Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2020

Notes:
The Agreement establishing an African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was signed in 2018, in Kigali, Rwanda.
The AfCFTA is expected to become operational on 1 January 2021, which will be the world’s largest free trade area by number of countries. It will also create a single African market for goods and services. Africa Industrialization Day is celebrated on November 20 every year.

Notes:
The G-20 countries approved the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) to temporarily suspend the government-to-government debt payments to 73 countries. It was extended till June 30, 2021.
The G-20 Finance Ministers virtual meeting was recently held and India’s Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman participated in it. She highlighted about the DSSI initiative under the G20 Saudi Arabian Presidency.

Notes:
Bhutan’s Queen Mother Gyalyum Sangay Choden Wangchuck, popularly known as “Ashi Sangay” has been awarded the United Nations Population Award 2020.
She is also the first to win the award from Bhutan. The Queen Mother has been awarded under the individual category, for enabling an environment in the country, to discuss sexual reproductive health. She also founded a volunteer organisation called ‘Respect, Educate, Nurture and Empower Women’ (RENEW).

Notes:
Ministry of Jal Shakti had constituted a multi-disciplinary Technical Committee to recommend innovative ‘field level solution’ technologies in Drinking Water and Sanitation for states and UTs.
The committee was chaired by the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India K Vijaya Raghavan. It also has other members from NITI Aayog, DST, CSIR, DRDO, IIT among others. The committee has recently recommended five technology solutions for states/UTs.

Notes:
Union Food Processing Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has recently inaugurated a mega food park (MFP) at Phagwara of Kapurthala district in the state of Punjab.
The Mega Food park has been built at a cost of Rs 107.83 crores and spread over 55 acres of land. It is expected to benefit over 25000 farmers and create employment opportunities for more than 5000 people. 37 MFPs have been sanctioned in our country as on date, and 20 of them are functioning.

Notes:
RE-INVEST (Renewable Energy Investors Meet & Expo) is organised by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), to promote investment in renewable energy.
The 3rd edition of the Meet is scheduled to be held from November 26 to 28, 2020 with the theme of ‘Innovations for Sustainable Energy Transition’. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the virtual meeting. The first two editions were held in 2015 and 2018.

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:
The Uttar Pradesh government has approved the 594-km Ganga Expressway project worth Rs 36,402 crore.
The project will have Expressway running along the river Ganga from Haridwar to Allahabad. The state Cabinet also approved a district-wise alignment of the Expressway. The Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority will implement the project.

Notes:
The United Kingdom is set to impose a new competition regime next year to prevent Google and Facebook from using their dominance on smaller firms.
The regime is set to be enforced by a unit within the Britain’s competition regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Google and Facebook accounted for around 80% of 14 billion pounds spent in the country in 2019.

Notes:
Mizoram has debarred its Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) and retired IPS officer Lalduhoma from the state assembly. He was in charge of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s security.
In 1988, he was the first Member of Parliament to have been disqualified from the Lok Sabha, under the Anti-Defection Law. At present, the charge on him is despite being elected as an independent candidate, he declared himself as a representative of ZPM.