Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
As per the recent release from the United Nations’ weather agency, the World Meteorological Organization, the average global temperatures would rise by 1.5 degrees Celsius, in the coming 5 years.
This rise is above the pre-industrial average of the global temperature. As per the research of various scientists, due to man-made greenhouse emissions, the average temperatures around the world is already above 1 degree Celsius, than that during 1850-1900.

Notes:
A commercial communication satellite named ‘APStar-6D’ has been recently launched by China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC).
It is developed by the China Academy of Space Technology and was launched using the variant of the country’s Long March rocket. This new satellite can provide a communication capacity of at least 50Gbps, as per sources.

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:
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 National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has announced Rs 5,000 crore worth grant-based scheme for computerisation of about 35,000 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) by FY23.
The scheme, apart from providing assistance to state governments for the process also ensures integration of the PACS with the Core Banking System (CBS) of District Central Co-operative Banks.

Notes:
The flagship initiative of NITI Aayog, Atal Innovation Mission, (AIM) has launched a programme named ‘Demo-Days’.
The programme aims to identify start-ups with potential Covid-19 innovations and help them develop their ideas into workable solutions which will be deployed across the country. This was launched in partnership with other state-owned bodies including BIRAC, DBT, DST, Start-up India etc.

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:
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:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced has released guidelines for ‘Fair Practices Code’ for Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs).
The guidelines are released by the RBI, under the powers conferred by the SARFAESI Act, 2002. As per the recent guidelines ARCs have to follow transparent and non-discriminatory practices in acquisition of assets.