Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2020

Notes:
According to the government-backed news agency of Russia, the country has started developing its first stealth bomber named ‘PAK DA’.
It is estimated the aircraft would be completed next year and it would be able to carry an array of advanced missiles and bombs, including hypersonic weapons. This will compete with the B-2 strategic stealth bomber of the United States. China is also in the process of developing its own stealth bomber, Xian H-20.

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:
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:
European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union has recently proposed a 750 billion-euro (USD 826 billion) COVID-19 recovery plan.
The European Commission is expected to borrow the funds from the market and then disburse two-thirds in grants and the remaining fund in loans. This plan will mostly cover to revamp the worst affected European Union nations including Italy and Spain.

Notes:
Leading E-commerce platform Flipkart has signed a MoU with Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation, to enable farmers to sell their fresh fruits online.
Under the agreement, India Post would function as the last-mile delivery partner during this season. Mango Board, Farmer Producer Organisations, sellers, growers, and traders can enrol themselves in the Flipkart platform to supply several varieties of mangoes across the state.

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:
Global technology major Facebook has recently launched an experimental short music videos application called ‘Collab’.
The videos created using Collab app can be published on other platforms including Instagram and Facebook Stories. The research team of Facebook, NPE Teams has developed this application. Earlier, the team had developed some other experimental apps including CatchUp and Hobbi.

Notes:
Manushi Chillar, who won the title of Miss World in 2017 has joined hands with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to spread awareness about menstrual hygiene.
Manushi runs an initiative on menstrual hygiene named Project Shakti. With this partnership, she will promote the efforts to educate girls about menstrual hygiene and to construct sanitation facilities. On May 28, World Menstrual Hygiene Day, she participated in UNICEF global initiative called the Red Dot Challenge.

Notes:
The state of Madhya Pradesh has recently launched a new scheme called ‘Rozgar Setu’ scheme, with an aim of providing employment to the skilled workers who have returned to the state.
The state is surveying the skilled workers who were employed at industries in other states and have returned now. The government will contact the owners of industries and factories and contractors associated with infrastructure projects such as road and bridge construction.

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.