Current Affairs Quiz-September, 2020

Notes:
Gurgaon-based Indian airline SpiceJet has recently launched a compact, portable ventilation device named ‘SpiceOxy’.
The handy and affordable device can be used for patients with mild to moderate breathing issues. SpiceJet has also introduced a fingertip pulse oximeter, which can be used to measure the oxygen level of the blood.

Notes:
The third round of the monthly sero-prevalence survey began in the National Capital Region, to analyse the situation of the Covid-19 spread.
Under the survey, using the blood samples, the presence of antibodies for Covid-19 will be checked, which will explain the extent of the spread of the virus. In the last survey, it was found that 29.1 per cent of people had antibodies. This time, the sample size will be 17,000.

Notes:
Qatar has announced major changes in its labour laws and policies. The country has announced to raise the minimum wage by 25 % to 1,000 riyals per month.
The country has also scrapped the requirement for workers to get permission from their employers to change jobs. As Qatar is the host of FIFA world cup 2022, it has been under the spotlight.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister has approved a bill which gives official language status to Kashmiri, Dogri and Hindi in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.
These languages are apart from the existing official languages Urdu and English. Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Bill, 2020 would be introduced in the Monsoon session of the Parliament to legislate this bill.

Notes:
The Union Government has capped export incentives under Merchandise Export from India Scheme (MEIS), at Rs.2 crore per exporter.
This incentive cap is applicable for exporters who have made outbound from September 1 to December 31, 2020. This has been announced by Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) though its notification. The DGFT also stated that MEIS scheme would be withdrawn from 1st January 2020.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Shipping has directed all major ports to procure or hire tug boats, that are only made in India.
All procurements that are being done by major ports will have to be carried out as per the revised ‘Make in India’ Order. Various initiatives are being taken to promote shipbuilding in India and improve self-reliance.

Notes:
The Indian Institute of Public Administration is a Research and training organization under the Union Ministry of Personnel. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu is the ex-officio President of IIPA.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) and Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) has recently organized a two-day ‘National Tribal Research Conclave’ through virtual platform chaired by the Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Shri Arjun Munda.

Notes:
Indian young Grand Master P.Iniyan won the 48th annual world open chess tournament conducted recently.
This tournament was conducted in an online format due to the Covid 19 pandemic. The event was conducted in 3 rounds where in 122 participants of 16 countries participated.

Notes:
United Kingdom has named the Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott as a trade adviser. He headed Australia from 2013 to 2015.
Along with the 62-year old former Prime Minister, Former member of the European Parliament, is to become Adviser to Britain’s Board of Trade. However, there were allegations that Tony Abbott was not suitable for the job due to his conservative social views.

Notes:
The third annual Indo-Pacific Business Forum is to be held in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam on October 28 and 29, 2020.
The United States Government will sponsor the forum, in collaboration with the Government of Vietnam, the US-ASEAN Business Council and others trade associations. The main focus will be on Infrastructure, Digital economy, Market connectivity, health and economic recovery.