Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
The Defence Institute of High-Altitude Research (DIHAR) is a life science laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) working on cold arid agro-animal technologies.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has established a COVID-19 testing facility at the DIHAR in Leh. The testing facility is capable of screening 50 samples per day and it enhances the capacity of testing in the Union Territory of Ladakh.

Notes:
A space technology start-up named Digiantra Research and Technology (DRT) developed India’s first in-orbit space debris monitoring and tracking system.
The company has also been selected for the ‘Society for Innovation and Development’ incubation program at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore. The country’s first air and space surveillance company has received a grant of Rs 25 lakhs for developing space debris monitoring systems.

Notes:
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved acquisition of Krishnapatnam Port Company Ltd by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd.
Along with the equity shareholding, the management control of the total share capital of Krishnapatnam Port company will be acquired, as per the statement of CCI. Krishnapatnam Port Company is the developer and operator of the deep-water port at Krishnapatnam.

Notes:
Reserve Bank of India releases a bi annual report called the financial stability report (FSR). The latest edition was released recently.
RBI has estimated that the gross non performing asset (GNPA) ratio of all banks may increase from 8.5% in March 2020 to 12.5% by March 2021. GNPA ratio of public sector banks will increase to 15.2% in March 2021. The main reason for this dip is the slowdown in the economy due to the Covid-19 induced lock-down.

Notes:
Union Shipping Ministry has announced that it has waived off waterway usage charges for a period of three years.
This decision has been taken to promote inland waterways as a cheaper mode of transport. Water usage charge was previously applicable on use of all national waterways by vessels. This waiver is estimated to increase the inland waterway traffic movement to 110 million metric tonne (MMT) in 2022-23.

Notes:
The Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar announced that the Union Government is to collaborate with the World Bank, to convert the Gwalior-Chambal belt of Madhya Pradesh into arable land.
This has been decided in the virtual meeting with the World Bank representative. As per the statement, more than 3 lakh hectares of rugged land that remains not cultivable can be improved. As a result, the region’s agricultural development, environmental protection and employment opportunities can be improved.

Notes:
The Siachen Glacier, which is located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas is the world’s largest non-polar glacier.
The glacier is currently a part of the union territory of Ladakh. Recently, the Indian Army announced that it will issue permits for civilian trips to its Siachen Base Camp and Kumar post in Ladakh. It is also claimed to be the highest battlefield.

Notes:
The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) is to set up its own Cotton warehouse in Vietnam, to boost Exports.
A government-to-government Memorandum of Understanding is also being prepared to export 1.5-2 million bales of cotton to Bangladesh. CCI holds surplus stocks of cotton before the next harvest season and this plan has been made.

Notes:
Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan has launched the Bureau of Indian Standard’s Mobile App ‘BIS-Care’.
He also launched Standardization, Conformity Assessment and Training portals of e-BIS for consumers. Using the bi-lingual app, consumers can check the authenticity of the ISI-marked and hallmarked products. Consumers can also lodge complaints using this app. Earlier, BIS was directed to frame quality norms for 371 items by March 2021 to curb non-essential imports.

Notes:
During the Saint Petersburg declaration on tiger conservation that was signed by Tiger range countries in 2010, it was decided to celebrate 29th July as Global Tiger Day across the world.
The countries had pledged to double the tiger population by the year 2022. Global Tiger Day aims to create awareness on tiger conservation. Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has released the All India Tiger Estimation Report-2018 and said that India has nearly 70 per cent of the global tiger population.