Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
Indian Army has directed its personnel to delete 89 applications from their smartphones including Facebook, TikTok, Tinder, PUBG, and Instagram.
This decision has been taken to curb leakage of information, as per the Indian Army sources. Several applications including Snapchat and UC Browser that are in the order, were also in the list of applications banned by the Indian Government earlier.

Notes:
Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) has renewed its memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The aim of the 3-year agreement is to scale up collaboration on sustainability and energy sector resilience in Asia and the Pacific. The first three-year agreement was signed in March 2017, for knowledge sharing of sustainable energy systems in ADB’s developing member countries.

Notes:
GOAL is a literacy and mentorship initiative, that aims to identify leaders and make them train 5,000 youth from tribal communities across the country. It is implemented by the Tribal Affairs Ministry.
The Ministry has hosted a webinar on Going Online As Leaders (GOAL) Project, to sensitise Members of Parliament from Scheduled Tribe (ST) Constituencies. Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda and other officials from the Ministry participated in the seminar.

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:
TDS is deductible at the rate of 2 % if cash withdrawal of above 1 crore made by a person who is an income-tax payee. While, TDS is deductible at the rate 2 % if cash withdrawal exceeds 20 lakh rupees and at the rate of 5 % if it exceeds one crore rupees, if made by a non-income-tax filer.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has launched a new tool, through which Banks and Post offices can determine the TDS rates on cash withdrawals, by entering their PAN number.

Notes:
NITI Aayog has estimated that India needs 6.2% additional spending of GDP to achieve 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
The country’s think tank said this in its second Voluntary National Review (VNR) at the UN high-level political forum (HLPF) on sustainable development, 2020. India needs to upgrade its statistical system, improve its monitoring mechanism and capacity building of all stakeholders. It also advised that the Budget should be aligned with SDGs.

Notes:
Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has recently released a set of guidelines on Digital Education through online medium.
It is named ‘PRAGYATA’, which includes eight steps of digital learning namely Plan- Review- Arrange- Guide- Yak(talk)- Assign- Track- Appreciate. It aimed at addressing teachers, parents, and students on coping with stress during digital learning and recommended screen time for children.

Notes:
The Chairman of Tata Group N Chandrasekaran is selected for the US-India Business Council, USIBC Global Leadership Award this year.
Along with him, the CEO of Lockheed Martin, Jim Taiclet will also receive the award. The USIBC Global Leadership Awards are conferred on executives to recognise their leadership and their contribution in promoting trade and business between India and the United States.

Notes:
India has signed bilateral agreements named ‘Air Bubbles’ with France and the US to operate international flights.
Under the agreement, the airlines of each country will operate international flights between each other. American air carrier United Airlines will be operating 18 flights between India and the US and Air France will be operating 28 flights between Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Paris.