Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2020

Notes:
Renowned singer Shyamala G Bhave, passed away at her residence at the age of 79. The singer was popular for her command over both Hindustani and Carnatic music.
The singer started her music career during the early years of her childhood. She had received several awards and accolades for her contribution towards music. The Diwan of Mysore Sir M Visvesvaraya honoured her with the title ‘Ubhaya Gaana Vidushi’, which means expert in both styles.

Notes:
The Union Government has notified amendments to General Financial Rules (GFR) 2017, to make goods and services valued less than Rs 200 crore are procured from domestic firms.
As announced in the recent economic stimulus package, global procurements will be disallowed up to Rs 200 Crore, which will reduce unfair competition among the domestic suppliers and MSMEs. GFR is amended such that the limit of procurement may be prescribed by the Department of Expenditure from time to time.

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:
The Bombay High Court recently noted that the right to a decent burial is recognized as a facet of the right to life.
Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic situation, the right to a decent burial cannot be denied to any person, as per the High Court. It dismissed the petitions challenging a circular issued by the Mumbai Corporation that designated 20 cemeteries for disposing of cadavers of persons who died of COVID-19. It also highlighted that there was no scientific study by WHO that Corona virus spreads through cadavers.

Notes:
Australian tennis legend Ashley Cooper, who won four Grand Slam singles titles in the 1950s, has recently passed away due to illness at the age of 83.
Ashley Cooper won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Grand slam in the year 1958, and achieved the rare feat of winning three Grand Slam championships in a calendar year. He won all four of his Grand Slam crowns by beating his fellow countrymen in the final. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1991.

Notes:
The first unmanned helicopter drone of China, named AR500C was seen in news as the helicopter made its first successful flight recently.
It has been designed to fly in plateau areas and capable of firing and conducting investigation from a high altitude. The unmanned helicopter is expected to be deployed along the country’s borders with India, to safe-guard the southwestern borders in Tibet.

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:
Social Media Giant Twitter recently labelled tweets from the United States President Donald Trump as misleading, by linking the tweets with a fact checking page.
Under the tweets by the President, there was a message displayed by Twitter which read, “Get the facts about mail-in ballots”. Though Twitter clarified that the move was to provide context to the tweets, the President alleged that Twitter is interfering in the 2020 presidential election.

Notes:
The Indian Olympic Association has constituted an 11-member committee led by Adille Sumariwala, the President of Athletics Federation of India.
The committee has been constituted to review and monitor annual grant and affiliation fee of its members for the 2020-2021 cycle, in coordination with the finance department. The committee is also required to send a report on all pending issues regarding previous year to IOA President.

Notes:
Every year, May 28 has been celebrated as the World Menstrual Hygiene Day across the world. It is a global platform initiated by the German non-profit organisation WASH United.
This year, the theme of Menstrual Hygiene Day is ‘Periods in Pandemic’. Several government agencies, individuals, non-profits and media join hands to create awareness about the safe menstruation practices and hygiene management.