Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
Gurugram-based Indian air carrier SpiceJet has been designated as Indian scheduled carrier to operate between India and the United States.
SpiceJet is the first air-carrier to operate to the US after Air India. This approval has been given in terms of the Air Services Agreement between the Government of India and the Government of the United States of America. It has also been selected to operate to the United Kingdom.

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:
1987 batch Bihar cadre IAS officer Rajesh Bhushan has been appointed as the new Health secretary, after July 31 this year.
As per the recent Personnel Ministry order, Rajesh Bhushan, the Officer on Special Duty in the Department of Health and Family Welfare will succeed the present Secretary Preeti Sudan. Sushil Kumar has been appointed secretary of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes. Ram Kumar Mishra has been named Women and Child Development secretary.

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 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:
The Sree Sree JoyKali Matar temple, one of the oldest temples in Bangladesh, has been reconstructed with the Indian assistance of Taka 97 lakh.
The High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das has inaugurated the reconstructed temple at Natore. The MoU for the process was signed in the year 2016. The Indian assistance was given under its High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP). Several other community projects are also being carried out under this fund.

Notes:
Australia’s consumer regulator, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has accused Google of privacy breaches.
It has alleged that Google has misled millions of Australians in collecting their personal information. To target advertising, Google is alleged to have obtained consent and expanded the scope of personal information collected on internet activity of the users.

Notes:
Indian climate activist Archana Soreng has been named by the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to his new advisory group.
The new advisory group comprises of young leaders, aged between 18 and 28 years, who will provide solutions and opinions on tackling the problems of climate crisis. Archana Soreng is a student of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) is to join six other young climate leaders from around the world.

Notes:
India is collaborating with the United Kingdom for five new projects worth eight million pounds, to tackle anti-microbial resistance (AMR).
All the five projects are planned for September this year, after they receive clearances. The United Kingdom is to contribute four million pounds from the UK Research and Innovation Fund for the partnership. The UK has also partnered with India’s Serum Institute to manufacture the vaccine for COVID-19.

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.