Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2020

Notes:
‘SAMPRITI’ is a joint military training exercise between India and Bangladesh. The ninth edition of the exercise -SAMPRITI-IX is set to be conducted at Umroi, Meghalaya from February 3 to 16, 2020.
The exercise, which is a part of the Indo-Bangladesh defence cooperation, is annually hosted by both countries alternately. Last year, the exercise was conducted in Tangail, Bangladesh. During the exercise, the troops of both the countries will work together to tackle Counter Terrorist Operation in a simulated environment, as per the United Nations Charter. Several exercises including Command Post Exercise, Field Training Exercise and joint tactical exercise are also scheduled.

Notes:
The IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number is a 15-digit unique serial number of mobile devices. It is allocated by a global industry body GSMA and its authorised organisations. In India, Mobile Standards Alliance of India (MSAI) is the official reporting body of GSMA.
Recently, the Department of Telecom has taken over the process of issuing and allocating the IMEI numbers for mobile phones in India from the private body MSAI. The new ‘Indian Counterfeited Device Restriction (ICDR) system’, which has been developed by the R&D unit of DoT is being tested on pilot basis on the web portal of Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR).

Notes:
The ‘Anti-leprosy day’ is observed annually on the last Sunday of January, across the world. This year, the day is observed on Janaury 26, 2020, the month’s last Sunday.
The World Health Organisation has adopted a theme of ‘Leprosy isn’t you think’ to create awareness to fight the prejudice and discrimination associated with the disease. In India, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) signed an MoU with the charitable organization- Sasakawa India Leprosy Foundation (S-ILF) to eradicate leprosy in the country.

Notes:
After nearly four years of the referendum voted by the British people for Brexit, the United Kingdom officially left the European Union, at 11.00 p.m on January 31, 2020.
After Britain left the bloc, the European Union has 27 more countries. The process by which the member state leaves the Union has expired and UK has entered the transition period, which will remain till December 31, 2020. The UK will continue to obey the EU laws and courts during the transition period. A new 50-pence coin was launched recently to mark the occasion.

Notes:
The 35th edition of India International Leather Fair (IILF), 2020 is being held in the capital city of Tamil Nadu, Chennai. The fair is being held from February 1 to 3, 2020 at the Chennai Trade Centre.
The fair is organized by India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), which functions under aegis of Ministry of Commerce and Industry for promoting country’s external trade. A large variety of products related to leather industry are being displayed in the 3-day-long international fair. Latest trends and designs of the global fashion are also showcased in the event.

Notes:
Abidali Neemuchwala recently submitted his resignation from the Chief Executive Officer post at the leading Indian Information Technology firm Wipro.
He has served as the CEO and the Group President of the company for four years and Managing Director since July 2019. Abidali has sought resignation citing family commitments. He will continue to serve in the post until a proper successor is appointed by the company’s board of directors. Rishad Premji has recently taken over as the Executive Chairman of Wipro, replacing his father Azim Premji.

Notes:
The All-Party Parliament Group on Traditional Medicines recently organized a meeting at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium. The meeting aimed at legalising Ayurveda in Europe and integrating it with their other healthcare systems.
During the meeting, Indian Ayurveda doctor, Dr.Pratap Chauhan was conferred with the ‘Ayurveda Ratan’ award. Several representatives and delegated attended the meeting including the Indian Ambassador to European Union, Gaitri Kumar. Ayurveda Day was celebrated at the European Parliament on November 21, 2018 for the first time.

Notes:
Rubigula, the Flame-throated Bulbul is the official state bird of Goa. The bird, also known as Ruby-throated yellow bulbul, has been named as the official mascot for the 2020 National Games.
Goa is set to play host to the 36th edition of the National Games from 20th October to 4th November, 2020 in 37 sports disciplines across 24 venues. In a ceremony recently held, Chief Minister of Goa Pramod Sawant and Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju unveiled the state bird as the mascot.

Notes:
As per the recent announcement of the Chairman of the Railway Board Vinod Kumar Yadav, the third private train of the IRCTC is set to run between Varanasi and Indore.
The train which is to be operated overnight, is expected to have the same rakes as in the Humsafar Express. The train is set to run three days a week between the cities- among them two days will be operated via Lucknow and one day via Allahabad. The first two private trains are operated on two routes namely Delhi-Lucknow and Ahmedabad-Mumbai.

Notes:
Veteran Indian diplomat Gopal Baglay was recently appointed as the India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka. Gopal Baglay, who is currently serving at the Prime Minister’s Office, is expected to assume charge in a short time.
He has succeeded Taranjit Singh Sandhu, who has recently been appointed as the Indian Ambassador to the United States. Gopal Baglay is a 1992-batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service and has held several important positions during his career. He has served as the Deputy High Commissioner of India to Pakistan and Spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry.