Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2020

Notes:
The US and Taiwan signed an agreement to establish annual economic talks for five years. The agreement can be extended another five years once the current pact is over.
This pact has been signed amidst the objections expressed by China to the support of the US for Taipei. ‘Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue with Taiwan’ was also launched, to promote cooperation.

Notes:
Retired Major General R N Chibber, who had participated in 1962, 1965 and 1971 wars, recently passed away.
The 86-year-old veteran officer had worked in Afghanistan from 1972 to 1975 as a military attache. He also commanded the 8 Jat Regiment. He was awarded Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) for his distinguished service.

Notes:
An Internal Working Group (IWG) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recommended raising the cap on promoters’ stake in private sector banks to 26% in 15 years.
At present, the percentage of stake is mandated at 15% of the equity share capital of the bank. The group also suggested to allow large corporate or industrial houses, as promoters of banks after necessary amendments to the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

Notes:
As per the G-20 Riyadh Summit Leaders Declaration, India is set to swap the Presidency of G-20 with Indonesia, to host the summit in the year 2023.
Initially, it was announced that India is set to host the G 20 summit in 2022, the 75th year of Independence. Now, Indonesia will assume G-20 presidency in 2022 as it would chair the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2023.

Notes:
China has successfully launched the Chang’e-5 lunar probe, to collect samples from the moon’s surface and return to earth.
In the country’s first attempt to retrieve materials from an extra-terrestrial body, the unmanned space mission was launched from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern province of Hainan. The spacecraft was launched by a Long March-5 rocket.

Notes:
Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ inaugurated 46 online AICTE Training and Learning (ATAL) Academy Faculty Development Programmes (FDPs), organised by AICTE.
The programmes would be conducted in 22 Indian states, to train teachers of higher education institutions. Book of World Records, London has acknowledged the training of over one lakh people in 1000 programs under ‘FDP’, as a world record.

Notes:
Uttar Pradesh government has passed an ordinance to ban unlawful religious conversions for marriage.
As per the ordinance, unlawful conversion for the sake of getting married through force, deceit, undue pressure will be considered a non-bailable offence and can lead to imprisonment of a maximum of 10 years and penalty of 50 thousand rupees.

Notes:
The construction arm of Larsen and Toubro (L&T), L&T Construction has bagged the contract to build India’s longest river bridge.
The 19-km long bridge, which is to be built across the Brahmaputra river, will connect Dhubri in Assam to Phulbari in Meghalaya. It will also improve connectivity of the North Eastern states with the rest of the country.

Notes:
New Zealand’s Greg Barclay has been elected as the new independent Ahairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
He is also the second independent chairman of the international body, after Shashank Manohar of India. Greg Barclay served as the Director of New Zealand Cricket Team since 2012. He had also been the Director of 2015 Men’s World Cup, held in Australia and New Zealand.

Notes:
The Government of France has decided to re-introduce tax on big Digital firms like Facebook, Amazon, Google etc.
In the early 2020, France suspended the tax on such big digital firms in exchange for a promise by USA to reduce taxation on French products. Since the US administration pulled out of the negotiation, France has decided to reintroduce levy of tax on digital firms.