Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2020

Notes:
The 8th India-Mexico Joint Commission Meeting was recently held through Video-Conference. The Meeting was co-chaired by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his Mexican counterpart Marcelo Ebrard.
Both the countries agreed to promote economic strengths and work on strengthening their ‘Privileged Partnership’.

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:
The United Nations General Assembly designated 2 November as the ‘International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists’.
As per the United Nations, during the past fourteen years (2006-2019), around 1,200 journalists have been killed for reporting the news to the public. It also reveals that in nine out of ten cases the killers go unpunished.

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.

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:
Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson has recently announced retirement from all forms of Cricket.
The 39-year-old had already retired from international cricket in 2015. He announced this after the Chennai Super Kings’ final IPL match. He has played 59 Tests, 190 ODIs, and 58 T20s at the international level.

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:
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has recently issued notice to seek response from Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and four State Governments regarding the ban on use of fire crackers from November 7 to 30 in the interest of public health and environment.
The NGT has also appointed a senior advocate Raj Panjwani and advocate Shibhani Ghosh to assist the tribunal as amicus curiae in the matter.