Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
Union Bank of India that was amalgamated with Corporation Bank and Andhra Bank, has announced a corporate agency agreement with the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).
Under the agreement, the bank will market various LIC products including term insurance, pension and endowment schemes among others, to its account-holders.

Notes:
The Director General of the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Arun Kumar, has been nominated to be the Vice-Chairman of the Security Platform of International Union of Railways (UIC).
The Paris-based union also called as Union Internationale Des Chemins, is a global platform for railway systems for improving inter-operability and developing common standards. India has been working closely with the UIC in several initiatives. After the two-year tenure of vice-chairmanship, the DG will hold the chairmanship for the next two years.

Notes:
Grand Renaissance Dam is a Hydroelectric power plant being constructed in Ethiopia since 2011. The dam formerly known as the Millennium Dam, is in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, on the Blue Nile river of Ethiopia.
The construction has been in conflict as Sudan and Egypt fear that the hydroelectric dam could lead to water shortage in their countries. But Ethiopia insists that the it needs the USD 4 billion dam to generate electricity for its people. Recently, the three countries have accepted to resume talks on the dam.

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:
Department of Science and Technology has launched a 15-crore fund to support India-Russia Joint Technology Assessment and Accelerated Commercialization Programme.
The fund has been launched in partnership with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises (FASIE) of Russia. Start-ups from India and Russia will work together for technology development and cross-country technology adaptation. FICCI will implement the program in India.

Notes:
Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar has virtually inaugurated a world-class Honey Testing Laboratory.
The state of Art laboratory has been established by National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) with support of National Bee Board (NBB), in Anand, Gujarat. Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers’ Welfare has approved the National Bee Keeping and Honey Mission (NBHM) for a period of 2 years.

Notes:
The Union Government has issued a certificate of Geographical Indication (GI) registration for Saffron grown in the Union Territory of Jammu &Kashmir.
The GI tag would ensure better remunerative price to the farmers growing Saffron in Kashmir Valley. This would also increase export of the unique Kashmir saffron and curb the fake products being sold. The UT is also inaugurating a Spice Park next month.

Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India has released the ‘Report of the Committee for Analysis of QR (Quick Response) Code’.
The Committee was constituted by RBI in December 2019 under the Chairmanship of Prof. D.B. Phatak, to review the present system of QR Codes in India in digital payments. The report asked the Government to provide incentive schemes to popularise QR code transactions among consumers. It also recommended phasing out proprietary and closed loop QR codes.

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:
One of the oldest flying clubs in India, the Bombay Flying Club has become the first drone training school approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
DGCA has approved the application of the club for conducting remote pilot training for remotely piloted aircraft systems. All drones should be registered with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and should receive Drone acknowledgement numbers (DANs).