Current Affairs Quiz-September, 2020

Notes:
A painting of V.S. Gaitonde has become the most expensive work of art by an Indian artist, as it has fetched Rs 32 Crore at an auction held at Mumbai auction house Pundole.
The untitled oil-on-canvas painting was created in the year 1974 and was bought by an unnamed international buyer. This sale breaks the record held by another art work of V.S. Gaitonde that fetched Rs 29.3 crore in the year 2015.

Notes:
The Union Defence Minister of India Rajnath Singh attended the country’s first high-level political meet with China amid prevalent border tensions.
This meet has been organised on the side-lines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in the Russian capital Moscow. As per media reports, the Chinese side initiated the meeting attended by the Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe.

Notes:
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi is set to hold a programme named ‘SVanidhi Samvaad’ with street vendors from Madhya Pradesh.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan will also participate in the program through video conferencing. Prime Minister is to interact with three beneficiaries from the state through virtual mode. 4.5 lakh street vendors of Madhya Pradesh registered in the PM SVANidhi scheme.

Notes:
According to the recent data from the Controller General of Accounts, India borrowed a record high Rs 39, 165 Crores from Multilateral agencies.
India has undertaken this borrowing to meet expenses related to tackling Covid-19. This is the highest external financing for any full fiscal year. Earlier, in the financial year 2016-17, India had borrowed Rs14,811 crore in external sources.

Notes:
The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced the performance of Public Sector Banks (PSBs) under EASE Banking Reforms Index 2.0. EASE stands for “Enhanced Access and Service Excellence”.
Bank of Baroda, State Bank of India, and erstwhile Oriental Bank of Commerce were the top three in the list of “Top Performers”. Bank of Maharashtra, Central Bank of India and erstwhile Corporation Bank were the leading banks in ‘Top Improvers’ category.

Notes:
The United States of America (USA) has recently revoked the Visas of more than 1,000 Chinese students and researchers.
The move is under the directions of the US President Donald Trump in May 2020. The proclamation is aimed at Chinese nationals who are suspected to have ties with Chinese military. In this regard, China has accused US of racial discrimination.

Notes:
Noted film actor and theatre artist Paresh Rawal has been appointed chairperson of National School of Drama (NSD).
The former BJP Member of Parliament, will succeed the present Chairman Arjun Deo Charan. Paresh Rawal, has been awarded with Padma Shri in 2014. The NSD is India’s premier institute for theatre students and is located at Delhi.

Notes:
A new study published in the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has found that Vitamin D supplements can decrease the rate of ICU admissions due to Covid-19.
The vitamin is found to be stimulating immune responses against various diseases including the novel coronavirus. The study was conducted on 76 patients who tested positive for Covid-19 in Spain. The patients who received the supplement were discharged without complications.

Notes:
A strategic Defence and Security agreement has been recently signed between the Maldives and the United States.
The “Framework for U.S. Department of Defense-Maldives Ministry of Defence and Security Relationship” seeks to promote cooperation maintaining peace and security in the Indian Ocean. India had previously opposed a proposed Status of Forces Agreement between the two countries in 2013.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Road Transport has notified regulations for upgrading emission & safety features in Indian automobiles.
The Ministry has also issued draft notifications for anti-lock braking systems (ABS), airbags, reverse parking assist and crash standards for Indian vehicles. The Ministry has stated that there are plans to bring Indian automotive industry at par with developed nations in such regulations.