Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2020

Notes:
Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras have developed a solar-powered Unmanned Autonomous Survey Craft for Indian ports and inland waterways.
It would help to conduct autonomous hydrographic and oceanographic surveys and provide real-time data transmission over long distances. It had a successful field-test recently off the Chennai coast at Kamarajar port.

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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.

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The Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR), Uttar Pradesh and the state Forest department have bagged the first-ever international award- TX2.
The award has been announced for doubling the number of tigers in four years against a target of 10 years from 25 tigers in 2014 to 65 in 2018. UNDP (United Nations Development Program) virtually presented the award to the Principal Chief conservator of forest (wildlife) of the state.

Notes:
Air India One is the call sign for the Air India One-B777 VVIP aircraft used by the President, Vice President and Prime Minister.
Recently, the first flight of the Air India One-B777 aircraft was inaugurated with the Indian President Ramnath Kovind onboard. The aircraft is more fuel efficient and has a longer range than the previous B747-400 aircraft. It also has state-of-the-art missile defence systems.

Notes:
Life Insurance Corporation of India has launched a digital application named ‘ANANDA’, which is an acronym for Atma Nirbhar Agents New Business Digital Application.
Using the Digital application, life insurance policy can be applied through a paperless module with the help of the agent or intermediary. The application is developed based on paperless KYC process using Aadhaar-based e-authentication.

Notes:
A cow shelter based in Assam’s Dibrugarh named Shree Gopal Gaushala inaugurated Northeast’s first-ever cow hospital.
The hospital is called Surbhi Aarogyashala, is set up at a cost of Rs 17 lakhs. It is expected to provide services in a radius of 30 kilometers. Presently, there are over 350 cows in the shelter.

Notes:
India and the United States of America has recently extended the Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation on nuclear energy for 10 more years.
In a joint statement issued by the two countries, this is the tenth year of cooperation between them at the Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP). The MoU was signed at New Delhi in the year 2010.

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:
NITI Aayog released a report titled ‘Mitigation and Management of Covid-19: Practices from India’s States & UTs’.
It is a compendium of practices from States and UTs with information about the initiatives implemented by states, districts, and cities in India for containing Covid-19 outbreak. The practices in the compendium have been divided under six sections.

Notes:
The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 has been amended by the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act, 2019 to include the definition of the term ‘Aggregator’.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines 2020, to regulate shared mobility services. The ride hailing services require permission from the state governments to start operations, and states will follow the norms specified by the Centre.