Current Affairs Quiz-September, 2020

Notes:
The Government of Tamil Nadu has announced a new electronics & hardware manufacturing policy.
The policy aims to increase the State’s electronics industry output to $100 billion by 2025. The policy undertakes to impart skill training for more than 1,00,000 people by 2024, to meet the state’s human resource demand in electronics sector.

Notes:
The Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment, Thaawarchand Gehlot has recently released a book containing 33 Action Plans 2020-21 of all the schemes of the Department of Social Justice & Empowerment.
This is the first time that the Department has released comprehensive Annual Action Plan 2020-21. The aim is to provide specific targets for the Ministry, State Governments and NGOs.

Notes:
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by the PM by, has approved monetization of assets of Power Grid.
Power Grid is a Public Sector Undertaking under Ministry of Power. The monetization is being done for the first time through Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT) model. The proceeds of asset monetization would be used to fund new and on-going projects of the PSU.

Notes:
The Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas has recently dedicated 56 Compressed natural gas (CNG) stations spread across 13 states, to the nation.
He also said that the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) is working to launch the 11th City gas distribution (CGD) authorisation round. The regulator board gives licenses for Retail CNG to automobiles and Piped cooking gas to household kitchens.

Notes:
Minister of State for Shipping Mansukh Mandaviya has recently launched ‘SAROD-Ports’ (Society for Affordable Redressal of Disputes – Ports).
SAROD-Ports is established under Societies Registration Act and aims to resolve the disputes with the panel of technical experts as arbitrators. It is expected to save legal expenditure and time. This works similar to the SAROD-Roads constituted by NHAI.

Notes:
Scientist and radio astronomer, Professor Govind Swarup is called the Father of Indian Radio Astronomy.
The renowned astronomer has recently passed away due to illness at the age of 91. He was the founding director of the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR). He received various awards including the Padma Shree and the Bhatnagar Award.

Notes:
Jeff Bezos – the Chief Executive and co-founder of Amazon has topped Forbes’ list of richest Americans. He has been the richest American as per the Forbes’ list for 3 times in a row.
He is followed by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. As per the Forbes and Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Jeff Bezoz became the first person whose net worth rose to over USD 200 billion.

Notes:
The first India-France-Australia Trilateral Dialogue was held in a virtual mode recently. The virtual meet was co-chaired by Harsh Vardhan Shringla, the Foreign Secretary of India.
The meeting focused on enhancing cooperation among the three countries in Indo-Pacific Region. Moreover, the participants discussed on economic and strategic challenges in the context of the COVID-19.

Notes:
The Naval Force of Iran has started a three-day exercise in the Sea of Oman named ‘Zolfaghar-99’, in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
The Navy is expected to test-fire surface-to-surface and shore-to-sea cruise missiles and rocket-launching systems fitted on warships, submarines, aircraft and drones. The exercise also aims to devise defensive strategies to safeguard the country’s territorial regions.

Notes:
The Government of India has set up a Panel for assessment of relief to borrowers.
It is a 3-member panel headed by Rajiv Mehrishi, who is the former Comptroller and Auditor General of India. The panel will measure the impact of the pandemic related restrictions on Indian economy and also study the viability of waiving interest on interest on the pandemic-related moratorium.