanmar. The first edition of the festival will begin in Tripura and will be celebrated in other states, that are home to the people of Mizo tribe.
The festival will witness several cultural programmes and traditional events of the Mizo tribe thereby increasing their unity and fraternity. Chief Minister of Mizoram, Zoramthanga is to inaugurate the first edition of the festival.