Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2020

Notes:
The Union Finance Minister had unveiled a Rs. 102 lakh crore National Infrastructure Pipeline. To create a road map for the national infrastructure pipeline from 2019-2020 to 2024-25, finance ministry had set up a task force. It is to be headed by the Economic Affairs Secretary.

Notes:
The light utility aircraft Dornier was recently inducted into the No.41 “Otters” Squadron during a ceremony at the Palam Air Force Station. the Dornier-228 aircraft is a multi-purpose, fuel efficient, rugged, lightweight twin turboprop aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear.

Notes:
Pariksha Pe Charcha was introduced in 2018. The 2020 contest is going to be the 3^rd edition of this program. The certificates of participation are issued by the Ministry of Human Resource and Development. The student winners get the chance to interact with the Prime Minister and ask questions related to exams.

Notes:
The incumbent Chairman of Railway Board, Vinod Kumar Yadav recently assumed office as the Chairman after his reappointment has been approved by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet. He was appointed as the Chairman for the first term on January 2019. Recently the Cabinet approved the restructuring of the Railway board and the merger of several cadres in the administration. A new post of CEO was also created during the restructuring exercise.

Notes:
The 27th edition of National Children’s Science Congress was recently organised in the capital city of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram. The Congress was inaugurated by the Vice President of India, Venkiah Naidu. More than 650 young student scientists from many states and union territories across the country and some students from the Middle East countries participated in the event and exhibited their projects and inventions.

Notes:
The State Government of Andhra Pradesh recently announced that it would deliver sand to the customer’s doorstep. The scheme was launched as a pilot project in the Krishna District and would be expanded to other districts as well. The Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC) would be the implementing agency of the delivery scheme. The state recently launched the new sand policy in September 2019 and has been taking various steps to curb illegal sand trade.

Notes:
Sanjay Gupta, the Chief Editor of the leading Hindi daily, ‘Jagran’ was recently honoured with the ‘Lokmanya Tilak National Journalism Award’. This award was instituted by the Pune based Kesari-Maratha Trust for recognising the contributions made by individuals in the field of journalism. The award will be presented at the event organised to commemorate the Foundation day of ‘Kesari’, the newspaper started by famous freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak.

Notes:
The third edition of the ‘Khelo India Youth games’ will be held at Guwahati, Assam from January 10 to 23, 2020. The ceremony to launch the games was held at Guwahati and was attended by the Union Sports Minister and Chief Minister of Assam. The logo, mascot, theme song and the jersey of players were also launched. More than 10000 participants from all over the country are expected to take part in this national event in 20 different sports which includes cycling and lawn bowls for the first time.

Notes:
The birth anniversary of the social reformer and the first female teacher of India, Savitribai Phule was observed across the country on January 3. The Prime Minister of India and various other leaders paid tributes to her on her birth anniversary. Savitribai Phule along with her husband Jyotirao Phule founded the country’s first girls’ school in Pune in 1848. Born in Maharashtra, Phule worked hard to abolish discrimination against women and suppressed classes of people.

Notes:
 As per the recent data of UNICEF, India recorded the highest number of child births on the New Year’s Day. Out of the 3, 92,078 babies born around the world on the day of New Year, 67,385 babies were born in India, which is the highest in the world. With 46,299 births, China is in the second place. UNICEF runs ‘ Every child alive’ campaign to ensure safe birth and pregnancy to every child and mother across the world.