Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2020

Notes:
Oil India Limited (OIL) has recently announced that it has received environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), for the extension of drilling and testing of hydrocarbons under the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park of Assam.
While several environmental activists raised fears about the impact of the project in an ecologically sensitive park and biosphere reserve, OIL negated the claims. The drilling and testing of hydrocarbons are to be done at seven locations under the park.

Notes:
The United Nations celebrates the International Day for Biological Diversity annually on May 22, across the world, to highlight the importance of biodiversity issues.
This year the theme of the day is “Our solutions are in nature”. The theme covers 3 topics during the week, which includes 18 May to cover the importance of knowledge and science; 19-21 May to raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity; and May 22, the day of the observance, to issue a call to action.

Notes:
Former Supreme Court Judge and the International Judge at Singapore International Commercial Court Justice A K Sikri has recently e- inaugurated the Indian Dispute Resolution Centre (IDRC).
IDRC provides a paperless dispute resolution environment through certain software portals. Its arbitration panel has former judges of the Supreme Court, High Courts, district courts and senior advocates, former bureaucrats, chartered accountants among others. The IDRCs are located at strategically commercial places in the country and its head office is in New Delhi.

Notes:
The United Nations observes the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula on May 23, since 2013. The day is observed to raise awareness of the issue and mobilize support from across the world.
Obstetric fistula is one of the most serious injuries that can occur during childbirth. This condition makes the affected women easily prone to infections or other health conditions. The women also face social-stigma in the society. The theme of this year is ‘End gender inequality! End health inequities! End Fistula now!’.

Notes:
The Indian Air Force is set to operationalize its squadron called the Number-18 – ‘Flying Bullets’ with a fleet of the LCA (Light Combat Aircraft) Tejas.
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria will launch the squadron at the Sulur base near Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. This is the second Indian Air Force squadron to operate with the modern light fighter aircraft Tejas, which is a fourth-generation supersonic aircraft developed by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

Notes:
The state government of Odisha has recently promulgated an ordinance allowing investors and farmers to enter into agreement for contract farming.
As per the state government, the aim of the ordinance was to facilitate farmers and sponsors to develop an efficient contract farming system, which is mutually beneficial to them. It was also clarified that no title, rights, ownership or possession of land or any other property would be transferred.

Notes:
Social media and technology giant Facebook has recently launched CatchUp application, that lets the users make free phone calls.
The application developed by internal R&D group of Facebook -NPE Team, allows the users to make phone calls up to 8 people simultaneously. It uses the Facebook account in the phone to coordinate the service. It is launched at the United States as a pilot service and expected to be launched across the world soon.

Notes:
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has officially launched the instant Permanent Account Number (PAN) facility which uses Aadhaar number-based e-KYC.
This was announced during the 2020 budget along with an interchangeable Aadhar and PAN feature. The Income tax department launched the beta facility on their e-filing website in February 2020. As this a paperless and real-time facility, the turn-around time taken for allotting the PAN through this facility is only about 10 minutes.

Notes:
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal participated in the Digital Summit on Exports organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
During his address through video- conferencing, the Minister said that he expects the decline in exports to narrow to 8-10 per cent in the month of June. In the month of April, 28 out of 30 major product groups have witnessed huge decline in exports up to 99 per cent.

Notes:
Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi has recently passed away at Raipur after suffering from a heart attack, at the age of 74.
When the state was carved out from Madhya Pradesh to be held as a separate state in the year 2000, he was selected to head the state. The veteran leader was an Indian Administrative Officer turned politician. He had also served as the Collector of Raipur during the early years of his career.