Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2020

Notes:
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has received a patent for its Liquid Cooling and Heating Garment (LCHG).
The special garment is made up of bio-compatible fabrics and a system for circulating temperature controlling fluid into and out of the garments. This would provide a comfortable temperature to the astronauts wearing it in space. The garments can also be used in other military applications, fire-fighting and in extreme environments in industrial areas.

Notes:
Veteran Social worker Vidyaben Shah passed away recently at the age of 98, at her residence in Delhi.
She was regarded as the pioneer in the field of child welfare, as she established the first Bal Bhavan in Rajkot during 1940s. She also served as the president of the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW). She was awarded the Padma Shri in 1992 and received the National Award for outstanding services in the field of child welfare in 1986.

Notes:
The Department of Economic Affairs, Finance Ministry has recently announced that there is no objection to the proposal of contributions from individuals or institutions towards the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
The proposal has been accepted based on the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The NDRF was constituted under the same act and it supplements SDRF of a state, when adequate funds are not available in SDRF in case of a severe disaster. The central government may constitute a fund to be called the NDRF for meeting any severe disaster.

Notes:
Union Minister of Human Resource Development, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has recently launched an initiative named ‘YUKTI 2.0’.
YUKTI stands for ‘Young India combating COVID with Knowledge, Technology and Innovation’. Earlier, the Minister launched the YUKTI portal on April 11, 2020. The 2.0 portal will serve as an online depository for innovative ideas and help students, teachers and researchers in higher educational institutions.

Notes:
The National Statistical Office (NSO) has recently announced that India has retained its position as the third-largest economy after China and the US in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) for 2017.
The government quoted the World Bank data and said that India accounted for 6.7 per cent (USD 8,051 billion out of the total of USD 119,547 billion) of global GDP in terms of PPP. India is also third-largest economy in terms of its PPP-based share in global actual individual consumption and global gross capital formation.

Notes:
As per the India Ratings and Research, India’s economy is estimated to contract by 5.3 per cent this fiscal year.
As per Ind-Ra, this is the lowest GDP growth in the Indian history and the sixth instance of economic contraction. It also revealed that though some activities have started now, tourism and hospitality sectors will not allow the economic activity to return to normalcy throughout FY21 due to the disruptions caused by Covid-19 pandemic.

Notes:
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, who is also the Chairman of Indian Red Cross Society, launched the ‘eBloodServices’ mobile application through a video conference.
The application of Indian Red Cross Society has been developed by the E-Raktkosh team launched under the Digital India scheme. Through this app, up to four units of blood can be requested. The E-Raktkosh dashboard is used to display the requisite units and it also ensures assured delivery within the specified time.

Notes:
The United Nations has launched the “Alliance for Poverty Eradication”. India has recently become a founding member of the Alliance.
The President of the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly Tijjani Muhammad-Bande announced the alliance in an informal meeting. He will formally launch the ‘Alliance for Poverty Eradication’ on June 30, which aims to provide a platform for member states to boost global economy after the effects of COVID-19 pandemic.

Notes:
The Union Health Ministry has released a revised version of “Clinical Management Protocol: COVID-19”.
This document is published to be used as a reference by health professionals. The Ministry has added the use of dexamethasone for patients in need of oxygen support. The drug can also be used for those who have excessive inflammatory response. ‘WHO’ also called for a rapid increase in production of Dexamethasone.

Notes:
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is a United Nations office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention, headquartered at Vienna, Austria.
According to the latest UNODC World Drug Report, about 26.9 crore people used drugs in 2018, which was 30% more than the 2009 count. The largest share of drug users comprised of adolescents and young adults. Overall opioid users in India is estimated to have increased five times, as compared to those in 2004.