Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2020

Notes:
India has recently signed reached landmark agreements on financial services, infrastructure and sustainable finance.
These were signed at the 10th Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) between the UK and India. It was jointly chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak. This is expected to boost jobs and investments in both countries.

Notes:
The Government of India has notified that that no leather footwear can be produced, sold, traded, imported or even stocked, unless they bear the BIS mark.
The notification has been issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). This move is aimed to contain import of cheaper leather products in India.

Notes:
The Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal has launched a mobile application named ‘Green Delhi’. Using the application, the residents of Delhi can bring pollution causing activities to the government’s notice.
The application has been designed to identify the location of pollution source and the complaint will be automatically forwarded to the concerned department for time bound action.

Notes:
An integrated foundation course for the Officer Trainees (OTs) of the Indian Civil Services named ‘AARAMBH’ was launched for the first time in 2019.
The Prime Minister has recently interacted with the Officer Trainees (OTs) of the Indian Civil Services at LBSNAA Mussoorie through a Video conference. This is a part of the AARAMBH course.

Notes:
Food Corporation of India and other Government agencies are set to procure 742 Lakh Metric tonnes of paddy during the ongoing Kharif season.
This is seen as a record high paddy procurement. The paddy procurement made by the Government last year was 627 Lakh Metric Tonnes. The number of purchase-centres this year have been increased from 30,791 to 39,122.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated a seaplane service that connects Statue of Unity in Kevadia with Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
The sea plane service is being operated by Spice jet. Earlier, he inaugurated a cruise service near the Statue of Unity. The 40-minute cruise will cover a distance of six kilometres.

Notes:
The people of New Zealand, in a recent referendum have voted to legalise euthanasia. Preliminary results of the referendum showed that 65.2% of voters supported the End of Life Choice Act coming into force as a new law.
The proposed law will permit terminally ill people with less than 6 months of life to choose assisted dying, if approved by 2 doctors.

Notes:
The Central Government is set to release the second tranche of Rs 6,000 crore to 16 states and 3 union territories.
As per the recent statement from the Finance Ministry, the total amount released to states to meet the compensation shortfall under goods and services tax (GST) under the special window is Rs 12,000 crore.

Notes:
The Panna Biosphere Reserve that is located in Madhya Pradesh, has been included in the UNESCO’s “World Network of Biosphere Reserves”. Additionally, Fuvahmulah and Addu Atoll of Maldives have also been included in the list.
Panna is a critical tiger habitat in India and it was accorded Biosphere Reserve status by Government of India in 2011.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Labour and Employment has notified draft rules for the Industrial Relations Code, 2020. This is expected to enhance the flexibility to employers to retrench workers.
It also mandates that Labour Unions should give a prior notice before a strike. The Government has aimed to implement the labour codes from April 1, 2021.