November 1st Week 2020 Current Affairs Online Test English

• According to the Action Plan for Vulture Conservation 2020–2025, 5 states namely Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu will get a vulture conservation and breeding centre each. The plan has also suggested that new veterinary non–steroidal anti–inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) to be tested on vultures before their commercial release. The action plan was approved by the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL).

• The NITI Aayog’s AIM (Atal Innovation Mission) will be organizing a 2–day hackathon on circular economy titled “India–Australia Circular Economy Hackathon (I–ACE)”. This is done in collaboration with CSIRO (The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, an Australian Government agency). The hackathon would be held on 7th and 8th December this year.

• The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) constituent labs– CSIR–Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), Delhi and CSIR–Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad carried out a study regarding Indian genomes. As per the study published in the scientific journal, Nucleic Acid Research, 32.23% of the global variants were unique and found only in the samples sequenced from India.

• The NASA–ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite is expected to be launched by 2022, as per the joint statement issued after the 2+2 strategic dialogue. After the dialogue, India and the US have decided to share Space Situational Awareness Information. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will collaborate in launching the satellite.

• India–based Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE) has been named as one among the winners of the 2020 UN Global Climate Action Award. GHE is an Indian organisation that uses tourism and technology to help remote communities get access to solar energy. This was announced in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) website.

• United Nations’ Trade and investment body, UNCTAD releases Global Investment Trends Monitor report. As per the recent edition of the report, global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows fell 49% in the first half of 2020 compared to 2019. This sharp decline is due to the economic crisis from COVID–19. As per the report, developed economies saw the biggest fall in FDI.

• Pakistan has recently inaugurated the first transport project under the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Lahore. The project has been completed in six years at the cost of over USD 2.2 billion. This overhead Lahore Orange Line Metro Train is expected as a symbol of China– Pakistan ties. Over 250,000 people will be able to commute using the train.

• Microsoft recently announced that it has collaborated with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). The partnership aims to provide digital skills to more than one lakh underserved women in India over the next 10 months. More than 70 hours of course content will be made available free of cost by the technology major.

• The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry has recently released the next edition of its consolidated foreign direct investment (FDI) policy document. The document has incorporated all changes made over the past year. As per the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the new circular has come into effect from October 15.

• Indian Army has recently developed a simple messaging application named the Secure Application for Internet (SAI). The application supports end to end secure voice, text and video calling services for Android platform over the internet. It is similar to messaging applications including WhatsApp and Telegram. It is expected to facilitate secure messaging within the service.

• Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has recently launched ‘Dharani’ Portal for land and property registrations. Telangana is the first state to use Information Technology services for land registrations. The property details which are not uploaded on the portal will be treated as illegal and will not be allowed for further registrations.

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) Phase II & Phase III. The project is being developed with the financial assistance of the World Bank (WB), and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The project aims to improve the safety and operational performance of selected dams across the whole country.

• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Cambodia on cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine. The MoU seeks to encourage cooperation through joint initiatives and technology development in the health sector. The MoU which will strengthen bilateral ties between the countries, shall remain in force for a period of five years.

• The President of India Ram Nath Kovind has suspended Vice Chancellor of Delhi University Yogesh Tyagi. The suspension has been made under the provisions of Delhi University Act, on grounds of rave misconduct, dereliction of duties, abuse of power and lack of commitment. Mr. Tyagi had been appointed Vice–Chancellor in March 2016

• The Union Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal chaired 19th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting of Foreign Trade & Economic Ministers. The SCO is head quartered at Shangai, China. SCO comprises eight member states, namely China, India, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

• Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has stated that southwest monsoon has completely withdrawn from India on 28th October, 2020. The IMD has also stated that the northeast monsoon has commenced.
• Under the influence of North East Monsoon (also known as retreating monsoon), there would be ample rainfall over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, parts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala.

• The ‘Electricity Access in India and Benchmarking Distribution Utilities’ report has been launched by NITI Aayog, Ministry of Power, Rockefeller Foundation and Smart Power India. The report has been complied based on a survey conducted across 10 states, representing about 65 % of the total rural population of India. Overall, 87% of the surveyed customers have access to grid–based electricity. The remaining 13% either use non–grid sources or don’t use any electricity at all.

• The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman represented India in the 10th India–UK Economic and Financial Dialogue on Global Responses to COVID–19. The meeting was held in a virtual mode through video conferencing. The conference aimed at sharing of experiences on COVID–19 response and to implement policies for economic recovery during the pandemic.

