Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
The United Arab Emirates has recently announced its plans to send its first Mars mission and it has become the first Arab country to do so.
Until now, only the United States, India, USSR and the European Space Agency have successfully sent their Mars orbiter missions. China is in the process of launching its first Mars rover. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) is heading the Mars project of the UAE.

Notes:
The Kuaizhou-11 carrier rocket, that was launched by China, has recently suffered a failure during its maiden flight.
Kuaizhou means ‘fast ship’ in Chinese. It is a low-cost solid-fuelled carrier rocket, that was designed to launch low-Earth orbit satellites. A malfunction occurred during the flight though the exact reason for the failure is not yet known.

Notes:
GOAL is a literacy and mentorship initiative, that aims to identify leaders and make them train 5,000 youth from tribal communities across the country. It is implemented by the Tribal Affairs Ministry.
The Ministry has hosted a webinar on Going Online As Leaders (GOAL) Project, to sensitise Members of Parliament from Scheduled Tribe (ST) Constituencies. Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda and other officials from the Ministry participated in the seminar.

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:
‘India Cycles4Change Challenge’ is a new initiative of the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, under its Smart Cities Mission.
The Ministry has recently opened the registration for the Challenge, which was originally launched on June 25, 2020. All cities under the Smart Cities Mission, capital cities of States/UTs and all cities with above 5 lakh population can apply through the newly launched portal and provide quick solutions for promoting cycling.

Notes:
International environmental conservation group, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Fauna & Flora International (FFI) have warned about the change in the law of Myanmar, which has allowed commercial farming of endangered species.
The wildlife conservation groups have cautioned that the change may boost the demand for rare animals in the world and may create a parallel trade market. In June, Myanmar passed a law, which allowed private zoos to breed 90 wildlife species including endangered ones.

Notes:
The internet regulator of China, Cyberspace Administration of China has announced that it has launched a two-month nation-wide campaign to clean up websites aimed at users under the age of 18.
Earlier, China has imposed limits on online play time for young users after gaming addiction was rising among children. As per the watchdog, the aim of this campaign was to promote a healthy online environment.

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:
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has launched development projects worth Rs 44 lakhs in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The projects include the formation and development of Self-Help Groups (SHGs). The SHG members are provided training and skill development to promote rural entrepreneurship in Mushroom Cultivation and Bamboo Handicrafts making etc. An annual Micro-Entrepreneurship Development Programme will also be organised by NABARD in the UT.