Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2021

Notes:
IBM announced that it has created a 2-nanometer chip, which is the smallest and most powerful microchip ever developed.
At present, most of the computer chips powering devices use 10-nanometer or 7-nanometer process technology. Some companies have introduced 5-nanometer chips. The lower the number, more advanced is the processor.

Notes:
Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder characterised by less oxygen-carrying protein- haemoglobin and less red blood cells in the body than normal.
May 8 is observed as World Thalassemia Day every year. The day commemorates the struggles of the patients suffering from this genetic disorder.

Notes:
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved the emergency use of drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), in moderate to severe Covid-19 patients.
The drug was developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a lab of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Hyderabad.

Notes:
Himanta Biswa Sarma has been sworn in as the 15th Chief Minister of the state of Assam. Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi administered oath of office and secrecy to Himanta Biswa Sarma.
A day before, he was selected unanimously as the leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislature party. In the recently held state elections, out of 126 seats, the BJP and its allies AGP and UPPL won a total of 75 seats.

Notes:
London-based property consultant Knight Frank released the Global Prime Residential Index. As per the index, New Delhi and Mumbai are ranked in 32nd and 36th positions respectively.
The Prime Global Cities Index is a valuation-based index, which tracked the movement in prime residential prices in local currency across more than 45 cities. Globally, Chinese city Shenzhen ranked first with 18.9% annual change for the period Q1 2020 – Q1 2021.

Notes:
Legendary Communist leader Smt. K.R. Gouri of Kerala passed away recently due to age related ailments. She was 102-year-old.
She is often referred to as the ‘Iron Lady’ in Kerala politics and was a member of the world’s first democratically elected Communist government cabinet led by Communist legend E.M.S. Nampoothiripad in 1957

Notes:
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, which was launched in the year 2016 to collect samples from the asteroid “Bennu”, has commenced its journey back to the Earth.
The spacecraft has collected samples from the asteroid, which is 320 million km from Earth and is expected to reach the Earth in 2 years.

Notes:
The Al-Aqsa Mosque, located in the city of Jerusalem, Israel, is the third holiest site in Islam. The mosque is said to be built on top of the Temple Mount.
Over 300 Palestinians were injured when Israeli armed forces stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque. In retaliation, Hamas, the Islamist militant group that runs Gaza, fired rockets. Israelis then launched an airstrike on Gaza, killing at least 21 Palestinians

Notes:
The Voyager 1 probe of NASA, has detected humming sound in space, which is said to be caused by gas in interstellar space. The plasma wave system of the probe had made this observation.
The Voyager 1 probe was launched by NASA in the year 1977, to study the outer Solar System.

Notes:
The Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar has developed an eco-friendly cremation cart, fitted with stainless steel insulation trays. It also ensures less wood consumption.
The technology behind the system is based on the wick stove, in which wick after lighting is converted into smokeless blue flame after installing the combustion air system. The cart has combustion air for primary and secondary hot air system.