Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC), an autonomous organization under the Department of Science & Technology has prepared a white paper on “Focused Interventions for ‘Make in India’: Post COVID 19” and “Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients: Status, Issues, Technology Readiness and Challenges”.
Union Minister Harsh Vardhan released the white papers prepared by TIFAC, during a virtual event. The paper highlights high priority sectors, technologies and strategies to accelerate growth in the time of COVID-19.

Notes:
India’s oldest apex industry body Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) has projected India’s annual median GDP growth for 2020-21 at -4.5%.
This has been projected in the association’s Economic Outlook Survey in the SBI Banking and Economics Conclave. It had previously predicted India’s growth rate to be 5.5 per cent in the January 2020 survey. In the conclave, RBI Governor said that Indian economy has started showing signs of getting back to normalcy.

Notes:
The Chairperson of the Indian Space Research Organisation, Dr Kailasavadivoo Sivan has been named as the recipient of the 2020 Von Karman Award.
The award was constituted by the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and will be conferred in March 2021 in Paris. It is named after the aerospace engineer and aerodynamics expert Theodore von Karman. K Sivan is only the third Indian to receive this award after Kasturirangan and U.R. Rao.

Notes:
The historic Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple located at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, has been in dispute over its management. It is considered as one of the richest temples in the country.
The Supreme Court of India has recently upholded the rights of Travancore royal family in the administration of the temple. This dispute has been pending in the Supreme Court for the past nine years after charges of financial irregularities. The Travancore Royal house had ruled southern Kerala and some parts of Tamil Nadu.

Notes:
Jack Charlton, who was a part of the 1966 World cup winning English Football team, has recently passed away, at the age of 85.
He played for the Leeds United football club for nearly 21 years before managing the Republic of Ireland. He was also a Manager of British football club Newcastle United F.C.

Notes:
The state of Tamil Nadu is set to launch a trial to study the efficacy of the BCG vaccine in reducing mortality due to COVID-19 in the elder people.
The trial, which has been approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), would be taken up by the National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (NIRT), Chennai. The BCG (Bacille Calmette-Guerin) is being administered to new-born for 50 years as a vaccine against tuberculosis.

Notes:
The birth anniversary of one of the greatest leaders of the world, Nelson Mandela on July 18, is observed as Nelson Mandela International Day across the world.
Nelson Mandela is the first black President of South Africa, who fought against apartheid movement. He was also awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize for peace. The UN General Assembly declared July 18 as Nelson Mandela International Day in the year 2009.

Notes:
The International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad has developed a Ultra-violet Baggage Disinfection System named ‘KritiScan’.
ARCI, an autonomous R&D Centre of Department of Science and Technology (DST) has co-developed the system along with Noida-based Vehant Technologies. The compact system can efficiently carry out a dry and chemical-free disinfection.

Notes:
The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in India has declined to 113, in 2016-18. The ratio was 122 in 2015-17 and 130 in 2014-2016.
The Office of Registrar General’s Sample Registration System (SRS) has recently released a special bulletin on Maternal Mortality in India 2016-18. The target of the UN Sustainable Development Goals is to reduce the global MMR to less than 70 per 1 lakh live births.

Notes:
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become the first Arab country to launch a spacecraft to Mars. In its first interplanetary mission, it has sent a car-sized spacecraft named ‘Hope’.
UAE has sent the spacecraft from the space centre of Japan. After traversing the space, it will start orbiting around Mars to examine its weather. China is set to launch its Mars Mission on July 23. NASA is also to launch its Perseverance Mars rover to examine its hospitability.