Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2021

Notes:
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) has launched joint military exercise named DEFENDER-Europe 2021 in Albania.
This is the first such large-scale exercise in the Western Balkan region since the World War II. Thousands of military forces from the United States and other countries will participate in the exercise. DEFENDER-Europe is an annual large-scale U.S. Army-led, multinational exercise.

Notes:
NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter had demonstrated powered, controlled flight on the Red planet. Now, the helicopter is to demonstrate a new activity.
The Ingenuity experiment will function in a demonstration phase, after the helicopter completes its next two flights. It will start exploring how aerial scouting and other aerial functions could benefit future exploration of Mars and other regions.

Notes:
The Government of India has announced the establishment 2+2 dialogue at the foreign and defence minister level between India and Russia.
As of now, India has a mechanism of 2+2 partnership only with the USA, Australia and Japan. Russia will now become the first non-Quad country to have this mechanism with India.

Notes:
As per SEBI, Alternative Investment Fund means any privately pooled investment fund established in India which collects funds from sophisticated investors, (Indian or foreign), for investing as per a defined investment policy for the benefit of its investors.
The Union Labour ministry has notified the changes in the investment pattern of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). It has permitted the body to invest up to 5% of its surplus in alternate investment funds (AIFs) which support infrastructure, MSMEs, venture capital funds and social venture capital funds.

Notes:
Every year, 3rd May is observed as World Press Freedom Day by the United Nations. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared this day to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and to lay emphasis on the right to freedom of expression.
A resolution in this regard was passed by the UN in the year 1993.

Notes:
The United States of America has approved the sale of six number of additional P-8I maritime patrol aircraft to India. The estimated value of the sale is $2.42 billion.
Presently, Indian Navy has deployed 12 P 81 aircrafts. The induction of 6 more air crafts to the Navy would enhance its operational and surveillance capabilities.

Notes:
Mark Selby became the World Champion for the fourth time in the game of Snooker. The ace player won the Championship defeating Shaun Murphy at Sheffield, England.
Selby has also moved up to second spot in world rankings, next only to Judd Trump. Mark Selby is an English professional snooker player, who has won 20 ranking titles, and at seventh place on the all-time list of ranking tournament wins.

Notes:
The First supply of UCO (Used Cooking Oil) based Biodiesel blended Diesel was flagged off recently from Indian Oil’s Tikrikalan Terminal, New Delhi.
The flagging off ceremony was presided over by Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan. Earlier in 2019, petroleum and health ministries had initiated Expressions of Interest for “Procurement of Biodiesel produced from Used Cooking Oil”. IOCL has received 51KL of UCO-Biodiesel till March 2021.

Notes:
Researchers have found the fossil bone fragments of sauropods – a long neck dinosaur at West Khasi Hills District in Meghalaya. The fossil is assumed to be about 100-million-years old.
This finding makes Meghalaya the 5th state in India after Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu to report Sauropod bones.

Notes:
‘Mayflower 400’ is the world’s first Artificial intelligent ship. This ship is covered in solar panels and will study marine pollution and analyse plastic present in water and track aquatic mammals.
Hundreds of individuals from different countries such as India, United States and Switzerland, were involved in the making of this ship.