Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released a report titled the ‘World Wildlife Crime Report 2020’.
As per the report, Pangolin is the world’s most trafficked mammal and the number of times the mammal’s scales were seized increased nearly ten times between 2014 and 2018. The report also highlighted that zoonotic diseases account for 75 per cent of all emerging infectious diseases.

Notes:
Coir Board is a statutory body established by the Government of India under the Coir Industry Act 1953, functioning under Ministry of MSME.
Recently, the export of coir and coir products from India in the year 2019-20 touched the highest point at Rs. 2757.90 crore. This is also Rs. 30 crore more than that of the last year, which stood at Rs. 2728.04 crore. Around 9 lakh metric tonnes of coir and coir products were exported.

Notes:
The United States President Donald Trump has signed the Hong Kong Autonomy Act into law. He also signed an executive order ending US preferential treatment for Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong Autonomy Act was passed unanimously by the Congress. It gives provisions to the country, to hold accountable the individuals involved in suppressing Hong Kong’s freedom. After this act, Hong Kong will be treated the same as mainland China by the US.

Notes:
India has signed a new agreement with Israel to collaborate in the field of cyber security and to tackle the challenges in the field amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
The MoU has been signed between the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and Israel’s National Cyber Directorate (INCD). Under the MoU, technological assistance and mutual services in cyber security will be exchanged.

Notes:
As per the recent study released in the online edition of the Lancet, India’s population is likely to peak by 2047 at about 1.61 billion.
The study also estimated that the population of India would then decline to 1.03 billion by the year 2100. But, if the country’s targets of United Nations Sustainable Goal Development (SDG) were achieved, India’s population would decline to 929 million.

Notes:
India’s third largest services company, HCL Technologies announced that its Co-founder Shiv Nadar had stepped down as Chairman of the board of directors.
His daughter Roshni Nadar Malhotra has been named as the next Chairperson of the company. Shiv Nadar will continue in the post of Chief strategy officer. Roshni Nadar became the vice-chairman of the board in 2018. HCL was founded in the year 1976 by Shiv Nadar as one of the 5 founders.

Notes:
The state Government of Odisha is implementing a pension scheme named ‘Madhu Babu Pension Yojana’.
Recently, it was announced that the people of transgender community will also be included in the Pension scheme. Under the scheme, financial assistance is provided to the destitute elderly, differently-abled persons and widows. Now, Around 5,000 transgenders will get a monthly pension between Rs 500 and Rs 900 based on their age.

Notes:
25-year-old Spanish professional Golfer Jon Rahm claimed the top spot in the world, after he clinched victory in the Memorial Tournament.
He surpassed Rory McIlroy to claim the top spot in the World Golf Rankings for the first time in his career. This is also his fourth straight season with a victory. After Seve Ballesteros, he is only the second player from Spain to be placed in the Number one rank.

Notes:
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has approved insurance cover of ₹25 lakh to all panchayat members in the Union Territory.
All elected BDC chairperson, sarpanches, panches and elected members of municipal bodies are covered in the event of death due to militancy. Last month, a sarpanch was shot dead by militants in south Kashmir. The UT also made an amendment to grant short-term permits to the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) on land up to 1 hectare, till September 30, 2021.

Notes:
US-India Business Council is set to play host to the ‘India Ideas Summit’ 2020 on July 22. Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will deliver the keynote addresses.
Discussions on the future of the U.S.-India Partnership, trade and investment, and the future of work in the COVID-era etc are to be undertaken in the summit. Various business and government leaders are to address the summit, including the External Affairs minister Dr. S. Jaishankar.