Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
The Regulatory body of Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has directed telecom companies to stop free internet services to its subscribers for accessing social media.
This decision has been made as this facility is being used by some people for indulging in criminal activities on the social media. This ban is also expected to curb unhealthy competition between the companies.

Notes:
The Income Tax Department has launched an e-campaign on voluntary compliance of Income Tax for the convenience of taxpayers from July 20.
The aim of the 11-day campaign is to assist taxpayers especially the Income Tax assessees for FY 2018-19, to validate their financial transaction information online, by using the information available with the I-T Department. This will help tax-payers from redundant notice, scrutiny and penalty.

Notes:
Union Defence Ministry of India has signed a Rs 557-crore contract with Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), for procurement of 1,512 mine ploughs for the Indian army’s main battle tank T-90.
As per the contract, a minimum of 50 per cent indigenous content is mentioned in the contract. The army has recently deployed the Russian-made T-90 main battle tanks in the Galwan Valley sector of Ladakh.

Notes:
The Governor of the state of Madhya Pradesh Lalji Tandon has recently passed away at the age of 85.
Lalji Tandon has played an active role in politics for nearly five decades. He had served in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council for two terms, as an MLA in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly for three terms, as an MP in the 15th Lok Sabha and Governor of Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

Notes:
Major Global companies including Microsoft, Nike, Starbucks, Unilever and Mercedes-Benz among others are collaborating to form a new consortium.
The group named ‘Transform to Net Zero’ pledges to share resources and strategies for curbing carbon emissions. It has planned to work with the non-profit Environmental Defense Fund for implementing this programme.

Notes:
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) had asked all insurance companies to launch a standardised insurance cover for COVID-19 disease.
Under the Corona Kavach Policy, the minimum sum insured will be Rs 50000 and the maximum sum insured will be Rs 5 lakh. Recently, IRDAI has allowed the insurers to offer this policy as a group insurance product. A discount of 5% is provided to the group of doctors or healthcare workers.

Notes:
India and Maldives have recently signed an agreement for establishment of ‘Emergency Medical Services’ in the capital of Maldives, Male.
India is set to grant assistance of around 20 million US dollars to Maldives for this project. India has been assisting the country in several small and medium projects. This medical service facility will ensure quality emergency care during critical times.

Notes:
National Payments Corporation of India (NCPI) has recently added the ‘UPI Autopay’ feature in its Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
This solution has been launched during the virtual event of Global Fintech Fest. The e-mandate can be used in recurring payments and for multiple payment scenarios including booking train tickets, paying DTH subscriptions among others.

Notes:
Pune-based Serum Institute of India announced that the company will start trials of the Covid-19 vaccine candidate developed by Oxford University-AstraZeneca.
The trials are to be carried out by the end of August on about 5,000 Indian volunteers after getting the necessary permissions. The company also hoped that the vaccine will be hopefully launched by June next year. To manufacture 300 million doses, the company is to spend USD 200 million.

Notes:
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi in collaboration with Union Health Ministry and NITI Aayog launched a national programme called ‘National Clinical Grand Rounds’.
Recently, the AIIMS held the first interactive session of National Clinical Grand Rounds led by AIIMS Director, Dr. Randeep Guleria. The session aimed to facilitate discussion on issues related to COVID-19 and was attended by Doctors from hospitals located across the country and abroad.