Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2020

Notes:
On recommendation of K. Santhanam committee, the Central Vigilance Commission was set up by the Government in 1964, to exercise general superintendence and control over vigilance administration. Recently, Former Andhra Bank MD & CEO Suresh N. Patel was appointed as a Vigilance commissioner in CVC.
As per the Central Vigilance Commission Act 2003, there shall be a Central Vigilance Commissioner as the Chairperson and not more than two Vigilance Commissioners as Members. The term of office of the Central Vigilance Commissioner and the Vigilance Commissioners would be four years from the date of entering office or till they attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

Notes:
Versatile Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan has recently passed away at a private hospital in Mumbai, at the age of 53.
Irrfan is considered as one of the finest actors in Hindi cinema. He won the National Award in 2013 for his outstanding performance in the sports drama ‘Paan Singh Tomar’. He was also awarded the prestigious Padma Shri award in 2011. He had also acted in famous Hollywood films like ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, ‘Jurassic World’, and ‘Life of Pi’.

Notes:
Open Budget Survey, which was conducted by the International Budget Partnership (IBP) has been recently released. It rates the level of budget transparency on a scale of 0-100. New Zealand tops the list with a score 87.
In the list, India has been ranked at 53rd position among 117 nations, in terms of budget transparency and accountability. The survey provided a score of 49 out of 100 for the Union Budget process of India whereas the global average is 45. The survey report argues that the Union Government should publish a Pre-Budget Statement, which can be scrutinised by the legislators and the public.

Notes:
The popular candy of Tamilnadu, Kovilpatti kadalai mittai has been granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. Deputy Registrar of Geographical Indications announced the news.
The ‘kadalai mittai’ is manufactured using peanuts held together with jaggery syrup in Kovilpatti and adjacent areas of Thoothukudi district. As the candy has a long shelf life, it has a huge export potential and the GI tag will attract many national and international audience.

Notes:
Union MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari has recently launched Bank of Schemes, Ideas, Innovation and Research portal on MSMEs, through the Video conferencing.
The Portal enables the Centre, State and UT governments to access all related schemes. The portal also has features to upload Ideas, Innovations & Researches in the sector. The ideas crowdsourced are evaluated and rated by experts. The portal would be handled and updated by professionals.

Notes:
As per the recent statement of U.N. World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Ozone depletion has hit the highest level, which is the highest level since 2011.
The WMO also highlighted that the hole has now been closed. As per the spokesperson, the ‘springtime phenomenon’ in the northern hemisphere was caused by ozone depleting substances in atmosphere and cold winter in stratosphere. But this phenomenon is not due to the pandemic.

Notes:
A black rice variety of Manipur called Chak-Hao has recently bagged the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
Chak-Hao is an aromatic glutinous rice variety which has been cultivated in Manipur. It is also used traditional medical practitioners. It also has the longest cooking time due to its fibrous bran layer and higher crude fibre content. The terracotta work of Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradsh a centuries-old traditional art form, also bagged the G.I tag.

Notes:
The State government of Andhra Pradesh has launched a scheme called YSR Matsyakara Bharosa amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Under the scheme, the government will provide a financial assistance of ₹10,000 to each fisherman family. This would help the fishermen community during the lock-down period and during the marine ban period. The monetary relief of fishermen venturing into the sea has also been raised from ₹4,000 to ₹10,000 per head.

Notes:
The new Prime Minister of Iraq, Mustafa al-Kadhimi assumed office after the country’s parliament approved a new government. The parliament also approved 15 ministers in a vote of confidence and seven ministries including Foreign affairs and Oil were left empty.
There has been political crisis for more than six months in the country. The two previous nominees for the role of prime minister, Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi and Adnan al-Zurfi failed to secure the required support from cabinet ministers.

Notes:
The National Anti-Doping Agency, a national organisation under the Ministry of Sports announced that it would conduct its disciplinary hearings online. It is responsible for promoting and monitoring the doping control programs in all forms of sports in India.
Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) and Anti-Doping Appeals Panel (ADAP) will start hearing cases online, due to the lockdown imposed. NADA will also launch an application to create awareness about anti-doping.