Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
The state government of Andhra Pradesh has signed an MoU with the milk cooperative major AMUL (Anand Milk Union Limited).
The agreement aims to promote empowerment of women self-help groups and encourage milk cooperatives in government sector. It also provides exposure to world class infrastructure, technology and market access to the local groups.

Notes:
Human Resources and Development Ministry of India conducted the first ever Indian Scholastic Assessment (Ind-SAT) Test 2020 under its Study in India programme.
Based on the scores obtained in the Ind-SAT, foreign students for studying in select universities in India will be granted admissions and scholarships for under graduate as well as post graduate programmes. Over 5000 students attended the first exam conducted by the National Testing Agency.

Notes:
Turkmenistan became the 25th country with a status of an observer in the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The member-states of the WTO General Council unanimously adopted the resolution on granting the status of an observer in WTO to the Central Asian country. There are 164 WTO member-states at present and 25 countries possess the status of an observer including Turkmenistan.

Notes:
Veteran Dancer Amala Shankar has passed away recently in Kolkata at the age of 101. She is the wife of classical dancer Uday Shankar.
She entered the profession at a very younger age and her first dance performance was in Belgium in the year 1931. She was active in the dance field till her 92nd year. She had won several awards and accolades including the West Bengal government’s Banga Bibhusan award in 2011.

Notes:
World Hepatitis Day is commemorated each year on 28 July across the world, by the World Helath Organisation.
It is observed to enhance awareness of viral hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver that causes several health problems. This year, the theme of the ‘World Hepatitis Day’ 2020 is “Hepatitis-free future”. Among the five main streams, Hepatitis B and C are the most common cause of deaths.

Notes:
The United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson has launched a strategy to encourage the citizens to be physically fit.
A new evidence showed that obese people who are being infected by coronavirus are more likely to die or develop severe illness. Under the drive, Doctors prescribe cycling or running to patients. There will be ban on junk food advertisements and calorie warnings will be provided on food items.

Notes:
‘Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana’ is a scheme of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) for empowering the potters community.
Under the scheme, Training for advanced pottery products and Market linkages are provided through KVIC exhibitions. Recently, the Union Home Minister distributed 100 Electric Potter Wheels to trained artisans in Gandhinagar.

Notes:
The government has released guidelines for four schemes to boost domestic manufacturing of bulk drugs and medical devices.
Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers DV Sadananda Gowda launched and issued guidelines for the schemes, which aim to reduce imports in pharmaceutical raw materials like drug intermediates, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and medical devices.

Notes:
As per the latest United Nations policy brief on’COVID-19 in an Urban World’, the capital city of India New Delhi has witnessed a drop in levels of nitrogen dioxide by more than 70%, during lock-down.
The UN also highlighted that if the cities re-open without policies to prevent air pollution and promote de-carbonisation, this environmental gains could only be temporary. It also said that urban areas are the epicentre of the pandemic, with estimated 90 per cent of all reported cases.

Notes:
England fast-bowler Stuart Broad has recently become the seventh bowler in cricket history to clinch 500 wickets in Test matches.
The 34-year-old player has achieved this feat during the third and final Test against West Indies at the Old Trafford. He is the second English player to achieve this after James Anderson. Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka is the leading wicket-taker in Test cricket with 800 wickets.