Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2020

Notes:
World Metrology Day is celebrated every year on May 20, that commemorates the signature of the Metre Convention on 20 May 1875 by representatives of 17 countries.
This year, the theme for World Metrology Day 2020 is ‘Measurements for global trade’. The theme was chosen to create awareness of the role of measurement in facilitating fair global trade, ensuring standards and regulations of products.

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 Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh recently approved the proposal of the state forest department to declare ‘Lac farming’ as an agricultural activity. It is to be approved in the cabinet soon.
Lac is the sticky secretion of several species of lac insects. Thousands of lac insects colonise the branches of the host trees and secrete the Lac pigment. Chhattisgarh is one of the leading producers of lac in the country. This step will increase the productivity and credit availability of farmers cultivating lac.

Notes:
Bev Q, a virtual queue management application developed by a Kochi-based start-up Faircode Technologies, has recently been approved by Google after two-level testing. This is to be implemented to manage queues of liquor shops.
The state government of Kerala announced that liquor shops would not be opened until a queue management system is implemented. The staff working at the shops are being trained through online and video tutorials in coordination with the Kerala State Beverages Corporation.

Notes:
World’s leading toy brand the LEGO Group has recently collaborated with NITI Aayog and Save the Children, to support children impacted by Covid-19 in India.
Under the partnership, LEGO will promote ‘Learning Through Play’ and support home-based learning for children aged 3-8 years during the lock-down times. The initiative will improve access to quality pre-school education through the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and pre-school centres.

Notes:
National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI), that operates retail payments and settlement systems in India has recently launched an artificial intelligence (AI) based chatbot named ‘PAi’.
The virtual assistant has been launched with an aim to create awareness about its flagship products like FASTag, RuPay, UPI, AePS on a real time basis. Users can send queries about the products and they get verified automated responses. Global RuPay Cardholders can access the chatbot.

Notes:
Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology (CIPET) has been renamed as Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology (CIPET).
CIPET is a premier national institution under the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. It is located at SIDCO Industrial Estate, Chennai. With expanded coverage, CIPET will undertake efforts to promote the entire petrochemical sector with a focus on Academics, Skill improvement and Research.

Notes:
Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman chaired the 22nd Meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) and reviewed the current global and domestic macro-economic situation and financial stability in the nation.
Union Finance Minister is the chairperson of FSDC, an autonomous regulatory body set up in the year 2010. Besides the ten members which includes the RBI Governor, Finance Secretary, Chief Economic Adviser, Chairpersons of SEBI, IRDAI, PFRDA, IBBI among others, the Finance Minister may invite any other required person.

Notes:
The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers is celebrated on 29 May every year, to pay tribute to the contribution of the peacekeepers.
This year the theme of the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, 2020 is “Women in Peacekeeping: A Key to Peace”. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. UN honours more than 3,900 UN peacekeepers who have lost their lives during their service, since 1948.

Notes:
Ministry of Tribal Affairs has announced Inclusion of 23 additional Minor Forest Produce (MFP) items in the Minimum Support Price List.
Under the “Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce through Minimum Support price and development of Value Chain of MFP” scheme of 2011, the forest dwellers are safeguarded by a minimum price. This is implemented by the TRIFED organisation. This inclusion has increased the coverage from 50 to 73 items in the list.