Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2020

Notes:
As per the findings published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology, a new low-cost nasal swab test named ‘N1-STOP-LAMP’ has been developed.
As per the researchers, the test can accurately diagnose the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19, in just 20 minutes. It is also 100 per cent accurate in diagnosing the samples at high loads. It uses a single tube and involves only one step and so it is very efficient and affordable.

Notes:
The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan has recently announced that all of the state government jobs will be reserved to the people belonging to its state.
This is the first country in the state to reserve all its jobs to the people of the state. The state government is set to form legal provisions in this regard. During his Independence Day address, the Chief Minister announced that the state will give preference to their youths in government jobs.

Notes:
The Death Valley is a desert valley which is located in Eastern California, USA. Recently, the temperature at the Death Valley’s Furnace Creek is recorded at 54.4°C. This would be hottest temperature officially verified since 1913, as per World Meteorological Organization.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, Death Valley’s all-time record high is 56.7°C that was recorded in the year 1913. It still stands as the hottest ever temperature recorded on the surface of the earth.

Notes:
USD 1 billion (equivalent to Rs 7,485 crore) financial support by way of loan has been approved by the Manila based-Asian Development Bank (ADB) for Delhi-Meerut regional rapid transit system.
The project is first of the three priority rail corridors in country. The financial assistance from ADB will be used for construction of railway tracks, station buildings, maintenance facilities and power supply.

Notes:
Iran has displayed a surface-to-surface ballistic missile, that has a range of 1,400 kilometres, named martyr Qassem Soleimani.
The country also displayed a new cruise missile called martyr Abu Mahdi, with a range of over 1,000 km, amidst the demand from the United States to stop its missile programme. The head of Iran’s Quds Force, Soleimani and Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were killed in a U.S. strike.

Notes:
The National Commission on Population under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has recently released a report titled ‘Population projections for India and States 2011 – 2036’.
As per the report, the sex ratio of the country is estimated to increase from 943 in 2011 to 957 during 2036. The Infant Mortality rate (IMR) is to go down to 30 by the end of 2031-35. The total population of India is estimated to increase from 121.1 crores to 151.8 crores.

Notes:
The Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot has launched a subsidised meal scheme named ‘Indira Rasoi Yojana’.
It aims to provide subsidised meals to the poor and needy in the state at Rs 8 per plate with dignity. Earlier, the state was implementing a similar scheme named Annapurna Rasoi Yojana from 2016. The scheme was launched on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, the ‘Sadbhavana Diwas’.

Notes:
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved an increase in Fair and Remunerative Prices (FRP) of sugarcane by Rs.10 per quintal from the existing Rs 275 to Rs.285 per quintal.
The new FRP would come into force from October 2020. This is in line with the recommendations of the Commission of Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).

Notes:
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has attended the inaugural ceremony of the 5th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament (5WCSP).
It is a two-day virtual Conference organized jointly by Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Geneva and Parliament of Austria. The programme is supported by United Nations (UN). The theme of the Conference is “Parliamentary leadership for more effective multilateralism that delivers peace and sustainable development for the people and planet.”

Notes:
A first-of-its-kind interactive game on COVID-19 named the “Corona Fighters” has been launched by the Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan.
The game has been designed creatively to teach people about the right tools and behaviours to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to the game, the Minister also launched two new videos to inculcate appropriate behaviours, to be followed during the pandemic.