Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
Major Global companies including Microsoft, Nike, Starbucks, Unilever and Mercedes-Benz among others are collaborating to form a new consortium.
The group named ‘Transform to Net Zero’ pledges to share resources and strategies for curbing carbon emissions. It has planned to work with the non-profit Environmental Defense Fund for implementing this programme.

Notes:
National Payments Corporation of India (NCPI) has recently added the ‘UPI Autopay’ feature in its Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
This solution has been launched during the virtual event of Global Fintech Fest. The e-mandate can be used in recurring payments and for multiple payment scenarios including booking train tickets, paying DTH subscriptions among others.

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:
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom has launched a new ‘Jet Zero Council’, to tackle aviation emissions in the country.
The council was launched to mark the Prime Minister’s completion of 1 year in his office, as a part of the 350-million-pound plan to fight climate change. The council will bring together the Government, environment sector and aviation industry experts to develop the zero-emission long-haul passenger plane. UK has a target of becoming net zero by 2050.

Notes:
South Korea has successfully launched its first military communications satellite named ‘ANASIS-II’, becoming the 10th country in the world to own a military-only communications satellite.
Elon Musk owned private space agency Space X has launched the satellite into space from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in the US. The satellite was built by Airbus Space and Defense and was carried by Falcon-9 rocket of SpaceX.

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 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:
E-commerce major Flipkart has launched a hyper-local delivery service called Flipkart Quick that aims to deliver products in 90 minutes.
The company also expands its services to sell perishable goods, including fruits, vegetables, and milk among others. Flipkart is to begin the services in Bengaluru initially and will expand them throughout the country. Earlier, it had launched Flipkart Wholesale ecosystem.

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.