Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

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:
India and Bhutan have recently opened a new trade route between Jaigaon in West Bengal and Pasakha in Bhutan.
Vehicles carrying goods and commodities plied through the alternate trade route between Jaigaon and Ahlay in Pasakha. As per the Indian Embassy in Thimpu, an additional Land Customs station has been opened at Ahllay, Pasakha by the Government of India.

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 recent report released by the property consultant Cushman & Wakefield, India ranks third in the list of most-suitable locations for global manufacturing, in terms of cost competitiveness and operating conditions.
Among 48 countries, China and the US bagged the top two positions of the Global Manufacturing Risk Index (MRI). Last year, India was in the fourth position in the list, which ranks 48 countries in Europe, America and the Asia-Pacific.

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:
International Centre of Automotive Technology (ICAT) has launcehd the automotive technology e-portal ‘ASPIRE’.
‘ASPIRE’ stands for Automotive Solutions Portal for Industry, Research and Education. ICAT also announced that five portals being developed by different organizations namely, BHEL for power sector equipment, HMT for machine tools, CMFTI for manufacturing technology, ICAT and ARAI for the automotive sector.

Notes:
Saudi Arabia holds the Presidency of G-20 of the year 2020. It has chaired the 3rd G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting recently.
Union Finance Minister of India, Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the meeting through Video Conferencing. The global economic outlook during COVID-19 pandemic crisis and G20’s Finance Track priorities for the year 2020 was discussed.

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.

Notes:
As per the research study of the scientists, released in ‘Nature Climate Change’ scientific journal, Polar bears are pushed to extinction due to climate change.
The study estimates that the carnivorous animal could nearly disappear within the span of a human lifetime. In 12 out of the 13 subpopulations analysed, Polar bears are estimated to be destroyed within 80 years.