Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2020

Notes:
Google India has recently announced the launch of its nationwide campaign named ‘Make Small Strong’.
It aims to help support small businesses and enhance demand through customer support. It encourages people to buy locally and promote their favourite retailers by posting reviews. This new programme is based on feedback from Small and Medium Businesses.

Notes:
The Island nation of Sri Lanka has recently announced to ban slaughtering of cows across the country.
The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa has announced that a legislature to implement the decision would be moved soon. The Cabinet has decided to import beef and provide it at a lower price to people who consume it.

Notes:
As per the Reserve Bank of India, India’s external debt stood at USD 554.5 billion at the end of June 2020. It is recorded a decrease of USD 3.9 billion compared to March 2020 level. The main reason for the decrease in external debt was depreciation of INR against major currencies like USD, Euro.
RBI has also stated that external debt to GDP ratio has increased to 21.8 % compared to 20.6 % as of March 2020.

Notes:
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Vaishwik Bharatiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) Summit on October 2.
The summit is a global virtual summit of overseas and resident Indian Researchers and Academicians. It is to be organised from October 2 to October 31. The summit creates a single platform for Science and Technology (S&T) related discussions.

Notes:
A United States Navy P-8A long range Maritime Patrol Aircra landed at Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
This is seen as a significant incident as this is the first time a U.S. P-8 aircraft landed at Port Blair for refuelling under the bilateral logistics support agreement. The agreement is called the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA).

Notes:
The authorities of Saudi Arabia have announced that the Umrah pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca has been resumed.
Due to the spread of Covid-19, Saudi Arabia had earlier suspended the pilgrimage for foreign and domestic Muslims in March. The country has decided to open up the pilgrimage in gradual phases with precaution, depending upon the pandemic’s spread.

Notes:
Paytm is organising a dedicated App Developers’ conference, to attract indigenous app developers on its newly-launched mini app store.
This is seen as a battle against the monopoly of Google in the app store segment and the issue of transaction fee on in-app purchases. Start-ups and technology companies would join this conference to showcase their mini-apps.

Notes:
Global technology company IBM will set up an Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence with the Government e-Marketplace (GeM).
The CoE aims to bring in transparency, efficiency and cost saving in the public procurement process. The CEO of IBM announced this during his address at the RAISE 2020 AI summit. The company is working with the Karnataka state and NITI Aayog in precision agriculture solutions using AI.

Notes:
Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) has partnered with Prasar Bharati to promote new agricultural technology and innovations.
As per the agreement, DD Kisan channel will broadcast various innovative techniques adopted in agriculture and the innovations of IFFCO through 30 minutes program series.

Notes:
The seventh offshore patrol vessel of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), ‘Vigraha’ was formally commissioned at Kattupalli port, Chennai.
The vessel was built by Larsen and Toubro and is the last in the series of seven offshore patrol vessels contracted to the company by the Ministry of Defence in 2015. This is the first time a private sector shipyard has undertaken the design and construction of OPV class of ships.