• The Tamil Nadu government has recently passed an order to provide 7.5% reservation in medical colleges to students from government schools who have cleared NEET. Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit has recently given his assent to the bill.
• As per the bill, those who studied from the 6th standard to higher secondary schools in schools managed by the state government will be benefitted.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently inaugurated Sardar Patel Zoological Park known as Jungle Safari, in Kevadia, Narmada district of Gujarat. The Zoological Park, also known as Jungle Safari, has been set up near the Statue of Unity. The Prime Minister also inaugurated Arogya Van at Kevadia in Narmada district of Gujarat. It has around 400 species of plants and trees with rich medicinal values.

• The 8th India–Mexico Joint Commission Meeting was recently held through Video–Conference. The Meeting was co–chaired by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his Mexican counterpart Marcelo Ebrard. Both the countries agreed to promote economic strengths and work on strengthening their ‘Privileged Partnership’.

• NITI Aayog and Quality Council of India has recently launched the ‘National Program and Project Management Policy Framework’ (NPMPF). The report aims to bring radical reforms in the way infrastructure projects are executed in India. Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari also released the Indian Infrastructure Body of Knowledge (InBoK).

• The Delhi Cabinet has approved over Rs 40 crore to provide medical insurance to lawyers, who are residents of the national capital. Rs 5 lakh medical insurance and Rs 10 lakh life insurance are provided under the Chief Minister Advocates Welfare Scheme. A 13–member committee was set up headed by Rakesh Kumar Khanna, to recommend ways for utilisation of the fund for welfare of advocates.

• The Government of India has notified that that no leather footwear can be produced, sold, traded, imported or even stocked, unless they bear the BIS mark. The notification has been issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). This move is aimed to contain import of cheaper leather products in India.

• The draft Coastal Shipping Bill, 2020 has been issued by the Union Ministry of Shipping. The draft has been left open for suggestions from the stakeholders and general public. The draft bill is made available in the Shipping Ministry’s official website and would be available for suggestions till 6th November 2020.

• A scheme named SERB POWER (Promoting Opportunities for Women in Exploratory Research) has been launched by the Ministry of Science and Technology, designed exclusively to encourage Women Scientists to work in the field of science and technology.
• The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India is implementing the scheme.

• Antrix Corporation is the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It functions under the administrative control of the Department of Space. Recently, a United States court has asked Antrix Corporation to pay compensation of USD 1.2 billion to a Bengaluru–based startup, Devas Multimedia, for cancelling a satellite deal in 2005.

• Chris Gayle, who plays for Kings XI Punjab, has recently become the first batsman in history to hit 1000 sixes in T20 cricket. Kieron Pollard has hit 690 sixes and ranks second in the list of maximum sixes in T20 cricket. In the ongoing edition of IPL 2020, Gayle has scored a total of 276 runs from six outings.

• The Adani Group, has recently taken charge of the Mangaluru International Airport. It had earlier won the concession to operate, manage and develop the airport. The concession agreements for the operations, management and development of the three airports – Mangaluru, Ahmedabad and Lucknow through PPP mode were signed earlier this year, by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

• The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2020 was recently released, by conducting a phone survey of 60,000–odd students across rural India. As per the report, only 11 percent of the surveyed children had access to live online classes. Only one–third of the surveyed children had access to online learning. The report reveals the digital inequality prevalent in the country.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently inaugurated 17 tourism projects around the Statue of Unity complex, at Kevadia in Narmada District, Gujarat. Sardar Patel’s birthday is being celebrated as Ekta Divas. The Prime Minister inaugurated the projects on the same day, and the 17 tourism projects are called the “Kevadia Tourism Circuit” have been themed around “Unity”.

• As per the Public Affairs Index–2020 released by the Public Affairs Centre, Kerala was adjudged the best governed State in the large States category. States were ranked on governance performance based on a composite index in sustainable development. Kerala is followed by Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Uttar Pradesh is ranked at the bottom of the list.

• The Indian Air Force has successfully test–fired an air launched version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from a Sukhoi fighter aircraft in the Bay of Bengal. The aircraft belongs to the Thanjavur–based Tigersharks squadron. India has recently test fired a new version of the surface–to–surface supersonic cruise missile BrahMos and an anti–radiation missile named Rudram–1.

