Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2020

Notes:
Recently, four men from Indian Air Force have been identified for Gaganyaan, India’s first manned mission to space. They will undertake astronauts’ training in Russia. Gaganyaan is a crewed orbital spacecraft intended to send astronauts into space for a minimum of 7 days by 2022 as a part of the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme.

Notes:
Palau has banned “reef-toxic” sunscreens. The scientific evidence showed that chemicals found in most sunscreens were toxic to corals. Therefore, from New Year’s Day, any reef-toxic sunscreens that are imported or sold in Palau will be confiscated and the owner will be fined.

Notes:
The Prime Minister is going to launch the fourth instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, centrally sponsored scheme that provides an income support of Rs. 6,000 annually to all the farmer families in three equal installments.

Notes:
Ransthamb is a memorial to the Bhima-Koregaon battle in Maharashtra. It is also known as Jaistambh or victory pillar. It is located in Bhima Koregaon village in Pune. It was visited by many in light of the 202^nd anniversary of the Bhima Koregaon battle that was fought in 1818.

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:
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was recently signed between Flipkart and the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for the implementation of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana — National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM). Under the partnership, Flipkart will join hands with the state missions of DAY-NULM to implement its flagship ‘Samarth’ programme and provide market access to the local weavers, craftsmen and small businessmen.

Notes:
The 28th edition of the New Delhi World Book Fair 2020 is to be held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from January 4 to 12, 2020. To commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the theme of the fair is chosen as, ‘Gandhi: The Writers’ Writer’. Union Human Resources Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal will inaugurate the annual fair, which is organised by the National Book Trust (NBT). The Chief Guest of the inaugural event is Gandhian scholar Girishwar Mishra.  

Notes:
The World Braille Day is celebrated across the world on the 4th day of January. The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution in November 2018, to announce January 4 as World Braille Day. Following the proclamation, the day has been observed since 2019. According to the  World Health Organization, there are 36 million blind people and 216 million people with moderate to severe visual impairment. Invented by Louis Braille, Braille is a representation of letters and number using six dots, which could be interpreted by the visually impaired.

Notes:
The ace Indian all-rounder and bowler famous for his swings, Irfan Pathan announced his retirement from all forms of cricket recently. Irfan made his debut in 2003 when he was only 19 years old. In his professional cricket career spanning 16 years, he made several records including the hat-trick wicket in the first over of the test match. Irfan was also a part of the winning team of the 2007 T20 World cup.

Notes:
The Ramsar site – designated Bhitarkanika National Park is located in Odisha’s Kendrapara District. It is seen in news recently as the annual census of estuarine crocodiles was conducted in the national park. As per the census, there are 1,757 estuarine or salt water crocodiles in the park, 15 more than the previous year count. The national park is also a mangrove ecosystem and is home to several flora and fauna in addition to crocodiles.