Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2020

Notes:
The National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, has released the Provisional Estimates of National Income for the financial year 2019-20.
As per the data, the Indian economy grew by 4.2 percent in the year 2019-20, as compared to the 6.1 percent growth in 2018-19. This GDP growth rate is said to be the lowest in past 11 years. Also, during the January-March (final) quarter of the year 2019-20, the growth rate of GDP fell to 3.1%. The Per Capita Income (real) had a growth of 3.1 percent during 2019-20, as against 4.8 per cent in the previous year.

Notes:
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has nominated Indian cricket star Rohit Sharma for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.
Other stars including Ishant Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Deepti Yadav have been shortlisted by the BCCI for the Arjuna Award. The period of consideration for the awards is between January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2019. Rohit Sharma has been named the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year for 2019.

Notes:
As per the test report of the Animal Husbandry Department of the state of Uttarakhand, the quality of the state’s sheep wool compiled was similar to the Merino sheep wool.
The Merino sheep wool of Australia is famous across the world in the textile industry for its fine texture. India imports nearly 8000 MT of fine wool every year. Uttarakhand received 250 Merino sheep in Tehri Garhwal district under the national livestock scheme last year. With appropriate breeding programmes, Uttarakhand would produce high-quality fine Merino wool.

Notes:
As per the recent announcement from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the southwest monsoon arrived on time over the Kerala coast. The southwest monsoon usually occurs in the period of June-September.
IMD declares the start of the monsoon when 60% of the 14 meteorological stations in Kerala record 2.5mm of more rains for two consecutive days. The other two factors are the westerlies (winds) and the outgoing longwave radiation. IMD also revised the forecast for rains to 102% of long-period average.

Notes:
Apex Governing body of men and women’s hockey, Hockey India has recently nominated national women’s team captain Rani Rampal for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.
Rani Rampal is the first Indian to be named as the World Games Athlete of The Year. She played an important role in the FIH Olympic Qualifiers in 2019. Hockey India also nominated other players Vandana Kataria, Monika and Harmanpreet Singh for the Arjuna award.

Notes:
World Health Organisation has launched a new initiative called COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP), along with Costa Rica.
The pool was initially proposed in the month of March by the President of Costa Rica Carlos Alvarado. As of now, thirty countries and several global partners have joined the initiative. The pool seeks to make all vaccines, tests, treatments and other health technologies developed to fight COVID-19, accessible to all.

Notes:
The United Nations General Assembly had declared 3 June as World Bicycle Day. The Assembly acknowledged bicycle for its versatility and longevity and its usage for two centuries.
The UN encourage its stakeholders to encourage the use of bicycles as a means of promoting sustainable development and health. It also welcomes various initiatives to organise bicycle rides at the national and local levels and develop a culture of cycling in society.

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:
The state government of Andhra Pradesh has handed over a financial assistance of Rs 10,000 to help auto and taxi drivers affected due to the Covid-19 lockdown.
The assistance has been delivered under the YSR Vahana Mitra scheme, that was originally launched in the year 2019, to provide an annual allowance of Rs 10,000 to auto and taxi drivers to meet insurance premium, license fees and other recurring expenses. This allowance has been advanced by four months.

Notes:
The legislature of Hong Kong has recently approved a bill that makes it illegal to insult the Chinese national anthem.
In Hong Kong, the pro-democracy camp sees the anthem bill as an infringement of freedom of expression whereas the pro-Beijing majority said the law was necessary to show appropriate respect for the anthem. If one intentionally abuses the “March of the Volunteers” anthem, he might face up to three years in prison and a fine of up to 50,000 Hong Kong dollars.