Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2020

Notes:
The Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan has announced that Kerala Fibre Optic Network (K-FON) project would be launched by December 2020.
The objective of the Rs 1,500 crore scheme is to provide free internet access to the poor and at affordable rates to others. It is being implemented by Kerala State IT Infrastructure Limited and Kerala State Electricity Board. Using the KSEB posts, optical fibre cables are being laid across the state.

Notes:
The Tata Group has recently signed a partnership agreement with the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) of Thiruvananthapuram for commercial production of Covid-19 testing kits.
The kits to be produced are based on Reverse Transcriptase Loop-Mediated Amplification (RT-LAMP) technology for Covid-19 detection. The kits provide results in a lesser time against the conventional method. Earlier, Tata Sons had partnered with CSIR- Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology to produce CRISPR-based COVID test kits.

Notes:
Bobby Joe Morrow, veteran athlete from the United States, recently passed away at the age of 84. The sprinter had won three gold medals in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
Bobby Morrow won the 100 and 200 meters in Melbourne Olympics and was a crucial part of the winning 400 relay team of the US and helped the relay team set a world record. He was honoured as “Sportsman of the Year” by Sports Illustrated. He won the AAU’s James E. Sullivan Award and was also inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1989.

Notes:
The Union Government has launched a national programme for the youth, called “Responsible AI for Youth”. It has been developed by the Ministry of Electronics and IT in collaboration with Intel India, with support from Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSE&L). It aims to equip young students with new generation technology.
A dedicated portal for Artificial Intelligence, which will be a platform for all AI related developments in India, was also launched to mark the first anniversary of the second tenure of the government. It has been jointly developed by the Ministry of Electronics and IT and NASSCOM.

Notes:
Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal has recently launched ‘Delhi Corona’ app for real-time information on availability of hospital beds.
The dedicated application would display the availability of beds at both private and government hospitals in the city, available at any particular time. Moreover, the app will also provide redressal of complaints related to refusal of hospitals in admitting COVID-19 positive patients.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet recently amended the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 in view of helping farmers and transforming the agriculture sector.
With the amendment, commodities like cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onion and potatoes will be removed from list of essential commodities, thereby attracting private sector/foreign direct investment into agriculture sector. The cabinet also approved two ordinances to promote barrier-free inter-state and intra-state trade and commerce and give a level playing field with wholesalers and exporters.

Notes:
American private space company SpaceX has recently launched 60 new internet satellites into orbit using Falcon 9 rocket.
Only before some days, billionaire Elon Musk owned SpaceX has sent two NASA astronauts to International Space Station, thereby becoming the first private firm to send astronauts to space on Falcon-9 rocket. This is the 8th batch of satellites and the total number of Starlink constellation of satellites is 482, as of now.

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:
The International Day for the fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing is observed every year on June 5. The purpose of this day is to sensitise about the threats posed by unregulated fishing activities to the fisheries resources.
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared June 5 as the International Day for the fight against IUU fishing in November 2017. The first such day was celebrated in the year 2018. The Agreement on Port State Measures was brought into force on the same day.

Notes:
Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a state of emergency on Wednesday after 20,000 tonnes of diesel oil to spilled into the Ambarnaya river.
The 60-kilometre-long river is present in Norilsk, which is called as the nickel capital of Russia. The spill of the diesel oil has turned the surface of the river into crimson red colour. The oil is alleged to have come as a result of a fuel tank collapse at a power plant near the city.