Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2020

Notes:
Gurugram-headquartered Indian air carrier SpiceJet has recently aqui-hired Bengaluru-based airline technology company Travenues.
Trevenues is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the famous travel application ixigo. As per the pact, SpiceJet will absorb the travel technology team of the company and airline commerce platform. This will strengthen the e-Commerce exposure of SpiceJet.

Notes:
The Kakrapar Atomic Power Plant-3 in Gujarat has recently achieved criticality. This is an indigenously designed 700 MWe (megawatt electrical) reactor.
Achieving criticality means that it has reached normal operating condition of a reactor. It therefore indicates that the plant is ready to generate power. Prime Minister and Home Minister congratulated the nuclear scientists for this achievement.

Notes:
The United States has recently ordered China to close its consulate in Houston. This is a sequel of punitive measures against China including the travel bans, strict registration requirements among others.
The State Department said it ordered the consulate to shut down within 72 hours to protect American intellectual property and the private information of Americans. China has its embassy in Washington, its mission to the United Nations in New York, and consulates in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.

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:
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:
India and the European Union are set to renew the Agreement on Scientific cooperation for the next five years, 2020-2025.
This was announced at the virtual 15th India-EU Summit, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen led the EU. The mentioned Agreement was initially signed in 2001 and has been renewed two times in 2007 and 2015.

Notes:
India and Pakistan fought the Kargil War between May and July in the year 1999. India launched ‘Operation Vijay’ and cleared the posts in the Kargil sector that was occupied by the Pakistani soldiers on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC).
To commemorate its victory over Pakistan, India has been observing ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’ on July 26 every year, on the day the war ended. It resulted in 527 deaths in the Indian side. On the Vijay Diwas, India pays tributes to the soldiers who laid down their lives during the war.

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:
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.