Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2020

Notes:
The U.N. children’s agency UNICEF announced that around 2 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines will be sent to developing countries next year.
UNICEF has partnered with 350 airlines and freight companies to deliver vaccines and 1 billion syringes to poor countries, as part of COVAX initiative. Under the initiative led by GAVI vaccine group and WHO among others aims to deter hoarding Covid-19 vaccines.

Notes:
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) Girish Chandra Murmu, has been elected External Auditor of Inter Parliamentary Union, Geneva.
He has been elected for the post for a three-year term. The CAG has held many significant posts in the recent pasts including the External Auditor of World Food Programme, WIPO, IAEA, UN WTO, IMO among others.

Notes:
The Asian Development Bank has approved a USD 50 million loan to improve resource planning and operational efficiencies in West Bengal.
This loan will be supplemented by a USD 350,000 technical assistance grant for other reforms including monitoring of IFMS (Integrated Financial Management System) reforms.

Notes:
According to the IMD, Cyclone Nivar is estimated to cross Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts and make landfalls in the evening on November 25.
The IMD also highlighted that the cyclone will cross as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 120-130 kmph strengthening up to 145 kmph. Over 1000 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescue personnel have been deployed in the state of Tamil Nadu and its neighbouring coastal areas.

Notes:
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by the Small Industries Development Bank of India (Sidbi) with the Tamil Nadu government to develop the ecosystem for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the state.
Under the MoU, Sidbi will deploy a project management unit (PMU) in the government of Tamil Nadu. It will undertake the process of designing the training and capacity-building programmes to be taken up by the state government in areas.

Notes:
China has removed the last remaining counties (regions) from a list of 832 extremely poor regions, drawn up in the year 2014.
China also announced that it has lifted 93 million people out of poverty since 2013. China sets its own national standard of extreme poverty, based on a per capita income threshold of 4,000 yuan per year, or around USD 1.52 per day, and other social factors.

Notes:
UMANG App has completed three years since its launch. On the occasion, Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad launched the newly instituted UMANG Awards.
The awards will be presented for Departments of Centre and States, based on average transactions in the past six months. Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has been conferred with Platinum Partner Award for registering more than 25 lakh transactions on UMANG App.

Notes:
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has restored the government recognition to Archery Association of India as a National Sports Federation.
In the year 2012, the Government recognition of AAI was withdrawn, on failure to conduct its elections in accordance with the National Sports Code. In 2020, AAI conducted elections again and elected Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda as President. AAI now has the recognition of Indian Olympic Association and the World Archery.

Notes:
The Cabinet of Pakistan has approved two anti-rape ordinances which includes chemical castration of rapists, with the consent of the convict.
The ordinance also envisages setting up of Special Courts for rape trials and appointing Special prosecutors. The proposed laws include in-camera trials, witness protection, legal assistance to victims and speedy trials of rape cases. It also prohibits unscientific examination of survivors.

Notes:
As per the recent study conducted by the Central Pollution control board and IIT- Delhi, Indo-Gangetic plains continue to be the most polluted region in the country, in terms of PM 2.5 levels.
The study also revealed that the rate of increase in pollution levels southern and eastern India is greater than the Indo-Gangetic plains, between 2000 and 2019. It also found that air pollution in rural areas of the country increased similar to that of urban areas.