Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2020

Notes:
The QS World University Rankings has been released by global higher education consultancy QS Quacquarelli Symonds.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) topped the list for the ninth consecutive year, followed by Stanford University and Harvard University all being American. Only three Indian institutions namely IIT-Bombay (172nd), IISc Bangalore (185th) and IIT Delhi (193rd) feature among the top 200 in the list, with none in the top-100.

Notes:
India’s leading SUV and farm vehicle maker, Mahindra and Mahindra announced that it is set to exit from its US-based e- bike company GenZe.
As the firm suffered a substantial loss in the March quarter due to losses at foreign subsidiaries, it is also set to give up control of its Korean subsidiary SsangYong. The company said that it will stop investments in the loss-making SsangYong firm. Mahindra and Mahindra is also relooking all its ventures to reduce expenses.

Notes:
The United States President Donald Trump has issued an executive order authorising sanctions against individuals involved in an International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo can block assets in the U.S. of ICC employees involved in the probe and also block their entry into the U.S. The investigation was held to find whether the U.S. forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan. While Afghanistan is a member of ICC, U.S. is not a member.

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:
The Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has launched J&K Poultry Policy, 2020, to promote establishment of poultry units.
It has also announced a dedicated allocation of Rs. 50 crore per annum as subsidy, for establishing of broiler/layer farms and other poultry allied activities. The UT is spending about 900 crores spent on importing poultry and its products from outside. Capital investment incentive for access to credit and interest incentive are also provided to commercial poultry farms.

Notes:
The lower house of Nepal parliament, Pratinidhi Sabha passed bill to include India’s territories of Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand in its new map.
Nepal’s upper house of parliament has also endorsed proposal to update its political map that includes the Indian territories. However, India has claimed that the updated map is not based on historical facts and evidence and that the move is violative of the current understanding to hold talks on outstanding boundary issues.

Notes:
The World Blood Donor Day is celebrated on June 14, every year across the world. The day is celebrated to raise awareness about the need for safe blood and blood products.
On this day, general public and other institutions thank blood donors. The theme of ‘World Blood Donor day 2020’ is – Safe blood saves lives. In the year 2005, the World Health Assembly designated this date to thank blood donors and encourage more people to donate blood. It also calls governments to provide resources for blood collection.

Notes:
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that a commission to look at racial equality in the UK will be established.
The proposed body would look at all forms of inequality in employment, health outcomes, academics, criminal justice system and all aspects of life. This announcement has been given after protests have been undertaken after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Notes:
The Aquatic Quarantine Facility (AQF), a premier institution of Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture, MPEDA, Ministry of Commerce & Industry (RGCA-MPEDA), has received 3,600 numbers of L. vannamei (White-leg shrimp) brood stock imported by India’s shrimp hatchery operators from Hawaii.
The brood-stock were successfully quarantined for five days and handed over to the hatchery operators with 97.12 per cent survival. This has been achieved for the first time since the inception of the Aquatic Quarantine Facility.

Notes:
Two Indian firms namely ZestMoney and Stellapps feature in the new list of Tech Pioneers released by the World Economic Forum (WEF).
The 100 firms selected as pioneers will be invited to participate at World Economic Forum workshops, events and high-level discussions. Zestmoney offers affordable credit as an alternate to traditional way of finance. Stellapps, is a farm-to-consumer dairy technology solutions company.