Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2020

Notes:
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) of NITI Aayog has signed a Statement of Intent (SOI) with CGI India. The aim of the partnership is to create a successful and innovative workforce from ATL schools.
CGI India is one of the largest IT and business consulting services firms. Under the partnership, CGI has agreed to adopt 100 schools with ATLs across Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai to promote and train students.

Notes:
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave in-principle approval to the demerger of Chhattisgarh-based Nagarnar Steel Plant (NSP) from National Minerals Development Corporation (NMDC).
It also approved the strategic disinvestment of the demerged company by selling the entire government stake to a strategic buyer. This process is expected to be completed by September 2021. Earlier in 2016, it had been decided to disinvest NSP as a unit of NMDC.

Notes:
As per the recent notification of the Finance Ministry, the Central Government will borrow Rs 1.10 lakh crore to overcome the shortfall in Good and Services Tax (GST) collection.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) introduced in July 2017 mandates that the Central government would compensate the states if their revenue growth dropped below 14 per cent a year. Due to the economic slowdown, there is a huge shortfall in GST collection.

Notes:
Union Health minister Harsh Vardhan recently announced that the government is looking at procuring and utilizing about 400-500 million vaccine doses, covering about 200-250 million people.
Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN) that is used for the immunisation programme, is used for real-time tracking of vaccine movement, from procurement to storage, to delivery and distribution.

Notes:
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has operationalized an advanced high-resolution air quality early warning system for the national capital named ENFUSER (Environmental Information Fusion Service).
Another model has also been made operationalized for the rest of the country. IMD has also improved the air quality forecast model ‘System for Integrated Modelling of Atmospheric Composition (SILAM)’, by implementing global emission inventories.

Notes:
India has aimed to make it Trans Fat Free by 2022. This is a year ahead of the target set by World Health Organisation (WHO).
Trans Fat is a toxic substance present in Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils, baked and fried foods are seen as an important source of non-communicable disease in India.

Notes:
The Philippines announced that it will resume oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea, by ending a six-year moratorium on resource exploration.
Former President Benigno Aquino III suspended exploration in the disputed sea in 2014 amid tensions with China. The United States had also supported Philippines against the move of China.

Notes:
Former World Champion Nozomi Okuhara clinched the women’s singles in Denmark Open title after beating three-time world champion Spain’s Carolina Marin.
The Japanese Badminton star clinched the title while World Champion P V Sindhu opted not to participate in the event. Anders Antonsen of Denmark clinched the men’s title.

Notes:
The United Nations arms embargo (ban) on Iran which stopped the country from purchasing foreign weapons like tanks and fighter jets expired.
Despite objections from the United States, the arms ban has expired. The United Nations had earlier banned Iran from buying major foreign weapon systems in 2010 amid tensions over its nuclear program. An earlier ban also targeted Iranian arms exports.

Notes:
Baba Banda Singh Bahadur was a Sikh warrior born in 1670. He was also the commander of Khalsa Army and was known for his struggle against the Mughal Empire during the early 18th century, after meeting Guru Gobind Singh.
He was instrumental for abolition of Zamindari and Taluqdari system and gave farmers proprietorship of their land. Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Baba Banda Singh Bahadur on his 350th birth anniversary.