Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
Former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor C Rangarajan has been conferred with the lifetime achievement award for his contribution to statistics.
The award has been given to him on the occasion of Statistics Day, which is celebrated on June 29 every year, to commemorate the birth anniversary of PC Mahalanobis, the ‘father of Indian statistics’. C Rangarajan had served as the Chairman of the National Statistical Commission.

Notes:
The World Bank has recently approved of project called ‘Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States Program (STARS)’ for India.
The project aims to improve the quality and governance of school education in six States of India namely Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Rajasthan, through the Samagra Shiksha. World Bank would provide an assistance of USD 500 million (about Rs 3,700 crore).

Notes:
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has approved the proposal for procurement of 21 MiG-29 and upgradation of existing 59 MiG-29 aircraft from Russia at a cost of Rs 7418 crore.
It has also approved the procurement of 12 Su-30 MKI aircraft from Hindustan Aeronautical Ltd, at an estimated cost of Rs 10,730 cr. DAC cleared the acquisition of 248 Astra Beyond Visual Range air-to-air missiles for the Indian Air Force and the Navy. Other important equipment required by the Armed Forces were also approved for Rs 38,900 crore.

Notes:
The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has formally launched Andhra Pradesh Corporation for Outsourced Services (APCOS).
The Chief Minister handed over the 47,000 appointment letters to the outsourcing staff selected through the APCOS. The newly formed body ensures to maintain transparency in recruitments and payments of workers in outsourced services. The government will also follow reservation in recruitments.

Notes:
Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Mars Orbiter Mission has recently captured the image of Phobos.
Phobos is the closest and biggest moon of Mars, which has been captured by the Mars Colour Camera (MCC) onboard the MoM spacecraft. The image was taken when the spacecraft was about 7,200 km from Mars and 4,200 km from Phobos.

Notes:
A 23-year old chess player from Tamil Nadu, G. Akash has recently become the 66th Grandmaster of India.
Akash’s Grand Master title was confirmed at the second council meet of International Chess Federation (FIDE) of the year 2020. The Chennai-based player won the National title in the year 2012. His present FIDE rating is 2495.

Notes:
As per the latest World Drug Report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the highest seizure of opium in 2018 was reported from Iran.
About 644 tonnes of opium was seized in Iran, followed by 27 tonnes in Afghanistan and 19 tonnes in Pakistan. India is placed in the fourth place, with 4 tonnes. Moreover, in the list of heroin seizure India was at the 12th position in the world with 1.3 tonnes, which was also topped by Iran.

Notes:
As per the recent notification of the Corporate Affairs Ministry, the tenure of Justice B L Bhat as the acting Chairperson of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal’s (NCLAT), for three more months.
His three-month tenure as officiating Chairman was scheduled to end on June 15. This decision would be in effect for three more months or until a regular Chairperson is appointed or until further orders. The last NCLAT Chairman Justice S J Mukhopadhaya retired on March 15, 2020.

Notes:
The World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged the evidence that the novel coronavirus spreads through air.
WHO has previously said the virus spreads through small droplets expelled from nose and mouth of an infected person that quickly sinks to the ground. A group of 239 scientists from 32 countries wrote an open letter to the WHO, in which they claimed the airborne spread of the virus and urged WHO t update its guidance.

Notes:
The Prime Minister of Ivory Coast, Amadou Gon Coulibaly has passed away recently, at the age of 61.
He is also the presidential candidate of Ivory Coast’s ruling party, in the upcoming Presidential elections. Due to his unprecedented death, a confusion has prevailed in the country about who will represent the party in the elections.