Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
The fifteenth summit between India and the European Union (EU) is scheduled to be held on July 15, through video conferencing.
Prime Minster Narendra Modi is to represent India. The President of European Council, Charles Michel and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen will represent the EU. The summit was supposed to be held in March and Indian Prime Minister was scheduled to visit Brussels, the capital of EU.

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:
The CEO of Google Sundar Pichai has recently announced the launch USD 10 billion ‘India Digitization Fund’.
This was announced at the ‘Google for India’ virtual live-stream event, which focused on accelerating India’s digital economy. Through this initiative, Google will invest about Rs 75000 Crores in India over the next 5 to 7 years. The fund will focus on enabling affordable access and information to every Indian.

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.

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:
Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal inaugurated the virtual Digital Indo- Italian Business Mission on Food Processing’.
The two-day event comprises of digital conferences, trade fair and B2B (Business to Business) meetings, which are being attended by 23 Italian companies. This Digital Sectorial business Mission is expected to promote the bilateral trade between India and Italy.

Notes:
India has signed a new agreement with Israel to collaborate in the field of cyber security and to tackle the challenges in the field amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
The MoU has been signed between the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and Israel’s National Cyber Directorate (INCD). Under the MoU, technological assistance and mutual services in cyber security will be exchanged.

Notes:
The state government of Andhra Pradesh has recently constituted a high-level committee constitute new districts with Lok Sabha constituency as base.
As per the decision made during the Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, this high-level committee will be headed by the Chief Secretary. The committee will study the feasibility of forming new districts and reducing expenditure.

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 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.