Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2020

Notes:
According to the Bombay Natural History Society, as many as 77 new species of butterflies have been found in the ecologically sensitive forest of Matheran hill station.
It is located about 80 km from Mumbai and is spread over an area of 214.73 sq km. With this, the total number of butterfly species in the Matheran forest has increased to 140. BNHS conducted the study over last eight years from 2011 to 2019.

Notes:
Bangladesh has decided to construct a monument for the Indian soldiers who died in 1971, during the country’s efforts for independence from Pakistan.
Bangladesh announced that the war memorial would be constructed to align with the 50th anniversary of the country’s Independence Day celebrations. Bangladesh already has a National Memorial at Dhaka for all 1971 martyrs, but the proposed one is to honour only Indian soldiers.

Notes:
The World Health Organization (WHO) launched a new initiative named ‘COVAX’, which aims to fast-track the development of vaccine against the coronavirus.
The WHO recently announced that it is renewing its invite to countries to join its facility. WHO is also in talks with the manufacturers of the potential vaccines and is gathering funds to promote the mass-production of vaccine.

Notes:
Every year, 10th of August is observed as World Biofuel Day to create awareness on importance of non-fossil fuels as an alternative to fossil fuels. It is also aimed at highlighting the various initiatives made by the Government in the Biofuel sector.
Since 2015, the World Biofuel Day is being observed by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. A webinar on this occasion was organized by the Petroleum Ministry, with the theme “Biofuels towards Atmanirbhar Bharat”.

Notes:
A book titled ‘Connecting, Communicating, Changing’ will be released by the Defence Minister at Delhi. It narrates the third year in Office of Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu. The e-version of the book would be released by Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar.
The book highlights the Vice President’s travel in India & abroad, his interaction with foreign nationals, world leaders and various sections of the Indian society including farmers, scientists, administrators, industry leaders and artists, among others.

Notes:
Russia has become the first country to register and approve the world’s first Covid-19 vaccine. It has named the vaccine as ‘Sputnik V’.
This has been named as a reference to the world’s first satellite sent by the country. Russia claims that is has received requests from more than 20 countries for 1 billion doses of its newly-registered Covid-19 vaccine.

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 Union Ministry of Tourism organised a themed webinar titled “Cellular Jail: Letters, Memoirs & Memories”, as a part of the “Dekho Apna Desh” webinar series. The webinar has been organised ahead of the 74th Independence Day celebrations.
The Cellular Jail is in Andaman and Nicobar Islands where Indian Nationalist who were part of freedom struggle were exiled and imprisoned. The Webinar showcased the journey of India’s independence struggle through the galleries and cells of the Cellular jail.

Notes:
The “Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation”, constituted by the Home Ministry, for the year 2020 has been awarded to 121 Police personnel.
This medal was constituted in the year 2018 by the Union Government with the aim to promote professional standards of investigation of crime. It also stands as a Reward of Excellence in Investigation by investigating officers.

Notes:
A webinar titled “Weaves of Maharashtra and Textiles of Odisha” was organized by Press Information Bureau (PIB) – Mumbai and India Tourism – Mumbai. The key focus of the webinar was on the handlooms & fabrics of Maharashtra and Odisha.
August 7 is celebrated as National Handloom Day in India, to honour the handloom weavers of the nation. August 7 was chosen to mark the Swadeshi Movement which was launched on this day in 1905 to protest against partition of Bengal by the British Government.