Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2021

Notes:
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has appointed Vaishali S Hiwase as the first woman officer to command a Road Construction Company (RCC).
The officer would command the company, to provide connectivity in a high-altitude area along the India-China border. She is a M Tech graduate and has already carried out a demanding tenure in Kargil.

Notes:
Shivalik Mercantile Co-operative Bank Ltd. was granted an in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India, for transition into a small finance bank in 2020.
It is the first cooperative bank to be converted into a small finance bank, under the transition scheme. Shivalik Small Finance Bank Ltd. has commenced operations as a small finance bank with effect from April 26.

Notes:
Manoj Das, a famous 20th century Odia and English writer has recently passed away recently. Many of his short stories were translated into major Indian and foreign languages.
He received several national awards, including the Padma Bhushan award last year. He was also awarded with several other awards including Kendriya Sahitya Akademi Award, Odisha Sahitya Akademi Award, Sarala Award and Sahitya Bharati Award.

Notes:
The state government of Andhra Pradesh is set to launch CLAP (Clean Andhra Pradesh) Jagananna Swachha Sankalpam programme.
The scheme is expected to be launched in the month of July. 100 days sanitation drive to keep the villages clean will start from May 1. The state has also planning for better sewage water treatment and solid waste management.

Notes:
Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has become the third strongest and the tenth most valuable insurance brand globally.
According to a report by Brand Finance Insurance 100 2021, LIC’s brand value increased by almost 7 per cent to $8.65 billion. There are 5 Chinese Insurance companies in the top 10 with Ping An Insurance at the top place.

Notes:
Elon Musk-owned SpaceX recently launched a new batch of 60 Starlink internet satellites into orbit onboard its Falcon 9 rocket.
Marking the company’s 10th launch of the year, the flagship Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. It successfully landed at sea, for the seventh time.

Notes:
Researchers have discovered the world’s first-known pregnant mummy, in the Warsaw Mummy Project.
The mummy, which is said to be dating from the first century in Egypt, has been found inside the coffin belonging to a male priest. The mummy was donated to the University of Warsaw in Poland in 1826. This discovery helps the researchers to gather first hand evidence of prenatal health in ancient times.

Notes:
The Benin Bronzes are a group of over a thousand metal plaques and sculptures which were placed in the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin, the present-day Nigeria.
Germany announced that it would start returning the artefacts known as the Benin bronzes that are held in its museums to Nigeria from next year. British soldiers seized thousands of the sculptures in 1897 during a raid on the Kingdom of Benin. They were then auctioned to many other countries.

Notes:
The OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) has reported that FDI globally has plunged to a 15 year low in the year 2020 and has dropped by 38% compared to previous years.
Among the nations, China has emerged as the leading FDI destination in 2020 and has overtaken the USA in this regard.

Notes:
The MPLADS (Member of Parliament Local Area Development Fund) is administered by the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
In view of the ongoing COVID pandemic, the Government of India has permitted the use of MPLADS funds for setting up oxygen manufacturing units in government hospitals, for the FY 2021-22.