Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
Union Minster for micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector Nitin Gadkari launched a mentoring platform named ‘RestartIndia’.
The platform has been conceptualised by Muthoot Fincorp and INKtalks. Restart India is a single platform which provides information on various schemes being implemented by the government. It also helps the businesspersons to connect with experts from various sectors.

Notes:
Indian leading Private Sector bank Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) has named Ramesh Babu Boddu as the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer for three years.
The bank’s Board of Directors has also selected Ramesh Babu Boddu as an Additional Director. Three months back, he superannuated as Deputy Managing Director in State Bank of India. KVB is headquartered in Karur in Tamil Nadu and has completed 100 years of operation.

Notes:
E-Commerce Giant Flipkart has announced that it will acquire parent Walmart’s wholesale business, ‘Best Price’.
The loss-ridden cash-and-carry business of Walmart in India is the last part of Walmart to be acquired by Flipkart marking a complete consolidation. This acquisition is expected to help Flipkart to expand its business-to-business vertical.

Notes:
The Indian government has recently sent USD 1 million worth of anti-tuberculosis medicine to North Korea after requested by the World Health Organization (WHO).
As per the press release issued by the Ministry of External affairs, the medical assistance is under the ongoing WHO anti-tuberculosis programme in North Korea.

Notes:
Japan remains the largest holder of American government securities, at the end of May 2020 with an exposure of USD 1.260 trillion.
India has increased its holdings of American government securities purchased through the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), by nearly USD 13 billion to USD 169.9 billion at the end of May. In February, the country had a record high of USD 177.5 billion worth securities and have seen fluctuations throughout this year.

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 world’s first electrified rail tunnel fit to run double-stack containers is being constructed by the Indian Railways in Haryana.
Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd (DFCCIL) has recently conducted a tunnel-breaking ceremony on completion of caving work for the tunnel of Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) through Aravalli mountain range. One among the biggest railway tunnels, it connects Rewari and Dadri and itwill be completed within a year.

Notes:
State Bank of India (SBI) has provided a liquidity support of USD 16.20 million for local businesses in Maldives.
SBI has also deferred loan repayment for over 200 retail accounts. On the occasion of Independence Day of the Maldives on July 26, SBI’s Covid relief measures have been announced. India had earlier made an assistance of USD 400 million to Maldives through extended currency swap arrangement.

Notes:
Australian Minister for Immigration and Citizenship recently announced that out of the over 2,00,000 people who became Australian citizens in 2019-2020, around 38,000 were Indians.
They are the largest international community to be granted the Australian citizenship. This figure is also 60 per cent increase from the previous year. India is followed by the people of the UK, China and Pakistan.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet has recently approved the National Education Policy 2020. It has introduced several major reforms in higher education.
As per the policy, a target of 50 per cent Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) by 2035 has been fixed. It also provides academic, administrative and financial autonomy for institutions and proposes a single regulator for all higher education.