Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2020

Notes:
The Union Sports Ministry is set to establish Khelo India State Centres of Excellence (KISCE) under the flagship Khelo India Scheme.
One KISCE will be identified in each state and union territory, to create a strong sporting ecosystem in the country. In the first phase, the Ministry has identified the sports facilities in eight states out of the 15 proposals, to be converted to KISCEs. The eight centres will be given a grant and the government will extend a Viability Gap Funding, for upgradation.

Notes:
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi launched the auction process for 41 coal blocks for commercial mining, to open coal sector of India to private players.
The Ministry of Coal in association with FICCI launched the process of auction under the provisions of Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act and Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act. The auction is expected to invite Rs 33,000 crore of capital investment in the country over next five to seven years.

Notes:
Indian Railways Central Railway zone has installed an automated ticket kiosk called ATMA – Automated Ticket Checking & Managing Access machine.
The innovative machine has been introduced at the Nagpur railway station, under the New, Innovative Non-Fare Revenue Ideas Scheme (NINFRIS) policy to prevent transmission of COVID-19. The system has features for automated boarding protocol by ticket checking, human body temperature checking, and face mask checking.

Notes:
Technology major Facebook has recently acquired Swedish mapping technology company Mapillary, as per official sources.
Mapillary crowd-sources the images, collects pictures contributed from smart phones and other types of cameras. It then uses computer vision technology to stack them together into a real-time 3-D map. This technology is expected to support Facebook products under development like augmented reality glasses and virtual reality headsets.

Notes:
Veteran economist and retired IAS officer BPR Vithal Baru passed away recently, at the age of 93, due to age-related ailments.
Vithal Baru had served in several important assignments including Secretary Finance and Planning in the state of Andhra Pradesh from 1972 to 1982 and Member of 10th Finance Commission. He had also been the Chairman of Expenditure Commission, Kerala. He also established the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS), Hyderabad.

Notes:
Recently, a team of astronomers at NASA and European Space Agency ESA have discovered a neutron star called ‘Swift J1818.0-1607’.
The neutron star has been estimated to be about 240 years old. It was first discovered in March 2020, when it released a massive burst of X-rays. Neutron stars are the smallest and densest stars. According to NASA, Swift J1818.0-1607 contains twice the mass of our Sun in a volume of more than one trillion times smaller.

Notes:
The State Department of Archaeology Team of the Kodumanal excavation has identified 250 cairn-circles at the village in Erode district of Tamil Nadu.
The team has recently found around 10 pots and bowls, instead of the usual 3-4 pots, placed outside three-chambered burial cists. It is expected to be of the head of the community. Pots filled with grains were placed outside the chambers as it was believed that the deceased will get a new life after death. This has revealed about the burial rituals and the belief of afterlife in megalithic culture.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Corporate affairs (MCA) has proposed to decriminalise some compoundable offences under the Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Act.
In the draft proposal, the Ministry has listed as many as 20 sections of the LLP Act and sought public comments and stakeholder consultations. It includes change of designated partners, maintaining books of accounts etc. Certain minor, procedural or technical violations which does not involve any harm to public interest are to be decriminalized.

Notes:
The Rajya Sabha consists of not more 238 members representing the States and Union Territories, and 12 members nominated by the President. Each member is elected for a term of six years.
In the recent elections to 19 seats in 10 states, BJP won eight and Congress won four seats. The current strength of Rajya Sabha goes up to 244, of which BJP has 86 members and the National Democratic Alliance NDA’s tally is expected to cross 100. The Congress has 41 members while others have 27.

Notes:
Under the recently signed agreement, France committed to provide 200 million euros to India, to support the country’s response to tackle COVID-19.
The programme design has been developed by the World Bank in collaboration with the Indian authorities. It seeks to fast track the existing social protection measures of the Indian Government including the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana. The programme will provide assistance to low-income families and protect essential frontline workers.