Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2020

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:
Thangjam Dhabali Singh, a doctor from Manipur and founder of the Manipur Tourism Forum (MTF), was conferred the ‘Order of Rising Sun – Gold and Silver Rays’ by Japan. He was selected for promoting a better understanding of Japan in India and deepening ties between the two countries.
The award was constituted by Japanese Emperor Meiji in 1875. It is awarded to persons who contribute in promotion of Japanese culture, environmental preservation and international relations.

Notes:
Apex Traders body, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has recently announced that it would launch a national e-commerce marketplace ‘bharatmarket’.
The platform aims to connect all retail traders to the market, in collaboration with technology partners, who will provide services in logistics and supply chains from manufacturers to end consumers.

Notes:
The Union minister of Culture Prahlad Singh Patel released a centenary special edition e-book “Prof. B. B. Lal -India Rediscovered” on the birthday of B.B.Lal, as a tribute for his contribution in the field of archaeology.
Professor B.B Lal, born on May 2, 2961 in Uttar Pradesh, is a renowned archaeologist. On the occasion of his 100th birth year, the e-book has been released by the Ministry of culture in collaboration with Prof B B Lal Centenary Celebration Committee.

Notes:
Indian Navy has launched Operation named ‘Samudra Setu’, which means Sea Bridge in English, with an objective of repatriating Indian citizens who are stranded in other countries.
As a part of Phase-1 under the operation, Indian Naval Ships Jalashwa and Magar have departed to Malè in Maldives for evacuation of Indian citizens. The list of persons who are to be evacuated is prepared by the Indian Mission in Maldives. About a thousand nationals are to be transported back to India following social distancing norms.

Notes:
When a polymer plant in Vishakhapatnam resumed its operations after lock down, there was a leakage of styrene gas, that has killed about 11 people. Thousands of people were evacuated from around the plant and many of them were hospitalised.
The styrene gas is a poisonous, inflammable gas used in plastic engineering industry, which caused nausea and dizziness. As per the experts, the gas could have triggered a series of explosions from the LG Polymers plant, which manufactures polystyrene.

Notes:
French cybersecurity researcher and ethical hacker Robert Baptiste who writes in the pseudonym Elliot Alderson on Twitter, warned about the security issues in the Aarogya Setu application. He also explained how the application could be manipulated to retrieve data of people infected in a given area.
As per the recent announcement of the Indian government, more than 90 million people have downloaded the application. However, the team of Aarogya Setu assured that no data or security breach has been identified.

Notes:
West Bengal supplies about 95 per cent of the jute bags used across the country, mainly in packaging of food-grains. As the lock-down has stopped the production of jute bags in the state, the Food Corporation of India faces a shortage of bags.
Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan announced that the government has allowed packaging of food-grains in used gunny sacks and plastic bags during the ongoing procurement season. A task force has been constituted by the Ministry to assess the shortage of jute bags for packaging amid the lock-down.

Notes:
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratory based at Hyderabad, Research Centre Imarat (RCI), has developed an automated sanitisation cabinet, called Defence Research Ultraviolet Sanitiser (DRUVS).
The sanitiser uses the UV-C type of light to sanitise currency notes, electronic gadgets and paper. The significant feature of the sanitiser is its contactless operation, which will help in containing the spread of infection.

Notes:
A team of astronomers using the Chile-based La Silla Observatory of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) has recently discovered the nearest black hole from Earth.
This triple-structure black hole named as HR 6819, is located just 1000 light-years from Earth. Unlike the other black holes that have been detected till date, HR 6819 does not actively interfere with their surroundings. The team was able to distinguish its existence and measure its mass.