Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
According to the guidelines issued by the insurance regulator, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDAI) has directed the general and health insurance companies to offer one short-term Covid-19 policy.
Named as the “Corona Kavach Policy”, the standard health policy would have a tenure period of 3.5 months to 6.5 months, and 9.5 months. As per the guidelines, the mode of payment would be a single premium. Another policy called Corona Rakshak, a standard benefit policy is also to be launched.

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 state government of Madhya Pradesh is set to launch a campaign called ‘Kill Corona’, to control the spread of coronavirus in the state.
The 15-day campaign, which is to be carried out from July 1, involves door-to-door survey and tests for other diseases. During the campaign, 2.5 lakh tests will be carried out and about 20,000 samples would be collected daily.

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:
Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has unveiled National Anti-Doping Agency’s first mobile application to provide information about prohibited substances and their use.
This application is expected to provide easily accessible information of NADA, so that the athletes and their coaches would remain cautious about the prohibited drugs and medicines. The app also provides means for easy process of conducting a dope test.

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 Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has constituted a national level committee for reform in criminal law.
The committee is to be headed by Ranbir Singh, who is the Vice-Chancellor, National Law University-Delhi. The committee has many veteran legal academicians and it has invited opinions online on the possible reforms in the Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and Indian Evidence Act.

Notes:
Young Indian author Kritika Pandey has won the 2020 Commonwealth Short Story Prize, for her short story ‘The Great Indian Tee and Snakes’.
The 29-year-old writer is currently studying at University of Massachusetts Amherst. She was also declared as one of five Regional Winners for the 2020 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for her literary work.

Notes:
The state Government of Madhya Pradesh is set to launch a new scheme called ‘Hamara Ghar-Hamara Vidyalaya’.
It means My Home-My school and the scheme aims to teach the school-going children, in a school-like environment. Under the scheme, the children of the state will learn to read and write and perform yoga, as per the State Education Centre.

Notes:
Leading Global Technology company, Microsoft has recently announced a new global skills initiative, which aims to train as many as 25 million people worldwide, in digital skills, by the end of the year.
Under this initiative, Microsoft uses the data to identify the jobs in demand and provides free content to develop the skills of people. It also provides certifications and free job-seeking tools. This programme has been launched amidst Covid-19 crisis, where several people are hit by job losses.