• An integrated foundation course for the Officer Trainees (OTs) of the Indian Civil Services named ‘AARAMBH’ was launched for the first time in 2019. The Prime Minister has recently interacted with the Officer Trainees (OTs) of the Indian Civil Services at LBSNAA Mussoorie through a Video conference. This is a part of the AARAMBH course.

• Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has recently launched a scheme for distribution of fortified rice through Public distribution System (PDS). The scheme, which was launched virtually on the statehood day, aims at helping in checking malnutrition and anaemia. The fortified rice is a mixture of iron, vitamin B–12 and folic acid enriched fortified rice kernel (FRK).

• Kerala aims to start providing free, high–speed Internet to schools, public offices, and poor households in the state by December, this year. Kerala is the first among all states to launch such project, which is similar to the Centre’s BharatNet project.
• The Kerala Fibre Optic Network Project or KFON has awarded the contract to a consortium led by public–sector company Bharat Electronics Limited.

• Students of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras have developed a digital game to create awareness about COVID–19. The online one–minute game has been created as part of an elective course. The game which aims to create awareness among the children, is available for free in 12 languages. The game has derived inspiration from the popular game Super Mario.

• Indian boxer Sanjeet won gold in the Alexis Vastine international boxing tournament in Nantes in 91 kg category. World silver–medallist Amit Panghal also won gold in 52 kg category. Ashish Kumar also won gold in the 75 kg category opponent pulled out due to injury. Kavinder Singh Bisht won silver while India earned three bronze medals.

• On November 1, several Indian states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka were formed. The day is recognised as Statehood Day or State Formation Day. Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala were formed in 1956. Punjab and Haryana were formed in 1966.

• BRICS Business Forum, which is an important annual event of the BRICS Business Council was hosted by Russia from October 20 to 28, 2020. President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Russia is the current Chairman of the BRICS Business Council. BRICS Business Forum was held in via Video Conferencing under the title “BRICS Business Partnership: Common Vision for Sustainable Inclusive Development”.

• Indian Tennis player Rutuja Bhosale won a singles title in the final of the $15,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. In the final, she won Anna Siskova of the Czech Republic 6–3, 7–5. The 24–year–old sportsperson is a former Asian junior champion and National women’s champion.

• As per the recent report released by the World–Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), 30 Indian cities will face increasing water risks in the next few decades. According to the WWF Water Risk Filter report, 30 Indian cities, including Jaipur, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mumbai among others, will face acute water risks. The report estimates that hundreds of millions of people in cities across the globe could face water risks.

• The Union Minister of Science and Technology Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan and Minister of State for Posts Sanjay Dhotre have released a Special Cover of Department of Posts. The special postal cover was released in New Delhi, in order to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Department of Science and Technology.

• Based on the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission, the Central Government has released a financial aid of Rs.2200 crore to 15 states. The aid would be used to improve the air quality in these states by undertaking capacity building measures. This is the first instalment of the grant towards air quality improvement.

• Indian–origin Democratic congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has been re–elected to the US House of Representatives for the third term in a row. The 47–year–old has said to have secured over 70 per cent of the total votes counted. His family was based in Tamil Nadu. The congressman was first elected to the House of Representatives in the year 2016.

• The Union Cabinet has recently approved the proposal to invest Rs 1,810 crore for 210 MW Luhri Stage–1 hydro–power project. It is located on river Satluj in Shimla and Kullu districts of Himachal Pradesh. The project is expected to generate 758.20 million units of electricity annually. The project is being implemented by Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd.

• The eighth meeting of the India–UAE High Level Joint Task Force on Investments was hosted by India in virtual format. The meeting was co–chaired by Union Minister Piyush Goyal and Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The Joint Task Force was created in 2012 to boost the economic ties between the UAE and India.

• COVID–19 Shri Shakti Challenge was organized by MyGov in collaboration with UN Women. It was seen in news because six women led start–ups have won the challenge. The challenge, which was launched in April 2020 aimed to encourage women led start–ups to come up with innovative solutions to fight against COVID19 or solve problems faced by women community.

• The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister has given its approval for signing a MoU between the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), India and its counterpart in the United Kingdom, on cooperation in the field of medical Product Regulation. The Cabinet also approved to sign another MoU with the United Kingdom Government on cooperation in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).

• Belarus has successfully commenced the electricity generation from its first nuclear plant namely “Ostrovets plant”. The power generation has commenced from its Unit 1 and the Unit 2 is expected to commence operations from the next year. Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe.