Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2020

Notes:
As per the data from the Controller General of Accounts (CGA), India’s fiscal deficit was 4.59% of gross domestic product (GDP) for the year 2019-20. Fiscal Deficit is the gap between the government’s revenue and expenditure
The government’s revised target for its fiscal deficit was 3.8%, and the real deficit has exceeded it. However, the budget estimate was 3.5% of GDP. The Union Finance Minister invoked the escape clause in the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act to peg the deficit 0.5% higher than the Budget estimate.

Notes:
The Banks Board Bureau (BBB) has recently recommended the appointment for the top-level position of three public sector banks.
The BBB recommended the appointment of Ashwani Bhatia as the next Managing Director of State Bank of India. Ashwani Bhatia is currently the Deputy Managing Director in SBI. The Board also recommended the appointment of Matam Venkat Rao as the MD & CEO of Central Bank of India and PP Sengupta as the MD & CEO of Indian Overseas Bank.

Notes:
The large group of asteroids that share the Jupiter’s orbit around the Sun are commonly called as Trojan asteroids or Jupiter Trojans. The trojans follow the same orbit of planet but stay either around 60 degrees ahead or 60 degrees behind along the orbit.
Recently, a team of astronomers from the University of Hawaii and Queen’s University Belfast have found that 2019 LD2 is the first known Jupiter trojan asteroid to have a comet-like tail. It was first discovered in June 2019 by the ATLAS system funded by NASA. But it could not be observed then, as it passed behind the sun.

Notes:
Veteran politician and former Union Minister P Namgyal recently passed away at the age of 83, after contracting Covid-19.
He was also 3-time Member of Parliament from Ladakh representing the Congress Party. He had served as Minister of state for Parliamentary Affairs, Surface Transport and Chemicals & Petro chemicals. The Senior leader played a crucial role in obtaining ‘Tribal area’ status for Ladakh.

Notes:
The Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) is an attached office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Based on the recommendation of CACP, the Union Cabinet fixes the minimum support price (MSP).
Recently, the government raised the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy marginally by Rs 53 per quintal to Rs 1,868 per quintal for the 2020-21 crop year. It also hiked the rates for oilseeds, pulses cereals and commercial crops. This is expected to give 50-83 per cent higher return over the cost of production to farmers.

Notes:
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently had a discussion with the French Minister of Armed Forces Florence Parly.
The Minister later announced that France has assured timely delivery of the Rafale fighter aircraft, made by Dassault Aviation company, despite challenges arising out of COVID-19 pandemic. The leaders agreed to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation between India and France and discussed matters of mutual concern regarding COVID-19 and regional security.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers recently fixed the minimum percentage of local content in public procurement of 55 chemical and pesticide products.
This step is a part of the government’s effort to boost domestic manufacturing and the Make-in-India programme. As per the new norm, the minimum local content has been fixed at 60 per cent for 2020-21, 70 per cent for 2021-23 and 80 per cent during 2023-25. Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) had revised the Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order, 2017 for implementing this norm.

Notes:
Seasoned banker and Managing director and CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank, Uday Kotak has recently assumed office as the president of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for 2020-21.
As per the chamber, Uday Kotak takes over from the present Chairman and Managing Director of Kirloskar Systems, Vikram Kirloskar. The MD and CEO of Tata Steel, T V Narendran is now the President designate of CII for 2020-21.

Notes:
Bollywood Actor Akshay Kumar is the only Indian to feature on Forbes 2020 list of World’s Highest-Paid Celebrities at rank 52 and earnings of 48.5 million dollars.
The first spot was bagged by American media person and businesswoman Kylie Jenner, famous for her Kylie Cosmetics. She is followed by US based musician Kanye West with an estimated USD170 million earnings. Ace Tennis player Roger Federer is placed at the third place, followed by Football stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Notes:
Skeletal remains of an animal have been recently unearthed at Manalur near Madurai, under the sixth phase of excavation work at Keeladi site, undertaken by the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA).
The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K Palaniswami had started the 6th phase of excavation work in February at Keeladi, Kondagai, Agaram and Manalur near Madurai. During the excavation, a variety of materials including weaving, animal husbandry and water management were recovered. The materials were found to be belonging to the 5th century of the Tamil culture.