Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2020

Notes:
The state of Gujarat is set to implement sensor-based service delivery monitoring system for rural drinking water under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
It has already implemented a pilot project in two districts of the state to monitor whether potable water in prescribed quantity and quality is provided to every rural household regularly. The state has planned to provide 11.15 lakh household tap connections in the rural areas during 2020-21.

Notes:
Operation Greens was introduced in 2018, under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, with a main aim to enhance value realisation of TOP (Tomatoes, Onion and Potatoes) farmers by strengthening production clusters and FPOs and to connect them with market.
In the recent stimulus package, it was announced that Operation Greens will be extended from Tomatoes, Onion and Potatoes (TOP) to ALL fruits and vegetables (TOTAL), as a pilot project for 6 months. 50% subsidy on transportation from surplus to deficient markets and 50% subsidy on storage, including cold storages will be provided.

Notes:
The nation-wide electronic agriculture trading portal, e-NAM has recently reached milestone of 1000 mandis (markets) across 18 states and three union territories.
e-NAM was launched in 2016, with the objective of connecting the existing mandis on a common online market platform for agricultural produce in the country. With the recent addition of 38 mandis, it has reached the milestone of 1000 mandis, for which May 15 was fixed as the deadline. Amid the lock-down, trade through e-NAM reduces human intervention in the process.

Notes:
In its effort to boost the economy and provide work to migrants returning from other states to home villages, the Central government allocated an additional Rs 40,000 crore to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) for 2020-21.
In the Union Budget 2020-21, the total allocation made for MGNREGS was Rs 61500 Crore. Hence with this additional fund, the total allocation of this scheme for the present year becomes Rs 1.015 trillion. Out of the total fund, Rs 11,500 crore has to be spent on clearing pending dues from the previous year.

Notes:
The Union Finance Minister recently announced to raise the minimum threshold to initiate insolvency proceeding to Rs 1 crore from the present limit Rs 1 lakh to benefit MSMEs.
This move will give relief to the companies that default on loans due to the Covid-19 stress. It was also announced that no fresh insolvency will be initiated for one year under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and the Covid-19 related debt will be excluded from the definition of default. She also proposed decriminalisation of the Companies Act for violations involving minor technical and procedural defaults.

Notes:
The National Hydrographer to the government of India, Vice Admiral Vinay Badhwar, has been conferred with the 2019 Alexander Dalrymple Award.
The award has been given for his significant contribution to Indian hydrography and across the Indian Ocean region. The award is presented to the personalities who contribute in raising the standards of hydrography, cartography and navigation around the world. It was first presented in 2006 by the UK Ministry of Defence-sponsored UKHO (UK Hydrographic Office).

Notes:
India recently observed the 46th anniversary of its first nuclear test in Rajasthan’s Pokhran, conducted on May 18.
The peaceful first nuclear was codenamed the ‘Smiling Buddha’, which proclaimed India as a nuclear power. As the test was conducted on the Buddha Poornima of that year, the event was codenamed after Buddha. Indira Gandhi was the Prime of Minister of India during the tests and it was the first confirmed nuclear test by a country that was not a permanent member of the UNSC.

Notes:
The Jammu & Kashmir government notified Jammu and Kashmir Grant of Domicile Certificate (Procedure) Rules, 2020. There shall be a timeline of 15 days for issuance of the certificate after which the applicant can approach an Appellate Authority.
According to that, all people who have resided in the UT for 15 years, or have studied for 7 years and appeared in class 10th or 12th examination there and their children, Children of Government officials who have served in the UT for 10 years are eligible. Now, West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs), sanitation workers and children of women married outside Jammu and Kashmir shall also be eligible for Domicile Certificate.

Notes:
Veteran Marathi writer Ratnakar Matkari recently passed away after being diagnosed with COVID-19, at the age of 81.
He was considered as a versatile writer of Marathi literature. He had written more than 90 plays including more than 20 children plays. He was famous for his thriller stories, essays and his theatre autobiography Maaze Rangaprayog. His iconic literary work was ‘Gahire Paani’. He was a recipient of the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi and the Sahitya Akademi awards.

Notes:
Union Government has recently launched a scheme for complete solarization of Konark Sun Temple and Konark town in Odisha. It will be implemented by the Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency. The project outlay of Rs. 25 crore will be provided by the Centre.
As per the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the scheme aims to set up 10 Mega Watt grid connected solar project and solar applications like solar trees and solar drinking water kiosks, to implement the scheme.