Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
India and Russia are set to sign a Defence logistics sharing pact by the end of this year. Under the pact, both the countries can have seamless access to each other’s military bases and support facilities.
An annual summit is expected to be held for signing this agreement. As Russia continues to be a leading arms supplier to India, this agreement will enhance more interoperability and support to military platforms like warships and aircraft.

Notes:
Social media Giant WhatsApp announced that it is set to partner with banks to expand banking services in India.
India is the biggest market of WhatsApp with over 400 million users. The messaging platform has already collaborated with banks including ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank for automated business messaging. This partnership would help expand banking services for low-income people and in rural areas.

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:
Technology giant Microsoft has partnered with the National Basketball Association (NBA) to set virtual fans in the game stands.
Microsoft will use its newly launched Teams app and 17-foot-tall LED screens to put around 300 virtual fans in the stands of each game. Fans can login the Teams app and use the “Together mode”, which simulates a group of people sitting in a room.

Notes:
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently launched a new initiative named ‘COVID-19 Law Lab’, to ensure that laws are adhered to protect health and wellbeing of individuals and communities.
It is a joint project of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), WHO, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University.

Notes:
The United States has announced that it has relaxed standards for exporting drones that fly at below 800 km per hour to its friendly countries.
This step has been taken to increase the national security of the United States by improving the capacities of its partners. The exposure of drone market to the US industry will also improve its economic security. However, higher-speed systems such as cruise missiles and advanced unmanned combat aerial vehicles are not affected by this revision.

Notes:
Australia has recently filed a formal declaration statement to the United Nations to reject the claims of China in the South China Sea.
Australia has claimed that there were no legal issues to the disputed claims of China in the sea, including those related to construction of artificial islands on shoals and reefs. Earlier, the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared China’s claims of territory and resources in the South China Sea as illegal.

Notes:
Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh has topped the list of aspirational districts ranked by Niti Aayog for the February-June 2020 period.
Ri-Bhoi district in Meghalaya and Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh have been placed at the second and third positions respectively. This delta ranking considers incremental progress made by over 112 aspirational districts across six developmental areas including Health and nutrition, education, agriculture and water resources, financial inclusion, skill development and basic infrastructure.

Notes:
World Nature Conservation Day is celebrated every year on July 28, to create and increase awareness about the importance of natural resources.
The day encourages people to protect Earth’s natural resources and lead a sustainable life style. It also educates people to use the resources judiciously without exploiting the nature Earth. Ministry of Culture has said that Worshipping Nature is a part of Indian culture.

Notes:
The Chairman of Tata Sons N Chandra Sekaran announced that Thierry Bollore would be appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tata’s British luxury arm Jaguar Land Rover (JLR).
Thierry Bollore, who was previously working with the Renault, will assume office with effective from September 10. He is to succeed Professor Sir Ralf Speth, who would take up the position of Non-Executive Vice Chairman of Jaguar Land Rover.