Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2020

Notes:
Pune-based Defence Institute of Advanced Technology in Pune has developed a nano-technology based disinfectant spray named ‘ANANYA’ to combat Covid-19.
The formulation is effective in disinfecting all types of surfaces, including masks, PPEs, hospital linens, medical instruments. It can also be used to disinfect common places like elevator buttons and door knobs. The material has been developed by synthesising silver nanoparticles and a commercially available drug, Ampicillin. Commercial production is to be commenced soon.

Notes:
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has submitted a mid-term report to the United Nations on the human rights situation in the country.
This is the first time NHRC is submitting the report mid time, in which is highlighted the policies of the government on climate change, rights of women, children, disabled and the elderly. NHRC also informed that the Government of India is actively considering the proposal of a Universal Basic income (UBI).

Notes:
The Chief minister of Himachal Pradesh Jai Ram Thakur has recently launched a new scheme called ‘Panchvati Yojna’.
Under the scheme, that is being implemented by the rural development department, parks and gardens would be developed for senior citizens of rural areas in the state. The main aim of the scheme is provide an opportunity to the elder people to spend their leisure time in a clean environment with Ayurvedic and medicinal plants.

Notes:
The Union Government has recently constituted an Empowered Group of Secretaries to facilitate investment in the country.
The committee, which is to be headed by the Cabinet Secretary, will identify potential investors and help in accelerating investment in key sectors of the economy. The committee will also recommend specific incentive packages for both domestic and foreign investors. The 7-member empowered group has CEO of NITI Aayog along with secretaries of DPIIT, Commerce, Revenue and Economic Affairs as its members.

Notes:
The Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray and Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan launched an Integrated Flood Warning System called ‘IFLOWS-Mumbai’.
The warning system has been jointly developed by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). It would relay alerts of possible flood-prone areas at 6 to 72 hours in advance. After Chennai, Mumbai is only the second city to get such system.

Notes:
The Union Defence Ministry has recently extended the delivery period for all existing capital acquisition contracts with Indian vendors by four months.
As per the Defence Minster, ‘force majeure shall be applicable for a period of four months i.e. 25th March 2020 to 24th July 2020’. A force majeure refers to unexpected circumstances that prevent someone from fulfilling a contract. This step has been taken because of supply chain crisis caused by COVID-19 pandemic.

Notes:
India’s foreign exchange reserves crossed the half-a-trillion mark for the first time in the week ended June 5.
As per the recent data from the Reserve Bank of India, the forex reserves increased by $8.22 billion the week, which made the overall reserves cross the USD 500 billion mark to reach USD 501.70 billion. A huge rise in the Foreign Current Assets (FCA) is the main reason for the rise in reserves. The reserves stood at USD 493.48 billion in the previous week.

Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constituted an internal working group to review the guidelines on ownership and corporate structure of private sector banks.
The working group will be headed by PK Mohanty, an Executive Director at RBI. The group will examine the licensing guidelines of banking and regulations on ownership of private sector banks. It will also review the regulations on holding of financial subsidiaries through a non-operative financial holding company.

Notes:
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) jointly released a report titled ‘COVID-19 and Child labour: A Time of Crisis, A Time to Act’.
The report highlights that millions of children are in the risk of being pushed into child labour as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. The report also warned that the decrease in child labour by 94 million since 2000 is now at risk. Due to the reduction in family income amid Covid-19 crisis, many more children will get into Child labour.

Notes:
The Chief Minister of Punjab Captain Amarinder Singh has launched a mobile based application named ‘Ghar Ghar Nigrani’.
The app aims to undertake house to house surveillance in the state till eliminating the pandemic. This new initiative is to be implemented by the Health Department of the state with the help of ASHA workers/Community Volunteers. It will ensure early detection and testing of the people for Covid-19, thereby preventing community spread.