Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2020

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 fossil of Stegodon, a variety of the elephant, was recently discovered near Saharanpur in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
Stegodon is an extinct type of elephant with unique tusks and molars, that was found at an early age in Asia and Africa. The fossil found is claimed to be five to eight million years old and from the Dhok Pathan formation of Siwalik range. More researches are to be carried out in the vicinity of the place.

Notes:
BMW India, the Indian arm of the Luxury car maker BMW Group has recently named Vikram Pawah as its President.
He is to continue to serve in his present role as Chief Executive Officer of BMW Group Australia and New Zealand. The previous President and Chief Executive Officer Rudratej Singh suddenly passed away in the month of April. Pawah has been engaged with the BMW Group from the year 2017.

Notes:
Plantation of Kharif, or summer-sown crops has raised 40% year-on-year, supported by the strong start of the monsoon season.
The increase in planting has been led by oilseeds particularly groundnut, which has been sown in a large area of Gujarat. Total oilseeds area is about eight times more than that of last year. Total area under cultivation has also increased to 13.13 million hectares, from 9.42 million hectares a year ago.

Notes:
The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and its international members celebrate World Hydrography Day every year on June 21.
The day highlights the importance of hydrography and its relevance in the modern world. This year, the theme of the World Hydrography Day is “Hydrography enabling autonomous technologies”. The autonomous technologies include aerial, surface and underwater survey drones as well as autonomous ships.

Notes:
The Uttar Pradesh Government has started using rail coaches as isolation units for COVID-19 suspected patients.
COVID coaches are deployed at Mau junction in Varanasi in the state of Uttar Pradesh, in a first in the country. Indian Railways is ready to offer as many as 5,231 isolation coaches to the states and the respective zonal railways have converted the coaches as quarantine facilities. After Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh have also been using rail coaches.

Notes:
The United States President Donald Trump has recently suspended H-1B, H-2B, J, L and other temporary work permits.
The suspension will be effective till December 31, as per the recent announcement from the White House. The President announced that the entry of additional workers through these temporary Visa programs presents a threat to employment opportunities for Americans affected by the economic damages caused by COVID-19 pandemic.

Notes:
Information Technology firm Intuit India was placed in the top spot in the list of India’s Best Companies to Work for – 2020.
The list is released by Great Place to Work Institute, a global research, consulting firm that helps organisations identify great workplaces. Intuit India is followed by DHL Express (India) and Ujjivan Small Finance Bank. Harrisons Malayalam Ltd SBU-B, the first plantation company and Kerala’s first company to feature in the Top 5 list, bagged 4th place.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet has recently approved a six-month extension to the commission appointed to examine sub-categorisation of Other Backward Classes.
The Commission is headed by retired Delhi High Court Chief Justice G. Rohini. As per the extension, the commission will submit its report by January 31, 2021. The commission had been formed initially in October 2017. It was looking into the issues of communities that were not getting the benefits of reservation.

Notes:
As per the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, India is the first country in the world which is controlling Desert Locust through Drones.
Under Make in India initiative, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers’ Welfare (DAC&FW), Agriculture Ministry has indigenously developed a vehicle mounted Ultra-low volume (ULV) sprayer for locust control. After Ministry of Civil Aviation approved conditional exemption for Drone operations for locust control, trials were conducted in Jaipur (Rajasthan) and Shivpuri (Madhya Pradesh).