Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
The Union Shipping Ministry has issued a draft ‘Aids to Navigation Bill, 2020’ and sought suggestions from stakeholders and general public.
This draft bill seeks to replace the colonial Lighthouse Act, 1927, which is over nine decades old. The bill seeks to empower the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL) with additional power. It also proposes to include global best practices.

Notes:
International environmental conservation group, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Fauna & Flora International (FFI) have warned about the change in the law of Myanmar, which has allowed commercial farming of endangered species.
The wildlife conservation groups have cautioned that the change may boost the demand for rare animals in the world and may create a parallel trade market. In June, Myanmar passed a law, which allowed private zoos to breed 90 wildlife species including endangered ones.

Notes:
Russia has become the first nation to complete clinical trials of a Covid-19 vaccine on humans, in a major step towards the vaccine.
Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University has successfully completed the clinical trails of the vaccine, produced by the Gamalei Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Russia. As per the WHO, there are as many as 21 vaccines under key trials across the world.

Notes:
The birth anniversary of Nepali poet Bhanu Bhakta Acharya is celebrated as ‘Bhanu Jayanti’, in the state of Sikkim.
The poet is revered in Nepali Literature as ‘Adikavi’ and he is said to have laid the foundation of the Nepali literature. He had also translated several religious scripts from Sanskrit to Nepali. The Governor Ganga Prasad and Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang participated in the commemorative event.

Notes:
Global leader in payments technology Visa has partnered with Federal Bank to deploy Visa Secure to the bank’s cardholders.
Visa Secure is an authentication program that uses the latest standards of the EMV protocol. This upgraded technology will provide security to curb online frauds and quick check-out experience to the card-holders.

Notes:
The comet C/2020 F3 comet also called as NEOWISE was discovered on March 27, this year. It was seen in news recently, as the comet would be visible in the sky.
In India, the NEOWISE comet will be visible in the northwest sky which is 20 degrees from the horizon. It is expected to be visible after sunset for around 20 minutes for 20 days from July 14, 2020 and it will fade away in the month of August.

Notes:
United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF) has announced its partnership with trade body FICCI, to develop a campaign to support the most vulnerable populations and children.
FICCI and UNICEF will jointly work on an action plan based on the document prepared by the International Chamber of Commerce and UNICEF. FICCI’s Economic Development Foundation (SEDF) will be deployed to mobilise funds, reach out the vulnerable and provide assistance.

Notes:
Union Minister of State for Shipping Shri Mansukh Mandaviya has recently approved Rs. 107 Crore for improving fire-fighting facilities at Haldia Dock Complex, Kolkata Port.
The existing fire fighting facility does not support handling of petroleum products as per the guidelines of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. This augmentation is a step towards compliance of global standards for fire safety and secure handling of petroleum products.

Notes:
Solar Orbiter Mission is the collaboration between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) and it was launched in the month of February 2020.
NASA has recently released the images from the Orbiter including the closest pictures ever taken of the Sun, to the public. The spacecraft has closely passed the Sun for the first time in the month of June. The orbiter carries six imaging instruments, to capture the layers of Sun.

Notes:
According to a survey by Projects Today, an online database of projects, Tamil Nadu is the top investment destination in India in first quarter of 2019-20.
The investment flow in the state amounts to Rs 18,236 crore, which is around 18.63 per cent of the total fresh investment. The state has signed as many as 17 agreements in May 2020. It is followed by Maharashtra with investment flow of Rs 11,229 crore.