Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2020

Notes:
One of the most successful women Table Tennis players of India, Poulomi Ghatak has announced her retirement.
She is a seven-time National title winner in Table Tennis, just short of the record of 8 titles currently held by Indu Puri. She is to concentrate on Table-Tennis coaching. Poulomi’s had inaugurated her academy in June last year, along with her husband Soumyadip Roy, who is also a former National TT Champion.

Notes:
The state Government of Assam has extended the AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958) in the state for a period of 6 more months, from August 28
Assam has been declared a “disturbed area” due to various insurgent attacks on the security forces in the near past. The AFSPA is in force in Assam since 1990 and is renewed every 6 months. The Act empowers the security forces to make security operations, arrest anyone anywhere without prior notice.

Notes:
The United States has imposed sanctions on 24 Chinese companies and officials recently. These companies are said to be involved in building and militarization of an artificial island in South China Sea.
All the 24 firms are state owned companies of China. These companies have been put under USA’s “Entity List” by which USA would block exports of materials and goods to these companies.

Notes:
The Arunachal Pradesh Assembly has recently passed a resolution to bring the state under the scope of Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
The Sixth Schedule provides protection of tribal people’s rights in the Northeast India. Under the Indian constitution, Arunachal Pradesh is the only North-eastern state without any protective provisions for its tribal communities.

Notes:
UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has launched a new initiative named ‘Beirut’.
The initiative seeks to raise funds to be used in rehabilitating the heritage buildings situated in Beirut. UNESCO will host a meeting for donors by the end of September. Earlier, during a massive explosion that hit Lebanon, several of is buildings were damaged.

Notes:
The Bureau of Police Research and Development, BPR&D is celebrating its Golden Jubilee Anniversary on August 28, 2020.
To mark the day, a virtual event was organised with Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy as the Chief Guest. During the occasion, Central Detective Training Institute (CDTI), Jaipur and the website of Student Police Cadets were launched.

Notes:
Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju announced the enhancement in Prize money of four of the seven National Sports and Adventure Awards.
The prize money for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award is increased to Rs 25 lakh from Rs 7.5 lakh; that of Arjuna Award is enhanced to 15 lakh rupees from 5 lakh. The Dhronacharya (Lifetime) awardees will now be given 15 lakh rupees while Dhronacharya (Regular) will be given 10 lakhs. Dhyanchand Awardees will be given 10 lakh rupees.

Notes:
The National Sports Awards ceremony for the year 2020, where India’s best sports persons are honoured by the President with various awards, was held virtually for the first time.
The award winners were connected virtually to the President of India at Rashtrapathi Bhavan from nine different Sports Authority of India designated locations. The prestigious ceremony was conducted virtually as a result of the restrictions imposed due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Notes:
The India-Singapore Defence Policy Dialogue (DPD) was conducted virtually where the two parties reviewed their bilateral defence ties in a comprehensive manner.
The two countries resolved to enhance their cooperation in defence and security with special focus on maritime security. The meeting was co-chaired by Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar. During the event, the Implementing Arrangement on “Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief” (HADR) was signed between the two countries.

Notes:
Using the Hubble Space Telescope of NASA, scientists have discovered immense envelope of gas called halo which surrounds the Andromeda galaxy.
Scientists have stated that the reservoir of gas contains fuel for future star formation within the galaxy. This nearly invisible Halo of diffuse plasma extends 1.3 million light-years from the galaxy, about half way into the Milky Way galaxy.