Current Affairs Quiz-September, 2020

Notes:
The Railway Ministry has proposed to amend Sec 144 of Railways Act 1989. As per the present provision in the act, begging in Railway property is an offence and makes it liable for imprisonment or a fine of Rs.2000/-.
The section is proposed to be changed by stating that begging will not be allowed in properties of Railways including Trains and Railway premises.

Notes:
The International Day of Charity is observed every year on September 5, across the world. The day aims to sensitize people and NGOs to engage in volunteer and philanthropic activities.
This date of 5 September marks the day of the anniversary of the passing away of Mother Teresa. She was honoured as a Saint was known for her missionary work in Kolkata. She received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

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:
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:
As per a recent report on released by UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and World Bank Group, the Under-five mortality rate in India declined from 126 in 1990 to 34 in 2019.
Also, the Infant mortality rate in India declined from 89 in 1990 to 28 in 2019. The data has been published in ‘Levels & Trends in Child Mortality’ Report 2020.

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:
The US-based Aerospace and Defence company Northrop Grumman has named its spacecraft named after Kalpana Chawla, the first woman of Indian descent to go to space.
The company’s next space station resupply ship, which is a NG-14 Cygnus spacecraft has been named as ‘S.S. Kalpana Chawla’. The company has a tradition of naming each of its Cygnus ship after an individual achiever in Human spaceflight.

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:
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat has stated that India’s Defence exports has grown by 700% from Rs 1521 crore in 2016-17 to Rs 10,745 crore in 2018-19.
Also, as of 2019, India is ranked 19th in the list of top Defence exporters in the world, which is an all-time high rank ever featured by India.

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.