Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
National Productivity Council (NPC) is a national level autonomous organization under the administrative control of the Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, to promote productivity culture in India.
Recently, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal chaired the 49th Governing Council Meeting of National Productivity Council (NPC).

Notes:
ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) leaders have met during the recent annual summit held via video conference.
ASEAN is a regional association with 10 member countries including Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma), Brunei, Laos. The Chair of ASEAN in 2020 is Vietnam, which hosted the virtual summit, due to travel restrictions amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Notes:
The electoral commission of the East African country Malawi has declared opposition alliance leader. Lazarus Chakwera, as the winner of the country’s presidential re-election.
The result of the previous May 2019 election has been declared invalid by the constitutional court, over allegations of irregularities. Lazarus Chakwera secured the required majority defeating the incumbent President Peter Mutharika, who has been in power since 2014.

Notes:
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is a United Nations office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention, headquartered at Vienna, Austria.
According to the latest UNODC World Drug Report, about 26.9 crore people used drugs in 2018, which was 30% more than the 2009 count. The largest share of drug users comprised of adolescents and young adults. Overall opioid users in India is estimated to have increased five times, as compared to those in 2004.

Notes:
Union Defence Ministry has launched a new portal to issue No Objection Certificate (NOC) for power projects and Research Survey Exploration Exploitation (RSEE) activities in the Indian Territorial Waters and Exclusive Economic Zone.
The Ministry of Defence gives security clearances to various Private and Public Sector Undertakings for power, wind and solar projects in areas near defence installation. The new portal will allow applicants to submit their proposals online for seeking security clearance from the Ministry.

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 state of Kerala has recently announced a project named “Dream Kerala”, for rehabilitation of its people returning from abroad.
The project also aims for enhancing works for the overall development of the State. It aims to deploy the skills and knowledge for reviving the economy of the state. Ideas and suggestions from public will be invited and several departments would be jointly coordinating the project.

Notes:
The United Kingdom has recently recognised Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country’s constitutional interim President.
A case has been held over whether Guaido or Nicolas Maduro have control on the country’s USD 1 billion worth gold reserves held in the Bank of England. In the ruling of the English High Court, it has declared Guaido as Venezuela’s legitimate leader. Though Maduro won the second term, the opposition has majority.

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:
Edelweiss Asset Management Company manages the Bharat Bond Exchange Traded Fund (ETF). It has formally launched the second series of the ETF.
During December 2019, it had launched the first series. With this tranche, the fund house seeks to raise up to Rs 14,000 crore from retail and institutional investors. Bharat Bond ETFs invest in AAA-rated papers of public sector companies (CPSEs and PSEs).