Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2020

Notes:
A scheme named SERB POWER (Promoting Opportunities for Women in Exploratory Research) has been launched by the Ministry of Science and Technology, designed exclusively to encourage Women Scientists to work in the field of science and technology.
The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India is implementing the scheme.

Notes:
BRICS Business Forum, which is an important annual event of the BRICS Business Council was hosted by Russia from October 20 to 28, 2020. President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Russia is the current Chairman of the BRICS Business Council.
BRICS Business Forum was held in via Video Conferencing under the title “BRICS Business Partnership: Common Vision for Sustainable Inclusive Development”.

Notes:
British Racing Driver Lewis Hamilton has recently won the Formula One Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix Tournament.
Mercedes officially clinched the 2020 constructors’ championship. Another Racing Driver Max Verstappen came second while Valtteri Bottas came at the third spot. Hamilton won his third straight race.

Notes:
TransUnion CIBIL in association with Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has launched the MSME Credit Health Index.
The index measures the growth and strength of the MSME sector in India. MSME Credit Health Index is built by TransUnion CIBIL using credit data furnished by lending institutions/ banks.

Notes:
A first of its kind in the country, a solar energy-driven miniature train has been inaugurated at the Veli Tourist Village in Thiruvananthapuram.
The miniature rail has all the features of a fully-equipped rail system like a tunnel, a station and a ticket office. The train has three compartments that can accommodate around 45 people at a time. This children attraction train was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan.

Notes:
As per the recent statement from the Earth Sciences Ministry, the Economic benefits from the use of weather forecasting services to farmers and fishermen since 2015 amounted to Rs 19,000 crore.
The Ministry cited a study it had commissioned from the research firm National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER). The Ministry also stated that this can record Rs 5000 crore, when extrapolated to the next five years.

Notes:
Saudi Arabia has recently announced a new plan to ease foreign workers’ contractual restrictions in the country. This would pave way to improvement of a sponsorship system known as Kafala, which is highly controversial.
The new plan is expected to take effect from March 2021 and would make Saudi Arabia more labour attractive.

Notes:
A number of welfare schemes for the refugee and the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) population have been announced by the state Government of West Bengal.
One among them is providing land pattas to refugee colonies. The state has decided to give a total 1,25,000 land pattas to the refugees, of which 25,000 pattas were given by the Chief Minister recently.

Notes:
The Naval Forces of Bangladesh and USA have launched ‘Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Bangladesh-2020’.
The naval training would be held in an inline manner due to the prevailing COVID pandemic, while the sea phase of the exercise would take place in Bay of Bengal. The events of the training are designed to enhance interoperability between the two navies.

Notes:
The Virtual Global Investor Roundtable (VGIR) is being organised by the Ministry of Finance and the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
Prime Minister will chair the Investor Roundtable conference, which will provide an opportunity to leading global investors and Indian business houses to discuss with policy makers.