Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2020

Notes:
A naval version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test-fired from INS Chennai.
The missile was fired from the indigenously built stealth destroyer of the Indian Navy in the Arabian Sea. It hit the target accurately after performing extremely complex operations. The missile can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or from land platforms.

Notes:
India has successfully test-fired the Stand Off Anti-Tank (SANT) Missile, off the coast of Odisha. The missile has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for Indian Air Force.
The missile has a special Lock-on After Launch and Lock-on Before Launch capability which makes it a highly tactical warfare equipment.

Notes:
‘Global Estimate of Children in Monetary Poverty: An Update’ is an analysis on children living in poverty, released by World Bank Group and UNICEF.
As per the estimate, 1/6th of the total 356 million children of the world, were living in extreme poverty before the COVID-19. The report states that sub-Saharan Africa accounts for two thirds of children living extreme poverty.

Notes:
The United States government has recently announced that it would sell USD 1 billion worth of advanced air-to-ground missiles to Taiwan.
This move has occurred at the time when Taiwan is strengthening its Defence force against the threat from China. US had agreed to sell 135 of the AGM-84H SLAM-ER missiles, air-launched cruise missiles and related equipment.

Notes:
The Election Commission of India has recently set up a committee under its Director General Umesh Sinha and ex Indian Revenue Service officer Harish Kumar.
The panel has been set up to examine the existing expenditure limits for election candidates amidst the increase in number of electors and rise in Cost Inflation Index. Earlier, a 10% increase in the expenditure limit of election candidates.

Notes:
The third phase of the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) will commence in January 2021, as per the Department of Science and Technology.
As per the notification, the mission envisages to take computing speed to around 45 petaflops. The 4,500 crore-National Supercomputers Mission (NSM) aims to operationalise nearly 50 supercomputers across the country in three phases.

Notes:
Union Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel has recently launched the “Life in Miniature” project, which is a collaboration between the National Museum, Delhi, and Google Arts & Culture.
The miniature paintings from the National Museum’s collections can be seen through the Google Arts & Culture application. The project uses technologies such as machine learning, augmented reality and digitisation with high-definition robotic cameras.

Notes:
The third-generation Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM), Nag, was successfully tested in Pokhran range in Thar desert, Rajasthan.
The missile would enter the production phase and then will be inducted into the Indian army. It will be produced by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), a Defence PSU. Ordnance Factory, Medak, will produce the NAMICA (Nag Missile Carrier).

Notes:
Researchers from the Netherlands Cancer Institute have discovered a new location of salivary glands in the throat.
In their findings in a research published in the journal Radiotherapy and Oncology, they have named the part as “tubarial glands”. This would be useful for patients with head and neck tumours. The researchers also believe that these glands would qualify as the fourth pair of major salivary glands.

Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has fixed the minimum Net Owned Fund (NOF) size for housing finance companies at Rs 25 crore.
As per the RBI notification, the housing finance companies (HFCs) that hold a Certificate of Registration (CoR) and having an NOF of less than Rs 25 crore will be required to achieve NOF of Rs 15 crore by March 31, 2022 and Rs 25 crore by March 31, 2023.