Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
Economist and former Indian Administrative Service officer N K Singh is the Chairperson of the 15th Finance Commission.
Recently, the Finance Commission has decided to form a group to develop a mechanism to incentivise states for carrying out the agricultural reforms, that were announced as part of the Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package. The group consists of Finance Commission member Ramesh Chand, Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal and Agriculture, Research and Education Secretary T Mahapatra.

Notes:
Minister of Minority Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has laid the foundation stone for “Sanskritik Sadbhav Mandap” at Rampur, Uttar Pradesh.
The centre is being constructed with the cost of Rs 92 crore by Union Minority Affairs Ministry under Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karykram (PMJVK). This community centre will be utilized for various socio-economic-cultural activities, skill development training and relief activities.

Notes:
The International Asteroid Day is celebrated on June 30, every year across the world, to raise public awareness about the asteroid impact hazard.
The United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution declaring 30 June as International Asteroid Day. The day also marks the anniversary of the impact of Tunguska explosion caused by an asteroid, on Siberia and Russian Federation in 1908.

Notes:
Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Giriraj Singh has launched the first edition of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Newsletter.
The newsletter has been named MATSYA SAMPADA and it is published by the Department of Fisheries, Ministry for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. The Minister also launched the Operational Guidelines of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

Notes:
The United States has recently eliminated the special status under U.S. law and halted Defence Exports to Hong Kong.
U.S has also restricted the access of the country to high technology products. This decision has been taken while China is preparing new Hong Kong security legislation. U.S also proposed to end the export of dual-use technologies to the territory, which have both commercial and military uses.

Notes:
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has launched the world’s first online Diploma and Bachelor of Science Degree in Data Science and programming.
The course has no age limit and students who have passed class 12 can enrol. The course will be conducted online and its exams will be conducted in an offline mode. The course has three levels including the foundation, diploma and degree and it is divided into six semesters.

Notes:
The United Nation’s trade and development body, UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) has recently released a report ‘COVID-19 and Tourism’.
As per the report, the world’s tourism sector could lose at least USD 1.2 trillion or 1.5% of the global gross domestic product (GDP). If the break in international tourism lasts for 8 months, the loss could rise to USD 2.2 trillion or 2.8% of the global GDP.

Notes:
The President of France Emmanuel Macron has named Jean Castex as the next French Prime Minister.
The previous Prime Minister Edouard Philippe had resigned earlier. The President has reshuffled the Government to restart the country’s economy. Jean Castex is a 55-year-old public servant, who has also coordinated the re-opening strategy in the country.

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:
As per the recent announcement from the Indian embassy, a new school building built with Indian assistance of Rs 1.94 crore has been inaugurated in Nepal.
The new four-storey building has been built in the premises of the Shri Saptmai Gurukul Sanskrit Vidyalaya school, which was constructed in the year 2009. It is a prestigious institution which teaches both Vedic and Modern education.