Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
A team of engineers at Indian Institute of Science (IISc) had developed an intensive care unit (ICU) grade ventilator under the name of ‘Project Praana’.
Recently, the team has successfully completed the prototyping of the ventilator, which is now in the process of being commercialised. The affordable ventilator uses only components made in India or components which are easily available in the domestic markets. The team developed the ventilator in a record 35 days.

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:
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:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana would be extended till the end of November.
The scheme aims to provide free grains to more than 80 crore poor people of the country. The Prime Minister announced that more than Rs 90,000 crore will be spent in this expansion of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.

Notes:
Former Union minister and Rajya Sabha member Suresh Prabhu is to lead a Co-Operative Development Forum (CDF).
The CDF forum, that is likely to be formally launched on July 24, aims to work towards promoting cooperative movement in the country and boost the rural economy. Suresh Prabhu is also the Sherpa of India for G 20. The forum also aims to formulate the modern National/ State Cooperative Policy.

Notes:
The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) has launched a new scheme called ‘Accelerate Vigyan’.
It aims to provide a single exclusive platform for research internships and science workshops across the country. It also aims to encourage high-end scientific research and research careers. Several programmes to identify research potential, training programmes are to be carried out across the country.

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 State Government of Nagaland has banned the sale of dog meat and commercial import and trading of dogs.
Several animal rights activists have been protesting the consumption of dog meat in the state. Earlier, the ‘animal bazaar’ of Dimapur, which sells dog meat was highlighted by several animal activists. Sale of cooked and uncooked dog meat is completely banned.

Notes:
Veteran bureaucrat Injeti Srinivas has been appointed as the first chairman of the International Financial Services Centre Authority (IFSCA).
The IFSCA was recently established by the Finance ministry to regulate all financial services in International Financial Services Centres (IFSCs) in the country. It is headquartered at Gujarat International Finance Tech (GIFT) City, Ahmedabad. The former Corporate affairs Secretary will head the IFSCA for three years.