Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
The United Nations is observing the Virtual Counter-Terrorism Week from July 6 to July 10, 2020.
The event has been convened under the theme of “Strategic and Practical Challenges of Countering Terrorism in a Global Pandemic Environment”. Throughout the week, several webinars and interactive discussions on the fields like bio and cyber terrorism, flagship UN counter-terrorism programmes, among others.

Notes:
As per the official broadcasting service of Pakistan, the country’s mission to the United Nations has confirmed its bid to seek another term in the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Pakistan is to contest one of the four seats reserved for the Group of Asia Pacific countries for the 2021- 23 term. Pakistan was also a founding member of the UNHRC when it was founded in the year 2006.

Notes:
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has recently revamped its advisory committee on mutual funds.
As per the recent release of SEBI, the 20-member advisory committee is headed by the former deputy governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Usha Thorat. The panel which was originally created in 2013 had 15 members, headed by Janki Ballabh. The committee advises SEBI on regulation and development of mutual fund industry.

Notes:
The Asia Cup is a popular cricket tournament organised by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). It was established in 1983 and includes men’s One Day International and Twenty20 International cricket tournament.
Recently, the Asian Cricket Council announced that the tournament that was scheduled to be held in September this year in Sri Lanka, has been postponed till June 2021.

Notes:
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently set up an independent panel to review its response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The panel is headed by former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and former Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. This action has been taken after the United States has been criticising the organisation over its handling of the crisis.

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:
The ‘World Population Day’ is observed across the world, on July 11 every year. The day was first celebrated in the year 1990.
Inspired by the awareness created by ‘Five Billion Day’ on the same day in 1987 when the world’s population reached 5 billion, UNDP recommended the observance of Population Day on July 11. “Putting the brakes on COVID-19: how to safeguard the health and rights of women and girls now” is the theme of the campaign for 2020.

Notes:
India’s drug regulator Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) Dr V G Somani has recently approved ‘Itolizumab’ injection for treating coronavirus patients.
As per the Union Health Ministry, the drug used to treat psoriasis, will be used for emergency use on Covid-19 patients with medium to severe acute respiratory conditions. The drug has been manufactured by the biopharmaceutical company Biocon, led by Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw.

Notes:
Madhya Pradesh has topped in implementing the Pradhan Mantri Street Vendors Atma Nirbhar Nidhi-PM SvaNidhi scheme.
The scheme was launched to provide a free working capital of 10,000 rupees for one year to street vendors. The state also provides assistance for vendors of rural areas in the state, along with those in urban areas. Over 15000 cases have been approved in the state and loans worth above 15 crore have been approved.

Notes:
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson announced that the country is set to ban Chinese technology giant Huawei from the country’s 5G network.
This news has been announced amidst the rising tensions between the United States and China. The UK’s move is aligned towards supporting the US, in limiting the expansion of global telecom leader Huawei’s expansion in the west. The process will be completed by 2027.