Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2020

Notes:
India and Maldives recently signed a contract for development of five eco-tourism zones in Addu city of Maldives.
The development of the eco-tourism zones is a part of the projects being implemented under the High-Impact Community Development project (HICDP) scheme. It involves a total assistance of USD 5.5 million to the Maldives for high-impact assets development.

Notes:
Isher Judge Ahluwalia has recently stepped down as the Chairperson of think tank Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER).
She had held this position for 15 years and will be succeeded by the new Chairman Pramod Bhasin, who is currently the Vice Chair of the Board of governors at ICRIER. To honour her contributions, she will be retained as chairperson emeritus.

Notes:
Former India footballer who played for Kolkata-based Mohun Bagan football club, Manitombi Singh passed away at the age of 39, at his native village in Manipur.
Manitombi Singh was a part of the Indian Under-23 team that lifted the 2003 LG Cup by beating Vietnam 3-2. It was India’s first international victory at an 8-nation tournament since 1971. He also played for India in the 2002 Asian Games. He also served as the Coach for Manipur State League’s Anouba Imagi Mangal.

Notes:
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) of Government of India has launched a new national portal called SURAKHSYA. It has been launched for real time data collection on Human Animal conflict.
The portal is launched as a part of the World Elephant Day, which is observed every year on 12th August. The portal would be used by policy makers for preparation of Action Plans and Strategies to mitigate conflicts.

Notes:
The President of India honoured 202 freedom fighters across the country. This was done on the occasion of the 78th anniversary of Quit India Day.
Every year, on this occasion, the President of India hosts an “At Home” reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan to honour the freedom fighters. But this year, State/UT governments are requested to honour the freedom fighters at their homes, on behalf of the President.

Notes:
The Prime Minister of Lebanon, Hassan Diab has recently stepped down from his post, after a massive blast occurred in the country.
The catastrophic explosion in the capital city Beirut, has triggered a public outrage in the country. It has caused heavy destruction, by killing more than 160 people and injuring over 6,000 people. There have been mass demonstrations against the Government demanding the steeping down of the leadership.

Notes:
The Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel has announced the launch of a new scheme called ‘Indira Van Mitan Yojana’.
The scheme was announced on the occasion of World Tribal Day. It aims to make the forest dwellers in the state self-reliant. Under this scheme, groups of youth will be formed in 10,000 villages of the state and all forest-based economic activities will be conducted via these groups.

Notes:
The President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has recently won a landslide re-election victory, as per the country’s central Election Commission.
As per the figures of the votes counted, around 80 per cent of the votes were secured by the President. His main rival Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, won over 9 per cent of the votes. At least one person was killed and dozens were injured in the clashes held during the elections.

Notes:
The construction work of the Katra (Jammu and Kashmir) – Delhi Express Road Corridor is proposed to be completed in 3 years and will be operational by 2023. The express corridor would bring down the travel time from Katra to Delhi to around six and half hours.
One key feature of this road is that it will connect the holy cities of Katra and Amritsar, and other major religious shrines between the two destinations.

Notes:
Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs implements the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
The scheme aims to provide basic infrastructure for water supply, sewage and seepage management in 500 Mission cities. Recently, the scheme was in news because the states across India have completed 2,854 projects worth ₹11,110 crore under the scheme. Tamil Nadu completed the highest number of works.