Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2020

Notes:
The Union Cabinet has approved the ‘Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States (STARS)’ project, which is partially funded by the World Bank. The programme aims to reform governance as well as teaching and learning outcomes in six States.
The project focuses on early childhood and vocational education. The total outlay of the Project is Rs 5,718 crore, with the World Bank’s support of about Rs 3,700 crore.

Notes:
An inter-ministerial meeting with Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was chaired by the Union Minister of Health Dr.Harsh Vardhan. The meeting aims to achieve “Vision 2050” of the Eat Right India Movement.
The health minister informed that the economic cost of foodborne diseases in India would be USD 15 billion and more than 50% of women and children in India are suffering from anaemia.

Notes:
Every year, the International Day of Rural Women is observed by the United Nations on 15th October. The first such day was observed in 2008 after the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution in this regard in 2007.
The day recognises the crucial role played by rural women in enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and eradicating rural poverty.

Notes:
As per the World Economic Outlook 2020 released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently, India’s Per Capital GDP is expected to fall to USD 1877 in the year 2020.
The corresponding figure for Bangladesh is USD 1888, indicating that the per capita GDP for Bangladesh would be more than that of India in 2020. As per the report, India’s fall in per capita GDP is a result of COVID 19 related lock-down and economic slowdown.

Notes:
Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the 102nd meeting of World Bank Development Committee Plenary through video conferencing.
She highlighted the measures taken by the Government to tackle the Covid-19 crisis, including the USD 23 billion and USD 271 Billion as a part of the economic stimulus package.

Notes:
As per a recent publication by the Lancet journal, life expectancy in India has risen from 59.6 years in 1990 to 70.8 years in 2019. The value ranges between 77.3 years in Kerala to 66.9 years in Uttar Pradesh.
The report has however pointed out that, in India, people are living more years with illness and disability. High Blood pressure, use of tobacco, air pollution and COVID pandemic has resulted in acute health emergencies.

Notes:
Insurance sector regulator IRDAI has recently issued guidelines on the standard individual term life insurance product to be made available by all life insurance companies. The product is named “Saral Jeevan Bima”. The Insurer’s name shall be prefixed to the product name.
It is a non-linked, non-participating individual life insurance plan which provided the value of sum assured to the nominee, in case of an unfortunate death of the insured.

Notes:
The rocket named New Shepard has been test launched recently by Blue Origin. It was an unscrewed test. The New Shepard launch vehicle consists of a reusable rocket and space capsule.
During the test, both the capsule and the rocket boosters were brought down to earth successfully. Blue Origin is a private spaceflight company founded in 2000 by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

Notes:
Former World Champion Nozomi Okuhara clinched the women’s singles in Denmark Open title after beating three-time world champion Spain’s Carolina Marin.
The Japanese Badminton star clinched the title while World Champion P V Sindhu opted not to participate in the event. Anders Antonsen of Denmark clinched the men’s title.

Notes:
Baba Banda Singh Bahadur was a Sikh warrior born in 1670. He was also the commander of Khalsa Army and was known for his struggle against the Mughal Empire during the early 18th century, after meeting Guru Gobind Singh.
He was instrumental for abolition of Zamindari and Taluqdari system and gave farmers proprietorship of their land. Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Baba Banda Singh Bahadur on his 350th birth anniversary.