Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

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:
As per the statement released by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), the Government has amended the import policy of Power tillers and its components from ‘free’ to ‘restricted’.
The importer is required to seek a license from the DGFT for importing the product categorised as ’restricted’. This move is expected to curb the inward shipment of the equipment that comes mainly from China.

Notes:
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras-incubated start-up named Modulus Housing has developed a portable hospital unit.
The foldable unit called ‘MediCAB’ can be installed by four people anywhere within two hours. ‘MediCAB’ was launched recently in Wayanad District, Kerala to treat Covid-19 patients. The start-up was founded by two IIT alumni in 2008 and it is in the process of developing micro hospitals.

Notes:
Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank virtually launched the first online National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA) programme for key resources persons of Andhra Pradesh.
After the scheme was launched in 2019, 33 states and UTs launched the programme in collaboration under Samagra Shiksha. The NCERT provides NISHTHA training programme at the state level.

Notes:
India has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United States, to store strategic reserves of Petroleum in the US.
The countries are also planning to store oil in America’s strategic reserve to increase India’s oil reserves. Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan co-chaired a virtual US-India Strategic Energy Partnership Ministerial with his American counterpart Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette.

Notes:
John Lewis, who was a pioneer of the civil rights movement of the United States, recently passed away at the age of 80.
He entered the United States House of Representatives in the year 1986 from Atlanta and he was a long-time member of the Congress. He was praised as the “Conscience of the Congress” for his sincere and conscious traits.

Notes:
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi has recently crossed six crore followers on micro-blogging platform Twitter.
The Prime Minister joined Twitter in the year 2009 and his handle is following 2,354 accounts. The Twitter handle of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has 3.7 crore followers. US President Donald Trump has over 8.3 crore followers on Twitter.

Notes:
Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton has won the Hungarian Grand Prix held at Budapest, Hungary.
British Driver Lewis Hamilton has clinched his 86th Grand Prix tournament. He is just five victories behind the legendary driver Michael Schumacher, who had won 91 races. Lewis Hamilton won this tournament for the eighth time and equalled Michael Schumacher’s single-venue record.

Notes:
The Income Tax Department has launched an e-campaign on voluntary compliance of Income Tax for the convenience of taxpayers from July 20.
The aim of the 11-day campaign is to assist taxpayers especially the Income Tax assessees for FY 2018-19, to validate their financial transaction information online, by using the information available with the I-T Department. This will help tax-payers from redundant notice, scrutiny and penalty.

Notes:
Researchers from National University of Singapore have found a giant ‘Sea cockroach’ in the Indian Ocean.
The cockroach, which belongs to a new species, has been given the name “Bathynomus raksasa”. It can grow up to 20 inches, which will make it the second-largest isopod species known. They have 14 legs and related to crabs and shrimp. They live on ocean bed and survive by scavenging remains of dead marine animals.