Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2020

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:
Automobile Major Hyundai recently unveiled an air electric taxi, developed in collaboration with Uber, in the Consumer Electronics Show 2020.
According to their partnership, Hyundai will develop and deploy vehicles and Uber will provide support service, ground transport connection and customer Interface. Uber is to launch urban commercial flights by 2023 and Hyundai is its first carmaker partner in the project.

Notes:
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) recently announced that it will observe 2020 as the ‘Year of mobility’. It was also announced that special attention would be provided towards creation of more residential units and welfare measures for their troops. The announcement was made by the Director General of CISF, Rajesh Ranjan.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is a Central Armed Police force under the Ministry of Home affairs, headquartered at New Delhi.

Notes:
Article 30 of the Indian Constitution confers the right on minorities to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice. This right is provided to all language and religious minorities.
The Article was recently in news because the Supreme Court of India held that the appointment of teachers in minority educational institutions can be regulated by the Government and it will not violate Article 30. As per the judgement, the institutions cannot have an absolute right on the appointment.

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.

Notes:
Current Ashwini Lohani heads Air India. It began operations in 1932 with a single-engine, de Havilland Puss Moth monoplane. In 1962, it became the world’s first airline to boast an all-jet fleet. Last October, it also became the world’s first airline to use a Taxibot on an A320 aircraft with passengers onboard. Recently, Group of Ministers (GoM) of the central government have approved the proposal to divest stake in the national carrier. Led by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the GoM met on Tuesday and approved all proposals on debt transfer from Air India to a special purpose vehicle. The Expression of Interest (EoI) and the share purchase agreement would be issued in January 2020.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Steel is to launch a program called ‘Purvodaya-Accelerated Development of Eastern Region through an Integrated Steel hub’. The Union Minister for Steel and Petroleum & Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan will launch the program.
The Eastern states of India such as Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Northern Andhra Pradesh possess a huge share of reserves but lag in development. This proposed Integrated Steel Hub in the Eastern region would lead to an inclusive socio-economic development in the region.

Notes:
The International Energy Agency (IEA) recently released the first in-depth review of India’s energy policies in collaboration with the Indian think tank NITI Aayog. The report was launched at the Head Quarters of NITI Aayog, New Delhi.
India was made as the association member of the Paris-based global energy organisation, International Energy Agency (IEA) on March 2017 and this is the first review after that. The report highlighted the growth of renewable energy sector in India, which is nearly 23% of the country’s total installed capacity now.

Notes:
Fouaad Mirza was recently qualified to represent India in the Tokyo Olympics, in the equestrian event. The 27-year-old sportsman is the first Indian rider to qualify for the Olympics in equestrian sports. The only other rider was Imtiaz Anees, who was given a wildcard in Sydney Olympics
He is also the first Indian to win an individual medal in Asian Games since 1982, when he won the silver medal in the Team event in Asian Games 2018. The International Federation for Equestrian Sports recently confirmed his participation in the Olympics.