Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2020

Notes:
India’s first multi-wavelength astronomical observatory named ‘Astrosat’ has recently completed five years of imaging objects in space.
The satellite was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 2015. It has successfully carried out over 1000 observations of 800 unique celestial sources. A discovery of a galaxy located at a distance of about 10 billion light-years from Earth has been made using it.

Notes:
The first ever “International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste” is observed on 29th September 2020 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
The day is observed with the message “Stop food loss and waste – for the people, for the planet”. The day aims to create awareness about food loss and calls for global action to maximize the use of food.

Notes:
NITI Aayog and the Embassy of the Netherlands, New Delhi recently signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) on ‘Decarbonization and Energy Transition Agenda’.
Under this partnership, NITI Aayog and the Dutch Embassy aim to create innovative technological solutions to accommodate cleaner energy. It also aims to lower the net carbon footprint, to promote bio-energy technologies among others.

Notes:
The Environment Minister of France has announced that it would impose a gradual ban on using wild animals including bears, tigers, lions and elephants in circuses.
It also includes the ban on keeping dolphins and killer whales in captivity in marine parks and raising mink on fur farms. However, the ban does not apply to wild animals in other permanent shows and in zoos.

Notes:
The CEO of NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant has stated that the organization is fine tuning parameters and indicators used in ranking the 112 Aspirational Districts of India.
The Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) was launched by the national think tank NITI Aayog in January 2018. It aims to transform 112 most backward districts that have shown relatively lesser progress in key social areas.

Notes:
A ‘High Level Monitoring Committee’ is proposed to be set up by India and Bangladesh to review projects implemented with Line of Credit (LoC) provided by India.
The decision was made at the 6th Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) meeting between the two countries held in a virtual mode. The High-Level Monitoring Committee would be headed by Secretary, Economic Relations Division of Bangladesh and High Commissioner of India in Bangladesh.

Notes:
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has proposed to launch its Venus mission by the year 2025.
French space agency CNES would also participate in the mission. Presently, the two nations are working closely on ISRO’s human space mission Gaganyaan that aims to send 3 Indians to space by 2022.

Notes:
India has committed to build a 100-bedded cancer hospital and a 22,000-seater cricket stadium in Hulhumale, Maldives.
According to the Indian Embassy in Maldives, this facility is provided under the USD 800 million Line of Credit (LoC) extended to the country, by the Export Import Bank of India (EXIM) Bank in March 2019.

Notes:
Union Ministry of Tourism organised a webinar on “Charkhe pe Charcha” under its Dekho Apna Desh Webinar Series on 2nd October 2020.
The Webinar focused on spinning wheel and Khadi. Mahatma Gandhi placed Khadi in the forefront as a symbol of boycott of foreign cloth and thereby opposing colonialism. The webinar aimed to explore the dimensions of khadi in the freedom struggle of India.

Notes:
The National Stock Exchange of India Ltd (NSE) has completed its live trading and other business operations from a Disaster Recovery (DR) site.
As per a release from NSE, all commercial operations of the exchange were executed from the DR site which is located in another city, which is a replica of the main production site located in Mumbai. After successful testing of the DR site, the operations were reverted to the original site.