Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2020

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.

Notes:
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) recently signed an MoU with National Institute of Technology (NITK), Suratkal located in Karnataka, to set up its regional academic centre for space research at the institution. The academic centre would jointly participate in research and development in emerging space technologies. ISRO would also provide an annual financial support of Rs. 2 Crore to the centre for the research projects.

Notes:
With an objective to improve its tourism sector, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) recently announced multiple-entry tourist visas to people of all countries.
The UAE cabinet recently approved the amendment for tourist visas, which will be valid for five years from the date of issue and can be used for multiple entries into the country. Being the favourite tourist destination of many nationals, the country attracts more than 20 million tourists in a year.

Notes:
Drosophila is an insect, which is also called as small fruit fly. It belongs to the species of flies and the family of Drosophilidae. This fruit fly serves as the model organism for biological research all over the world.
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) is to organise the fifth edition of the Asia Pacific Drosophila Research Conference (APDRC5) in Pune. The five-day conference will commence from January 6, 2020.

Notes:
Former Indian Cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth is selected for the prestigious ‘C K Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award’, presented by the National Cricket Board of India, BCCI. The famous cricketer from Tamil Nadu represented India from 1981 to 1992.
The other cricketer who is also to be presented with the award is Anjum Chopra, former Captain of Indian women’s cricket team. The awards will be presented at the BCCI Annual awards function, to be held in Mumbai, on January 12, 2020.

Notes:
The Government of Puerto Rico recently declared a state of emergency, after it was hit by a deadly earthquake. The 6.4 magnitude quake was the strongest and the most devastating earthquake, the country has ever had for hundred years.
Puerto Rico is a group of islands located in the Caribbean Sea. It is one of the unincorporated territories of the United States. The capital city and the largest city of the country is San Juan.

Notes:
India’s Central bank, the Reserve Bank of India recently released various stipulations for the Urban Cooperative Banks (UCB). A UCB shall be placed in the Supervisory Action Framework upon certain conditions announced by the RBI, which include Net NPA exceeding 6% and CRAR ratio falling below 9%. Depending on the financial stress, the lending powers of the UCBs may also be cut short.
The Reserve Bank has made this announcement at the backdrop of the Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank scam. The new norms would provide faster resolution to the bad assets of UCBs.

Notes:
To commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, a ten-day art exhibition was recently inaugurated in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. The exhibition was named as ‘Gandhi @ 150 Art Exhibition’
The Indian High Commission in Bangladesh organised the exhibition in association with the national cultural centre of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. The art products of the Bangladesh artists created during the art camp and photographs of Gandhi were exhibited in the event.

Notes:
The fourth edition of the ‘Buxa Bird Festival’ was recently inaugurated in the Buxa National Park of West Bengal. It is a famous bird festival which is held at the National Park organised by the Forest Department of West Bengal.
Several bird watchers and bird lovers across the country have registered to take part in the festival, which will be held for four days. Many rare bird species such as the Great Horn-bill, the Greater spotted eagle and several migratory birds are expected to arrive in the national park during this season.

Notes:
The State Bank of India’s economic research department has lowered its projection for the GDP growth rate of India for FY 20 to 4.6%. Earlier it has projected the GDP rate to be 5%.
The research department also estimated that the GDP of India would be below 6% for two successive years. The CSO also recently estimated the GDP growth of FY20 to be 5%, in lines with the Reserve Bank of India. But the RBI projected 5.9 – 6.3% growth rate for the next fiscal.