Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
The 36-year-old Indian umpire Nitin Menon recently became the youngest member of the International Cricket Council’s Elite Panel of Umpires.
He replaced England’s Nigel Llong for the upcoming 2020-21 season. Nitin Menon has officiated in three Tests, 24 ODIs and 16 T20Is. He is only the third from India to enter the prestigious group after former captain Srinivas Venkatraghavan and Sundaram Ravi. Michael Gough of England (40), had been the youngest in the current panel.

Notes:
The World Bank has approved USD 250 million loan for affordable housing projects of Tamil Nadu. The Government of India, state government of Tamil Nadu and the World Bank has signed legal agreements regarding the project.
Out of the total loan, USD 200 million is approved for First Tamil Nadu Housing Sector Strengthening Programme and USD 50 million for Tamil Nadu Housing and Habitat Development Project. It aims to ease regulatory barriers and encourage private sector participation in affordable housing.

Notes:
The Government of India has banned 59 Chinese mobile apps, including TikTok, UC Browser among others, by invoking its power under Section 69 A of Information Technology (IT) Act.
As per the statement from the Information Technology Ministry, the applications are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, Defence of India and public order. The Government has arranged talks with some firms including TikTok, after the ban was imposed.

Notes:
According to a study published in the US science journal PNAS, researchers in China have discovered a new type of swine flu that is capable of triggering a pandemic.
The G4 flu is genetically descended from the H1N1 strain that caused a pandemic in 2009. As per the China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, G4 was observed to be highly infectious, replicating in human cells and causing more serious symptoms. More researches are being carried out on ferrets.

Notes:
India’s flagship fitness awareness movement, Fit India is launching a new series of interactive sessions with ace sportspersons of the country.
This series of interactive sessions has been launched with an objective of inspiring young children of the country and to encourage them to actively take part in sports. Badminton star P V Sindhu and Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri will launch the inaugural session, in the presence of HRD Minister and Sports Minister.

Notes:
Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan have jointly launched the online competition to identify drugs against coronavirus.
The competition is named “Drug Discovery Hackathon” 2020. Students, researchers and experts from across the country and the world can participate in the event, to submit their discoveries on potential drugs. While HRD Innovation cell and AICTE will identify potential drug, CSIR will conduct synthesis and laboratory testing.

Notes:
The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has released its report on the Annual Marine Fish Landings in India for 2019.
As per the report, the marine fish production of India recorded a marginal rise of 2.1% in 2019, with 3.56 million tonnes in total landings. It also ranked Tamil Nadu in the first position with 7.75 lakh tonnes. It is followed by Gujarat and Kerala. Gujarat was at the top spot in the recent years.

Notes:
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has joined the Central Banks and Supervisors Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS).
NGFS is a group of central banks and supervisors who will share best practices about climate risk management in financial sector. It was launched at the Paris One Planet Summit in the year 2017. It also mobilises finance for maintaining a sustainable economy.

Notes:
The Government of Maharashtra’s industrial infrastructure development agency, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) has recently signed a MoU with UK India Business Council.
The agreement aims to promote sustainable business relations between UK and India. This will help the state to develop its business environment and promote its partnership with the British business.

Notes:
Legendary Italian musician Ennio Morricone has recently passed away, at the age of 91. He had won two Oscar awards, the latest being awarded in 2016 for best original score for ‘The Hateful Eight’.
He was considered as one of the world’s most famous and creative music composers. His musical works including ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ and ‘The Mission’ were appreciated by his fans across the world. He had also won numerous awards including the Golden Globes, Grammys and BAFTAs.