Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2020

Notes:
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has become the first construction sector organisation to go fully digital.
NHAI has launched ‘Data Lake and Project Management Software’, a cloud-based and artificial intelligence-powered big data analytics platform. With this launch, the entire project workflow of NHAI has been transformed to that based on online portal. The system will also predict the financial impacts of different alternatives.

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 first population estimation exercise of the Indian gaur carried out in the Nilgiris Forest Division in recent years.
As per the exercise, that was conducted in February, more than an estimated 2,000 Indian gaurs are present in the entire division. However, majority of animals were in the conflict-prone areas close to human habitations. Among the 2000 gaurs, about 794 gaurs were directly sighted over a one-week period.

Notes:
Leading private bank ICICI Bank has launched an overdraft (OD) facility named ‘Insta FlexiCash’, for its salaried account customers who are facing a cash crunch.
The specified customers can initiate this facility by applying online using the bank’s Internet banking platform and can avail short-term instant credit within 48 hours. The product has been launched to help the bank’s Salary Account customers from missing their Equated Monthly Instalments (EMIs) or cheque bounces due to insufficient funds.

Notes:
Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment implements the ‘Assistance to Disabled persons for purchasing / fitting of aids / appliances’ (ADIP) scheme through its Public sector enterprise, Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO).
Recently, a virtual ADIP Camp for free distribution of assistive aids and devices at Block level for Divyangjans under the ADIP scheme was organized at Firozpur District in Punjab. This is the first camp being organized by the ALIMCO after opening of lockdown with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).

Notes:
India has recently joined the Global Partnership for Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) as its founding member, along with USA, UK, EU, Australia among others.
Union minister for Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad announced that this multi-stakeholder international partnership will promote responsible human centric development and use of Artificial Intelligence. India has recently launched the National AI Strategy and also launched its dedicated National AI Portal.

Notes:
“World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought” is celebrated on June 17, every year across the world.
UN General Assembly declared June 17 as the specified World Day, to promote public awareness of the issues of Desertification and Drought. This year, the theme is “Food.Feed.Fibre: Sustainable production and consumption.” The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification leads the observance.

Notes:
Union Ministry of Earth Sciences has recently released a report titled ‘Assessment of Climate Change over the Indian Region’.
As per the first edition of the report released this year, the average surface air temperatures over India could rise by up to 4.4 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, in a worst-case scenario. This estimate is provided as compared to the period between 1976 and 2005. The report also revealed that under an intermediate scenario, the country’s average temperature could rise by up to 2.4°C.

Notes:
In a violent conflict that took place in the Galwan Valley located in the Union Territory of Ladakh, as many as 20 Indian soldiers were killed.
As per the statement of the Indian Army, the two sides disengaged from the area where the fight happened. The US media reported that its intelligent officials quoted about 35 Chinese troops have been killed. The infrastructure projects that India has undertaken recently, a strategic road through the Galwan Valley, connecting the region to an airstrip, has escalated the conflict.

Notes:
Sustainable Gastronomy Day is celebrated every year across the world on June 18, by the United Nations and its member countries.
Sustainable Gastronomy means cuisine that considers the place where food is grown, how it is grown and how it gets into markets. UNESCO, FAO and the UN General Assembly work to facilitate the observance of Sustainable Gastronomy Day, in collaboration with Member States and other international bodies.