Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
The ‘Vriksharopan Abhiyan’ is being organised by the Ministry of Coal. The programme involves all coal and lignite PSUs of the country to promote largescale plantation near mines, offices and other suitable residential areas.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to launch the campaign along with Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi. The event will take place through video conference to inaugurate planting in as many as 130 locations across 10 coal and lignite rich states.

Notes:
Pune-based Serum Institute of India announced that the company will start trials of the Covid-19 vaccine candidate developed by Oxford University-AstraZeneca.
The trials are to be carried out by the end of August on about 5,000 Indian volunteers after getting the necessary permissions. The company also hoped that the vaccine will be hopefully launched by June next year. To manufacture 300 million doses, the company is to spend USD 200 million.

Notes:
Young Indian Administrative officer Tina Dabi has been appointed honorary advisor to the steering committee for BRICS Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) Young Leaders.
The topper of the 2016 civil services examination has been appointed in the honorary role for the session 2020 to 2023. She is currently serving as sub-divisional officer (SDO) in the Bhilwara district of Rajasthan and was hailed for her outstanding efforts to contain Covid-19. Sahil Seth, Deputy Commissioner of Mumbai Customs has also been selected for the post.

Notes:
The Chief Minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal has unveiled three Special Surveillance Quadcopters and an Anti-degradation Quick Response Vehicle, for surveillance in forest areas.
These vehicles will be deployed to strengthen surveillance and reduce man-animal conflict by the Forest Department. The surveillance drone will be used to identify poaching in the national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and other reserve forests.

Notes:
According to the recently released United Nations World Wildlife Crime Report, India and Thailand supplied highest illegal tiger products in the world.
It also highlighted that the biggest destination of the tiger parts was China, followed by Thailand and Vietnam. The most valuable body part of the tigers is their bones which are used to treat bone and ligament injuries in humans.

Notes:
The Central Reserve Police Force has recently celebrated its 82nd Raising Day on July 27. The Prime Minister and Home Minister greeted its personnel.
The CRPF came into existence as Crown Representative’s Police on July 27, 1939. After the enactment of the CRPF Act on December 28, 1949, it became the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). It aims to secure the internal security of the country.

Notes:
As per the latest report released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), about 403 infrastructure projects are hit by cost overruns of Rs 4.05 lakh crore.
Due to delays and other reasons, the projects each worth Rs 150 crore or more have been affected by overruns. MoSPI monitors infrastructure projects worth Rs 150 crore and above. Out of the 1686 projects, while 403 ones reported cost overruns and 530 projects reported time escalation.

Notes:
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has recently attended the 5th Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
A roundtable discussion was conducted on the theme ‘AIIB 2030-Supporting Asia’s Development over the Next Decade’. The bank had earlier provided a financial assistance of about USD 10 billion to combat Covid-19.

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:
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.