Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2020

Notes:
Australia recently witnessed severe wild fires that killed nearly 25 people and destroyed several homes across the country. More than hundred bush fires were burning in New South Wales and they could not be controlled. Several million animals are also reported to be killed by the severity of bush fires. Scientists have cited Global warming to be the reason of this early and devastating wild fires.

Notes:
The ace footballer of the Italy team, Daniele De Rossi recently announced his retirement from professional football. He was associated with the Roma football club and played Serie A league matches for nearly 18 years.
Daniele represented Italy in the 2004 Olympics and he was also a part of the FIFA world cup winning Italy team in 2006. The fourth highest capped player of Italy, retired from the national team in 2017. Recently, he was playing for Argentina’s Boca Juniors club.

Notes:
The Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) recently announced that the ‘Farmers’ Innovation Fund’ would be set by next financial year. The announcement was made during the Farmers’ Science Congress, the first of its kind event, organised as a part of the National Science Congress.
He announced that an innovation centre would be established in New Delhi, which would assist the farmers in their research and would authenticate the innovations of the farmers. At present, the Krishi Vigyan Kendras record the innovations of farmers.

Notes:
As per statement of Lok Sabha Speaker, India will mark 75th anniversary of the country in 2022 and in same year parliament session will be held in the new building. The existing Parliament House Building has completed 92 glorious years after it was made functional in 1927.

Notes:
India’s cabinet has recently (January, 2020) approved the mobility pact with France that would allow skilled workers, students and academics from the two countries to live and work in each others’ countries. The agreement was signed between India and France during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to India in 2018. France, however, is yet to ratify the pact, awaiting the French parliament’s consent.

Notes:
Union Cabinet has approved to confer the status of “Institution of National Importance” to a cluster of Ayurvedic institutions in Gujarat State’s Ayurved University campus in Jamnagar. This elevation of the status would provide it with the autonomy to upgrade the Ayurveda education standards and frame new courses in Ayurveda as per national and international requirements.
This decision is also expected to boost tertiary care in India and reduce government expenditure on health as Ayurveda is cost-effective. A bill to give effect to this approval will be introduced in the forthcoming Session of Parliament.

Notes:
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has released a chart of world’s fastest growing cities based on the data provided by the United Nation’s Population Division. Malappuram, a city of Northern Kerala topped the list. Two other cities of Kerala, Kozhikode and Kollam were ranked 4th and 10th respectively.
As per the report, Malappuram has recorded 44% rise in population between 2015 and 2020. In the report, three Kerala cities were in the top 10 list while six Indian cities were placed in the top 30 list.

Notes:
The Prime Minister of India recently attended the 150th celebration of the historic Kolkata Port Trust. During the event, he announced that Kolkata Port Trust would be renamed to ‘Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Port’.
The Prime Minister also released a Commemorative Stamp to mark 150 years of the Kolkata port trust. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was the founder of Bharathiya Jana Sangh, following which the Bharathiya Janata Party was formed.

Notes:
The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi will participate in the interaction program with students named ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ scheduled for the year 2020. The event is to be organised at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi on January 20.
The Human Resources and Development Ministry recently asked for suggestions and questions from students, teachers and parents ahead of the grand event. This is the third edition of the event, where the Prime Minister will meet thousands of students and address them about overcoming examination fear.

Notes:
Top professional golfer of Australia, Wade Ormsby recently clinched the Hong Kong Open title for the second time in last three years. Another ace golfer and British Open champion Shane Lowry finished the tour in the second place. The tournament was held in Hanling, Hong Kong.
Ormsby is a 39-year-old golfer, who had earlier won the Hong Kong Open title in 2017, which was his maiden European Tour victory. By this victory, Ormsby is only the second wire-to-wire winner of this tour.