Current Affairs Quiz-September, 2020

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:
The G20 Education Ministers was held virtually, where India was represented by Union Minister of Education, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank.
During the meeting, member countries resolved to work together shared best practices in three identified areas namely Education continuity in times of crises, Early childhood education and Internationalization in education.

Notes:
The first-ever International Day of Clean Air for blue skies is observed on September 7th, 2020. It aims to raise public awareness on the importance of air quality.
The United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution to hold this day on December 19, 2019. It also invited the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to facilitate the observance of the International Day celebrated for the first time in 2020.

Notes:
As per the recent statement of the Fitch Ratings, the annual GDP growth of India is projected to contract more than 10.5 per cent.
Earlier, it had estimated that the GDP Growth would contract by 5 per cent in its June Global Economic Outlook (GEO). In its recent GEO, it has also highlighted that the Global Economy is projected to fall less than projected level.

Notes:
UNICEF is leading in efforts to procure and supply COVID-19 vaccines. This could be the world’s largest and fastest ever procurement and supply of vaccines.
In collaboration with Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), UNICEF is set in its efforts to procure and supply doses of COVID-19 vaccines for 92 low and lower middle-income countries.

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 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 Department of Post has launched a new scheme called Five Star Villages, to expand Universal coverage of Postal schemes in rural areas of the country.
The scheme aims to create public awareness on Postal Products and services across all interior villages. The products covered include Sukanya Samridhi Accounts, PPF Accounts, PM Suraksha Bima Yojana Account, PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana Account and other SB and RD accounts being offered.

Notes:
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a Conclave on “School Education in 21st Century” today through video conference.
This video conference was held on the background of National Education Policy 2020, as a part of the Shiksha Parv initiative. The Prime Minister also announced that School students will have new curriculum framework by 2022.

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.