Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2020

Notes:
India’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Manoj Mukund Naravane has undertaken a “historic” six-day visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia.
This is first such visit by the Indian Army Chief to the two Gulf countries. This visit aims to strengthen the strategic and defence cooperation between the two countries. Saudi Arabia is India’s fourth-largest trading partner.

Notes:
In 2020, the Government of India increased the FDI limit in the defence sector to 74% under the automatic route for companies with existing licences. Previously, the cap was 49%. Foreign investment beyond 74% requires government approval. FDI up to 100% is permitted under the government route. Defence sector FDI inflows rose substantially after this policy change.

Notes:
India’s largest food delivery platform Swiggy has announced that it is set to onboard over 36000 street vendors under PM SVANidhi scheme.
The platform is to expand its Street Food Vendors programme to 125 cities. Earlier, Swiggy had partnered with Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA), to onboard over 300 street vendors in select cities.

Notes:
Asian Development Bank (ADB) has recently lowered the expected contraction for India in the current fiscal to 8 per cent from 9 per cent.
After falling by 23.9 per cent in Q1 of fiscal year 2020, the Indian economy began to normalise with only 7.5 per cent in Q2. This was released in ADB’s latest ‘Asian Development Outlook 2020 Update’.

Notes:
Japan has been worst hit by a sudden outbreak of bird flu. The condition has worsened and the government has culled more than 2 million birds, fearing its transmission to human beings.
The flu has been spreading from Europe and in response, Japan has banned imports from seven European countries.

Notes:
The state Government of Madhya Pradesh government has issued a directive to form Matru Sahyogini Samiti’ or Mothers’ Cooperation Committees.
These committees will comprise 10 mothers at each anganwadi, to ensure better monitoring of services delivered at anganwadis. This is ultimately aimed to check malnutrition among children in the state.

Notes:
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has recently inaugurated the Koilwar bridge over Sone river in Bihar.
This 1.5 km long bridge has been laid in parallel to the 138-year-old two lane rail-road bridge. A six-lane bridge is being constructed with the outlay of Rs 266 crore. The three-lane carriageway has been opened for public.

Notes:
The Real Time Gross Settlement System (RTGS) transaction was introduced in India in the year 2004. Presently, RTGS handles a transaction volume of Rs 4.17 lakh crore per day and it is used by 237 participant banks.
Recently, Reserve Bank of India has permitted for round the clock RTGS facility in India, which makes India one among the very few countries offering this service.

Notes:
The term “Mixopathy” means allowing a section of Ayurveda doctors to undertake certain surgeries. Allopathy Doctors and surgeons are agitated by the mixopathy, by which Government has decided to permit Ayurveda doctors to undertake certain surgeries.
A strike is being proposed by the Indian Medical Association to express its opposition against the Government’s decision.

Notes:
Plasmodium Ovale, a malaria causing parasite has been detected in the state of Kerala. This has been detected in a soldier who had come from Sudan.
Malaria is caused by plasmodium parasites, that are transmitted to humans by bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. There are five parasite species that cause malaria and two among them – Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax are the greatest threats.